There’s a dragon in my nativity

 There’s a dragon in my nativity,

Dreadful and immense, The shepherds quake, the wise men shake And spill their frankincense. The cattle are a-lowing and The baby is awake, While Joe and Mary tremble, “Oh! This must be some mistake!’ There’s a dragon over Bethlehem, I don’t know how he came. I didn’t think a donkey Could have borne the dragon’s frame. I don’t believe the census, Had been called for such as him. And I’m certain that when Dragon knocked, No room was at the Inn. There’s a dragon by the stable, I don’t know why he’s there. He hasn’t brought a present And he only seems to glare. He hovers over David’s town, That still beneath him lies. Yet no-one’s sleep is dreamless, Underneath his piercing eyes. This dragon isn’t visible With ordinary sight. You cannot snap a selfie, Or televise his flight. Unseen, he stands for every power that stands against the earth, The death, disease and darkness Overshadowing each birth. This dragon is an enemy Of all that’s good and true. This monster lies and steals and kills — He’s coming after you. Above each crib the dragon hovers, Sure to swallow whole, Rulers, empires, beauty, joy — A flesh-and-blood black hole. But dragons always meet their match, They always meet their doom. A hero rises to the fight, To cast them into gloom. And so at this nativity, Arose another player. The baby wrapped in swaddling cloths — He was a dragon slayer. He’d come to fight through Herod’s plot, Through dangers big and small. He took on evil, sickness, death, And triumphed over all. A dragon or a baby — Just who would win the fight? It wasn’t really fair, you see, The Child was a Knight. From high above and long before, He knew what must be done. He knew the dragon waiting here, And still he chose to come. There’s a dragon in my nativity, A fierce and monstrous danger. But fiercer still the bravery And love within the manger.

I was led to this video and poem and post by the End Notes of something a friend texted me.
Here's this link: https://hebraicthought.org/apocalyptic-christmas-story-book-of-revelation/
"Rescuing Eagles and Baby-Eating Dragons: An Apocalyptic Christmas Story" By Amy Gabriel published on December 15, 2020.
It included hyperlinks, the first of which is actual part 2 of a two part podcast and it had a link to part 1.
So... here you go, if you're interested, part 1


At the bottom of the original article was: 

“There’s a dragon in my nativity,” writes Glen Scrivener, “Dreadful and immense.”22 But though the dragon may continue to rage, the nativity story reminds us that the infinite God has entered our finite world and has secured the final victory:

And so at this nativity, Arose another player.
The baby wrapped in swaddling cloths—
He was a dragon slayer.23

Here are those End notes

22. Glen Scrivener, “There’s a Dragon in My Nativity,” SpeakLife, YouTube video, “There IS a dragon at Christmas — John Lewis/Waitrose response,” November 21, 2019, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DyC5RHKNBm4.

23. Scrivener, “There’s a Dragon in My Nativity.”




Christmas 🎄 2021

 by Francesca Battistelli listen here

 thank you, Tam Higgins 
 thank you,  Bob and Kerry Law
"Forceful confrontation with the problem of death, and through death, the meaning of life. It's also a sharp satire of the "false" modern middle-class lifestyle (embodied in the character of Ivan Ilych)." Source
"God Bless us, every one!" ~ Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol
Humphrey Chronicles  thank you

Joy is dangerous. It fills me with secrets... It is all prayer.” Julia Cameron's "Jerusalem is walking in this world." read full poem here

"Labor of Love" by Andrew Peterson featuring Jill Phillips 

Matthew 1:23
"Not to know that any Christian spirit working kindly in its little sphere, whatever it may be, will find its mortal life too short for its vast means of usefulness. Not to know that no space of regret can make amends for one life's opportunity misused. "~ Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol"
O Holy Night by Josh Groban listen here
Puzzle gifts from three of my most favorite humans. One down, two to go..

Quiet days, evenings, night, early mornings...
Reading:
"Song For The King" by Michael W. Smith listen here
Tolstoy's The Death of Ivan Ilyich, audio on YouTube 
"Unanimity, won-der-ful happiness!" ~ from A Christmas Carol (Stave 5).
Video (below) by Pamela Zagarenski is divine and a wonderful gift message from Ken xo
thank you , Brian Thornburg
eXquiste: "The WeXford Carol" by
Yo-Yo Ma, Alison Krauss, listen/watch here
Zagarenski  Sacredbee 

December 8-21, 2021

"the Audacious this-really-happened miracle of God taking on human skin, Arriving down at our level...every detail so deeply human and raw, And He was willing to go through it... All for one reason, to be with us." The Chosen "The Messengers"
Christmas Hallelujah - Caleb and Kelsey
Dad is Definitely with us, always xoxo
Emmanuel : God with us : Our Savior
Foretold: Lifepointe message: "Faith in God's Promises produces peace in my life." click here  source
Heaven's Hope..."Hope, peace, and love are an outflow of walking with Jesus through the lonely valley of death." ~ Boyd Bailey
"In a time of unnecessary noise, listening is the artist's way forward. " front flap The Listening Path 
John 8:12YouVersion Bible app 12/14/21
Ken's inspiration includes his photos,  grandchildren,  yoga and LOVE ❤ 
"My availability for God determines how much I hear from God." Lifepointe 2/19/21
"Part of doing in something is listening. To the sun. To the stars. To the wind." ~ Madeleine L'Emgle
"Questions for Thought and Prayer" each and every day with Wisdom for Living: A 40 Day Devotional by Boyd Bailey
Reading:  and
Sufganiyot: fried balls of yeast dough filled with strawberry jelly and dusted heavily with powdered sugar. The word sufganiyot can be traced back to the Greek word sufan, meaning “spongy” or “fried” 
Unto you is born this day in the city of David, which is Christ the Lord." Luke 2:
Violet helped Grampi paint Santa :)
"When they saw the star, they rejoiced 
eXceedingly with great joy." Matthew 2:10
Yaldā sunrise 21 December 21 Yaldā Night in here: Wikipedia
 
"Zealously they proclaimed it. And they were astonished beyond measure, saying, “He has done all things well. He even makes the deaf hear and the mute speak.” Mark 7:36-37

Breathing Under Water by Richard Rohr

"An Economy of Grace" by Richard Rohr click here
"Breathing Under Water" poem by Sr. Carol Bieleck, RSCJ click here
"Compunction: the necessary sadness and humiliation that comes from seeing our own failures and weaknesses."  p.29 Breathing Under Water
Direct encounter with God's Love p. 38 Breathing Under Water
"Each of us is being prepared to be a healer." p. 65 Breathing Under Water by Richard Rohr
"Forgiveness is to let go of all hope for a different or better past" p.46
"God seduces us all into the economy of grace-- by loving us in spite of ourselves, in the very places where we cannot, will not, or dare not love ourselves" p.39
"Honestly, it takes major surgery and much of our life to get head, heart, and body to put down their defenses..." ~ Richard Rohr p. 10 Breathing Under Water: Spirituality and the Twelve Steps
Intimacy with God is our gift from and through Jesus
Jars of purification” (John 2:6-10).
Know that they are eating from the very rich and nutritious 'marrow of the Gospel ' " p. xviii
"Luminosity of awareness and compassion for the world, which becomes our real moral victory. " p. 30
Law written on our hearts 
"May the God who gives us peace make you holy in every way and keep your whole being—spirit, soul, and body—free from every fault at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. He who calls you will do it, because he is faithful." 1 Thessalonians 5:23-4 p. 15
Names for the hidden Mystery: "Litany of the Holy Spirit" Appendix 3 of Rohr's The Naked Now
Ongoing shadowboxing is absolutely necessary ... Only the soul knows that we grow best in the shadowlands." p. 31
"Paradox is truth standing on its head to get our attention p. 50 Breathing Under Water
Questions in the Study Guide are especially helpful IF answered fully and honestly 
Scrupulosity: A form of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) involving religious or moral obsessions. Scrupulous individuals are overly concerned that something they thought or did might be a sin or other violation of religious or moral doctrine. See also: 
2 Timothy 3:6 p. 29 Breathing Under Water: Spirituality and the Twelve Steps
Universal addiction: "stinking thinking" p. xxix
Vital Spiritual Experience p. xxvi and check out this Video on YouTube
With these twelve important breathing lessons, you now know for yourself that you can breathe, and even breathe under water, because the breath of God is everywhere." P. 112
“In my eXperience, if you are not radically grateful every day, resentment always takes over.” ~ Richard Rohr
"You see, alcohol in Latin is spiritus and you use the same word for the highest religious experience as well as the most depraving poison." -Carl Jung's letter to Bill Wilson in 1961, shortly before Jung's death 
Zephaniah 3:17, “The Lord your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing.” 

Poets, Philosophers, and Theologians

All over the place
But now, sitting quietly, Misty near and snoring
Centering with "The Truelove: Poet and Philosopher
David Whyte on Reaching Beyond Our Limiting Beliefs About What We Deserve click here
"English voice, in his singular style of echoing lines to let them reverberate more richly: 'There is...
"Faith in loving Fiercely the one who is rightfully yours especially if you have waited years and especially if part of you never believed you could deserve this..."
"Generous Gift of a poem"
Hebrides is an archipelago comprising hundreds of islands off the northwest coast of Scotland... Home to rugged landscapes, fishing villages and remote Gaelic-speaking communities. The Isle of Skye..." source
"I remember an old man who walked every morning on the grey stones to the shore of baying seals, who would press his hat to his chest in the blustering salt wind and say his prayer to the turbulent...
Jesus hidden in the water... so that when we finally step out of the boat toward them, we find everything holds us, and everything confirms our courage... you’ve simply had enough of drowning and you want to live and you want to love." from “The Truelove” by David Whyte
"Know me, accept me, hear what I have to tell you." ~ p. 72 The Book of Magic by Alice Hoffman
"LOVE is what matters most" The Book of Magic, and of course, Jesus
The Marginalian has a free Sunday digest of the week's most mind-broadening and heart-lifting reflections spanning art, science, poetry, philosophy, and other tendrils of our search for truth, beauty, meaning, and creative vitality. check it out by clicking here
"No one is entitled to anything other than his freedom and the choices he makes." ~ p. 166 The Book of Magic by Alice Hoffman
"Or grace would not be grace at all." Romans 11:6
PEACE that surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:6
Quote by Ian McGilchrist "If we want others to understand the beauty of a landscape with which they may be unfamiliar... we must take them there and explore it with them, walking on the hills and mountains, pausing as new vantage points continually open around us, allowing our companions to experience it for themselves." The Matter With Things
Remedy by John Roedel
The Sea In You: Twenty Poems of Requited and Unrequited Love : 
The TRUELOVE” by David Whyte
"Unable are the LOVED to die, for love is immortality" p. 368 The Book of Magic by Alice Hoffman
Vials" I think of the following forty poems as little amber vials... I hope that these...
Words help you on your journey back to yourself... find the same healing in these poems..." ~ John Roedel's  Remedy Introduction
"Yes, a key can lie for ever in the place where the locksmith left it, and never be used to open the lock the master forged it for." ~ Ludwig Wittgenstein qtd by Ian McGilchrist here
Zechariah 9:9 ESV "Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your king is coming to you; righteous and having salvation is he, humble and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey."

IF We're Honest...

"And everyone has a heart that loves to hide..." ~ Francesca Battistelli's "If We’re Honest"
"Bring your brokenness, and I'll bring mine...
'Cause love can heal what hurt divides listen here
"Dark seems safer than the light... Don't pretend to be something that you're not"
"Everyone has a heart that loves to hide." ~ Francesca Battistelli
"Freedom's found when we lay our secrets down at the cross. " ~ Francesca Battistelli
"God if that's really true / Then let the truth be told" ~ "Truth Be Told" by Matthew West
"Honestly, it takes major surgery and much of our life to get head, heart, and body to put down their defenses..." ~ Richard Rohr p. 10 Breathing Under Water: Spirituality and the Twelve Steps
"Jesus told us all to stay in the positionof a beggar, a petitioner, a radical dependent-- which is always spiritually true, if e are honest" p. 58 Breathing Under Water by Richard Rohr
"Knowin' that you love for me won't change" ~ Carly Pearce, Matthew West
"Love can heal what hurt divides, and. .." ~ Francesca Battistelli
"Mercy's waiting on the other side... if we're honest." ~ Francesca Battistelli
Nobody can get through 
On the other side 
Paul Hollywood : "...if I'm honest"
Quora calls that expression "profundity" hackneyed pronouncements 
Richard Rohr's Breathing Under Water: Spirituality and the Twelve Steps will be my next post
"So bring your brokenness, and I'll bring mine..."  ~ Francesca Battistelli
"Truth Be Told" by Matthew West listen here
"Under control but it's not / And you know it..." ~ Carly Pearce, Matthew West
"We've built walls nobody can get through." ~ Francesca Battistelli
eXamine my heart, Lord ~ Psalm 139
Zagarenski does it! again and again, and again

Happiness and Joy

Amazing grace, how sweet thou art ...
"Beloved" by Jordan Feliz listen here
Thank you Trish 😊 💓 
Don't Give The Enemy A Seat At Your Table (Chapters 1-2) - Louie Giglio link 
 "Even If He Doesn't (Week 1) - Lifepoint On Demand - Nov 16, 2021 begins with THE song that spoke so clearly to my heart, I could no longer ignore "I'm a child of God, yes I am!" listen here
Flora.phenomena link to image "seeds. the complete surrender of plants that they will be received by the earth. potential encapsulated. held in soil with grace and kindness.
lessons as autumn begins to wane. still in a mode of surrender myself. walking the tunnel, tending to the soil of my spirit."
God's Grace
"Happiness is like a cloud, or perhaps a bird—it comes and goes. Sometimes it’s elusive. Sometimes it falls in raindrops of joy. Sometimes you can see its potential before you experience it, like a storm building on the horizon. Sometimes it’s in something as simple as a cup of coffee." ~ Heidi Barr Heidi Barr

"I am grateful for what I am and have. My thanksgiving is perpetual." – Henry David Thoreau

" still comes in the morning..." ~ "Alive and Breathing" by Matt Maher

Ken dove into Stonington harbor 11.18.21
 ❤ Look up and Lock eyes with the king" ~ Louie Giglio Don't Give The Enemy A Seat At Your Table
Mom off to Michigan for the week.
each New day is...
Positively Powerfull, Jean xo
Quote: "Happiness is an imaginary line in the sand." ~ Alchemyofwords
Reading Richard Rohr-s Breathing Under Water
Treasures in Jars of Clay: 2 Corinthians 4:7 Paul states beautifully that “we have this treasure in earthen vessels, so that the surpassing greatness of the power will be of God and not from ourselves.” 
Understand what is the treasure in earthen vessels (other translations say “jars of clay”).
Valerie Lorimer Contemporary Arts 
Why I Wake Early by Mary Oliver 
 18 Nov 2021
"...I stood still in the day’s eXquiste early morning light.." ~ Mary Oliver 
 thank you, Michelle 
 Zach Williams and Dolly Parton's "There was Jesus" listen here

Nov 8 through 13

"As Jesus put it, we see the splinter in our brother's or sister's eye and miss the log in our own (see Matthew 7:4-5). The whole deceptive games is revealed in that one brilliant line from Jesus." ~ Richard Rohr p. xxiv of Breathing Under Water 
"Better get a wiggle on" ~ Ruby GBBO
"Cosmic economy of grace." p.3
Dad's presence  with me always
Exhortation : emphatically urging someone to do something.
Friday off too...
Great to catch up with Lynette, Mark, and Jessie
"Hopefully be able to accept and even revel in this Cosmic economy of grace..."
"It is God's greatest surprise and God's constant disguise, but you only know it to be true by going through it and coming out the other side yourself." p. 3
John 17: Jesus' prayer to God on our behalf
Ken, Karen, Sue, Mom, and me for Mom's Birthday Breakfast at Noah's 
Lynette's birthday cartwheels 11/8/21
Mom's were done at Macondo: coffee, cartwheels and an all too quick visit with the Doyles 
"November loves the pilgrim soul in you and longs to erase the fretting from your frazzled face." ~ Sarah BanBreathnach Romancing the Ordinary 
"Praying" is changing our operating system!" ~ Richard Rohr p. xxx the Introduction of Breathing Under Water
 Quotes "juggernaut of flavors" ~ Paul Hollywood 
Richard Rohr's Breathing Under Water
Stonington Point and...
Titivate : make small enhancing alterations
"Utterly delicious" ~ Prue Leith on GBBO
Val from GBBO is now following me on Instagram 
"What If" by Matthew West listen here
You are an unceasing spiritual being with an eternal destiny in God's great universe.  There's no limit to where God's going to take us..." ~ Dallas Willard
"Zany icing but we were looking for perfection. " Prue Leith 

Saturday, Nov 6 and Sunday Nov 7, 2021

Autumn shows us how to embrace change in glorious splendor. It reminds us to accept and flow with the change. Just like the falling leaves you have to let go in order to move forward, grow and heal. Periods of transition and change are often fraught with pain and crisis. Source
"An Old Fashioned Love Song" by Three Dog Night Saturday morning, Nov 6
 shelving at PLNL 6 Nov 2021  :)
"Be the reason somebody smiles today" ~ sign at Washington Street Coffee ☕ Nov 7, 2021
shelving at PLNL 6 Nov 2021:)
"Come What May" by We Are Messengers and Cory Asbury, and...
"Desert Moon" by Dennis DeYoung while listening both The Message and The Bridge 11/7/2021
Ezekiel 36:26 "I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh."
FRESH New London Mercer Street space: 
  

 All Souls NL UU "From Grief to Gratitude" 
Humor is Helpful too :)
 thanks Kristen, this made me smile 😃 
John Denver's Songs Illustrated by Christopher Canyon
Kris Macomber's leaf note caught my eye (and heart) ♥️ again :

May the light always find you on a dreary day. When you need to be home may you find a way. May you always have courage to take a chance. And may you never find frogs in your underpants! Nov 4, 2010
 All Souls email

shelving at PLNL 6 Nov 2021:)
Pawcatuck River looking toward Westerly 6 Nov 2021
Quintessential New England beauty #native lands
Rivers views: Thames, Mystic, Pawcatuck
"Side by Side and Soul by Soul" ~ Nov 7, 2021 UU Service

 thank you for sharing this, Ken
Valerie Lorimer Contemporary Arts
Washington Street Coffee House, New London, CT
 Sunday, Nov 7, 2021
"...eXtended journey, a trust walk, a gradual letting go, unlearning..." p.8 Breathing Under Water by Richard Rohr
Zinnia at FRESH's Mercer St Garden. These two photos were taken on the same day and the flowers were very near each other: