Long time no update...

If you received this via email, sorry! Don't have time for much else...

For you, O Lord, my soul in stillness waits...

Greetings to you in this Advent season!

I apologize for not having Christmas cards sent out yet, but it's not
Christmas yet anyway. ;) I do hope this short letter finds you and
your family well. Things are well with me and mine.

I don't have too much to say outside of this:

I pray that the final days of this advent season are truly peaceful
for each of you. I pray that all of our hearts may settle and rest in
true preparation for the coming of our King. I pray that Christmas is
alive and joyful -- and that not too many of you have to work!

I also wanted to share with you this one poem from a book I received
recently titled, Garlands of Grace. I hope you like it as much as I
do.

by Robert Southwell (1561-1595)

The Burning Babe

As I in hoary winter's night
Stood shivering in the snow,
Surprised I was with sudden heat
Which made my heart to glow;
And lifting up a fearful eye
To view what fire was near,
A pretty babe all burning bright
Did in the air appear,
Who, scorched with excessive heat,
Such floods of tears did shed
As though His floods should quench His flames
Which with His fears were bred.
'Alas!' quoth He, 'but newly born,
In fiery heats I fry,
Yet none approach to warm their hearts
Or feel my fire but I.
'My faultless breast the furnace is,
The fuel wounding thorns;
Love is the fire, and sighs the smoke,
The ashes, shame and scorns.
'The fuel Justice layeth on
And Mercy blows the coals,
The metal in the furnace wrought
Are men's defiled souls;
'For which, as now on fire I am
To work them to their good,
So will I melt into a bath
To wash them in my blood.'
With this He vanished out of sight
And swiftly shrunk away,
And straight I called unto mind
That it was Christmas Day.
----

*shivers* Love that poem.. and with it, I bid you farewell! Be holy!