Greetings, Marysville! It’s been cold, but it’s now DECEMBER on the calendar! Let’s try to keep ourselves together.
☀️Let Your Days Be Merry and Based
The idea of “Merrysville for the Holidays” is obviously a cute play on our city’s name, but it’s about as fantastic as calling something the Marysville Sun. We aren't known for bright skies, and it's easy to question if this is really such a happy season. I'm not trying to kick off December on a downer, but it might be worth a few minutes to get down to who is responsible for our merry-making.
Circumstances are like Daylight Savings, out of our control and no one seems to like what’s happening. Here in the Great West of the West Coast, and more North most of the other Contiguous 48, we're not scheduling a parade because the sun (if it even shows itself through the clouds) stays around much past 4pm. Here, men love darkness because there is no alternative. I'm not really talking about the weather, whether likable or sufferable. A bunch of things "happen" to us and around us that aren't dependable.
It could be worse. It could almost always be worse. It could easily get worse. That said, it’s not good. In WA we are paying more for gas than anywhere in these United States. Inflation, thanks to policies from the other Washington, is kicking all our pocketbutts. Our public schools have no sense though they take a high percentage of our dollars. As a legislative collective our doctors provide killing services that others won't.
And of course most of us who live here could probably move to another place where some of these things would be better. But there are still cancers eating up our loved one's bodies. There are still conflicts eating up our fellowship with our "loved" ones. Vehicles break. Paychecks seem to keep finishing in second place to faster bills. We get older every day, and battling our busted parts is no party bus. And as a wise man once said, And then you die.
Some multi-colored lights hung on our roof gutters are going to fix all that? Paying a hundred bucks for a dying tree that takes up room inside your house that requires daily watering and almost as often vacuuming of needles, that will fill our heart-holes? Wrapping things (we couldn't really afford) in paper that gets ripped up and thrown out, to give to other people that we like but who don't like the gift, or to give to others we don't really like and who also don't like the gift, that makes us MERRY?! That would be mistaken.
At best the Hallmark movies and newish genre of Violent Santa movies and extra cookies and egg nog (EWWW) and evenings out and seasonal stress are all distractions. Some of them might even do a decent job of distracting, but by themselves they are no true light.
Our merry-making must be based in the true Light who came into the world. Jesus Christ is God, He is our Good, in Him are all the good gifts. If we don't acknowledge Him, we're stuck trying to suck meaning out of new socks that stuff our stockings. If we don't say His name, our joy is like an unhung strand of tinsel that the wind drives away.
As we prepare our shopping lists and Christmas cards, as we fill in our calendars and ready ourselves for conversations, let's make sure we know Who is responsible for our merry-making. He has the name above all names. When our lives our based on Him, our days can be merry.
☀️One to Grow On - Christmas Card Edition
Until ChatGPT can write and address and mail all your Christmas cards, here’s a handy pattern for how to properly pluralize all the crazy names. #NoApostrophesNeeded
☀️Local Events
Merrysville for the Holidays - tomorrow! - Saturday, December 2. Here’s the main page of info, along with the reminder that State Ave will be closed from 6-10pm, and an introduction to this year’s parade grand marshals.
Christmas Concerts
Evangel Classical School: Tuesday, 12/5, 6:30 PM at Word of Life Lutheran Brethren Church
Light The Night Concert and Silent Auction - presented by Sonus Boreal of Northern Sound Choirs: Saturday, 12/9, 4:30-9:00 PM at Marysville United Methodist Church. See the Facebook event page for more info.
David Harsh Concert: Sunday, 12/10, 6:00 PM at Atonement Church in Arlington, with a video invite here. See David’s full schedule of performances here.
Comeford College Community Choir: Thursday, 12/14, 7:00 PM at Trinity Evangel Church
———
If your church or private school would like to have an event posted in the Sun please email us at office@marysvillesun.com
☀️Friday Fun
Something to think about this shopping season:
Marysville Sun Archive | Email the Editor | Facebook | Twitter
I'm buying my wife that sweater! (she works in IT)