Xtreme Christmas Department

Cliff Morrow inspired this post. He reported that his church had a delightful Christmas Cantata on a night when the thermometer said “Zero!” He also reported that they had plates and plates of Christmas Cookies afterward.

Not to be outdone, I thought I’d report on our church’s Xtreme Christmas held Sunday morning. We have a small church. About three to four hundred attend every Sunday, split up into two services. But for this Sunday, we all met in a Big City Convention Center. The past five years our church has held an Xtreme Christmas service.

During those services, several people are given help with personal needs. Like Christmas presents for the kids; like a couple of months of utilities or rent; like a semester’s tuition; like a half a truck-load of groceries; like Christmas presents for the parents, too. Oh, and we send box upon box of diapers, of frozen meat, of gift cards for gasoline and lattes. And on and on...


This year, we were aware of so many needy families in our community, that instead of wrapping gifts for weeks on end, we gave everyone gift cards to various stores and services. The smallest amount was $350 (lots of those); the highest amount was over $1,000. We were able to help over 140 families. One young lady received an Xtreme Check to help with hospital expenses for her preemie baby, who was born at 26 weeks! way back in September. This week she gets to go home! Yee-haw!

I don’t tell you this to toot our horn. I tell you this because the good folks in our little church gave big gifts to help less fortunate people have a nicer Christmas Season this year. Isn’t it interesting that when you want to help out, you always seems to have a little extra? Where does it come from? Jesus knows, I guess.

We all sang a bunch of carols—and were they ever vigorous! The preacher preached a little—got on TV, too.


Everybody was friendly; nobody was a stranger. One lady stepped out of her comfort zone—out of her grief—on the anniversary date of her daughter’s, and son-in-law’s and grandchild’s Xtremely Tragic deaths. Christmas time has not been pleasant for her the past several years, but she stepped up to the plate yesterday with an Xtreme Smile and welcomed everyone to our service. Just watching her was an Xtreme blessing for everyone. Jesus does things like that for you.

My First Wife and I hope your Christmas Season is Xtreme, too.

And by the way, when our church service started Sunday, the temperature was a balmy 60 degrees. When the service ended two hours later, it was a windy 32 degrees! By nightfall, 16 degrees and snowing! This morning it was 3 degrees! That's Xtreme!

Oh, and please visit My Hats Blog to meet one of the people who wore her hat to our church yesterday.

Jesus is the reason for the season.

Blessings Department (Humble Department, too)

Sometimes—when you least expect it—the Lord smiles upon you more than you can ever imagine.

We went to Arizona a couple of months ago and spent one night with best friends from long, long ago. Imagine our surprise to randomly pick an old, well-used Bible off one of their bookcases and find this prize.

“Yep,” Gary said, “That was my very first Bible.”

It says "New Birth - Jan 4, 1970
Presented to Gary W. Elliott
By Gloria and Paul
Nichols
Date January 17, 1970"

Beautiful Weather Department

The trouble with my walks is that I'm always stopping to take pictures. Like the two scenes below that My First Wife and I enjoyed this evening. Ah, the Kansas Prairie. You can click these pictures to enlarge.


There's nothing you can say about this scene except it's so beautiful and peaceful. My First Wife and I paused here for several moments.


I actually wanted to shoot a picture of the fences here, but guess what happened? When I got my camera out, that pinto left its little pen and hurried into the scene. I took four pictures. When I put the camera back in its pouch and started to walk off, the horse looked at me, turned and trotted back to whatever it was doing. Show off.

Baseball Department

We love baseball. Yes, we do! Baseball is the world's most wonderful, all-around, inspirational and ageless game. Anybody can play it. Here's proof.

Department of Inspiration

In fiction, there is a great difference between great characters and great names. Great characters inspire me to write. Great names are alive: poetic and romantic. They learn me good to write.

There are dozens and dozens of great fictional names (here’s 100 examples). But there are only a few poetic names; those magical names that drive you to learn more about that character. Dancing names that twinkle and then leave you breathless. Exciting and creative names that make me wish I had given my kids such a name. Here are the only three that have really captured me so far. My favorite fictional names.

• Lightfoot McLendon, Cold Sassy Tree, by Olive Ann Burns, 1984
• Cat Dancing, The Man Who Loved Cat Dancing, by Marilyn Durham, 1972
• Holly Golightly, Breakfast at Tiffany’s, by Truman Capote, 1958

All women, by the way. How about you? Have you found a favorite fictional poetic or romantic name?

Department of Education

Many people wear mortar boards at this time of the year. But only one of them is Ying. My First Wife and I love Ying. We’ve known her for four years. Already?! She came to the US for college at the tender age of 17. Alone.

Ying speaks beautiful and impeccable English—with a British accent. She lived in England for several years where her father was a Chinese government diplomat. While she’s been in the US, she’s made two trips to visit her parents “back home” in Beijing, China. Alone.

This Saturday she graduated—Summa Cum Laude , thank you very much!—from the University of Missouri at Kansas City (UMKC). Next semester, she’ll be at Purdue University to study for a PhD in Pharmacy. Alone.

Ying’s very brave and determined, and quite a lot of fun, too. It’s been our blessing to be a tiny part of this special and beautiful young woman’s career.

Vital Statistics Department--New Arrivals

Folks, just want to let you know that Mr. and Mrs. G had quadruplets yesterday morning.


Mother and little ones are doing just fine.


Proud Papa


First there was an eating lesson...


Then there was a preening lesson. "Hey, pay attention!"


And finally the swimming lesson!
"This is fun!"
"Yeah, I could do this all day!"
"Me, too!"
"Yee-haw!"


"You're doing great, kids!"


Ah...the family that swims together, stays together.

Stay tuned.

Department of Beauty

Here in Pancake Flats, spring has finally sprung. Yee-haw. I went out to look at it the other day, and on my walk here’s a little of what I found along the way.

First, there was the annual dandelion convention.

Then there was a Parade of Pink Trees.

This Tu-color branch was the in the first tree...(I love Macro!)

Speaking of trees, these are Pear Trees protecting that little foot bridge.

And here's a another foot bridge watching over two baby Pear Trees.

Later, I spied a Tu-color Tulip... (Another great macro photo!)

She was out standing in her field...

Well, just before sundown, this cute little Dogwood Blossom offered me a hug.

And just after sundown, the day ended with this romantic full moon.

A Story Without Words...