day 2 - airports, football, and dirty dishes

Well, of COURSE I'm an LSU fan! I'm a TIGER! What in the world did you expect???

And I KNOW this is about 40 days of celebration of the Christmas season.  

Do you think I'm really thinking it's about FOOTBALL?  

The Arkansas Razorback Shocks and the LSU Tiger Shocks (and all others!) face off -- one in their red, the other in their purple and gold. Talking smack, one-upping, superiority dripping. Laughter, fun, friendship. Condolences to the Hog fans after a DEMORALIZING loss (41-17!) Oh well, there's always next year.

Chips and dip, lasagna, and Coke. Trying to cut the richness of yesterday's taste with new seasonings. Smiling, chuckling, laughing uproariously. A little bit in awe of the beauty of the time together. Singing, painfully off-key, at the top of the lungs. For an hour. With music and without. Joyful noise. The puzzle this year is a hard one and Norman Rockwell just can't seem to emerge from the top of the coffee table. The men are proving their masculinity as they kneel over the table...frustrated that they can't conquer all in 30 minutes.

Airports are sad on this 2nd day of the Celebration. The visit so anticipated is over. Can we pretend it's Tuesday and we still have 3 days? But the quiet gift of early morning time by the fire as He joined the conversation about life and goals and Logos will also board the plane and linger...

The goodbyes are bittersweet with no date set for the next time. College beckons, jobs await, adventure is calling--unknown futures with concern for choices yet to be made, decisions yet to be reached. We part, but not with despair. He is why we celebrate together, He goes with each one as they go. He is in the future and He will bring us back again. 

Peace follows us to bed as we realize that because of Christmas, we are not alone.

"...Lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world." 

~Matthew 28:20