Art and Sunday

Sunday, December 15, 2019
The weekend is full of creativity. One of the fun things we do each year is an Art Sunday. There are many ways to express gratitude and respect to God. Sometimes we raise our voices. Sometimes we use our hands.

Art Sunday sets aside time to unleash our creativity and appreciation of God's goodness and the joy he brings to us. We use our hands, paint brushes, glue, and a lot of other material to explore the good news. People choose one or two activities. Some are very focused on what they're doing. Others are relaxed.

The topic for this third Sunday of Advent is JOY - the shepherds' story.

Little Ben's the cutest - he models a few headbands. He pretends to plays for us, too. The best part of electronic instruments is that there is no sound once the power is off.

The scrolls on the wall are next to a story-telling station. 

The little sheep station is a hit. The topic of the talk is peace as told to shepherds watching their flocks at night. Oh, that there would truly be "Peace on earth and goodwill toward men on whom God's favor rests."

Monday
It's a long afternoon at the office. We're wrapping up the year and planning January and February. I sometimes feel like I live in the future so much that the present needs extra mindfulness.

We have dinner with some friends under a stunning, central-Java-style pavilion. The carved detail is stunning overhead, and two metal butterfly chandeliers droop from the ceiling.

Tuesday
W and I walk a few blocks to a food courtyard called #Nara. W has changed his early meeting from today to tomorrow. It's an early breakfast date at #Pinoterrace. I enjoy  pancakes and 2 eggs-over-easy. It hits the spot, along with some local tea from the hills above the city. There are big tea plantations in the shadow of the volcanos around us.

Up the street, we attend our last team meeting of the year. In the courtyard below the office, volunteers are serving the international community by disinfecting all the seats of the hall. A crew brings the chairs outside for the sun to dry them. The guys and rush the chairs back under cover when it starts to rain.

Lunch afterward is beside a quiet corner of Miss Bee #missbeeprovidore.

While I get back to work, W goes into the city to pick up our travel documents. Hurrah, he brings our passports back with a visa stamp in them, which is a relief.

My dad sends an old picture; it's Mom in her early 30s, resting in the backyard. She's beautiful, isn't she?

Late in the day, I write Christmas enews, line up some appointments, and sort emails. W comes home late from town, but heads out again to a concert.

Several venues within a few blocks of our neighborhood are trying to attract clients. They offer casual concerts in the evenings. I prefer not be bombarded by sound - the volume is excruciating at times. Even earplugs don't completely protect us.

I wait up for W until after 10pm. Freeform jazz makes me edgy - so I avoid jazz concerts. He's had a good time, but is really tired when he gets back.

Wednesday
I'm in the office by 7am. My big year-end project is writing a chapter for an academic book. I begin by compiling notes from previous research. It's consuming and focused work. Meanwhile, W has a breakfast meeting.

After several hours, W comes by the office. We need to drive to town for some gift shopping. (Christmas Day, a potluck at our place is followed by a White Elephant gift exchange. People forget or don't have the money to bring a gift, so we always put some extra gifts under the tree.)

Because every religion has its own public holidays, Indonesians have a lot of time off. A group of kids dances on a stage in the mall where we eat.

By the time we sit down to eat,  it's smack in the middle of lunch hours. We find a table in a casual stop near the shops: #BakmieGM. I order noodles and some bubble tea.

One of the main store exits is an escalator. You leave the cashier and head upstairs. I guess they're making sure you don't stuff your pockets without paying to head upstairs to the rest of the mall.

We need eggs, sugar, butter. Flour, oil, and other groceries. We make one final stop at a grocer: Toko Setiabudi. By the time we pull into the driveway at 4:30, W is feeling sick. His body enforces rest on him every once in a while.

Read more:
*Be strong, do not fear! Here is your God. Isaiah 35:4

*When deeds of iniquity overwhelm us, you forgive our transgressions. Psalm 65:3

*Zechariah said, “And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High; for you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways, to give knowledge of salvation to his people by the forgiveness of their sins. By the tender mercy of our God, the dawn from on high will break upon us.” Luke 1:76-78

Moravian Prayer: When we believe that all is lost, O Lord, you reach out to us in love. We rejoice in the surprising good news that all is not lost. Your forgiveness is new every morning. Amen.