"The Coming"

There is a question I am often asked around the Christmas season that always seems loaded with irony for me, “so are you ready for Christmas?”  The real questions is not are you ready for Christmas but have you finished all your shopping; have you pilgrimaged to the holy mall and paid homage at the almighty cash register?  So here is my answer to the question, “are you ready for Christmas?

Growing up as an evangelical Christian I spent more time clipping my toe nails than preparing for Christmas.  For us, we had a Christmas Eve candlelight service, time around the tree the next morning, a big feast for lunch, and a long nap in the afternoon.  It somewhat resembled thanksgiving with presents.  Not much attention was given to Christmas prior to the week of other than all the red poinsettias that memorialized some dead people at the front of the church.  Nothing says Christmas like red poinsettias and dead people.  This led me to questioning how I prepare for taking in the deep and rich meaning of Christmas to the best of my ability?  This led me to the season of Advent, a word from the latin which means the coming.  I had heard about it, I had even seen some wreaths with four candles in it that didn’t all match at my friends houses.  But I had no idea people prepared for Chrismas a month in advance apart from the family tradition of Christmas shopping on black friday.    

The Latin word Adventus is where we get the term Advent, which means the coming.  It is a time of preparing ourselves for the Christmas season and really has nothing to do with malls.  Four weeks prior to Christmas it all begins.   Here are some links to more info about advent: 

Wikipedia:  Check the links from the article for more info.

American Catholic site: here are some interesting ideas for preparation.

Let me know what you think about advent and how you prepare for Christmas?

It’s a Boy!

For those of you who didn’t know Sarah is pregnant with our second child.  We had an ultrasound today and much to our excitement, we are having a boy!  We are thrilled.  I am the last male Whipple in my family so for good or bad there will be another generation of Whipple’s.  Fatherhood has been the most formative experience in my life, with marriage running a close second.  It is the most excruchiatingly glorious experience.  Gut wrenching at times and the most joyous at others.  But humbling all the same.  I think the key to parenting is inadequacy.  It is like recieving the most incredible gift ever and you are completely unworthy to receive it.  I think everyone should name their children Grace (although neither of mine will bear this name).  Its the closest thing I have found that illustrates grace.  Anyway, its a boy!

Happy Thanksgenocide Day

Ah yes, here we are again celebrating the mass murder and systemic oppression inflicted upon the American Indian people.  Oh how we enjoy stuffing ourselves silly while most Indian families can’t even afford grilled cheese.  Yes, we celebrate Christopher Columbus’ “discovery” of America and his sharing of a meal with the savages.  Then out of deep appreciation he enslaves these less than human creatures.  Oh what a historic event that we should celebrate such a gross exploitation on a yearly basis.  Enjoy your meal.

  Okay, all sarcasm aside, we should remember that we celebrate thanksgiving on the back of the American Indian people.  Our first offering of thanks should go to the indigenous people of America.  This is our families favorite holiday for several reasons.  First, it brings our families together expecting only to exchange the gifts of our presence with one another.  Second, we love to cook.  Pumpkin pie, turkey, stuffing, green bean casserole, corn casserole, and for some cranberry sauce.  The time spent in the kitchen around the stove provides for great memories.  Lastly, we love to eat.  The Whipple’s can put it away.  More significant are the gifts that go beyond food.  The gifts of stories, laughter, tears, and memories are shared around the table.  Not to mention the unbuttoned pants sleeping on the couch as the turkey I just ate draws me to a deep sleep.  Often times it is the best nap I may have all year.  Again, this Thanksgiving I am thankful for my American Indian friends and their ancestors who have welcomed me to their tables and lives.  I am thankful for my wife and daughter who have brought more joy than I can ever return.  I am thankful for my extended family and friends who are part of shaping who my family and I are becoming.  For the gift of fond and not-so-fond memories alike I am grateful.  Life is to be lived good and bad, happy and sorrowful, joyous and painfilled, it is all a part of the life we share together.  So thank you for being a part of this fragile existence we live.

I finished the first semester!

   Yes, it’s true I finished my first semester. We are trying a new approach that covers a semester in eleven weeks. It was a lot of information but it’s nice to have it completed. Any of you who know about my undergrad GPA you will be pleased to know that I have done pretty well in these classes. I also have a long break. I don’t begin again until the first of February. One down five semsters to go.

G.K. Chesterton quote…

“I believe what really happens in history is this: the old man is always wrong; and the young people are always wrong about what is wrong with him(the old man). The practical form it takes is this: that, while the old man may stand by some stupid custom, the young man always attacks it with some theory that turns out to be equally stupid.”

This nearly perfect description of what is taking place in contemporary history provides humble insight into our situation.  We spend so much time exchanging opposingly stupid ideas, hoping to prove the other an incompetent fool, we miss opportunities to do good.  Our common correspondence is framed by competitive discourse.  Collaboration, humility, and forgiveness might offer a new path or an old one less traveled.  I want to be remembered for doing good not proving others afool.  If this opts me out of the conversation, consider me out.

New house pictures

Here are some pics from the new house.

  

 

I am still alive!

It has been a long time since  I have posted anything.  I am two weeks away from being done with my first semester and am in the thick of final exams and a paper.  It will be great to have the first semester out of the way.  I know what i am in for now.  So far it has really affirmed that i am headed in the right direction. 

   The new house is underway and will be finished framing early next week.  I will post some pictures later.  I will try to post something more interesting soon.  

A visit from Grandma Whipple

Grandma Whipple came for a visit this weekend.  It was great fun.  Addy had a ball.  Grandma showed her how to do sticker books.  Thanks for the fun Grandma!

 

Cousin Gage came over as well and brought some bubbles to play with.  It was a great weekend.

The Whipple’s house is underway!

The hole that will become our basement was dug today.  There is no turning back now!  Tomorrow we will have footings.  The next day basement walls and monday groundwork plumbing.  It is all pretty exciting for us.  We just pray that our current house will sell.  I will post pictures here soon.

Just a question?

Why is it that my social work prof’s seem more like Jesus than most pastors I know?