From this morning's reading in Magnificat.

Pride sets subtle snares.  Whenever we imagine that we are in control of life-- our own or someone else's-- we have fallen prey to the ancient whisper in the Garden:  "You shall be like gods."  Mortality is the enduring reminder that we become like God not by our own power but by the power of the cross.

I love this quote.  I have seen it in Magnificat before and every time I read it it hits me.  Not only are we not in control of others' lives, we are not in control of our own.  Yes, we have choices.  We have lots of choices.  We can choose to love.  We can choose to let go.  But there is an awful lot that we must just accept because it is beyond us.  To do otherwise, to fret and wring our hands, to get angry and emotionally flail about, all these reactions do is destroy our peace.  Yes, there is a time to speak up, a time to fight, a time to try to bring about some kinds of change.  But, for the most part, our everyday life requires acceptance if we are to know peace.

Hope you are having a blessed Advent.  Come, Lord Jesus.

Today is a cold gray day, the kind of day that builds character.  And there will be worse days to come this winter.  It gives one the opportunity to learn endurance and to pull peace and joy from within.

Thanksgiving!  Hope yours was wonderful.  We had only 6 people at our Thanksgiving table, the smallest number in a very long time.  Four family members could not come.  One son in London.  One son in Dallas.  And one daughter and son-in-law in Atlanta.  So we missed all of them but look forward to Christmas when everyone will be home.

It was a fun day, nevertheless, with Mary and Liz, and Mike in from Indiana, and his girlfriend Katie who flew in from New York.  I still bought a 20 pound turkey.  Force of habit.  And everyone enjoys the leftovers.

And now here Advent is upon us!!  Oh come, oh come, Emmanuel!  We were able to celebrate the First Sunday of Advent before Mike and Katie left.

Mike loves to sing, and since his girlfriend Katie is a vocal performance major in grad. school, I did not have to twist any arms to get our little group to sing.  Oh come, oh come, Emmanuel!!

"Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord."  Psalm 122