Christmas Confusion

One of the memories of my childhood was winters with lots of snow.

Christmastime in New England

At Christmastime, we would go to the Christmas tree farm down the road and we would wade through the snow to find a tree as tall as my dad.

Our 6-Foot Tall Tree

My brain still associates Christmas trees with snow. And so when I see the Christmas tree in the house where we are now staying and the golden leaves on the mulberry tree through the window behind it, I get a sense that something is off—something is out of place—something is not as it should be. I see both fall and winter at the same time, and my brain is confused.

Christmas Trees and Yellow Leaves

This year I think the whole world has felt that way. Whole economies are shaken by COVID-19.  Social distancing has redefined how we do relationships. Systemic racism has given rise to protests and riots. US Elections have turned into a political circus. Like my snowless Christmas tree, something seems very off. Can we please just have some normal?

Christmas is the time we remember Jesus coming to tell us that same message—that something is off—something is not how it should be. The world is marred by sin. Everything is affected. All relationships suffer from sin's poison in our lives. We weren't designed for this. We were designed for an intimate life with the Creator in a world unstained by sin. We were designed to have relationships without conflict and worlds without war. But everything is broken and needs to be fixed. So God sent His Son, the Prince of Peace, so that we can have a restored relationship with God and with each other.

For to us a child is born,
   to us a son is given;
and the government shall be upon his shoulder,
   and his name shall be called
Wonderful Counselor,Mighty God,
   Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Isaiah 9:6 (ESV)

So if things seem unusual this year—if things seem out of place—we need to remember that the world has always been that way. It's just that this year many things have happened to remind us of just how broken this world really is.

Christmas comes at a good time. We could use a little reminder that Jesus came into the world to show us how different things can be. We may not attain to it in our lifetimes, but when Jesus comes back, He will show us what normal is really like.

The wolf shall dwell with the lamb,
   and the leopard shall lie down with the young goat,
and the calf and the lion and the fattened calf together;
   and a little child shall lead them.
The cow and the bear shall graze;
   their young shall lie down together;
and the lion shall eat straw like the ox.
The nursing child shall play over the hole of the cobra,
   and the weaned child shall put his hand on the adder’s den.
They shall not hurt or destroy in all my holy mountain;
   for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD as the waters cover the sea.
Isaiah 11:6-9 (ESV)

Outsider View

Two of my most appreciated photos from this month have to do with where people live. And what is kind of strange is that the photos are of ordinary things. These are things that the people who live in these homes see often yet, like so many things that are common place, they go unnoticed or unappreciated. Until...

Until an outsider comes along and takes a picture.

Granted, there is something to be said for photography techniques, composition and post-processing. But a big part of the attraction of these photos is that I, as an outsider, take a picture of what is unusual for me, though commonplace for those who live in that environment.

In this first photo, I was walking to the home of a family member. Two things struck me as I approached the home. One is that the glow from the windows matched the color of the sunset sky. But the main thing was the "warm" color of the windows looked particularly inviting as I was walking along the cold, snowy road. It was not just the warm temperatures I was looking forward to, but also I would soon be surrounded by the warmth of relationships with family.

The next picture was also taken as I was walking toward the home of a cousin after parking the car at the beginning of the driveway. Because of the colder than normal temperatures, they had not gone out to clear the driveway of snow, which made it harder for driving into the yard. What was hard for the car, though, was nice for the photo, as there was lots of clean, white, snow to make for an idyllic scene. It was actually starting to get dark (mid-afternoon in northern latitudes) and I had to play with the photo a bit to bring out the colors.

Where am I going with this?

I, as an outsider, can bring a different perspective.

Sometimes (often?) we find ourselves so surrounded by the problems we face and the situations we're dealing with, that we lose hope. We can't see a way out or a reason to continue going on. There may be light at the end of the tunnel, but we're still trying just to find the tunnel.

Then someone comes along, who is not having to deal with all the very real problems we have and, without diminishing the difficulties,  reminds us of all those other good things that are hard for us to see or, perhaps we just quit noticing.

There are many days when life and ministry can be quite challenging. I said to my wife recently, "I'm tired and I want to go home--except I don't know where that is, actually."

What helps me during these times is to hop on my bicycle and go for a ride among the rice paddies and rubber plantations with all the ponds and bogs that constantly interrupt the otherwise agrarian landscape. And as I'm pedaling past the paddies I find myself saying, "I can't believe I get to live here!" Because it really is quite beautiful, but I often don't have time or take time to appreciate that.

Sometimes, when even the bicycle ride is not enough to clear my vision, we'll get a visitor who'll point out these amazing things that we haven't noticed or that seemed inconsequential in our view. It really is helpful to have people in our lives that can give us an outside perspective.

When the photos above were taken, we were in Northern Alberta, Canada, to help some family members as they were dealing with some challenges in their lives. It was not a time of year I would typically pick to visit that part of the world. But in spite of the cold atmosphere and the chilling effect of life's events, there was still the warmth of family to be had. And it really is a pretty place to be. I'm just the guy who happened to have a camera at the right time to take a photo to remind us of those things. (But I am happy to be headed south to warmer climes.)

Proverbs 17:17 reads: A friend loves at all times (not just the good times), and a brother is born for adversity. (NIV, parentheses mine.)

I'm thankful for these friends and "brothers" who help us see from a different perspective.

Bookends 2019

One way to measure things is by doing a before and after comparison. This is one way I like to look back at my year, by looking at photos from the first and last day on which I took photos in a given year. But this is not just the beginning of a new year, it is also the beginning of a new decade. So this year I will look back not just to January 1, 2019 but also the first day of the decade: January 1, 2010.

Another way of looking back can be found in Top Twelve 2019

January 1, 2010

It was my first winter experience in Alberta, Canada. I've always said I don't want to live where Fahrenheit and Celsius come together on a regular basis (-40), and this was one of those years. We just missed the record breaking cold by a day or two when our bus arrived in Edmonton. But it was still cold.

This was my first Christmas visit to the farm where my wife grew up. It was also to be the last Christmas visit to the farm, as he parents would end up moving to the town not long after this.

It was a time of transition for us as well.  We had only recently found out that we would eventually be going to Thailand and we had also just finished our training with MB Mission (Multiply) before we traveled to Alberta.

The bright sun brought in the new decade. But unlike Thailand, where sunny means very hot, in this case it might that the temps would go up into the -20s C. Pictured below is the henhouse at the farm in Freedom, Alberta. Rex, the dog, is taking a break from hunting mice in the snow.

Winter at the Farm

January 1, 2019

Nine years later, we find ourselves delighted if the temperature drops down to +20 C at night. The climate in Thailand has little in common with Alberta, Canada.

A normal New Year's Day activity here in Thailand is to go to the mall.  You know—where lust for stuff has brought crowds together in a frenzy in what appears to be training for Armageddon. Where four-wheeled dragons belch black smoke (the dragons here tend to consume diesel) in the "Battle for the Parking spot".

I suppose we could have joined them. So I asked my wife, "do you want to go swamping?" And my amazing wife agreed. I suppose it's not surprising. Who wouldn't jump at the chance to go visit some swamps? Wouldn't you?  I wrote more details about that trip here.

Our first stop was at Nong Nguem Noi. (หนองหงึมน้อย) There was not a lot of floral variety here, but there were a lot of red lotus flowers (บัวแดง) blooming. This is a type of water lily that is native to this part of the world and can be found scattered everywhere, but not always in such abundance as in this swamp. I only wish I had a canoe or kayak to get out amongst the blooms.

Many people in this world are looking for a sign from God. If they don't believe in God, some might waiting for the universe to speak to them instead. Many people travel great distances to see a miracle. Not a few will go after a counterfeit sign yet ignore the miracle right in front of their faces.

On January 1st, we witnessed a miracle. We saw the handwriting of God—a New Year's Card, if you will. "See how the lilies of the [pond] grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?" (Matthew 6:28-30 NIV)

December 31, 2019

The drinking starts early on New Years Eve. People seem unconcerned with the police checkpoints that are set up all over the place to try to cut down on drunk driving. Since everyone knows where the checkpoints are, they just find ways to avoid them.

But there was no alcohol at our party. Our church gathered for a feast of fire-roasted tilapia, stir-fried pork, stir-fried squid tentacles and steamed clams. Afterwards we gave the kids some marshmallows to roast and served up some "New Year's Cookies" (aka fritters) that Ingrid made for the occasion.

Next there was a time of singing then a we heard the word of God. A good way to finish up the year.

After all this,  we were in bed before 11 pm. The fireworks at midnight barely woke us.

Good-bye 2019. Good-bye 2010's. A new decade is calling.

New Years Celebration

Bookends 2016

This is my review of the past year from the perspective of looking at photos from the first and last days of the year (or closest to that, if there were no photos on those days).

January 1st found us headed back home from Chiang Rai, where we had dropped off some folks who had come to visit us for a few days.  Following that we visited the Chiang Rai Flower Show and then took the back roads home.  The first stretch follows the Kok River northeast, and soon one finds himself riding along levees with the Kok River floodplain on one side and rices paddies off to the other. It is somewhat reminiscent of driving in the California Delta.

We stopped for coffee at Mana Coffee-a small restaurant/coffee shop just off the levee in Wiang Chai.  The coffee shop is is adjacent to a couple of fish ponds.  As I was admiring the flowers adjacent to the ponds, I noticed a minute spider on the head of this pink zinnia.  The body color of the spider matched the color of the flowerhead so nicely, I almost did not notice it.

The diversity of God's creatures is so amazing!



A year later we find ourselves in a different climate.  We are with Ingrid's family for a few weeks.  They live in the small town of Barrhead, Alberta.  The last time I was here, one day I walked most of the circumference of the town. There is a walking trail that goes around the town called the Blue Heron Walking Trail.  Some portions of the trail follow roads, other portions have an improved walking path.

I wanted to walk around the town again this time, but the weather wasn't so amenable, so I walked the east part of the town one afternoon and the west side on another.  It took just shy of two hours to make the walk around the west side--the town has grown a bit since the last time I was here.

When I walked the west side, the sky was overcast and dark.  I came to a part of the trail that follows the Paddle River and is on a boardwalk.  The snow on much of the Blue Heron Walking Trail was plowed, but they didn't try to get their small plow on the boardwalk, so it remained snowy.  I got to the boardwalk just as the sun was trying to break through the clouds for the first time that day.

The picture isn't framed quite like I wanted, but I had limited places to put my body on the boardwalk.  The Paddle River is in the recessed landscape between the trees on the right.




The year sandwiched between these two photos has been a very challenging one for me. Yet even though at times life seemed kind of gloomy, God has always made Himself known, like the sunlight breaking into the otherwise dim, gray landscape above.

For his invisible attributes, namely,his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. (Romans 1:20a ESV)