A Not So Grand Entrance

I love a good fairy tale. What little girl (or big girl) doesn't dream of Prince Charming coming to take her away on his white stallion to live happily ever after in a castle far away? Have you ever noticed that all the good fairy tales are about some faraway kingdom ruled by Kings and Queens and Princesses and Princes? I love that scene in Aladdin where he is entering the city gates. He is accompanied by numerous maids and servants and attendants singing, "Make way for Prince Ali." All of the lowly people in the city gather around to watch the procession. Now that , friends, is a grand entrance!

In real life, people want someone to rally around, as well. Whether it be President Obama, or Sarah Palin, or whomever is the political hero of the hour. Who can forget the speech that President Obama made at the Democratic National Convention when it seemed like the whole world, save for a few conservatives, all believed that Barack Obama was going to be the one to save us all from recession, war, or poor healthcare.

It seems to me that everyone wants a Savior. Someone who will carry our burdens and extend grace and compassion toward us when needed, but also someone who will convict and rebuke us when we are wrong. My Savior did not come into the world as the Mighty King that He is. He did not make His entrance with the grandeur that He deserved. Instead, God chose to send His Son into the world as a tiny baby, born to a terrified teenage girl in a lowly stable with smelly animals. He lived on this earth for 33 years until He fulfilled His Father's purpose, to be killed on a cross for crimes or sins He did not commit, but for the sins of the people of the world, then to be raised from the dead 3 days later, so that the ones who choose Him as their Savior might spend eternity with Him in heaven. I suppose this not so grand entrance is all part of what it is to have faith. But one day, my King will make His grand entrance on that white stallion. There is coming a day when the ones who know Him will be whisked away to a place where there will be no more sorrow, or suffering, or pain. Oh what a glorious day that will be!

My prayer, this Christmas, is that you all share this same faith and have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, the King of all. You too, can experience the Peace of Christ that indwells me, if you choose Him as the Lord of your life, repent of your sin, and never look back.

Luke 2:1-20
The Birth of Jesus Christ
1 In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. 2 This was the first registration when [1] Quirinius was governor of Syria. 3 And all went to be registered, each to his own town. 4 And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, 5 to be registered with Mary, his betrothed, [2] who was with child. 6 And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth. 7 And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.

The Shepherds and the Angels
8 And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with fear. 10 And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. 11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 12 And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” 13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying,

14 “Glory to God in the highest,
and on earth peace among those
with whom he is pleased!”

15 When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.” 16 And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger. 17 And when they saw it, they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child. 18 And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them. 19 But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart. 20 And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.

21 And at the end of eight days, when he was circumcised, he was called Jesus, the name given by the angel before he was conceived in the womb.


Merry Christmas, dear friends!

Justice

I have always wanted to spend time in a courtroom as a spectator. Today, I decided to check that off my list. My friend, who is a prosecuting attorney for Denton county, informed me that there was a murder trial beginning this week so I decided that this is where I would spend my afternoon.

I suppose television courtoom dramas have provided me with grandiose ideas on how the trials should be: lawyers with eloquent speeches, witnesses who know exactly what to say and when to say it, mean Bailiffs named "Bull," and judges who appear attentive and can interject their opinions anytime they want. Today, I saw lawyers with tons of notes, brief stops during their questions as they quickly decided what questions to ask next, a couple of recesses in order to work on sound equipment and much to my dismay, the bailiff was NOT named "Bull."

As I sat in the courtoom (which was smaller than I had expected), I watched the defendant and his family. I thought about how, perhaps, television has desensitized me. Here I was excited to see the court proceedings and ready to be entertained; while the victim's family is facing reality by still grieving the loss of a daughter, sister and mother, and the defendant's family worry about the fate of a brother, son, father and husband. It hit me that this man, who may or may not be guilty, is relying on his peers to decide the path of the rest of his life.

So, as I write this, I'm a bit more reflective of the situation than I was before my afternoon began. I hope and pray that this man gets whatever justice his actions have warranted. While our justice system is sure to fail us from time to time, my little visit to the courtroom left me a little bit more grateful for this wonderful country and its justice system that our forefathers created so long ago!

For Every Good Man....

Once upon a time I had a government teacher who said to my class, "for every good man there is a good woman behind him." I remember I was assigned to the last row that year and as I looked ahead of me I saw 3 good male friends at the desks in front of me. I responded (quite loudly, as I recall), "Wow, Mr. Burke, I must be amazing!"

I'm fairly certain that the people we choose to be our friends and our role models play a big role in defining who we are as people. I am quite certain that I have developed mannerisms, vocabulary and perhaps even some character traits from the people with whom I have chosen to walk through life.

VP candidate, Senator Joe Biden, had probably wished he had chosen a staff member better after this particular incident. The poor man or woman probably lost their job after this gaff. Watch and enjoy! And don't forget to "stand up for chuck."

Have You Had Your Laugh Today?

This past weekend, I was able to watch a dear friend get married. At the reception she had everyone fill out a page to a memory book that she will put together. One of the requests was to write down some advice for the bride and groom. I noticed that the advice of the person next to me read, "Laugh often." So simple, yet probably the best advice, in my opinion.

I truly believe that there is nothing better in life than a good laugh! There is no better sound in the world than laughter. Perhaps the sweetest is a baby's little giggle. When I was younger a friend and I would laugh by changing the vowels, which would make us laugh even harder. So, we would try the whole spectrum of "Ha's." (ie: "Ha, Hee, Ho, Hoo") Try this next time you feel like laughing, I guarantee it will provide several more minutes of entertainment.

Recently, I received an email that was similar to Jay Leno's "Headlines" bit. Here are a few of my favorites with brief commentary from yours truly:

I too, dress up when I go to the Wal-Mart.

Phew! The cat got what it deserved!

Umm...Great! Good for you!

They'd better be a good bargain!

I wonder how that conversation went...

"We had no idea anyone was buried there." Umm...it's a mausoleum!

This just may be my new worst fear. Isn't it public record?

That would be my first thought, too! Surely, they were stolen! On the bright side, at least they didn't steal her new credit card.

"Oh where, oh where can it be..."

25, huh?

Who said there's no such thing as a stupid question?

My mind is blank or my brain is empty, whichever is worse.

Since I thought these were so funny, I decided to search the web for things that make me laugh. I had remembered a website I used to frequent several years ago called http://www.engrish.com/ where I found this picture: http://www.engrish.com/2009/03/its-around-here-somewhere/

Then I remembered how church bulletins have a way of making me laugh as well, so I decided to search for some. Here are a few little gems:

Thursday at 5:00 PM, there will be a meeting of the Little Mothers Club. All ladies wishing to be "Little Mothers" will meet with the Pastor in his private study.

At the evening service tonight, the sermon topic will be "What is hell?" Come early and listen to our choir practice.

The ladies of the church have cast off clothing of every kind. They can be seen in the church basement Saturday.

Tuesday at 4 p.m. there will be an ice cream social. All ladies giving milk will please come early.

Ladies Bible Study will be held Thursday morning at 10. All ladies are invited to lunch in the Fellowship Hall after the B.S. is done.

The church is glad to have with us today as our guest minister the Rev. Shirley Green, who has Mrs. Green with him. After the service we request that all remain in the sanctuary for the Hanging of the Greens.

Missionary from Africa speaking at Calvary Memorial Church in Racine. Name: Bertha Belch. Announcement: Come tonight and hear Bertha Belch all the way from Africa".

The Associate Minister unveiled the church's new tithing campaign slogan last Sunday: "I upped My Pledge----Up Yours."

"Wise Up, O Men of God". Smile at someone who is hard to love. Say "hell" to someone who doesn't care much about you.

Finally, I have decided to post my Youtube Funny Of The Day. This is a video that just makes me happy! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SsWrY77o77o

Enjoy and laugh often!

The Angry Blogger

This weekend I had a nice discussion with sweet friends about my poor blogging of late. I informed my friends that I had to take a break from the blogging world because it hit me that everytime I blogged it was out of anger. In fact, we discussed the possibility of changing the name of my blog to "The Angry Blogger." While I think this new title would be hysterical, it hit me later that I really don't want to be known as angry. Furthermore, what would I do when I just wanted to relate a funny story? So, I will forever remain "Marci's Musings" and include a spattering of funny and angry posts. I promise to try and be a better blogger (Girl Scout's Honor).

Something to be angry about....

• road construction--there is a stretch of road in Highland Village, TX that has been under construction for at least 2 years! It is so frustrating when all I want is to go to TJ Maxx and Hobby Lobby without too much effort. It has turned in a 15 minute drive into a 30 minute drive (no joke).

Something to laugh about....

• Friends--I have recently reacquainted myself with this fabulous tv show. My personal favorite episode was when Joey couldn't figure out the timing for the annoying "hand quotes." Finally, when he received praise for finally getting it right he flubs up again by saying "thanks." I love it, I love it, I love it!

Have you ever thought a quote or colloquialism is something other than it really is? I certainly have and have felt the fool when I learned otherwise! Some of my more famous mistakes:


My quote: Rankin File
Actual Quote: Rank and File
My thoughts....Yes, I actually thought a guy named Rankin had a very large file.


My quote: Intensive Purposes
Actual quote: Intents and Purposes
My thoughts: My purposes are very serious.

My quote: Give it or take it
Actual quote: Take it or leave it
My thoughts: Give and take….take it or leave it...hit or miss..Who wouldn't get those confused?


My quote: Life Saber
Actual quote: Light Saber
My thoughts: At least I didn’t call it a "Life Saver."

These are just a few of the many phrases that have made me feel a little bit sheepish when I have learned the true quotes. What are some of yours?

Who I Am

I have not been onto my facebook page in at least a month but have heard ramblings of the latest trend and decided to follow the crowd and create my own list of 25 things about me. I found it was an interesting drill of examining myself and focusing on the positive traits that God has so graciously given me rather than the negative that I am so apt to do! It also helped pass the time while enduring a 6 hour inservice on multicultural issues in children with language impairments. So, in no particular order and without further ado...

1. I am a daughter and sister
2. I love my family--a lot
3. I am everyone's favorite aunt (at least, I like to think I am)
4. I was born in Taiwan, but I'm NOT Chinese
5. I can trace my heritage back to 1685 in Germany (thanks, Doug for doing that)
6. I am a combination of extrovert and introvert-sometimes thriving on meeting new people and other times preferring to regroup at home
7. Most people genuinely like me
8. I am a good, loyal friend
9. I prefer a few good friends over lots of acquaintances
10. I exercise regularly, but don't always enjoy it
11. I watch a lot of TV
12. I have an obsession with talk radio
13. I tend to be moderately conservative
14. I get annoyed with people who must "keep up with the Jones'" (I certainly picked the right place to live :) )
15. I tend to fly by the seat of my pants when it comes to planning therapy
16. It takes me too long to make decisions, especially those involving money
17. I am a very logical, rational person
18. People probably think I'm smarter than I really am because I speak with conviction
19. I absolutely LOVE to laugh
20. I don't take myself too seriously and often tell people of my many blunders
21. I care too much what people think of me
22. I've always been known to my friends as the "good" girl, but they all know I have not always actually been the "good" girl
23. I love a good competition (especially late at night, loaded with caffeine)
24. I'm always dreaming up new inventions but never follow through with them...and finally, I'm not ashamed to admit.....
25. I frequently burst into song in the confines of my own home

The Little Things

A couple of weeks ago I was walking through the cafeteria at my school. I saw one of the ladies who is always quite friendly cleaning up the tables. I said "hi" and asked how she was doing and then noticed that she had something on her ankle! I was about to comment on her pedometer when I thought better of myself. I ended up just walking away. As I thought about it later, I decided that surely it was a pedometer because if she was on house arrest or something she couldn't work in the school.

Well, this morning, thanks to the morning talk show I wake up to, I had an epiphany that it was not a pedometer, or that she was on house arrest. But, I had to thank God, that He encouraged me to shut my big fat mouth as I realized that it was an alcohol monitoring anklet!

My revelation helped me remember again that God really IS good! Well, not that I never thought that before, but it's just amazing how He is always in the little things! My actions that day in the cafeteria, whether or not I embarrassed her and/or myself, were not going to be Earth shattering, but yet His Spirit gently whispered into my ear that the question I was going to ask this woman would be better left unsaid! I know that I haven't always listened to that still small voice in the past, but lately I have wondered if I really do hear from God! I guess this is my answer! He is still there, gently nudging me forward with His encouragement and love! I just have to listen a little bit more carefully! I'm so glad I listened that particular day!

Escape

I always have to be careful whenever I begin a new book. The problem with my reading is that I become so involved in my books that it begins to consume me! I become so engrossed that it begins to become real to me! Some would say it is an escape from reality, but sometimes it begins to become my new reality. I find myself thinking about a move to London so I can go to Victoria Station to find platform 9 and 3/4 just so I can get on the Hogwarts Express, or go to New York City and cast my frugality aside to become a shopaholic; and most recently move to Washington where it's rainy and overcast 320 days a year and hope that my blood is intriguing enough to attract a vampire who will fall in love with me and not want to kill me.

I became intrigued by the Twilight novels after watching the movie. I knew it would suck (no pun intended) me in, just as every other series of books I have read have reeled me in. So far they have managed to thrill me, chill me, make me very nervous and fill me with LOTS of angst! Seriously, I keep calling friends who have read the book to debrief with them.

There are so many characters in this book that I don't know exactly who to root for! For example, in Pride and Prejudice, you root for Mr. Darcey, in Emma, you root for Mr. Knightly, in Pirates of the Carribbean you root for Will Turner and in Bridget Jones' Diary, you root for, well Mr. Darcy..again. But this book, like in the movie Sweet Home Alabama, Bella has two great options! I love both characters and to be honest, I'm nervous about finishing this series to find out the ending! What if I am dissatisfied? I will have wasted one week of my Christmas vacation reading an unsatisfying series of books. Perhaps I should just put it away, but even now it's calling me with its pretty little cover sitting on the pillow next to me!

Ahh, I suppose I will have to succumb. Goodnight all...