Free-for-All Friday

Leckband Temp Challenge Returns!

Rankings based on wunderground.com at 6:39 a.m.

• #6, Balmiest Leckbands, Eagan, MN, 24/wind chill 18
• #5, Garrison, IA, 26/13
• #4, Ventura, IA, 23/14
• #3, Lincoln, NE, 17/9
• #2, Beatrice, NE, 18/5
• #1, Norfolk, NE, 13/4

Nebraska rules.

Free For All

From Omaha World Herald (12/17):  "Christmas Eve: As holiday spirit peaks, so does risk of heart attack . . . The research would appear to put Christmas Eve in the same category as earthquakes, hurricanes, stock market crashes, wars & high-stakes World Cup soccer matches . . . On Dec. 24, the risk of a heart attack is 37% higher than normal, the researchers found. On Christmas itself, the increase in risk dips to 29%."  We wish you a Merry Christmas.

From Norfolk Daily News (12/20):  "What makes chickens happy? No one is sure." As intriguing as this headline may be, I didn't take time to read the article.

Dept. of Shameless Joke-Stealing *

"An Alsatian went to a telegram office & wrote, 'Woof. Woof. Woof. Woof.Woof. Woof. Woof. Woof. Woof.' The clerk examined the paper & told the dog, 'There are only 9 words here. You could send another 'Woof' for the same price.' 'But,' the dog replied, 'that would make no sense at all.'"

* Courtesy of Reader's Digest, 11/18

Wit & Wisdom of Cal Thomas *

"The alternative to Donald Trump was unacceptable--Hillary Clinton & the continuation of the Obama agenda & the dilution of the USA as a sovereign nation & a continuation of its becoming a member of the global conglomerate--where there wouldn't be any debate about climate change; we would just pay up. Where there wouldn't be any debate about open borders; we would just keep them open. Where there wouldn't be any debate about whatever American culture or society is. It would be whatever the socialists said it was going to be."

[From "The fury of the Establishment, OWH (12/13)]

* One of my two most favorite partisan pundits (along with Jonah Goldberg)

THOUGHT FOR TODAY:  NEVER-ENDING DAY 

“For a day in Thy courts is better than a thousand elsewhere . . . “  Ps. 84:10

“For His righteousness remains forever & ever.” (Martin Luther Psalm by Psalm, Concordia Publishing House, 2017.)

Christmas Day Meditation

        "Our spiritually dark world, groping for stability, staggers in a cycle of repeated disasters. But Jesus, the babe in Bethlehem, declared that 'He is the light of the world. Whoever follows Me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life' (John 8:12). Christmas challenges us to consider that there is something transcendent, eternal & greater than we are; it is about the Lord of two worlds--the material & the spiritual--descending to live, for a season, by the rules of one, so that He could resolve its dysfunction, disharmony & discord.
        "Christmas, then enables Christians to avoid understanding God as an abstract set of principles. In a sense, it is a time for unwrapping secrets. And at Christmas, God unwrapped His greatest secret of all--the greatest gift of all--His Son, the Lord Jesus."
--James Eckman, "Unwrapping the greatest secret of Christmas," Omaha World Herald, Dec. 25, 2018

A Christmas Memory

CHRISTMAS EVE

When I was growing up in Concordia, MO, we lived in a teacherage two doors down from St. Paul's Lutheran Church. Our Christmas Eve service feature the Christmas program of St. Paul's Lutheran School, which was located just across the street. 

Our school was large. There were 32 students in my class alone. Children from the school were seated in the front of the church, facing the congregation. Church was packed. They even had to set up folding chairs in the aisles to accommodate all the people.

I don't remember that our program varied much from year to year. We recited Christmas passages from scripture. We sang Christmas songs & carols. The congregation joined in some of the singing.

After the service concluded, children filed through a room just off the chancel. We each received a sack of goodies that included a big sack of peanuts, an orange or maybe an apple, & some Christmas candy.

My brother, sister, & I walked home after the service. Since my mom was church organist, she continued playing as people exited the church. Dad was principal, so he usually stayed behind, too.

We knew the drill. After Dad & Mom got home, we kids were exiled to my brother's bedroom while Dad & Mom put presents under the tree. (There was no Santa Claus at our house.) My siblings & I ate from our goodies' sacks & speculated about our presents.

When we got the green light, we went into the living room. Our Christmas tree seemed brighter, & the presents were under the tree. We took turns opening presents, so that we each could see what the others were getting.

After opening presents we would join my dad in the dining room, where we had more Christmas goodies. Mom went to bed before us, since she had to get up early & play for church on Christmas morning.

Times have changed, & we have our own Christmas tradition. Our children & grand-children gather with us for Thanksgiving. This is when we set up Christmas decorations & decorate the tree. Usually one of the grand-kids plays Santa Claus & passes out the presents. Then we take turns opening them, so we can all see what others have gotten.

Christmas Eve is one of my favorite memories from childhood. May you & yours have your own special Christmas memories!

Christmas Thoughts: Dec. 23

CHRISTMAS IS RUINED, PART V

"Part of me is sorry if you read this & find suddenly that the gingerbread man you're chewing tastes a little less jolly or that the inflatable Santa in your front yard looks a little less fun, but part of me isn't. You can celebrate cultural Christmas with family & friends--enjoy the time you share with them!--yet even so, I hope & pray that the glorious theology of the Incarnation ruins Christmas for you as it has for me. And I can't feel sorry about that. Far from it:  I pray that every day of our lives in Christ would be so ruined."
--Merritt Demski, "When Jesus Ruins Christmas," The Lutheran Witness Dec. 2018)

Christmas Thoughts: Dec. 22

CHRISTMAS IS RUINED, PART IV

"The baby in the manger is the perfect One who redeems us in our imperfection. Immanuel, 'God with us,' is still with us, not just at Christmas but always through His Word & Sacraments. The same body that went to the cross is now resurrected in glory at the right hand of the Father & given to us at His table each week. God is not out there hiding from us. He's here. With us. In the flesh."
--Merritt Demski, "When Jesus Ruins Christmas," The Lutheran Witness Dec. 2018)

Christmas Thoughts: Dec. 21

CHRISTMAS IS RUINED, PART III

"The second Person of the Trinity deliberately became man for us. The Son who appeared to people throughout all of Holy Scripture came in the flesh. He laid His glory aside to serve you & me. To live. To suffer. To die. To rise again in glory. To give us life."
--Merritt Demski, "When Jesus Ruins Christmas," The Lutheran Witness Dec. 2018)

Christmas Thoughts: Dec. 20

CHRISTMAS IS RUINED, PART II

"In Christ, the God of all creation took on the flesh of His creation. That God is at the same time Father, Son & Holy Spirit. God is three persons & yet there is only one God. Christ is both true God & true man. Suddenly the Bing Crosby music fades away & I'm struck by the awe of God's 'enfleshment'--His taking on flesh--His Incarnation. I sit back & celebrate with every fiber of my being the arrival of the King of kings & Lord of lords. I recognize the truth that Christians gather together--on Christmas & every Sunday--not simply for the sake of cultural traditions, but to praise the One who was announced by angels. Glory to God in the highest!
        This earth-shaking realization can leave me feeling a little underwhelmed by the ways in which we typically respond to the angels' 'good news of great . joy.'"
--Merritt Demski, "When Jesus Ruins Christmas," The Lutheran Witness Dec. 2018)

Christmas Thoughts: Dec. 19

THE MIRACLE SUPREME

"What can be said that is more marvelous than this, that the Son of God assumes the flesh of man & is born of a virgin? What is more astounding than this, that the Son of God, battling with death & the devil, allows Himself to be overcome, offers His life to His enemies, & overcomes while being overcome? And the miracle supreme is this, that the man Christ, who died on the cross, rises from death & the sealed grave on the third day, ascends to heaven, & sits at the right hand of God with His flesh. What can possibly be said, nay, even conceived, that is equal to these miracles?"
--Martin Luther, quoted by Dr. Ewwald M. Plass in "The Miracle Supreme, The Lutheran Witness, Dec. 2018

Christmas Thoughts: Dec. 19

CHRISTMAS IS RUINED, Part I

"The theology of Jesus' incarnation has ruined 'cultural' Christmas for me. Now, I'm not saying here that trimming a tree isn't fun or that the Bing Crosby Christmas music playing in stores doesn't ever inspire warm & fuzzy feelings, but these things just don't seem as important or meaningful to me as they once did. Family & cultural traditions are enjoyable & worthwhile, sure, but once I began to wrap my head around the theology of the Incarnation, all the fluff surrounding our cultural celebration of Christmas simply took a back seat.
         When we talk about 'the Incarnation,' we're talking about the birth of Jesus. We're talking about God taking on human flesh. (The Latin root word incarnare literally means 'to make flesh.') The Incarnation is discussed in each of the Gospels, but John opens his Gospel with what is perhaps the most jaw-dropping presentation of who Jesus is, from 'In the beginning was the Word' (John 1:1) to 'No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father's side, He has made Him known' (John 1:18). If you've read the other Gospels & come away with any questions regarding the identity of Jesus of Nazareth or the purpose of Holy Scripture, read John. He clears things right up from the very start. Not only is Jesus a man from Nazareth, but He's also the Son of God. Remember when God created everything in the beginning? Jesus was there. He IS the very Word through which all things were & are created. And now, in the Incarnation, He comes to save His creation."
--Merritt Demski, "When Jesus Ruins Christmas," The Lutheran Witness Dec. 2018)

Christmas Thoughts: Dec. 17

I'LL BE JUST FINE

"What part of Christmas do you love best? The presents? The caroling? The children's Christmas pageant? Christmas dinner with family?
        My favorite seasonal accouterment may be our Christmas tree--fragrant & piney, glowing with colored lights, hung with beloved keepsake ornaments. It's so beautiful that I could (and sometimes do) sit & stare at it for hours.
        Deep down, though, I know that the tree is not the point. With or without the tree, I'll be just fine.Whether or not I celebrate Christmas at all, I'll be just fine.
        No matter what comes, I'll be just fine, because Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God, 'came down from heaven & was incarnate by the Holy Spirit of the Virgin Mary & was made man.' Knit together in His mother's womb, our Lord became a full-fledged member of the human race--flesh & blood, mind & body, eyelashes & fingernails--for our salvation . . . May the eternal Word who 'became flesh & dwelt among us' (John 1:4) dwell in you richly, at Christmas time & always."
--Rachel, Bomberger, The Lutheran Witness (Dec. 2018)

Free-for-All Friday

Political Potpourri

"Many men are so intimidated by the #MeToo movement & the plausibility that they, too, could be ruined on the basis of a single woman's misinterpretation of an innocent gesture that they're essentially shutting down & stepping away. Suffice it to say, this side effect won't serve women well in the long run. Indeed, it seems obvious that they'll suffer."  From column by Kathleen Parker in Omaha World Herald, 12/9

Friday Whimsy

"Price tag for celebrating all 12 days of Christmas:  about $39,000."  From OWH 12/9

Dept. of Shameless Joke-Stealing *

* From Reader's Digest 11/18

• "Your stomach thinks that all potatoes are mashed"
• "They should announced a sequel to Groundhog Day & then just rerelease the original."
• "This 'spring forward' thing would be a lot more popular if we moved the clocks ahead at 2:00 p.m. on Monday."

Phony Baloney Headlines

• "World's scientists admit they just don't like mice"
• "Eminem terrified as daughter begins dating man raised on his music"
• "40,000 pounds of salsa spill on I-70 near Cabazon, CA. CHiPs respond."

A DIVINE ORDINANCE 

“God has taken His place in the divine council; in the midst of the gods He holds judgment.”  Ps. 82:1

“From this we see how high & how glorious God will have rulers held, & that men ought to obey them as His officers & be subject to them with all fear & reverence, as to God Himself.”  Martin Luther Psalm by Psalm, Concordia Publishing House, 2017.

Cornhusker Blog Lite

Washington, License Plates, Gas, Bacon, Thought for Today

WASHINGTON D.C. ODYSSEY

Last THU 12/6, Lois & I embarked for Washington, D.C. On FRI 12/7, we attended the memorial service & interment of our late brother-in-law Paul @ Arlington National Cemetery. Should a memorial service & interment be described as a highlight? I don't know how else to describe it.

The memorial service, procession to the gravesite, & graveside ceremony were most respectful & dignified, filled with much tradition, as Paul was interred with full military honors. The procession wound its way for a little over one mile through Arlington, led by a band & soldiers marching, the caisson, a bus with close family, & the cars of others who attended the memorial service.

Following the interment we traveled to the Officers Club. Paul's son Nick & many others delivered their testimonies & told anecdotes about Paul, dating back to his years at the Naval Academy 50 years ago. There was much laughter, & the tone of the event was respect, mixed in with some light-hearted memories. Overall, it was a fitting tribute to a man who was honored as a father, coach, Marine Corp pilot, & who served for many years at the Pentagon. I think his family was pleased.

On SAT, Lois & others visited the Museum of the Bible & gave it 5 stars. They barely made it through three of the six floors. Regretfully, I stayed behind because of the sore back I incurred from the bus rides on FRI.

Lois & I returned to Norfolk on SUN. All of our flights & trips to & from the airports were uneventful. Our thanks to her brother John, who provided "taxi" service throughout the weekend, & who got us safely to the airport on SUN.

A word to the wise:  before you go through security at the airport, tell the TSA agents that you have an artificial hip.

LICENSE PLATES UPDATE

I've mentioned before that Lois & I keep track of license plates throughout the year. Our last best chance to count license plates was over the weekend in D.C. We added Delaware & West Virginia but still came up short. We ended up missing Hawaii, Mississippi, New Hampshire & Rhode Island. Barring an unforeseen turn of events, that's how 2018 will end.

DEPT. of SHAMELESS JOKE-STEALING *

* Thanks to Reader's Digest, Nov. 2018

FACEBOOK POST:  Can't wknds be longer?

RESPONSE:  Yes, weekends.

TUESDAY WHIMSY

From Norfolk Daily News (11/29):  "It's a Christmas miracle. Gas prices fell 40 cent this month & will keep dropping."  COMMENT:  I did that. Obama

From Omaha World Herald (12/8):  "For finals, students get bacon vending machine. Ohio State University students can fuel up on pork as they study for finals. A bacon vending machine has been installed on the university's Columbus campus. It offers cooked bacon strips & bacon bits for $1."  

VEILED 

“Your footprints were unseen. You led Your people like a flock.”  Ps. 77:19-20

“These works were especially the casting down of the devil, victory over the world, destruction of hell, the gaining of heaven, the sanctification of the church, & the killing of the flesh, which are utterly divine works. Who would believe that the cross & suffering would achieve such incalculable results?”  Martin Luther Psalm by Psalm, Concordia Publishing House, 2017.