Good morning in this Friday the 13th. Can I just tell you that I am glad to be home and in my recliner in my sunporch!! Vacations are great but it is always so good to get home, sleep in your own bed, and settle in to your routine. Now of course we have to play catch up with all of the stuff we have to do but that is all good too. It’s normal and it’s routine. And —- my cup of coffee I brewed myself, tastes wonderful. I didn’t have to go to a restaurant and buy it, I did’t have to sit at a slot machine and wait for a “free” cup of coffee, I just walked to the kitchen, turned on the pot and had a fresh cup of coffee within five minutes. Life is good.

We checked out of our hotel in Las Vegas at 1100 yesterday, had breakfast, then went to the Bellagio Resort to see the beautiful Christmas decorations. Then we turned in the rental car, caught the shuttle to the airport and got through the TSA security process with little to no hassle. Then we sat for about three and a half hours and waited. The flight home was uneventful which is what you want a flight home to be. We arrived in Louisville around 2315 eastern time, got our luggage and headed home. We got home at 0100 central time.

The National Finals Rodeo was great. Of course we could have stayed home and watched it on CBS Sports but being there with 20,000 fans makes it “an event”.  Unfortunately for my sister-in-law Karen and I, we followed the crowd that was leaving and we went out the wrong door of the stadium and ended up on the opposite side of the stadium of where we needed to be to catch our bus back to the hotel. So, we walked and we walked, a minimum of a mile and a half, probably two, not really knowing where we were going but only with a “general idea”. We knew the direction we needed to be and finally got to the Hard Rock Casino and took a cab from there. I was totally worn out. That was more walking than I had done in a long time and frankly more than I want to do any time soon. Had we known exactly where we were going and had decided to walk “on purpose” it would not have been as bad; but the stress of the situation added to the misery. But —- chalk it all up to the adventure and we two 75 year olds made it just fine.

So today we unpack the suitcases and put those away for awhile. Ms. Kate wants to finish decorating the tree, I have to get the Christmas cards and my sister’s birthday card in the mail, and I have to write a homily for Sunday’s service yet. Sunday is our Christmas Cantata and I’m excited about that. We have choir practice tomorrow morning. (See, back in the routine.)

So, you have a most blessed weekend. Christmas is coming quickly. Take time to concentrate on the purpose of this special occasion and the fact that it is not about running around frantically for buying presents. Take time to be thankful thatGod loves you enough that He sent His Son Jesus to teach us how to live our lives here on earth and to open the only opportunity we have to have an eternal life in the presence of our Creator once this earthly life has finished. Peace.