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elegance (1)

The Elegance of Life

Posted by John and Janet Ruiz on December 11, 2008 at 5:30pm
Greetings Internet Pardineros! Post-Thanksgiving afterglow is providing the kindling for some more warm, tasty times - Christmas! and New Years! We do enjoy this time of year and hope it's sweet and meaningful for you too.We finished up the tree a week ago. It takes about a week to do the whole thing. It's a time to savor and not rush. Ours is filled with memories. Right on top is a star, the classic "Star of Bethlehem".We've winnowed through our ornaments over the years and have a tidy collection - picture frame ornaments that have our family in them, taken from years past. Some of the flour and water dough ornaments we made one year we didn't have the cash dough to buy much more. (the remainder made some tasty sugar cookies that year!) That was the year we bought this plastic star and light we've put on top every year since. It cost two bucks and at the time was an investment. It's a keeper. Some the kids have made, some we've been given. A range of different types we've bought. It's more a history of years past than anything. Each year we add something new, as we did this year remembering it ain't the cash, it's the stash of love we have to draw upon that fills our stockings and trims our tree to overflowing every year. That and maybe a few choice items to go with them. : )Choicest was last Sunday - we went with my sisters to see Johnny Mathis! The man, the myth, Mr. Misty himself. He performed wonderfully and magically, for a man of 30. Not bad considering he's 72. He looks as good as he sounds and he sounds better than money in the bank. We loved him. He did a sprinkling of holiday favorites and all of his classics. The crowd was his - age wise mostly over "a certain age". Basically all young at heart and 100 per cent fans of his music. Nearly every song I could hear people around me - "Oh!! ooooh....yeah...." in recognition and appreciation as he began each song. Hanky time on "12th of Never". Two songs that bring out the kleenex for me - James Taylor singing "Carolina On My Mind" and that one. Great night. GREAT night.Which got me to thinking again how full of hope our lives are. Good times remembered, yes. Good times expected - ditto. The future's still as bright as the promises of God, and the future has a past. I'm in it and diggin' it immensely. I hope to remember these days well in times to come.Which brings me to "elegance". I like the word "elegance" and I think it covers "Life" very well: refinement, grace, and beauty in movement, appearance, or manners. Life at it's best moves with it, like a bird in the breeze - effortless, easy, sweet. "I am come that they might have life and have it more abundantly..." More than a chaotic accumulation of stuff we can't take with us and then it's over when we least expect it. Meaning, purpose, cycles of God's grace moving like the tides in wonderful elegant motion.LIfe is very cool when it doesn't suck. Unfortunately it does for a lot of people on this planet. Would they will all come to know both the here-and-now and the hope of life in Christ. And maybe get a better leg up on everything else too. I'm very fortunate to have what I have and be where I am. I'm often reminded of that and that life sucks so bad when it isn't cool. A lot can go wrong and does for a lot of people. We can't fix everything in the time we have but in the time I have I hope to make a dent. This season is a strong reminder for me of that.Life is so precious. Elegant, so well put together there's clearly no alternative that comes even close. A sign of the pure creative existence of "God" if ever there was one. Who else could have come up such an idea? Never to be outdone in it's complete satisfaction as a state of mind. : ) It's definitely a cool thing if only (but not only) because it's so unique. Each one of us is the only one of us there's ever been, the only one of us that is, and that will ever be again. That's weird, considering the possibilities. Weird but very cool. We are the one-time unique instance of "us" and our life that there will ever be. After you - no more the same, ever. For some reason that's always given me pause since it first really hit me and when it did it hit me like a runaway train. Fortunately I survived to reflect on it, which I do from time to time, like now.The fact that "I' and "you" are non-repeatable is immense. In some ways that's probably good. : ) But in all ways it shows to me the incredible diversity and facility of God. We keep comin' on, one at a time, in pairs or quads but every li'l baby says the same thing "Hi! It's me!", never "Hi! It's me - again!" Each one loved for the simple fact that they're here, with nothing to give but the life they have."For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son..." An incredible statement to ponder. And in that, a future promised for each of us.Chistmas is a cool time to consider again all God has done and what He holds for each of us in our own future, one filled with His good gifts and blessings, all to be known in their own time and season. And as always, the future has a past...Our best to you and yours. Happy Merry Christmas and Stuff!


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