Christmas rush

I love my son-in-law Jeff.  We were grafted into each other's life a lot of years ago.  Last night his father died.  Just sitting and having a bowl of soup, Tom was.  And in the twinkle of an eye he was absent from this life and present with His Lord.  One would think that grief and loss would now color Christmas this year.  

But the next phone call announced that niece Stephanie is in labor with her first baby!  So now Christmas will be a mixture....of death and birth, of eternal life and life here, and a special amazement at God and his perfect timing in all things.

My wife is going to help Steph with the baby.  As we rush to get Bonnie to a plane to Phoenix we are also hurriedly assembling plates of cookies and breads for me to take to Jeff and his family this evening.  Rushing to receive....rushing to grieve....and in the midst remembering the birth of the Baby in Whom it all hangs together.  What a rush.

PS: Diana Marilyn arrived in the late evening of 12/22/08 at 7 lbs, 2 oz, 20" long.  Thank you Lord!

No Water No Where

Water.  When you live in southern California, water is a big subject.  There is too little, as in no rain.  There is too much, as in our recent deluge.  The cost of water continues to climb with ever increasing threats of penalties, fines, restrictions, and on and on and on.  That cost conversation is becoming a prime topic in many circles.

What is rarely heard is any conversation about water capture or whatever we would call the saving of all the run-off water we lose in a storm of any strength.  As a resident of the region for nearly 40 years it is amazing to me that nothing has changed in those 40 years.  Lots of run-off.  No capture. Still.

I don't know what it would take.  There must be many who are far smarter than I who do.  We put a man on the moon.  We can't effectively save and use run-off water?