happy new year all...
we've had a great holiday season... family & friends were excellent to be with, I got a
bike(!!), gave erica the
Dell XPS m140 laptop that i'm typing on right now & had a generally
abundant time. i don't remember the last time we partied this much in a few weeks....
1)
a telling of the human side of the christmas story with NYC Vineyard family. we watched elements of the story (via pieces of
Zeffirelli's 'Jesus of Nazareth'), with accompanying readings & then responded with worship via christmas hymns. events like this usually don't do much for me... but i left with a new understanding & respect for how God works... the wrongness of jesus' entry & the truth that humility is not a 'nice virtue', but rather comes from humiliation.
2) followed by a
pre-christmas celebration with good friends, a fire pit in brooklyn, vino, hor duerves & nice cigars in the brisk cold night.
3) an
italian christmas eve with more fish you can imagine
4)
2-party christmas day with kids, huge breakfast, big dinner
5) late night
rave in manhattan the next night with e's sister
6) good times with my brother, dad, step-mom & E at
my favorite cheap bar moonshine7) 25-person
new years bash at our place...
8)
early new years day worship leading duty in the UWS congregation of the NYC Vineyard
9)
submerge last night where various people shared what the Lord has been doing in their lives & time to stop the madness and worship jesus. it was a great ending to the mad business of life over the past weeks.
now today we're relaxing at home with a stockpile of beer, champaign, wine, various other alcoholic elements, bagel bites & loads of frozen mozzarella sticks. as good as its been, i'm glad its over... its time to close 2005 & look ahead in 2006...
have a great new year everyone... i pray that this is a good one.