Frank Hubeny

Sunday Walk 19 – Festival of Lights

¹⁴Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. ¹⁵Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. ¹⁶Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.
Matthew 5:14-16 King James Version

I read two impressive blog posts this past week about Christmas. Julie’s post (CookieCrumbsToLiveBy) associated “cancel Christmas” with Scrooge. Mario Murillo’s post pointed out the “supernatural power of Christmas”. There’s more going on with Christmas than meets the eye. I don’t want to miss it.

The thought of politicians, some of whom I doubt were validly elected given the evidence of voter fraud in the US, trying to come up with excuses to make it difficult for us to celebrate Christmas, or to discredit Christmas in some way, makes me want to celebrate Christmas all the more.

And I feel the same about Hanukkah, the Festival of Dedication (John 10:22), the Festival of Lights, that we are currently in. May the fire of your light pierce the darkness of night.

Josh Groban, O Holy Night

Knocking

His knuckles tapped the door to knock.
Would no one on the inside hear?
But then came Jane, who wiped a tear,
and Jim, a target safe to mock.
They looked outside, released the lock,
and called the others, “Come and see!”
But none would bother. Faithfully
both Jim and Jane dressed in pure white,
gave thanks like it were Christmas night,
and shared a meal among just three.

Linked to Ronovan Writes Décima Poetry Challenge where the goal is to use the rhyme word “knock” in the A line of a décima having rhyme pattern ABBAACCDDC.

I imagine Jim and Jane as those rare members of the church in Laodicea, as recorded in Revelation 3:20, who were willing to open the door.

Crystal Grimes is hosting a Holiday Blogging Party to which I am linking this post.

Ronovan's Decima Poetry Challenge Image — Ronovan’s Decima Poetry Challenge Image

Menu – Six Sentence Story

Given his diet Greg knew he shouldn’t eat much of anything on the menu. As a compromise he ordered a huge bowl of nachos with sour cream, guacamole and “the works”, whatever that was, and shared it with everyone at the table. It went well with their burgers and beers and Greg had plenty himself.

“Hmmm,” Greg thought, “Those nachos taste good.” He wondered if he should break his diet and risk ordering a burger and beer.

He thought and thought and thought and thought and decided not to since by that time everyone else had thankfully finished theirs.

Linked to Six Sentence Stories where Denise offers the prompt word “menu”.

GirlieOnTheEdge Denise Farley's six-sentence-stories icon — GirlieOnTheEdge Denise Farley’s six-sentence-stories icon

One-Liner Wednesday – Been There

Been there; done that; wish I hadn’t.

Linked to Linda G. Hill’s One Liner Wednesday.

Badge by Laura @ riddlefromthemiddle.com

Christmas Is Coming

Linked to Cosmic Photo Challenge where Dale offers the theme of “Christmas is coming”.

When I think of Christmas I think of decorated trees, presents, special food, family, quiet, cold wintry nights – and snow. Here are some photographs of snowy scenes from last year. Annette Rochelle Aben reminded me in one of her recent posts of this Christmas song that may fit these photos:

Michael Bublé, Let It Snow, Rubi Malik’s YouTube Channel.

Christmas is the traditional time to celebrate the birth of Jesus although He was not likely born on this date. Joseph Lenard argued that Jesus was born on the Feast of Trumpets (specifically, September 11, 3 BC, at the beginning of the Jewish civil year, Tishri 1, or Rosh Hashanah). David Pawson argued that Jesus was born later in Tishri during the Feast of Tabernacles. Richard Lanser argued that Jesus was born on March 20, 6 BC, on Nisan 1. There may be arguments for other dates that I’m unaware of.

Pawson, however, pointed out something important in his argument. The supernatural event was not the birth, but the conception of Jesus nine months earlier recorded in Luke 1:26-38. He pointed out that a virgin could theoretically give birth to a baby girl through parthenogenesis, but not to a baby boy. This reaffirms the significance of conception in human life.

Regardless of when Jesus was actually born, winter is a good time for a celebration and Jesus is worth remembering at any time of the year.

I am also linking this to Trent P. McDonald’s The Weekly Smile. I began writing the post on Saturday, December 5th, which happened to be my own birthday. That thought led to a realization this past week that has given me many reasons to smile, with gratitude to all of our parents and to the grace of God, that we have all been assigned to this same time together.

And so, my fellow assignees, may all of you, friend and foe alike, have a blessed Advent and a Merry Christmas.

Crystal Grimes is hosting a Holiday Blogging Party. I am linking this post to that party.

Sunday Walk 18 – Advent

Angels From the Realm s of Glory, The Piano Guys, Peter Hollens, David Archuleta, and The Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square

Apple Strudel – Carrot Ranch

I gave my brother peeled apple slices. He placed them one-by-one on the strudel dough that we older ones helped stretch across a cloth on our dinner table. He put some in his mouth. Then came the raisins to scatter on the dough. When it was finished I held him so he could watch our mother lift the cloth underneath the strudel, roll it into a long, thick pastry that fit on a cookie sheet and place it in the oven.

We made many strudels for Christmas and everyone helped.

I’ve never had a dessert that tasted so good.

Linked to Carrot Ranch where Charli Mills offers the theme of family traditions.

Also linked to Crystal Grimes’ Holiday Blogging Party.

Firewood

Though night
conceals the day
our winter’s wood is dry.
Take me in I beg of you. Tell me what I need to do.
With joy and thankful cry
we walk the way
with Light.

Linked to Farrago Express where the prompt is to write a saturnica, a poem of 7 lines with rhyme pattern ABCDCBA with syllable counts 2/4/6/14/6/4/2 centered to look like the planet Saturn with its rings.

Also linked to Crystal Grimes’ Holiday Blogging Party.

Dropped – Friday Fictioneers

Clara remembered how concerned she was when she lost her hair band. She asked her father to find it. He did.

That was Clara’s earliest memory of him, and a pleasant one, but others were painful. With a rebellious daughter of her own she traded positions with her father. Clara, too, would have searched the streets for any hair band her daughter dropped, but her daughter no longer accepted assistance from her.

That may be what a memorial service is good for. It gets regrets out in the open and breaks habits one wished had been broken long ago.

Linked to Friday Fictioneers where Rochelle Wisoff-Fields offers C. E. Ayer’s photo as a prompt for stories of 100 words or less.

Stable, Truthful Hope

Although what shines need not be wrong
beware dark lies that shadow truth,
distract the old, confuse the youth
with specious lyrics from a song.

I wonder.  Must I sing along?
Some tunes that once enchanted me
now don't make sense.  Be just and free,
merciful, alive and stable,
driving out false dreams and fable,
preferring joy to pleasantry.

Linked to Ronovan Writes Décima Poetry Challenge where the requirement is to use “stable” as a rhyme word in the D position of a décima have rhyme pattern ABBAACCDDC.

Also linked to Crystal Grimes’ Holiday Blogging Party.