I can see my breath. Mornings like this prove we are alive when the air is cold and our breath is warm.

Today is back to school for a lot of kids. The Thanksgiving holiday is over, and the learning routine resumes of "readin, writin', and 'rithmetic". Funny to even write that old phrase. Learning topics today are far different from that time-worn trio. Classrooms look different as well. No chalkboards in my granddaughter's school. They have "smart boards", connected to the teacher's computer. The kids all have iPads. Chairs and tables are different than these rough hewn desks from a hundred years ago in a remote school building in Great Smoky National Park. The environment has changed.

Each morning as my children left home for school, I encouraged them to "Learn something." I knew they probably would. Few days in our life go by without learning something. It is as much a part of my life as breathing. I hope it is a habit that is passed to all generations in all parts of the world.

Today is the First Sunday of Advent and the scripture lessons for the day warn of being ready for the end of time and the coming of God's kingdom. We have been waiting a long time, far past our attention span. I recall a worship service my first month in seminary where one person whispered in my ear "The kingdom of God is here" and later a different person whispered "The kingdom is not yet." We live in the tension of moments of grace with other times of despair. The events of this past week demonstrate how far we have yet to go. But still we live in enough hope to watch for a transformation.

"The call to watchfulness, to being alert at all times, is critical to our very being, not only to be ready for Christ’s appearance, but also to be aware of all that would seduce us into believing either that time for preparation is unlimited or that it is sparse because the moment of Christ’s appearing is imminent. We are honor bound as Christians to keep awake to the evidence of injustice and oppression so that we can seek justice for all people in the name of Christ. It is more than watching for his coming as a final event, but it is watchfulness that enables us to be Christ’s presence in the world. In that way, we live in a state of readiness for the day of his final appearing." Gennifer Benjamin Brooks

The ads have been all over TV, my email box is full of announcements from all of my friendly retailers, our kids even got a big free newspaper on Thursday morning with dozens of colorful inserts, touting the never-before-seen sales. Tomorrow is the beginning of Advent which is a season of preparation for an entirely different event than making merchants happy. I am beginning to see twinkling lights and trumpeting angels and wreaths of every hue. Decorating has begun.

I saw this scene yesterday of a wall of dilapidated doors, transformed by a holiday wreath. I hope that my shabbiness can be changed with hope of the season, and that the Prince of Peace might indeed reign in all human hearts.

This year, we celebrated Thanksgiving in Plano, Texas, at Elke and Robert's house. Robert's parents and his brother's girlfriend (who is amazing and delightful) gathered around the table for a family photo. We had plenty to eat with two turkeys and all the vegetables and desserts. I suspect your gathering may have been similar. We were glad to be here.

We have crossed Lavon Lake (just east of McKinney, Texas) numerous times since Elke and Robert moved to Plano. But this is the lowest water level I have ever seen. When we first came this way, the lake water was more than halfway up the bridge supports. Tree tops were barely sticking out of the water. I knew it had been dry in Texas but this view surprised me with its severity. And on this Thanksgiving, I simply give thanks for water, and the life it provides. I am blessed with bounteous gifts and the gathering today certainly reminds me that we have abundant resources. The meal will be a celebrative feast. But I've had Thanksgiving meals all week. And it's not the food that I appreciate: it is the blessings of relationships of family and friends. I am deeply grateful.

This beautiful skylight spans the lobby of the Nashville Union Station. The magnificent station was built in 1900 to serve the passenger needs of eight railroads routing through Nashville. Passenger service declined especially after World War 2 until there were no trains utilizing the structure after 1968. After years of deterioration, it has been restored as a hotel. I find the details of many buildings from the last century to be extravagant and likely not to be duplicated in the future. That's why it is so enjoyable that these buildings have been saved for the future.

The park in Granite City, Illinois has several Gingko trees, also commonly called "Maidenhair" because of the distinctive shape of the leaves. We had a large one near the rear door of our parsonage in Metropolis, Illinois. The leaves turn a beautiful golden yellow in the fall, and it was our experience that they would fall all in one day, usually in mid- to late November. The tree is a hardy survivor with some in China reputed to be 1500 years old. It is also called "a living fossil" as one of the oldest known trees, dating back 270 million years. One rather unique characteristic is that the tree comes in two sexes, male and female, with the female having fruit in the fall that has an unmistakable odor. It seemed as though we had a dog kennel in the back yard in the fall. Pretty leaves...