Hodge podge

A hodge podge entry...

With our new baby, there’s not been much time to sit down at the computer. Mama and baby are resting right now, the boys have just gone to bed and I’m stealing a few moments here. We’ve been a little overwhelmed.

Stella has a cleft palate. The doctors say she’s healthy. She’s eating well from the “cleft palate” bottles the hospital gave us and she’s trying to get on a good eating/sleeping schedule. She’s not quite made it...4-6am this morning little miss sunshine decides to wake up! Oh well, we’re doing this like we’re not new to this cause we aren’t...new to this...so we’re going to do it. yeah. Barring a miracle, she’ll need surgery in a few months.

All five Whitlers together with all five Sustars and Aaron went to see “The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe” today. Stella slept the whole time and we all had fun. It’s a good movie and very faithful to the book. It’s almost a scene by scene match. The only thing it lacked was the thing I worried about it lacking. Much of the charm of the books is that C.S. Lewis’ voice is telling it to you. That whimsical style is kinda represented in the professor’s character and Mr. Beaver. But in the beginning of the book, the story doesn’t have much action but it’s ok cause you have this charming way of getting the set up through Lewis’ naration...the movie doesn’t have that. But it was very good and I would heartily recommend it.

I’m thoroughly enjoying the advent season this year. Aaron’s advent meditation in church this week was good. He shared about the joy of owning nothing. How much of our joy is stolen, ironically at this time of year, by the pursuit of material goods. He encouraged us with the joy of being rich in good works and poor in material things. The angels announced Christ’s birth to the shepherds who were living in the fields with good tidings of great joy. Who is living in the fields today that need an announcement of joy?

Delanora lives by the train tracks downtown. She is undernourished, embarrassed of her appearance and has a voice like an angel. She stands in front of the Brenden theater downtown and sings christmas songs. We were able to record her here at the church so that she could have a CD to sell. She’s trying to make money for a bus ticket home for christmas. If she ever needed tidings of comfort and joy, it’s now. Let’s do what we can.