(Our tree here at church)
When I was growing up at the First Presbyterian Church of Hollywood, one of my favorite times of the year was the advent season. I loved when the church would get all decked out with its Christmas liturgical gear. What I remember most of all was the candlelight services at 11:00pm every year on Christmas eve. It was one of the most beautiful services I’d attend all year long and it was a time for the church to give thanks to God for his Son. Here at our church we have three services. My favorite service again is the candlelight service we do at 11:00pm. It’s a time for the church universal to give thanks for the Christ child. If you are one of the 10 or so readers who stop by, check out Mark’s stuff on Advent. You will be pleased with his series on advent and it’s meaning.

One of our greatest joys this recent thanksgiving was to watch our kids. I enjoy watching them have fun and I love listening to them. Most of all I enjoy watching them grow up. What makes me sad is to know that they will grow up way to fast. Therefore I want to make holidays like Thanksgiving some what enjoyable and memorable. I remember one Thanksgiving when I was a kid, where we went to the Sizzler for dinner. Although, maybe fun for others, and a C+ for effort for my parents attempts at trying to make Turkey day pleasant, I couldn’t enjoy the holiday. As I sat in that little restaurant booth in Hollywood, watching my pop and mom try to smile and my brothers wanting to kill each other,  I felt sadness more for my family than the fact that we were eating a turkey dinner ordered off a menu. The sadness was that something was missing. Something wasn’t right. I felt like the urban version of a "Christmas Story" in many ways. I felt like I had something that they weren’t ready to recieve and in some ways I grieve that I didn’t try harder at communicating Christ’s love, hoping that somewhere along the way they recieved his love and grace. As I process this recent Turkey day I’m thankful for my wife. I’m thankful that our kids are healthy and happy and I’m thankful that somehow I’ve managed through the list of memories that always seem to pop up at Thanksgiving and Christmas that always remind me of the pain of having a family split apart because of drugs, alcohol and other stuff when I was a kid. I’m thankful that the Lord has called me to be a pastor to the people. I’m most of all thankful that what I had in my life as a kid was Jesus and his love watching over me. I’m thankful for his grace. Only if my family could have experienced the same kind of joy and grace in knowing and being loved by the savior. A grace I desire for our kids to know and to remember everytime we gather for a holiday, whether it’s at Aunt Tina’s for turkey or at a Sizzler.

My buddy Steve makes a good point.

HT: (Steve Bock)

After getting back from Los Angeles last night, I was catching up on some blogotinals and came across this. Always nice to receive kind words of affirmation from friends. Affirmations always seem to come at the right times in a persons life. They’re like God’s little reminders to keep our eyes focused upon the things of Christ and not on the things of this world that seem to just continually weigh us down. Thank you God.

The things you see on Hollywood Boulevard…MR. INCREDIBLE!!!!

Today I stopped by to see a man of God in the hospital, a friend, a father figure, and one who has always desired to follow and serve Christ in all that he would do and say. Please pray for Frank, his wife Jane, and his extended family. I also consider Frank a surrogate parent, a cheerleader of sorts who has always cheered Debbie and I on. What a wonderful man. One of my blogging friends wrote a wonderful post on Frank here.

This just in. Barney has a rip. The famous lovable Barney just seen in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade has a rip in his leg. Anyways, just hanging today in Los Angeles with family. Watching some of the Macy’s parade as we speak. We’re finally going to catch a glimpse of the "hood." Hollywood. My old hangout. I’ve wanted to show the boys what dad’s old neighborhood lookslike. I don’t even think I’ll be able to recognize it. Happy Turkey day!!!

Listening to the radio yesterday and heard about this drink. Thought it was a joke until I was walking through the local belair market this morning and saw this. When do us old dudes who are trying to watch our figure get a "go dude" drink for ourselves?

You know something. When I reflect about my life and ministry as a young pastor I can’t help but think about our children. Tonight, I could of broke down in tears like a little baby when my youngest son comes to me in our living room, grabs my hand, and takes me into his room and says, "dad, play toys."

My son loves me just as I am. In all of my brokenness, he loves and accepts me and most of all wants me to play spider man. When you think of the kind of grace shown to us by Christ, Christ takes us by the hand, walks with us, and wants to be with us in the midst of our lives. My only problem is that I’m clueless at those times Christ is trying to grab my hand and like a nimrod I keep ignoring his attempts at wanting to be with me in the midst of life’s struggle at following him.

(A pic of Mr. Wahe) Today I ventured out into the world of "substitute" teaching. I got the call, "can you come in for a few hours?" Sure. I arrived in the midst of a sea of students here. A few of the students who attend my youth groups at church saw me which was very cool. "When you coming to my class to sub?" When I got to the main office of the high school, I met the teacher who was actually on campus doing something else. Met the substitute person in charge of subs and she says something like, "how do you feel about high school 11th grade bible?" I laughed. I’m really looking forward to taking a few hours a month to go and sub at a local Jr. high or high school. I can’t think of a better way to connect with some of the youth of our church community and to also meet some new kids. On a different note got to hear one of our youth give a report about a mission trip she went on to Jamaica last summer at a high school chapel this afternoon. I’ve always been impressed with my friend Alicia. A woman of God and a heart for loving the people of God. You can check out her "myspace" here.