Haiti

The disaster in Haiti is on the list of things I can't really comprehend. For there to be so much destruction in a place where there is already so much poverty...it doesn't make sense, and it hurts my heart to think about it.


Please give to the UMCOR. Really, give to any accredited and highly-rated relief work. I suggest UMCOR (the United Methodist Council on Relief) because I know it's a wonderful organizaion. They know how to work to best serve communities, wherever they are. (Actually, the head of UMCOR was just rescued from the rubble, hallelujah! So they have an idea what's going on in Haiti and how to help.)

And of course, continue to support the people of Haiti with your thoughts and prayers.

Celebrate!

Yesterday was Epiphany, the 12th day of Christmas. For many places, this means it's time to take down the tree and change the decorations in the sanctuary.

We took down the Hagar's House Christmas tree, which was way more of a struggle than it had to be. Do you have any idea how many pine needles fall off a tree in three weeks? A couple residents and I un-adorned it, finding stray ornaments all over the living room (seriously, the tree did not suffer THAT much abuse. How did that many ornaments fall off?)

We managed to corrall it enough to get it out the door and onto the curb. I covered my brand-new jeans in tree sap (sorry, Granny...Barrett told me it comes out, though!) Someone swept up all the pine needles, and in most places, Epiphany leads to the holiday lull between New Year's and Easter (Valentine's Day is totally contrived and therefore does not count.)

HOWEVER! Epiphany also means it's the beginning of CARNIVAL SEASON!!! After going to see Invictus (note: that movie entirely about rugby, NOT Nelson Mandela. He's in there too, of course, but...yeah. It's about rugby,) Nichol, Angela and I went on a quest to find the year's first King Cake!

King Cake is a cinnimon-roll style cake, covered in sprinkles. Picture courtesy of Wikipedia:

It also comes with a baby! The baby is not actually cooked in the cake anymore--something about "choking hazards," and "lawsuits," I don't even know.

THE RULES as I, a non-local, understand them:

1) It is bad luck to eat a king cake before Epiphany.

2) The person who buys the king cake puts the baby in, so they remember where they put it.

3) Whoever gets the baby has to buy the next king cake.

I am so excited about this! I've had the conversation with Mom and Shirley numerous times that we need more festivals in life. I think there's a degree of joy and celebration of life that we lose without it.

Even if you're not in New Orleans, may this festival season be joyous for you! We live in a beautiful, incredible, fun world filled with beautiful and incredible people. Yes there's ugliness, there are terrible things happening, and we can't ever forget that and strive to change things. But we're doing a disservice to this amazing life God has given us if we don't take time to celebrate, and be happy.

So go eat king cake! And hope you don't get the baby. :)