The Husband's Christmas Letter 2013

   

     The Husband works for an incredible organization, Pinnacle Bank, that allows him the freedom to send his Christmas reflection to all 750 bank employees each year. It is a special gift that he does not take lightly. I look forward each year to reading what he has written. This letter really pierced my heart. Here is this year's letter sent the week before Christmas! Read it and you'll see why I love this man so much.

Christmas Blessing 2013

As we once again approach that joyful time of the year, Christmas, I want to challenge and encourage us to contemplate two aspects of this most extraordinary day in the history of the world.  First, I challenge you to really ponder why and how we celebrate Christmas and the indescribable joy which it should represent to us , and secondly, something upon which we rarely focus in our celebration – the three Wise Men and what they should represent to us.

With regards to this particular day, to me unquestionably Christmas is the most important day in the history of the world and reflects the greatest news ever given to mankind.  The baby’s birth in the manger was the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy:  Isaiah 9:6 – “ For us a child is born, to us a Son is given. And He will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace  “and to the shepherds in the field an angel proclaimed in Luke 2:9:  “I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all people. Today in the town of David, a Savior has been born to you, He is Christ the Lord. “  Through this day, there are several poignant messages given which we should recognize and claim.  First and most importantly – God loves you.  This love He has for you encapsulates His nature, for in His very essence God is love.  Secondly, God is with you:  Jesus is actually named “Emmanuel” which means “God with us."  Thirdly, God is for you – He wants you to succeed in the things that are truly important.  He desires a vibrant relationship with you – If not, why would He have sent His Son to be with us except to relate with us – not to judge the world but instead to love it and save it.

Let’s not forget the Prodigal Son story in which the father runs out to greet the returning wayward son who had previously abandoned his family.  THAT is the story of Christmas.  It is the Father who runs to greet us in the form of a babe. The Bible clearly states that we were all destined for eternal death in sin but God did not turn His head on us, but instead sent His Son to be with us and ultimately to be the vehicle through whom we can be reunited with Him forever.  Is there anything of greater value to be celebrated?  Life is tough – in fact very tough. Our lives resonate with poor choices; friends disappointing us; family trials; divorce; business failures; debilitating health conditions; deep suffering, separation, and even death. At some point some or all of these are a part of each of our lives.  HOWEVER, Christmas is that good news of great joy which is for everyone who chooses to accept the gift, such that we have something of God's own eternal nature coupled with the power of a heartfelt joy which can supersede and even conquer the temporary circumstances which cause us great unhappiness and anxiety. Through our Lord we now have access to that peace which surpasses all understanding.

You see, a major part of the “Good News” of Christmas is that YOU matter to God.  He knows everything about us – the good, the bad, and the ugly – and He still loves us.  We are not an accident – He has a plan and purpose of life for each of us.  Christmas is God’s chosen time.  It is not about religion, for Jesus did not come to bring us a religion,  but instead He came to bring us a relationship – the opportunity to know Him; love Him; accept Him as Lord; and be forever reunited with Him.  God sent Jesus to us as the most extraordinary gift possible so we could know what He is like.  God did not want us to love him from a distance but instead desired to love us up close.

Now as to the Wise Men, far too infrequently do we place any emphasis upon them and scrutinize exactly who they were  and why they are important to us.  The Wise Men were part of a totally different culture. They are fascinating people. Certainly in the manger, they looked out of place with their fancy clothes and gifts.  The Bible refers to them as “Magi” – quite wealthy and highly educated – a combination of philosophers, scientists, and astronomers.  They were also seekers of the truth.  In Matthew 2:2 they ask:  “Where is the baby who was born to be the King of the Jews?”  They wanted to worship Him.  They were willing to go to any length to find Jesus – to come from the Far East to the Middle East in Bethlehem to find Him – to embark on a four to five month (or possibly longer) journey across a scorching hot desert to find Him.  All the major religious leaders of the world were basically right there in Jerusalem,  only six miles from Bethlehem,  but none of them were seeking Jesus.

Can you imagine what it must have been like when the Magi first saw the baby Jesus?  He looked to be just another baby in a dirty manger, yet they knew immediately that He was the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.  They experienced such depth of emotion that they stopped in awe and fell on their faces to worship Him.  Also, remember what these Wise Men did next – they gave Him gifts as part of their worship – gifts representing their very best – gold; myrrh; and frankincense.  They bowed down and gave Him their treasures.

So the question for you and me is:  “What will we give Him?” 

Will we give Him our trust?  Will we give Him first place in our life so that nothing robs Him of that place? Will we look at those things which quite frankly represent idols disrupting our relationship with God?  Will we give Him our Heart?  In that most special place of our heart is what we love; what we most deeply value; those things about which we care the most.  Will we share our love for Him with others?   Will we be seekers of Truth like the Wise Men?  And most importantly, as with the Wise Men, will we give Him our best – not simply our leftovers but instead our very best?  Do you ever contemplate that just maybe God wants a present from us?  Jesus said that the Kingdom of Heaven is like a pearl so valuable that one would sell everything and anything to obtain it.

So the difference in giving our present to God -  our most valuable treasure – our Heart – we immediately get something back in return even more valuable – what a deal!!  The best ever of which I have heard!! We are never to be separated from Him. 

So this December 25^th, I wish for you a most special and blessed Christmas – knowing how much God loves you; how He is with you regardless of present, past, or future circumstances; how in His omnipresence and omniscience He is always watching you and always for you.  I pray that we all will give Him our very best and most precious treasure such that we will enjoy Him, not simply at Christmas, but for all eternity. 

MERRY  CHRISTMAS!

Ed White

For the Love of Green

    One of the things I love best about late summer is the lush panoply of green it offers as a visual feast to those who take the time to stop and look. All that green somehow leaves me satiated and satisfied. This year we have had so much rain that nature and her display of green are dazzling in both their intensity and variety. Even the grass in my yard has fared well. Instead of the withered stalks that August usually offers, I am finding new growth of verdant shoots poking up each day.

    In just a month or so, the leaves will begin to lose their chlorophyll, but today I am thankful for all that gorgeous color that greets me everywhere!

    Here's a pictorial ode to the magnificent lush green of summer. Oh how I will miss you when winter rolls around...

And this one of the Smoky Mountains in East Tennessee

And here is lovely Radnor Lake, right down the road from me...

Another glimpse of Radnor's gentle green

How about this beautiful and symbolic ray of light

Or this one, where the sunlight seems to wink at you as it calls you to come and explore

And there in the midst of all that green are treasures untold...

Close up of the lovely wild geranium

You would have to look very carefully to find this friend

These tiny treasures won't last in the heat of day

But this little hideaway will stay cool all day long

In the words of William Wordsworth,

There was a time when meadow, grove, and stream,

The earth and every common sight

To me did seem

Appareled in celestial light

The glory and the freshness of a dream...

Such is the gift of summer!

An Unexpected Gift

    On Friday evening, The Husband and I were blessed to witness a wedding between two people that we love. We have known and loved The Groom for a very long time. We count him as one of our closest friends and more like family in many regards. We have done life together with him and his family for most of our thirty-nine year marriage. Our lives are deeply interwoven.
     One evening our friend was invited to attend a book signing at a friend's home for a local author who had just published her first novel, Whistlin' Dixie in a Nor'easter. The author had labored hard to bring this endearing Southern novel to print, and she was justifiably very excited, as were all of her friends. I didn't know her well, but we had lots of friends in common who raved about her, so I knew that she had to be pretty special. She also had an entire entourage of childhood friends who made the trek from Memphis to attend the book-signing. I spent the evening watching her joy unfold. And from time to time, I saw my friend's eyes begin to follow this lovely woman around the room. Usually among the first to leave, he stayed late at the party. And we began to wonder...
   I won't go so far as to say it was love at first sight because they had met before, but something special between these two began to unfold that evening and over the next several years. Things progressed slowly. It took a while. It was nice in that the Husband and I and many of The Groom's friends came to know this lovely Memphis belle who was becoming very dear to him. She is godly, sincere, funny, and delightful. She has two handsome grown sons, two sisters, and more friends than I can count, including her surrogate family of childhood friends from Memphis. She and The Groom spent a lot of time getting to know each other, and coming to appreciate all that the other considered most important in life, including faith, family and friends. Their lives began to overlap and intertwine.
   I could write a short novella about all that has transpired over the last few years, but let me just say that I feel that the Lord has given these two people a very precious treasure and an unexpected gift. It's a gift from God, this love that comes when you least expect it, this Christ-like love that allows one person to commit heart and soul to another living person. For these two, it is especially poignant and especially sweet. Without a doubt it is a God thing because He has His handprints all over it.
    The Bride and Groom's words in the wedding program say it best:
               Thank you all for joining us on this happy day. Every one of you hold a special 
               place in one or both of our hearts and we are honored that you are here. 
              We humbly ask for your prayers as we begin the second chapter of our life's journey.
              Out of His great love and through His perfect gift of redemption, God has brought us                           together. We know that most certainly.
Here are some pictures of their beautiful wedding:

Lovely Stanford Chapel of First Presbyterian Church, Nashville, Tennessee is the setting for the wedding.

These gorgeous flowers are hanging below the carriage lamps on either side of the entry

 Lovely wedding programs are tied with soft pink watered silk ribbon

     Music has always been important to The Bride, and it was with great care that she made the selections for the wedding. A string quartet led by Sam Levine was responsible for the Prelude. Pieces included the lovely Gabriel's Oboe by Morricone as well as Aaron Copland's Appalachian Spring followed by a medley of timeless hymns. Prior to the ceremony, dear friend and recording artist Tammy Jensen sang the traditional Irish hymn, Be Thou My Vision. 

     Then it was time for the service to begin. The Bride's childhood friends entered the church in pairs, followed by The Groom's son-in-laws and daughter-in-law. Bach's traditional Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring played softly as the three daughters and son of The Groom came down the aisle to stand beside their father. Then as the strains of the all familiar Jesus Loves Me by Bradbury began to fill the church,the first of the nine grandchildren of the Groom, Rylan James Harris,entered the church carrying in his arms the youngest grandchild, tiny Wendy Anne Southard, just six weeks old. Rylan was followed by Levi Thomas Harris carrying baby, Arie Kenneth Wolf Sorensen, 3 months old. The remaining grandchildren quickly followed suit: Ty William Harris - 7 years; Anne Clare Cline - 6 years; Quinn Matthew Harris -4 years; Elisabeth Maddux Cline - 4 years, and last, but not least, Judah Andrew Cline - 2 years, who literally ran down the aisle!

.

 The altar flowers and kneeling bench

The windows overlooking the gardens were filled with vases of lovely flowers in shades of
pink and peach accented with touches of blue and white.

The Bride's bouquet and the bouquets for The Groom's daughters

 My first glimpse of The Bride getting ready! She is flanked by her sisters and
The Groom's oldest granddaughter, Anne Clare, who can't take her eyes off of her soon-to-be new grandmother who will go by the name of Hunee.

 The youngest grandbaby, six-week-old baby girl Wendy Anne Southard, relaxes before the wedding.
She will still be sleeping when she is carried down the aisle by cousin Rylan James Harris.

 The oldest granddaughter, Anne Clare, now waits patiently for the wedding to begin. 

 Granddaughter Elizabeth (Ella) Maddux Cline is in awe of all that is happening.

Every crown needs adjusting...even those made out of flowers

 The Memphis girls arrive to take a peek at The Bride. How I love their faces!

 The Bride and her sisters.

 The youngest grandson, Arie Kenneth Wolfe Sorensen, 

is carried down the aisle by grandson Levi William Harris.

Family waits for the wedding to begin

I don't think there was a dry eye in the house as The Bride enters the church with her

sons, Michael Patton Brown and William Alexander Brown, by her side.

Her joyous smile meets its match with The Groom's beaming grin!

"Who gives this woman to be married to this man?"
 And the The Brides' sons say in perfect unison, "We do..."

 "You may now kiss your wife..." And he does!

 My favorite wedding picture. No words for this kind of happiness!

 More joy!

 Immediate family photo time!

More Memphis friends!

And now for the reception...
Time to celebrate!

 A pair of flower filled urns flank the fireplace

Wedding cake!

Close-up of the embroidered linen on the cake table which echoes the design on the cake

 A mixture of table sizes (a hightop here) with linens of different color, pattern, and texture

add a special touch.

Cocktail tables laden with flowers and food

Silver pitchers served as flower containers in one of the rooms

 Sam Levine and the City Lights keep the party going and the dance floor filled!

And off they go to the adventure of a lifetime!