Christmas?

Hi loves.
Do you all find it as hard to focus on the INCARNATION OF CHRIST as I do at Christmas? I've been busy this year--doing my own shopping, my grandparents shopping, my wrapping, my parents' wrapping, helping my mom out here and there (admittedly not near as much as I ought to have been glad to do), crocheting (yeah, I'm trying again!) and of course Eating! But that leaves little time for dwelling on the simply astonishing fact that 2008 years ago the savior was born--fully God and fully man! How crazy is that?

How crazy is it that I still don't get this? That food and presents--and at my better moments, family--still take precedence over the Christ child?

I'm just venting at my own ridiculousness. In some ways I get frustrated over Christmas, over all the things we feel obligated to do this season. But perhaps it's good in that the lack of the right focus becomes painfully evident.

The rain is raging tonight. Yesterday was clear and beautiful. Today, the rain hasn't relented for hardly a moment. If I were writing a fairy story, I'd have to wonder if the weather today was the Evil's response to the birth of the Good.

Speaking of, I've been trying to talk to my family about dualism, Good v. Evil. I've come to this idea that there is no such thing as evil. That doesn't sound how I want it to, so don't freak about it--I mean, I guess, there's no such thing as created evil. That the evil that exists is a corruption of the good. I think I'm getting these from that session, Hannah, where you said that the devil was better than you. But what is the basis for them? Are they true or am I whacked? Any insight?

Michelle, how fun that all of your friends are back in town. :) Any new engagements? So what are you doing next semester now that you're done with the first set of classes? More classes or student teaching type stuff? About the emerging church, I totally know what you mean about being paranoid about stuff--I second guess my own intentions frequently. I'll talk more about the emerging church stuff later--I've been on the computer writing for more than an hour now and my eyes are all watery.

Val, good to hear from you again. :) Don't forget about us!! You definitely got more goodies from your kids than I did--I got just a few little bags of candy. Apparently, these kids just don't do presents with any of their teahcers. And I'm going to ignore the job question because I'm on break and currently in denial that I have a job. :)

Hannah, how are you? Glad to talk to you the other day and I'm eager to hear how the time up north went for you all. Send Matt our love, too.

I love all three of you immensely. Hugs!!
-Danielle