Luke’s Notebook

A friend of ours, Maggie, just called to let us know that three of her friends — and friends of ours, too — were in a very serious car accident in Lebanon, Illinois. Two of the three girls — Elizabeth and Jessica — are in very bad shape, and Elizabeth especially is doing bad, evidently with a punctured heart, lung and many broken bones. So let’s just pray for Elizabeth and Jessica and their families.

God, I ask that you heal Elizabeth and Jessica of the injuries they sustained. Please watch over their families and comfort them, regardless of the outcome. Let them know that you are still God, and give them peace to know that you are unchanging. Amen.

Here’s the story. Paul, John, Mark and I went over to Dave & Buster’s last night to meet up with some cousins and friends. The four of us drove over there, and once we got in we went over to the table where the group was. In the group were…

Becky and her husband, Matt

Ruth (Becky’s younger sister) and her Japanese friend, Sayaka, who she knows from University of Nevada-Reno

Gwen (Ruth’s younger sister) and her boyfriend, Dave

So we met up with them, talked for a little bit, and then they went to seek out a couple of booths so they could order food. I had already eaten supper, so I just ordered a soda.

After we got a hold of a couple of booths, it was time to hit the games. I spent most of my time doing the dancing game. The last time I was there they had Pump It Up, but this game is called 2 Exceed. I guess it must be a newer game or something. But anyway, I played that for a bit, watched as my brothers played, watched as Ruth and Sayaka danced. It was fun!

Later on, Matt, Paul and I went to their horse-racing game and started to condition and train our respective horses. My horse, Annabelle, was one I created the last time I was at D&B, and I brought my card along so I could continue racing her. I only did two races — one with Annabelle and the other with a new horse, Frankie, and I didn’t do so hot with either. I was hoping to play more and see if I could improve, but I was called over to play the bowling game and be on Becky’s team. It’s a really fun bowling game, and you play a whole 10 frames. Ruth and Sayaka were on one team, John and Mark on the second, and Becky and I were the third player. We basically just went back and forth — she’d roll the first ball, then I’d try to pick up the spare. Next frame, vice versa.

After bowling, it was more dancing! I’m still not that great at it, but I’d say I’m gradually improving. Plus, it’s just a lot of fun.

So that about wraps it up. It was fun to see our cousins as well as their friends. We oughta do it again sometime.

Well, 2004 only has 13 hours left in it, so I’d better go get some things done!

We had a fun time at D&B! Stay tuned for the fun and exciting recap of the evening. Now it’s bedtime.

Paul and I are about to leave to go to Dave & Buster’s in Earth City, Missouri. We’re going to meet up with a few of our cousins, so it should be a fun evening there. The last time we were there, I played the horse-racing game and created my own horse, named Annabelle. Maybe I’ll continue with her tonight and see if we can improve.

I just bought Passion’s song “The Noise We Make” from Wal-Mart’s music store for 94 cents. Not a bad deal for a great song! 94 pennies well spent.

Job 1:21:

“…the Lord gave and the Lord has taken away. Blessed be the name of the Lord.”

How I needed to hear those words after the past 24 hours. There have been a couple of things that have happened recently that could be really devastating if I don’t remind myself that, hey, God gives and He takes away, and I’m supposed to be giving thanks and have a joyful additude whether or not everything is turning out like I want it to, or, on the opposite end, things are collapsing.

A song I’ve been listening to a lot is called “Blessed Be Your Name” by Tree63. The lyrics are especially striking now…

Blessed be Your name in the land that is plentiful

Where Your streams of abundance flow

Blessed be Your name

And blessed be Your name when I’m found in the desert place

Though I walk through the wilderness

Blessed be your name

Every blessing You pour out I’ll turn back to praise

And when the darkness closes in Lord

Still I will say

Blessed be the name of the Lord

Blessed be Your name

Blessed be the name of the Lord

Blessed be Your glorious name

Blessed be Your name when the sun’s shining down on me

When the world’s all as it should be

Blessed be Your name

And blessed be Your name on the road marked with suffering

Though there’s pain in the offering

Blessed be Your name

You give and take away

You give and take away

My heart will choose to say

Lord, blessed be Your name

The last chunk there that I put in bold is what I’m reminding myself — in the good and the bad, I need to make the choice to praise and honor God. If you would, though, please keep me and my family in your prayers. I don’t really want to disclose all that much, but I just ask that you pray for God’s perfect will to be done and that He gives us the strength and wisdom to carry out that will. Thanks so much!

Today is my grandma and grandpa’s 50th wedding annivesary. They are Mom’s parents, by the way. Anyway, this evening there is a celebration over at St. Peter’s Cathedral in Belleville where they will be renewing their wedding vows and then having a party in the church basement. That should be fun, to celebrate with the family the 50 years of marriage. It’s not that often that you see a marriage last that long nowadays, unfortunately. But it is very encouraging to see that it can be done if you want to do it.

Okay. In my last entry, I said that there is exciting news. And exciting news there is! It looks like the four oldest (that’s Paul, John, Mark and I) will be going on a trip out west with our Grandpa Arndt some time early next year. I am extremely excited about this whole trip idea! I don’t know how long we’d be gone or exactly where we would all hit, but I know Los Angeles would be one of the stops… so that means we’ll cover many miles!

Lately I’ve been saving up for the trip, and for Christmas I received the money and a nice duffel bag that would be a perfect companion for such a trip.

So that’s my big, exciting news. The farthest west I’ve ever been is Denver, Colorado, and that was 16 years ago. Since then, it’s probably been Kansas City some six or seven years ago. So I haven’t been that direction much at all. And to hit LA — wow, that would mean we’d cover a lot of ground!

Well, it certainly has been a busy weekend. Actually, there hasn’t been much down time since Wednesday morning. I already wrote about Thursday, how the family visited Great-Grandma in the nursing home and then Paul and I videotaped a wedding and reception. So let’s get to Friday and Saturday.

Christmas Eve: In the early evening, the family drove on over to visit with Mom’s side of the family. Since Mom is one of 10 kids herself, there are lots of cousins, spouses of cousins, some great-grandchildren, friends, etc. Basically, it’s a big, big crowd.

Well, the Christmas Eve party is typically our family’s big gift-opening party. So there was wrapping paper flying, gifts being handed out, cookies being eaten — all that fun stuff. One of Jude’s gifts was a set of nice poker chips and a couple decks of cards. So later on in the evening, we played some Texas Hold’em. I had played once before on Yahoo! Games, but this was the first time I really played. It’s a lot of fun! Texas Hold’em seems to be all the rage since ESPN started broadcasting The World Series Of Poker.

Christmas Day: At noon, we hosted Dad’s side of the family for a party. We ate barbecue pork, more cookies, played more Texas Hold’em, and opened some more gifts. This party lasted for four or five hours, and then we made our way back over to the other Christmas party, a second one with my mom’s family.

Can you guess what we did at that party? Yup — ate cookies, played cards! So two things are sure after this weekend: I know how to play Texas Hold’em, and I need to do a lot of exercising to “pay off” those delicious Christmas cookies. But I can do that!

So here I am, typing away on a Sunday night. I’m using my laptop as I sit in the living room, because I’m baby-sitting for the chubs. David and Peter are here in the room with me.

Things are getting busy now, so I’d better run. I’ll check back later, I hope, since I have some exciting news!

Merry Christmas!

Luke 2:1-20

In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) And everyone went to his own town to register.

So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.â€Â