The King Shall Come

We hope all of our friends & fam have experienced a truly merry & abundantly joyful Christmas holy-day! We have had an unprecedented yet wonderful time with both sides of our families. Thank you for everyone's willingness to come up here this year and change things up a bit. It was an honor & a pleasure to host everyone, we are so deeply thankful for such incredible & loving families. So to end this blessed day, I wanted to share a new Christmas hymn I found this year as I was flipping thru my hymnal a few weeks back. I've never heard it played before, but the words are striking and simply sum it all up for me. I eagerly await His second coming...

The King shall come when morning dawns, and light triumphant breaks,
when beauty gilds the eastern hills, and life to joy awakes.

Not as of old a little child, to bear and fight and die,
But crowned with glory like the sun, that lights the morning sky.

O brighter than the rising morn, when he, victorious, rose,
And left the lonesome place of death, despite the rage of foes.

O brighter than that glorious morn, shall this fair morning be,
When Christ our King in beauty comes, and we his face shall see!

The King shall come when morning dawns, and light and beauty brings,
Hail, Christ the Lord! thy people pray, come quickly, King of Kings!

Amen.

here comes santa claus, here comes santa claus...

we've had a reindeer sighting in our own backyard! it fell from the sky last night. isn't it cute? santa claus IS coming to town! yes!

Christmas with friends...Stegers we missed you

The Hosts: Mark and Amity Wagner
The Guests: Jason and Cindy Lofton, Chris and Katie Allen, Jordan and Mandy Eoff and Emma Grace, Bri Easter and her fiancee David Huffman
Food Eaten: Turkey, Ham, mashed taters, green beans, homemade mac and cheese, broccoli cheese caserole, Sister Schubert rolls, sweet tea, fudge, better than sex cake
Funniest Moment: Katie's story of how Chris broke his belt recently because either he tightened it too much or his belly is bigger, or both?
Friends Missed: The Stegers

The spread post meal. Some of the best fudge I have ever had.
The Group Photo

Things You Don't See Everyday, or Hear

I tried posting this earlier in the week, but for some odd reason it didn't post. Last weekend marked our 3rd trip to Blancard Springs for Caroling in the Caverns. If you have never been to this you are missing out. We now look forward to this now Christmas ttradition more than any others. James 2:10 speaks of everything bowing to Jesus, even tthings "under earth". Well I have never heard a more angelic sound 216 feet under the eearth as I have hear. Please take our advice and go next year. But buy your tickets by October to secure the date you want. Some pics below follow.


I don't know if this is a common site in 56, Arkansas (yes, the town's name is "56") but it was quite funny. This was outside the only cafe at 56. We were disappointed not once but twice with respect to cafes on this trip. The much anticipated chicken fried steak at the Sunset Cafe in Marshall was closed (just ask Grant how good it is). We decided to go back to 56 and have the chicken fried steak there only to find it was "all gone" that day. Seems like others had the same thing in mind.

These two trout were frolicking in the water just below the observation deck at the mouth of the spring at Blanchard Springs. Really made me wish I had a fishing pole or fly rod.

Bald Eagle taken just west of SOTO.
I know, I know, this is not the best image. But I couldn't get the eagle to fly any closer. This was the best I could do.

Orlando it is

So the Hogs lost another close game, which we could have won. It is somewhat depressing thinking we COULD have beat both LSU and Florida and be playing in a high BCS game or possibly the National Championship. Oh well, at least we aren't Alabama.

It just so happens that Cindy and I will be in Orlando starting January 1 at about 10am. We are taking a vacation to visit our friends Andrew and Virginia Steger. We are excited about the Hogs being in Orlando at the same time, but are more excited about hanging out with our friends the Stegers. We may even get to visit with my friend Ken Poon who lives in Miami.

We will be in Pittsburgh, PA for Matt Hooper's wedding on Dec. 31 and will get to see most of my buddies and buddiettes from medical school. Will be a fun filled week.

Can't wait. I hear High Tide Harry's is good? Go HOGS