What did you get for Christmas? wha'dgetyur wife?

One of the dreaded questions after the holidays? What did you get? What did Santa bring you? What did you get your wife? I say dreaded because I have whole issues with those questions and a real phobia about that portion of this celebration. One of my wife's responsibilities is to keep me civilized to the point of giving appropriate gifts when needed - she does that just fine. Well, I am almost impossible to civilize beyond a certain point, but she fools me into better behavior well.

About the gift I received, as always the sure knowledge that Christmas is about the babe born to bear my burdens - not the mortgage, the car payments, the food on the table and such - the burdens I build by my guilt and sin - which are normally the same, and if - as I often think, being old, that I am not up to my usual sinful worst (youth so foolish) - then I am way up there in the weight of my guilt for all that I was, am now and shudder to think that I could be. I will cherish that gift of a Savior forever.

And what did I get my wife? Well, I drove her to my church for Candlelight service at ten last evening. The church was full of music, Christmas colors, families re-united for the holidays, friends absent to their families far from here, it was warm and bright and we sang and prayed and thought about the light of the world, in a sanctuary full of candles and love. Not too impressed with that gift are you? Well, unless I was driving she hadn't been out of the house for two weeks, she does have women that like to see her at my church (no, I always behave but old men, stag, at the back of the room are as problematical as teenage boys at the back of the room to knowledgeable women). Since driving was my gift, the only one that counts, I drove to her church this morning at ten for their service - in Korean and English - I loved the subtitled Sermon, when the Pastor spoke Korean the English was on the screen above his head, when he was speaking English the Korean words were displayed and everyone could keep up. All the hymns were written in both, and you could sing out from the heart in the language you speak to God with, I always like that. I am amazed at how many Korean words I have lost since the last time I listened and tried using them. Use it or lose it - one day it will all be gone. About six times the number of people from the candlelight service, the Sun being out and perhaps the roads more drivable - although I have been watching people needing a push and help in several places I have driven recently, my Caravan has been fine. Her church is much larger and richer than mine - the Salvation is exactly the same, go figure, it doesn't pay to start too soon (you forgot about that burden of guilt above - start earlier!).

Lots of re-united families at church, and old school friends meet and talk about what college and working in where ever is like, and who is in the service and overseas and where. Both our churches have large old retired military, and youngsters of appropriate age to serve, so they do. If my son weren't so well married I would have been looking harder at the beautiful young ladies, but I will leave that to those who need to play match-making. I did get trapped into a real hug with a young lady last night, she meant well but gosh that disturbed my harmony within the universe of Earl. She never noticed the pistol, but then who would carry a pistol to church? What you don't look for nor identify was never there, basic principle of hiding in plain sight. I know I never look to see what others are walking around with, unless it is in the appropriate place for shooting activities. At church I check out the age of the personal Bible, the translation and the depth of the smile and the warmth of the greeting and conversation as we work in the kitchen or on something, I make coffee and do dishes with one of my friends mostly.

Well, the telephone has started ringing, my son and daughter-in-law sent some gifts which get put to use immediately, although the one I really want to wear to the range come warmer times, it is almost a wanna-be shirt, but then I was never associated with that group and I am already much too proud a paratrooper for my head to fit most of my head coverings. A matching coffee mug, so cool, so cool. For any that worry I was armed in church - it was probably my Leatherman Wave or my Canon digital camera - for those that think everyone carries, should carry and numbers me among the chosen few that do - nothing happened that would have needed more than gloves and a snow shovel these last few weeks so figure all that bulky stuff in my clothing is the weight I have been piling on with festive eating. There are still cookies waiting the visitors that can make it up the frozen hillside to our home, y'all welcome to have a few and save me a little more burden of guilt.