Thursday’s Thirst

February 15, 2024 I will guess the conversation started around Labor Day, but to be honest, it was so long ago I really have no clue.  The issue was an unstable looking tree on our neighbor’s empty lot at Houghton Lake.  He was working on a plan to cut it down, but the path of its fall would produce a direct hit on our bunkhouse (this is the name we have given to the travel trailer we purchased last year to accommodate overnight sleeping space for our growing family).  I immediately agreed to move the bunkhouse to a different and temporary location on our lot … and that I would do so as soon as possible.  And then we drove home to celebrate Joel’s 40th birthday, though I may have actually tried to do this on my own – which, if you know me, is a thought that comes directly from fantasy land! 

It had all of the appearance of just being fortunate timing.  Monica and I had attended different Sunday morning churches with specific responsibilities.  Around 1:00 p.m. she returned to our condo with our oldest granddaughter, Brooklyn.  The three of us then drove to Joel’s condo to relax and have a few snacks.  Then we put our coats back on and walked over to view the ice sculptures on display in downtown Mount Clemens.  The first one had a hole in the center ideal for picture taking.  We had Brooklyn smile through the hole, took her picture, and then walked away to see the remaining 30 some sculptures. 

Yes, I watched every one of the Lions’ playoff games – almost every minute of every game.  It felt really good to beat Matthew Stafford (whom I still like) and the Rams.  And then it felt even better to win again the next week.  Wow – those crowds at Ford Field really rocked!  As we approached the NFC championship game I had two thoughts.  The first was “Amazing – we are in the same conversation as the Chiefs, the Ravens, and the 49ers!  This is impressive company.”  The other was that if we had lost to Tampa Bay the disappointment would have been nearly intolerable.

No, I am not referencing a TV commercial targeted at people my age … and, with last week’s “By G through F” in mind, I am not working on any sort of Alphabet Soup.  Rather, I am going through another basic catechetical thought as a means of reminding myself (and, perhaps, you too) of a few fundamental teachings of the Christian faith.  Thus, the “Three P’s” are not Price, Price, and Price … though they could be if we were to be focused on the price Christ paid for our salvation … incarnation … humiliation … damnation … “(Christ) being found in human form, humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross” (Philippians 2.8).  However, as I said, this is not the “Three P’s” I am thinking of today.

How about those Lions?!  What a great and exciting victory over Matthew Stafford (I’m still a fan) and the LA Rams.  And now they are six-point favorites to win again … and if the Packers can pull another upset … Oh, the possibilities.  I hear that standing room only tickets for this Sunday’s game are commanding well over $400 – can you imagine what they will be if Green Bay is in town to determine who goes to the Super Bowl?  Life is good.

Is it Thursday already!?  As I sit down at the keyboard this noon, I am thinking it is Wednesday and that I am ahead of schedule.  Then I looked at the calendar and realized today is Thursday – which I should have known because of the two places I already have been today!  Well, I hope “better late than never” is OK by you … because, now that I think about it, last week was a “never”.  2024 is not off to the best of starts in regard to Thursday’s Thirst.

I officiated a wedding this past Saturday.  The couple chose their wedding date to be12.23.23, and not the 12.31.23 that a record setting number of other couples have chosen as this year ends.  Many times over the weekend I thought of them having their first Christmas together as Mr. and Mrs. in their new apartment.  I pray they have at least as many as Monica and I have now had as Mr. and Mrs.  I believe this is our 48th … which were preceded by 7 other Christmases together leading up to our marriage.

This Story for Christmas comes compliments of my cousin, Tim Hetzner, the (semi-retired) Ambassador for Spiritual Growth for Lutheran Church Charities of Chicago.  This was from his daily email devotion of yesterday.  As you read it, the suggestion is that you consider these words given to us by St. Paul: “Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!” (2 Corinthians 9.15).  Here is the story:

With Christmas less than two weeks away … and the number of “advent” calendars that actually talk about Advent decreasing … I suggest we do a little something together this week that is actually geared toward preparing our hearts for the coming (advent) celebration of the incarnation of our God and Savior Jesus.  God has promised to be at work in us through his Word, and I have found he frequently supports that work through music.  So, this week, I simply offer to you a little scripture enhanced by the words of a song.

I like the second definition of “impact” found in the Oxford dictionary (online):  “have a strong effect on someone or something.”  Merriam-Webster says it this way: “to impinge or make contact especially forcefully.”  This one I do not like as much because impinge generally implies a negative effect, and I am thinking of impact in a positive way.  For the same reason neither pushy nor forceful work either.  Yet somehow I am sensing that the Spirit of our God was active in this way in my life on a pretty constant basis over this past week.