Serve by Design

This past season was wringing with nostalgia and thoughts of Christmas past. Family members were gathering in search of the perfect Christmas. I experienced a glimpse of this when our adult children wanted to be sure that mom had prepared all their favorite foods (including escargot and Coquilles Saint-Jacques), that the tree was decorated with familiar ornaments (some of them had been handcrafted when they were children!), and that all 22 of “the   stockings were hung by the chimney with care!” Next Sleepover Ready! The grandkids had their expectations too! Was the foosball table in the basement uncovered and ready for action like always? Would the recreational equipment be in its place in the canvas storage bins? And yes, it was warm enough this year on Christmas Eve for a little outdoor football game! Others were hoping that their latest school and family pictures were on the refrigerator. Some looked around to see if the peanut brittle, candy canes, small chocolate bars, and ot...

September 13th was a Harvest Moon in the Northern Hemisphere. A Harvest Moon is the closest moon to the autumn equinox which "falls" (pun intended!) on Monday, September 23.  The next one falling on Friday the 13th will be in thirty years in August 2049. These calendar oddities are rare to see in one's lifetime! The last Friday the 13th Harvest Moon was on October 13, 2000. I tried for two nights to capture the unique beauty of this Harvest Moon without success. Actually, no picture does this justice. I think it is best to view this phenomenon with the naked eye! Monique and I were riding home last Friday evening from Lincoln and repeatedly looked left and right as we traveled south to Sherman. In the eastern sky, there was emerging an extra large Harvest Moon in all of its golden wonder. Then, looking to the horizon in the west at the same time, we enjoyed a beautiful and expansive dark orange light show in the pre-fall sunset. It was another convergence of God's h...