Tonight is about some odds and ends from my day.  I know that most of my writing is about that so it generally lacks much excitement.  But you can also find the unusual and the meaningful among the mundane moments of life.  Not everyone learns that lesson.  Even my days of chemo treatment carried some measure of adventure.  Looking beyond self interest is the first key in being able to do this.  To focus on only what concerns you is an unhealthy approach to being alive.  Adam and Eve learned this the hard way.  It seems that humanity still struggles with that same core failure.

Time moved at a pretty fast pace for me all day long.  I just finished now looking at a few of my Baptist blogs just out of curiosity.  I ran into a friend of mine last Friday while in Waco.  He was my doctoral supervisor more than a few years ago.  We caught up last year at a Baptist convention where he represented Baylor University in the main lobby.  Then our paths crossed on some of my trips to the campus with my daughter. It was last week when we visited during our playoff game.  Imagine my surprise tonight when I discovered he will be the new Executive Director of my state Baptist convention.  I can't decide if my request should be to put him back on my resume or offer to be an assistant in his office?  My one concern is that with all of the turmoil among my denominational tribe that my friend will be undone by others who do not wish him the same success.  My hopes and prayers are with him.

My daughter is home from Baylor for the holidays.  Her first few days are taken up with visiting her classmates from high school.  She did help me out by being home when her brother got home from school.  I got to make a mad dash to town for shopping.  There were still some items needed to be purchased.  Thank goodness every thing I sought was found.  Coming home meant more dad duty around the house and stuff.  The son needed his meal and my new dog needed some attention.  I crowded this all in before heading back to church for the dreaded church conference.  Tomorrow is the day that the daughter and I go once again into town to visit my dad.  He is down from Minnesota so we will spend a little time with him.  I could tell you more of my upcoming activities but just reading all of this is wearing me out.

One thing was very odd while shopping today.  My journey included a few stops for first one thing and then another.  There was something strangely absent as I moved along.  Very few people looked as if they were happy while they also looked for stuff.  Lots of people were out in the stores but finding anyone smiling was hard.  How do we let the holiday of peace and good will go by without feeling anything remotely close to happiness or joy?  One store register was the scene of almost a brawl between an unhappy customer and a manager.  It is true that this time of the year brings a certain amount of stress.  You do not need me to tell you that.  But it still seems to me that the presence of Jesus in our midst should and could transform our whole outlook on everything.  Life does not always include incentive to be happy.  We can agree on that.  Just do not let the stress steal the joy of the season.  Let's be better than that.

Bro. Trey