Unexpectedly, the postlude to OneLife Community Church’s midnight Christmas service was Mumford and Sons’ “After the Storm” and it was quite apropos. Odd to be crying at the end of a Christmas service, but listen to this:
I won’t die alone and be left there.
Well I guess I’ll just go home,
Oh God knows where.
Because death is just so full and man so small.
Well I’m scared of what’s behind and what’s before.
And there will come a time, you’ll see, with no more tears.
And love will not break your heart, but dismiss your fears.
Get over your hill and see what you find there,
With grace in your heart and flowers in your hair.
THAT is the WHY of Christmas.
As the magician explains in Lewis’ The Last Battle, “It was only a shadow or a copy of the real Narnia which has always been here and always will be here… you need not mourn over Narnia, Lucy [as it had been destroyed]. All of the old Narnia that mattered, all the dear creatures, have been drawn into the real Narnia through the Door. And of course it is different; as different as a real thing is from a shadow or as waking life is from a dream.”
“The term is over: the holidays have begun. The dream is ended: this is the morning.”
I am going to provide you with a list of songs of the Christmas nature that I deem a necessary listening experience (Amy Grant didn’t make the list this year). You can thank me later.
Be sure to take a listen to the full Christmas albums of these fine artists, you won’t be disappointed. I know there is lots more good stuff out there, but these are some of my favorites.
Tough Mudder events are hardcore obstacle courses designed to test your all around strength, stamina, mental grit and camaraderie. With the most innovative courses, over one million inspiring participants worldwide to date, and more than $5 million raised for the Wounded Warrior Project, Tough Mudder is the premier adventure challenge series in the world.
We ran an 11 mile course (here my MapMyRun course) with a number of obstacles of varying degrees of difficulty. I definitely couldn’t have done it alone and was greatful to have help getting over various walls that are somewhat challenging for the vertically challenged. The obstacles that I failed miserably at were the monkey bars and the swinging rings, next year I need to actually practice on those to have a fighting chance. Some of the pictures below I took before and after, some David took during, some were from the official photographers, and some are just of a few of the various obstacles. One of the very last obstacles was Mount Everest, a big curved wall you have to run up. I was pretty sure I wouldn’t be able to do it, but after failing the first time, I made it up (with some help of course!).
Greg wore his GoPro camera and made a video of some of the obstacles:
Senator Mike Lee (R-Utah) believes the United States has become a nation of regulations. And although Congress was historically unproductive in 2013, according to certain media outlets, most notably MSNBC, the folks responsible for drafting the nation’s federal regulations were plenty busy. How busy? Take a…
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