Friday, January 07, 2005

Thanks for the chuckle!
And you in the bishopric yet! (that's the way my grandmother would say it to me).

Thursday, January 06, 2005

If you ever want to undermine everything you are trying to become in life, go play ward basketball. I just lost every ounce of respect I have been working hard to build up over the last six months. No, I didn’t slam anybody into a fence, but I probably yelled with bulging eyes at the 215-pound rough boy that knocked me clean into the bleachers. Only four guys from our ward showed up. According to our rules, we don’t have to forfeit if we play four on five. They were five on the court, and seven deep. We were in dire trouble at the onset and I wanted to go home. If I had left, we would have automatically forfeited the game. I was trapped. Two minutes into the game, I go up for a rebound. Both hands on the ball, everything’s clean. Next thing I know, I’m hit in the face and flying backwards through the air. I land and slide along the floor with the 215-pounder. One of his giant, weight-bearing paws somehow winds up in my unoffending private quarters. Gasps and restrained laughter, no whistle.

In a desperate attempt to reclaim some dignity, I yelled “This has got to stop!” It was too late. All was lost. The worst part about it was the fact that I couldn’t leave. I leave, Haven ward forfeits, game over, poor sport. I suffered through four grueling quarters. Final score: Burton 53, Haven 25.

In five minutes, my head will be on my pillow. Perhaps sleep will dull the sting. Of course, all bets are off if I dream of heavy-handed gorillas.
S
I saw on my calendar that today is "Epiphany." Not knowing for sure what Epiphany is, I looked this up on a Christian web site:
"Epiphany is the climax of the Christmas Season and the Twelve Days of Christmas, which are counted from December 25th until January 5th. The day before Epiphany is the twelfth day of Christmas, and is sometimes called Twelfth Night, an occasion for feasting in some cultures. In some cultures, the baking of a special King's Cake is part of the festivities of Epiphany (a King's Cake is part of the observance of Mardi Gras in French Catholic culture of the Southern USA).

"In traditional Christian churches Christmas, as well as Easter, is celebrated as a period of time, a season of the church year, rather than just a day. The Season of Christmas begins with the First Sunday of Advent, marked by expectation and anticipation, and concludes with Epiphany, which looks ahead to the mission of the church to the world in light of the Nativity. The one or two Sundays between Christmas Day and Epiphany are sometimes called Christmastide. For many Protestant church traditions, the season of Epiphany extends from January 6th until Ash Wednesday, which begins the season of Lent leading to Easter. Depending on the timing of Easter, this includes from four to nine Sundays. Other traditions, especially the Roman Catholic tradition, observe Epiphany as a single day, with the Sundays following Epiphany counted as Ordinary Time. In some western traditions, the last Sunday of Epiphany is celebrated as Transfiguration Sunday."

The term epiphany means "to show" or "to make known" or even "to reveal." In Western churches, it remembers the coming of the wise men bringing gifts to visit the Christ child, who by so doing "reveal" Jesus to the world as Lord and King. In some Central and South American countries influenced by Catholic tradition, Three Kings’ Day, or the night before, is the time for opening Christmas presents. In some eastern churches, Epiphany or the Theophany commemorates Jesus’ baptism, with the visit of the Magi linked to Christmas. In some churches the day is celebrated as Christmas, with Epiphany/Theophany occurring on January 19th.

Wednesday, January 05, 2005

When's the party?
HAPPY BIRTHDAY NATHAN BRASHER!

Happy day dear family.