Sunday

 I found out this morning that this is the last Sunday of the liturgical year. Advent begins next week and with it, the new year. As I mentioned yesterday, I was able to teach the high school youth today. I enjoy them and learn from them.

Our lesson was on the rich young man who came to Jesus with questions. Just as when Niodemus came to Jesus, they had questions to which Jesus gave hard answers. With the hard answers, there also comes this assurance that while the answers seem impossible humanly speaking, they are absolutely not impossible to God.

Other times when I've read this I have been less aware of the slowness of our ability to understand and live into our faith. We don't seem to get done, but only to get farther along. That can seem discouraging, but today it seems like grace. I'm not done yet. There is more to learn. Next time I read this passage, I might see it again with new eyes. 

One detail that I learned this time through the lesson was the sentence in Mark where it says Jesus looked at the young man and loved him. According to the lesson material, this is the only time in the book of Mark where it speaks of Jesus' love for an individual. This young man, who seemed so earnestly wanting to know how to follow God, had the love of Jesus even as he walked away. I want to know what happened next.

After church we enjoyed leftovers for lunch, so here is the food picture.

Then some time to read and relax.

We decided to go out to East Lake to see the pelicans this afternoon. The weather was amazing for the latter half of November, and we were out there for a long time. The pelicans were so worth it. Here is the proof.

The late afternoon sky, the tall grasses, and the half moon completed the trip.

I guess I should end with wishing you a happy new year!