Monday Musings - January 13, 2020

1. It is now the second Monday of January and of 2020. I have no idea how many times I have inadvertently written 2019 instead of 2020--but I am sure it is quite a few. 

2. It was a disappointing football weekend with the Ravens losing. I am defaulting to cheer on my childhood favorite football team the Kansas City Chiefs--who won a very exciting game this weekend, for the remainder of the playoffs and Super Bowl.

3. We hosted friends this weekend and thoroughly enjoyed the company and excitement that two small children can add to a house. 

4. How could one not appreciate two 70 degree days in a row in January AND on a weekend? Wow! It was a great foretaste of the Springtime yearning to start.

5. Baseball season is on the horizon! Orioles pitchers and catchers report to camp in 29 days and in 45 days I will be in Sarasota watching Spring Training games!

6. It should be a quieter news week this week than last--let's hope so.

7. Today in History. On January 13, 1128, Pope Honorius II grants a papal sanction to the military order known as the Knights Templar, declaring it to be an army of God. Led by the Frenchman Hughes de Payens, the Knights Templar organization was founded in 1118. Its self-imposed mission was to protect Christian pilgrims on their way to and from the Holy Land during the Crusades, the series of military expeditions aimed at defeating Muslims in Palestine. For a while, the Templars had only nine members, mostly due to their rigid rules. In addition to having noble birth, the knights were required to take strict vows of poverty, obedience and chastity. In 1127, new promotional efforts convinced many more noblemen to join the order, gradually increasing its size and influence.


Headlines

Iran Cracks Down as Protests Over Downing of Airliner Grow - The New York Times

Defense Secretary Says He Didn’t See Specific Evidence of Plans for Embassy Attacks- The New York Times

'Our enemy is here': Iran protesters demand that leaders quit after plane downed - Reuters

White House says U.S. has asked North Korea to resume talks: Axios - Reuters

Philippine financial markets shut after volcano spews ash over Manila - Reuters

Ronald Reagan Quote for the Week

“I hope we once again have reminded people that man is not free unless government is limited. There's a clear cause and effect here that is as neat and predictable as a law of physics: As government expands, liberty contracts.” 

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

January Weather Respite

I did not see yesterday coming. 

Around the Fire Pit with Friends
Elkridge, MD
January 11, 2019

The high temperature yesterday was officially 72 degrees! The record for the date was 73 degrees! I was outside in my shirt sleeves enjoying the day. We had the windows open and enjoyed having an outside event. By evening, we had the fire pit burning and enjoyed wine in the evening with friends. 

Weather Underground Forecast for BWI Airport
Baltimore, MD

For January, it was a fantastic day. A welcome break from the cold and means that we are one day closer to the beginning of Spring. I am sure that there will be some very cold and weather trying days ahead. Looking at the ten-day forecast, the temperatures are trending down to more seasonable levels--fortunately, right now there is no snow in the forecast. 

The beautiful day did end on a sour note, however. The Ravens were defeated in their playoff game by the Titans. It was not a particularly close game and that means that there will be no AFC Championship nor Super Bowl to celebrate for the Ravens. It was the franchise's best season ever and they had the best record in all of football. It was sad to have the season end in such a defeat--but that is, after all, sports. Neither of the two-best teams in baseball last season, the Dodgers or the Astros, won the World Series.

So today, I think I will just enjoy the expected nice weather with a forecast high of 71 degrees and some sun in the afternoon.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Out the Airport Window - Denver International Airport, January 2020

Out the Denver Airport Window
Denver International Airport, Denver, CO
January 10, 2020

Last evening I was at the Denver Airport waiting to depart on a flight home. Since it was a 6 PM flight, I had a couple hours to wait and, of course, I did enjoy a glass of wine in my favorite wine bar--Vino Volo. 

The sky out the window was clear as the sun was setting behind the almost visible mountains. I was anxious, at this point, to board my flight and to return home. It was the end of the week and the end of the day on Friday. The scene out the window was of activity and preparations for departures. The aircraft to the right of the scene was one which would fly me to Baltimore. The empty jet way to the left is where a flight to Salt Lake City was supposed to have departed already, but the incoming flight was delayed because it had to fly around the terrific storms in the midsection of the country. It arrived a short time later and that flight departed about an hour and a half late. 

It was dark by the time I departed and I remember looking out the cabin window into the darkness as the jet picked up speed rumbling down the runway. My trip was complete and all that remained was getting home and falling into bed--which fortunately happened without incident.

And so the day ended.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Out the Hotel Window - Denver, January 2020, part 2

Out My Hotel Window
Denver, CO
January 9, 2019

As I had hoped, I was able to get an image out of my hotel window yesterday while it was still daylight. The scene is very different in the daylight--very desolate with brown grasses seemingly reaching all the way to the mountains and a gray winter sky overhead. Not an exciting scene, but it is far better than just looking at the building next door--which has been my fate during more than one trip. 

The day was a cool winter day. The overcast skies kept it warmer during the night, but this morning it is 26 degrees outside and the sting of the season will be apparent as I make my way into my job site. Today is both a work day and a travel day. I will be home tonight--but it will be late and I likely will not fall into my bed until just past midnight. I wish I was able to sleep in, but I likely will be awake by 6 AM ready to start the day tomorrow.

And so the day begins. 

-- Bob Doan, writing from Denver, CO

Out the Hotel Window - Denver, January 2020

Looking Westward at Denver
Denver, CO
January 9, 2019

I arrived at the hotel under the cover of darkness and will depart for work this morning while it is still dark. The view out the hotel window therefore is somber and dark. The world is waking, yet the sun continues its winter slumber. 

Ski Lift Chair
Denver, CO
January 8, 2019

I am looking forward to potentially seeing the scene during the daylight at some point today. 

Occasionally, I stumble across strange things during my travels and last evening was no exception. As I walked out of the hotel, I saw an interesting thing on a trailer. It took me a moment to identify the item, as it is not something that I routinely come across. I finally determined that it was a ski lift chair. I have only one experience with such an object, and it was not a good one. The chair deposited me at the top of a Colorado mountain on my face and as I struggled to gain my footing on my skis, I was being yelled at by the staff to get out of the way. That was just the beginning of the only ski run I have been made n my life and where I believe I saw my life pass before my eyes on three separate occasions. 

Welcome back to all of the good memories that I have of living in Colorado!

-- Bob Doan, Writing from Denver, Colorado

Counter-punch

The news is full of the reports about the Iranian counter-attack on two U.S. bases in Iraq. I take exception to the headline in The Washington Post this morning:

Iran strikes Iraq bases housing U.S. troops, escalating conflict

I do not see this as a definite escalation of the conflict, but rather a measured response. Recall back to last year when the Iranians shot down the U.S. drone? That the U.S. did NOT respond with a measured response in that incident, was, in my mind, a major policy failure. 

It appears that Iran has provided a measured response, one which allows them the opportunity to say they have extracted revenge for the killing of Soleimani and also allows for the deescalation of the entire incident. 

It is possible that properly executed, the Iranians have provided the means to end this nasty incident. It is possible, however, that the U.S. will fumble the ball on this opportunity and the situation will further escalate. 

Time will tell which side is better at foreign relations. 

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Act of Terrorism

It is no surprise that the world is reeling from the recent action taken unilaterally by the U.S. against the Iranian general responsible for planning and executing much of Iran's state sponsored terrorism.

But then, in a radical shift--now the tables have been turned. 

Iran's parliament approves bill labelling US army as 'terrorist'

What an interesting turn of events. I have to admit, I did not see that move coming as the problems between the U.S. and Iran ratchet to a new level not seen since the take-over of the U.S. Embassy in Teheran during 1979. The U.S. had listed the Iran Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) as a foreign terrorist organization (FTO) during April 2019. 

I hope there is an exit strategy hidden in here somewhere.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Monday Musings - January 6, 2019

1. Well, it is the first Monday of January and the first of the year 2020. The whole year lies ahead of us. 

2. The Christmas lights are mostly removed for the houses in the neighborhood. It is sad to see them depart and to put a period on the Christmas Season.

Corks Ready for Sale

3. What do you do with over 700 wine bottle corks? Try to sell them on EBay of course. 

4. Family NFL Results. None of the family teams played this weekend. The season is over for the Steelers, Redskins and Cowboys. The Ravens had a first round bye in the playoffs. 

5. Youth basketball has become my main Sunday activity these days. We had two games yesterday which resulted in split results meaning a win and a loss. The important thing is that both boys played strong games with Jax scoring almost as many points as the other team and Ethan dominating the boards with rebounds. Both boys made dramatic three-pointers.

6. Foreign policy cannot be accomplished using a transaction-based approach. Given the frequent change in our governments, it is an area where America has always struggled to find consistency. The latest activity with Iran only serves to highlight the inconsistency and dangerous approach that the U.S. displays in foreign policy execution. 

7. Today in History. On January 6, 1838, Samuel Morse’s telegraph system is demonstrated for the first time at the Speedwell Iron Works in Morristown, New Jersey. The telegraph, a device which used electric impulses to transmit encoded messages over a wire, would eventually revolutionize long-distance communication, reaching the height of its popularity in the 1920s and 1930s.



Headlines

Iran Pulls Back From Nuclear Deal as Killing of Iranian General Upends Mideast - The New York Times

It’s Not Just Software. Boeing Finds New Potential Risks on 737 Max - The New York Times

At Least 5 Dead and 60 Injured in Pennsylvania Crash, Officials Say - The New York Times

Maduro government stages de facto takeover of Venezuela’s National Assembly - The Washington Post

In fire-ravaged Australia, climate denial goes up in smoke - The Washington Post

Iraq wants foreign troops out after air strike; U.S. urges leaders to reconsider - Reuters

Rain brings brief respite in Australian bushfire crisis - Reuters

Ronald Reagan Quote for the Week


Ladies and gentlemen, during the official departure ceremony in Washington, I said with regret that on this visit I had little chance to see America. I feel, however, that I did understand what is important about the American people, and that is their enormous stock of good will. Let me assure you that Soviet people, too, have an equally great stock of good will. Putting it to good use is the most noble and responsible task of government and political leaders in our two countries. If they could only do that, what is but a dream today could come true - a lasting peace, an end to the arms race, wider ranging trade, cooperation in combating hunger, disease and environmental problems and progress in insuring human rights and resolving other humanitarian issues. May the coming year become an important milestone as we move down that road.

Transcripts of New Year's Greetings From Reagan and Gorbachev on TVSpecial to the New York Times
Jan. 2, 1988
• 8

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Tis the Season for Donations

Today is the true beginning for the year. It is the first Sunday beginning the first full week and everything to this point is mostly a warmup for the main event. The first few days of the year have been a test drive for the year. 

Hopefully, things will settle down soon because the news certainly has been unsettling to start the year. 

Yesterday was a busy day, it seems that Chris and I are doing want many others are doing--cleaning out and donating. As part of our New Year's commitment 
(note that I consciously did not call it a resolution) to begin cleaning out the house and reducing the amount of "stuff" we have we cleaned out two closets and began reviewing the holdings in the attic. We made a drive-by at Goodwill with a lot of items to donate and found the place clogged with throngs of others doing the same thing. The place was jammed. It was good to see so many people donating things--and it was too late for a 2019 tax deduction. 

Chris and I will be making many more donations throughout the year as we do that magical thing--downsize. 

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Depressing News Day

Why is it that the news does not get any better form day to day? I go to sleep at night hoping that something good will happen, but it seems that only more bad news is being reported. The new year is not off to a great start.

This morning I was greeted to:

Here’s where the deadly wildfires are burning.

U.S. and Iran Exchange Threats as Democrats Question Timing of Strike

American Killing of Iranian Commander Rattles Markets and Capitol Hill

In Miami Speech, Trump Tells Evangelical Base: God Is ‘on Our Side’

Trump endorses tweet comparing top Senate Democrat to Iranians

At Baghdad funeral procession for Qasim Soleimani, calls for retaliation against the United States

Railroads are slashing workers, cheered on by Wall Street to stay profitable amid Trump’s trade war

U.S. Senate in stalemate over how to proceed with Trump impeachment trial

Thousands march in Baghdad to mourn Soleimani, others killed in U.S. air strike

To skirt police restrictions, some Indian protesters take a page from Hong Kong and beyond

'They told people not to come': Australia's bushfires ravage tourism industry


-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Pup Chillin'

Why do I like dogs? 

Finnegan with his Flamingo
Relaxing
Elkridge, MD
January 2, 2020

I often wonder about that when I am walking them or cleaning up the yard--and especially after I step into a pile of poop that I missed.

Dogs are an extension of who we are--they are what we make and mold them to become. If they are ignored, they can become wild and unruly--but with training and care they become our best friends and provide companionship and humor.

Last evening, Finnegan took a break from the activity around the house and was chilling with his toy flamingo. It was cute to see him in his bed with his toy. Hmmmm, perhaps that is what I would have rather been doing instead of taking down the Christmas decorations and putting them away in the attic. 

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Sliding into 2020

The new year brings challenges. One of the biggest challenges is writing the date correctly--it never seems to be too big a problem to change the month and day, but the year is the big problem. I suppose that I will write 2019 for at least half the month of January until I actually get used to the new year and new decade. 

I was reading an article about 20 things to look forward to in 2020 and found an interesting set of historical events. At number 9 were the following historical events:

• January 10 marks the 100th anniversary of the ratification of the Treaty of Versailles, which officially ended World War 1. 
• September 6 will mark 400 years since the sailing of the Mayflower.
• November 28, 500 years ago, Ferdinand Magellan became the first European to cross from the Atlantic to the Pacific through the Strait of Magellan. 
• December will mark the 250th anniversary of the birth of legendary German composer Ludwig van Beethoven.

Of course the new year also brings the bevy of resolutions. The "I will . . ." or "I resolve to . . . " Most of the resolutions will not make it past the second week. I must confess--I did not make any resolution for this coming year. That written, I hope to be more in the moment and not so distracted about things coming or things in the past. 

And then there are vacations! I am already planning vacations and there are already two significant trips on the docket with a third looming. There will be a 2-week trip to Italy, a 1-week trip to Cooperstown with the baseball team and we are also looking at a cruise later in the year. 

Before I know it, I will be writing about new year 2021! 

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

And so it begins, or does it?

The new decade has arrived with the new year. Well, I know there is some discussion about whether the new decade begins this year or next--but does it really matter? We are in the 20's. 

There is an interesting discussion about how the calendar was created and that the new decade technically begins with the arrival of 2021 in an article titled, When does the new decade begin and end anyway?  

Regardless of the scientific discussion, the new year is underway, of that we can all agree! Who knew that the monks who created the calendar forgot to number the first year, "0"? So for the discussion about whether a new decade has started, here is a quote from the article I referenced: "In terms of counting millennia or centuries or decades, it doesn't really matter," Bikos told CNN. "It's a man-made system. It matters in terms of categorizing time spans and talking about time spans. But the 203rd decade is, in astronomical terms, no different than the decade before or after."

So let the party continue and enjoy the day. It really does not matter whether the new decade begins today or a year from now. 

Happy New Year! 

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

New Year's Eve

Happy New Year's Eve

End of a year and the beginning of a new decade

The day for which we have been working towards since when the year began has arrived. 

I am amazed at how quickly the end of the year, well even the end of the decade,  seems to have arrived. It seems like just yesterday . . . 

It is an old phrase that we always use when the passage of time seems to have happened so quickly. 

As the new year and the new decade approaches (will it be the roaring 20's?), my hope is that your memories of 2019 are more good than bad. That you were fulfilled in some way during the year and that your hope for the year ahead is positive. 

Happy New Year!

May God bless you and your family and friends.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Monday Musings - December 30, 2019

1. Welcome to the last Monday of 2019 and the next to last day. The year ends tomorrow night, which appropriately is know as New Year's Eve.

2. It was a great weekend with the weather being mild, although rainy yesterday. I got to play golf to celebrate the end of the year.

Axis and Allies 1942
December 27, 2019
Elkridge, MD

3. The guys in the family reenacted WW2 on Friday.  It was a "do over" from Black 
Friday. In the end, the Axis again scored a "probable" victory. We classify it as probable because we only played for 5 instead of 12 hours and had to make an assessment when time expired. 

4. Family NFL results for the last week of the regular season. There were only two games as the family teams played each other.

  Ravens defeat Steelers 28-10. Ravens are the #1 seed in the AFC. The Steelers miss the playoffs because the Titans defeated the Texans.

  Cowboys defeat Redskins 47-16. Cowboys miss playoffs because the Eagles defeated the Giants. 

5. In the in-between Christmas and New Year's period, it is hard to keep focused on the task at hand and not what the New Year's Eve plans are. 

6. In just less than two months, I will be in Sarasota attending some Baltimore Orioles Spring Training games. And playing golf.

7. Rainy days are dark and dreary. Yesterday was an example.

8. I have completed watching the first season of The Mandalorian. It was excellent and I was shocked that it had only 8 episodes. Here is a shout-out for Baby Yoda!

9. Today in History, 1922. In post-revolutionary Russia, the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) is established, comprising a confederation of Russia, Belorussia, Ukraine, and the Transcaucasian Federation (divided in 1936 into the Georgian, Azerbaijan, and Armenian republics). Also known as the Soviet Union, the new communist state was the successor to the Russian Empire and the first country in the world to be based on Marxist socialism.

During the Russian Revolution of 1917 and subsequent three-year Russian Civil War, the Bolshevik Party under Vladimir Lenin dominated the soviet forces, a coalition of workers’ and soldiers’ committees that called for the establishment of a socialist state in the former Russian Empire. In the USSR, all levels of government were controlled by the Communist Party, and the party’s politburo, with its increasingly powerful general secretary, effectively ruled the country. Soviet industry was owned and managed by the state, and agricultural land was divided into state-run collective farms.

Headlines

California Is Booming. Why Are So Many Residents Unhappy? - The New York Times

U.S. Attacks Iranian-Backed Forces in Iraq and SyriaU.S. Attacks Iranian-Backed Forces in Iraq and Syria - The New York Times

For China’s Pickup Artists, Sex Is the Goal, Urging Suicide Is a Tactic - The New York Times

North Korea's Kim urges 'positive and offensive' security measures at key party meeting - Reuters

Evacuation order in Australia's south-east as bushfires rage and temperatures soar - Reuters

Ronald Reagan Quote for the Week

This year, the future of the nation and the world is particularly on our minds. We are thinking of our nation because, in the year ahead, we Americans will choose our next President. Every adult citizen has a role to play in the making of this decision. We will listen to what the candidates say. We will debate their views and our own. And in November, we will vote. I'll still be President next January, but soon after that, the man or woman leading our country will be the one the American people pick this coming November. 
 - Transcripts of New Year's Greetings From Reagan and Gorbachev on TV published in The New York Times, January 2, 1988


-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Last Sunday 2019

The last Sunday of 2019 is here and the new year is only a short few days away. While the news media and many people are looking to the past to characterize 2019, I am looking forward--bring on 2020 and let's get the party started. 

2nd Tee Box
Timbers at Troy
Elkridge, MD
December 28, 2019

Yesterday, while much of the country was suffering through bad weather, it was a great day here. The sun was shining and the temperature made it into the 60's--even though officially at the airport the high was 57 degrees. AND I was able to get in 9 holes of golf during the afternoon. It was definitely winter conditions, but the course was well maintained and it was great to be out in the sunshine. I played in my shirt sleeves with my push cart and walked the course. I thoroughly enjoyed that for those in golf carts it was cart path only, whereas I was able to walk right up to my ball with my clubs and enjoy the day. I think I am beginning to really enjoy walking the course with my push cart a lot more.

Today, Chris and I expect to get more outdoors work accomplished. She did a lot while I went off and played yesterday, but there is always more that needs to be done. 

I note that it is also the last Sunday of the NFL season. Next week the playoffs begin and I am happy to say that the Ravens will not be playing next weekend because they have a bye! That is really cool as it has not happened before that the Ravens get to sit out the Wild Card Weekend of playoffs. 

Enjoy your day! Prepare for the new year.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Titanic Mystery Murder

Last evening, Chris and I enjoyed one of our Christmas gifts by attending a Titanic-themed Mystery-Murder event in Baltimore. The hardest part of the evening was actually finding the theater as it is inside of the Lord Baltimore Hotel, but nothing in the directions suggests thsat it is nested in the hotel. After successfully locating the theater we were ready for an enjoyable evening. The murder-mystery was designed for audience participation, but it also began very late--at 8:30PM. I was surprised how deserted the area of Baltimore was at 8PM on a Friday evening. I had expected traffic and vibrant activity, but there was none. That turned out to be a blessing because I drove around the block about three times before we were able to ascertain that the theater was inside of the hotel.

The event began with the explanation of the mystery at hand. A mystery in that five Titanic survivors died within two days of each other in Baltimore. Four men and one woman were involved and through the evening clues were given to help the audience solve the crime. Along the way there were some magic tricks which related to solving the crime. The tricks were very interesting and did add to the ambiance of the show. The show lasted just about two hours and the audience detectives solved the crime--the answer which I will not reveal. It was a good detective experience in putting clues together. The time passed quickly and there evening was soon over. One of the upsides--we were lucky in finding inexpensive parking in Baltimore. 

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Axis and Allies Redux

Today is the day that the world gets to see if it can survive World War 2 all over again.

Axis and Allies Board, Ready for Battle
November 29, 2019

The results after Thanksgiving were not so good--the Axis won a convincing victory after the Allied fleet was sunk in the South China Sea in an engagement with the German fleet. 

Today, a rematch is planned. The family will gather and see how history is changed or not.

Will the war end as history records or will there be a new reality? Time will tell.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

The Joy Remains

Jax at Christmas 2019
December 25, 2019
Odenton, MD

The celebration may be over, but the joy remains. 

The day has passed, but a new one is dawning outside of my window.

Memories of the day will be kept forever in my mind. The family, the food, the gathering, the conversation, the game we played and the presents exchanged. 

Christmas is not over, because it is a season and we are children of Christmas! The joy of the season lives within us and we are fulfilled when we share the joy. Christmas is not about the gifts, or the food, or the activity--it is about people and and how we each touch each other.

We improve the world, one person at a time when we share our inner joy with others that we meet and know just by doing our everyday tasks.

Merry Christmas, may your joy fill others with hope.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Christmas 2019

Christmas 2019
Elkridge, MD

It is hard to believe that the last Christmas of the 2010's is here. 

I am sitting my chair, alone in the room with the Christmas tree lit reveling in the quiet of the house. All I hear is the sound of the furnace pumping out warm air and the cat munching on the tree. It is artificial and the imitation needles he consumes means he is going to be puking later. Merry Christmas, here is a pike of puke to clean! Cats!

Chris is asleep. She will be down in a few minutes and we will share that special morning time together before the start of the day. The day is devoted to family. The gathering of the clan, so to speak. 

And now, the day begins. 

May your Christmas wishes all come true and may peace find its way into our tortured world.

A prayer of thanks for the first Christmas gift of our Savior and we are off.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Christmas Eve 2019

It has arrived--the day before the day!

I remember that when I was a kid, Christmas Eve was the longest day of the year. It would drag on forever and I would look forward to church and the candle light service because I knew that after church it was time for bed and then the BIG day would arrive. 

In retrospect, Christmas Eve is an important day. It is the epitome of preparation. 

Today we will gather the family for a brunch to start what has become a two-day holiday. And this year, thanks to an Executive Order for the President, federal workers have an official two-day holiday, so I did not have to take leave, as I usually do, to enjoy the holiday. 

And so, on the Christmas Eve, let me offer a prayer to all. It is not of my own writing, but I found it on Crosswalk and it spoke to me. 

Lord, in a season when every heart should be happy and light, many of us are struggling with the heaviness of life—burdens that steal the joy right out of our Christmas stockings. Crazy weather disasters strike at unsuspecting areas, ravaging peaceful homes and interrupting the lives of unsuspecting residents. Tragedy arrives as innocent victims suffer, and an inner voice whispers, “Be afraid!” We need your peace, Jesus.

Lord, we still carol the wonderful message, huddled beneath winter caps on snow-covered porches, or from churches, led by enthusiastic musicians or choir members. Yet we confess that our hearts are too often filled with wonder of a different kind: wondering when the bills will be paid, when the terror will stop, when rest will come. Will it ever? Is the message still true?

In a world where worry, not peace, prevails, stir up that good news again. This Christmas, make it real in our hearts. Never have we needed Your joy and peace more than now. Thank You for the gift of Jesus, our Immanuel, the Word made flesh. Forgive us for forgetting—that Your love never changes, never fades, and that You never abandon the purpose for which You came: to save us from our sinful condition, and to give us life eternal, the joy of relationship with a holy God. Your birth—and Your death—sealed Your promise to us forever. Amen.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD