It was a very Merry Christmas!

I hope your Christmas Day was as enjoyable as mine. It was a mixture of downtime, opening presents, eating great food and way too much of it, keeping the fire alive the entire day, reading, and observing the Fraley's as they went from the nicest family to one of fierce true competition in Phase 10. (The skip cards were being used as effectively as I have ever seen them played)

It was a great Christmas and yet I must admit that it was a hard one as well. I understand a little better what my wife went through last year as we celebrated Christmas with the Barlow's. It's not that you aren't happy, excited, and thrilled to be with your new family through the excitement of marriage, but you realize you aren't with the same people you previously celebrated Christmas with for the last 25 years.

I could hear a twinge of sadness when I talked with my parents and siblings and rightfully so, but from what I have gathered it sounds like they have had a wonderful Christmas as well. I would have loved to have taken a ride in my little sis's new car and helped my niece with play with the kitchen set she got from Santa Claus. (I would have had to have helped with the assembly of the kitchen and I am grateful that I was not involved in the 3 Am assembly shenanigans that Dad and J were going through.)

But this is a part of life and I would argue it is a good part of life. It is the part of life where people change, some traditions are either ingrained or uprooted all at once. Family members who have been stuck with one stereotype (mine Little Lord Fauntleroy, and I love it!!!) are given the chance to undo those thoughts and become different if they so choose.

Change is not always better. Change for the sake of change typically is not, but change embraced openly and looked at with the opportunity for better, especially when it is inevitable change, can be a time of growth and learning. It still doesn't mean it will be better, but it can still be very good in it's own respect. (I hate that society has made things have to be better or worse and always compared but I will pontificate about this at another time.)

I hope that is the case for my family, myself, and all those that I love this year in particular. That we look at the changes as they are coming (so swiftly now it seems) and dig our heals in for a few traditions and be willing to let a few of them go. That we let some of the stereotypes go as well except in happy memories and for a couple of laughs.

Christmas came again this year, Hallelujah! I am grateful more and more every year for Father (or Mother) God for sending his (or her) Son into the world for each of us. I am less worthy of the grace and more grateful to have it each year we celebrate the birth of Jesus. I just hope the wise men make it this year! I am pulling for em and will be on the lookout and hope you will too.

Merry Christmas!!!

Frozen Rain?

Frozen rain... Unbelievable! As Mama Fraley, Sue, Derby and I rain in the 30 degree weather it started to snow... no... not snow... rain. Frozen rain. The only good thing about weather this cold is the snow and now it didn't even snow. Them the breaks right.

On a completely different note, Lee and my's fantasy team finally outperformed the rest of the league, safely securing third place in our league and winning absolutely no money. Them the breaks right. I just got word from Lee that his notorious "other" team to which he admittedly gave more of his time and energy lost by one point for the championship. The Preacher and the Prophitt were just doomed in fantasy this year. Them the breaks right.

But on a positive and lighter side, Derby (while we were running in the frozen rain) was allowed off the leash because of his good behavior and the wide open spaces in which we were running. He jets for the surrounding pond and runs out onto the frozen pond. Everyone begins to hold their breath or gasp as I begin yelling at our very light 80 lb. dog to come and get off of the not so frozen ice. He luckily decides this is a command he would like to obey and does so. He safely skates his way off of the icy pond and is quickly reacquainted with the leash. Them not the breaks and we are overly grateful.

The first Fraley family Christmas is going great! Relaxing and enjoyable. I hope yours is going the same way. Merry Christmas everyone.

PS- We ate at a restaurant called Saul Good in Lexington and it was excellent. I had the chicken and waffles with maple syrup and must say it was delicious. Here is website if you would like to check it out yourself. http://www.saulgoodpub.com/index2.html

Safe in Kentucky and almost frozen

When I left Hotlanta it was 45 and sunny. I was curious what the drop in temperature would be so I made sure to note the crisp feeling as I left Peach state wearing a T-shirt and flip-flops comfortably. Much to my liking we stopped only once on the 400 mile trip. (Since Sue and I have been dating it has been a humorous aspiration of mine to make a 400 mile trip, all of our family lives roughly 400 miles from Atlanta, MS, KY, FL (and FL is more like 350 with no good way to get there) without stopping once. Yesterday was our personal best and I hold out a glimmer of hope that we might actually make it within the next year or so without having to stop at all.)

At our one stop in TN I pulled out a jacket so I could pump the gas into the car without any discomfort. I noted the temperature had dropped to 30. Not too bad I thought to myself and figured the worst of the cold swing was over. As we hit the KY state line I began to worry a little, 25. I can count on my fingers the amount of times I have been in weather that is in the teens and all of a sudden it was becoming a pretty real reality that I might be spending Christmas in this type of weather. But this good ol' MS boy was panicking just yet. When we arrived at the Fraley household it was a bitter 15. 15!!! Oh boy am I in for it.

When I woke this morning it was coldest temperature my body had ever encountered, -11! Who lives like this? I have decided that I will be sitting in front of the television at a warm and cosy 75 watching football and sipping on sweet tea for most of my Christmas break. There is no way I am going to be out there in the elements freezing my extremities off. My body is use to 150 with humidity, not negative anything. I can actually feel the cold creeping in from the door which is a good 6 feet away from me. It is clawing its way past all the wonderfully heated air in the house and trying to suffocate the pleasantness right out of the house. It is unbelievable actually!

Well enough about the temperature, everything else is going wonderfully! I am truly blessed with my In laws. They have embraced me as a son and I will never be able to tell an In law joke with any integrity because they are the exact opposite of all of the stereotypes. Dinner last night was loads of fun with great food, wonderful stories and a whimpering Derby who wanted to be out of his crate and stealing food off of peoples plates so badly. It was a great start to the Christmas break. I hope everyone else has the opportunity that I am having this morning to relax, enjoy the many many blessings we have been given and be grateful for family and friends. I love Christmas so much. I love slowing down, listening to Christmas music, eating special meals, and most of all thinking about God and the mystery of his son being born. If nothing else I hope you stop and do that this Christmas.

I am going to put on some socks now because the cold that is clawing at the door seems to have won the victory over the good heat and laid claim to my toes as one of the prizes. Merry Merry Christmas!

Whew!!!

Christmas has been flying by and I am happy to announce that I have finished all of my Christmas shopping, only have one more present to wrap and don't have to lead any more Christmas events. I can officially start enjoying the season without any stress about it. I am truly excited! I bet I get sick within the next couple of days just because my body knows it can.

Last night went off great. Dinner was 30 minutes behind and the program got pushed back about the same amount of time but once everything started rolling it was smooth selling. I think everyone had a good laugh. I think it is good to have a few unholy moments in holy places. It helps to keep peoples spirits light. And I think last nights Christmas Party just hit the spot of unholy in a holy place. I loved it!

Merry Christmas all!

Thoughts about Christmas

I love Christmas. But not the way that most people like to think about it really. I have always enjoyed the presents and seeing people smile when you get them that certain gift that they didn't have on any list but you just knew they would like it. I like those things all well and good. But what I really love about Christmas is the way that people tend to treat others. Maybe I am blinded by the southern politeness that so often blinds my judgement but I truly believe that for a couple of days people stop thinking about the ways that they can take care of themselves and be number one and think for a little while about others. It is the upside down logic that is the gospel and this time of year people seem more open to it. Maybe I am wrong, but Christmas although it has largely lost it's place as a religious holiday, it seems to still bring out better versions of people. It is my hope that the hope of God will continue to shine through and people of faith will celebrate not only the gifts and the quality time with family, but they will also share the true hope of Christmas and the reason for peoples softened hearts. I love Christmas. The reason I love it so much is because it reminds me that I was loved in the most touching of ways.

Also, just watched the latest die hard movie and loved it. I am also posting this message from my igoogle page which rocks as well and I am keeping up with all my friends who blog through the same place. Technology is a wonderful and scary thing.

Susan just made a ton of stuff for coworkers. She is an amazing cook and loves it so much. Makes me realize how truly lucky I am, because I hate cooking and would have spent a ton more money on gifts people would have hated.

Goodnight Barrett and Sarah and anyone else who stumbles upon this.

A first time for everything

I don't know exactly what this will mean for me or the purpose of this place just yet. I will wait to see how this develops and changes as time moves on. Right now it is going to be an immediate place to keep those who are interested in my life up to speed. I intend to never offend nor show my hand about individuals or instituitions or political parties or too deeply my soul in this format, but rather this be a place to keep up with the things in life that I am enjoying, thoughts about books, about how I am doing in general, what is upcoming in my life and interesting things I might forget to tell those I love and care for from day to day because I am forgetful. Feel free to join along in the journey of my life. I expect few to be interested and even few less to follow, but that is just as well. If few enough join maybe I will be more open to sharing about the off limits issues. Only time will tell.

As for my life. I am loving being married. My wife is great and she and I are learning everyday how to better love one another. I will get her permission to go into more detail about the ins and the outs of our day to day life and if I do then you will her more about her. If not, then you won't because I respect her privacy and wouldn't want her posting public messages about me without my consent.

My work is good as well. It is challenging and more than anything I am learning how to use the gifts God has granted me to do good and to do the least amount of harm as well. It is a difficult transition from the laity to the clergy but one I am enjoying. May God be near me and my I always stay boldly humble in my pursuit of the things I consider to be God's work.

My dog, Derby, is really coming along well in his training. If all goes according to the plan he will graduate from doggie training school this Friday and be admitted into group training sessions this upcoming year. (This has been a goal of Sue and mines for sometime and we are pumped that he is doing well!)

Christmas is pressing right now and it has been a crazy couple of weeks. I can't wait to sit down, slow down, and enjoy the sounds, smells, and scenery of Christmas. That is my hope for this week. I love you all and my prayers today are with the Lundeen family as they have lost a loved one and will be traveling in harsh climates to make the funeral.

Journeying,
Barlow