a few things i’m glad about…

Tonya’s peppermint bark. She left it on our front step last night. Maggie may have squealed with delight when we discovered it.
Bob’s tamales. Every year Bob goes to his secret source for the best tamales in the world… somewhere on the west side of Chicago. And every year he gives us a big bag of them. And every year, as they’re steaming on our stove, I thank God for the culture that invented tamales.
Our new kitten, Gabriella, who we adopted from the DuPage County Animal Care and Control a few weeks ago. Her antics, especially in the evenings, have been a huge source of entertainment.
My Christmas shopping is done.
Our road trip to Tennessee to visit Maggie’s family. We’re spending the night in Effingham, IL, home of a massive cross that juts out of the cornfields. We hope to make it in time to catch the 7:00 screening of The Golden Compass. Curious if it lives up to the hype.
Lunch on Saturday at The Rendezvous in Memphis. All you need to know: dry-rub ribs.
Jeremy and I finally finished reading and discussing Leslie Newbigin’s The Gospel in a Pluralist Society. This is probably the best book about our pursuit of God’s mission in a post-Christian society that I’ve read. And I really enjoyed reading this with a friend… should do that more often.
Advent. Christmas. The birth of the life-changing Messiah in a barn. Gospel proclaimed to shepherds, foreigners, widows, tax collectors, prostitutes, fishermen, soldiers, and us.

David W. Swanson