Christmas!

Hope everyone had a very merry Christmas! I've been busy playing and relaxing with family, so I thought I'd share a few pictures from the past few weeks of celebration with the whole Honea clan (parents, 8 siblings (well, 3 are siblings-in-law), and 3 nieces!)


Within 3 weeks we have the big celebration (Christmas), New Years of course, and also an anniversary and 5 birthdays...it's pretty much a constant party :)

Which means, of course, lots of baking and eating!

My youngest niece loved the piano (as do her 3 year old sisters, who now won't play until I put music on the stand- very amusing). But for a 1 year old playing piano, much like eating food, is apparently most enjoyable as a full body experience. (And all this time I've only been using my fingers!)

I also enjoyed lots of time with my "family" at 1st Pres, Danville. I had the privilege of leading music one Sunday (along with bells and vocal choirs!), and accompanied the family/kids Christmas Eve service (on piano and clarinet). I'm praising God for all of this sweet time with my big and "small" family, and His gift of music that we can share together. Merry Christmas!

Light!

When I spent 2 weeks in Japan (summer of 2010), one of the churches we got to spend some time with gave us cards with different verses on them, and I happened to get this one:
It's Matthew 5:14, "You are the light of the world..." (All I can actually read is the first word, "anata"=you. I can sound out the rest but had no clue what it meant. Thank you kanji numbers chart for helping me figure out the reference!)

My name, "Eleanor", comes from the Greek, meaning "shining light" (Fellow dorks, think Elanor, Samwise Gamgee's daughter, named after the sun-star flower of the elves)

I've heard other Christians in Japan use the phrase, "Shining the light of the Risen Son in the Land of the Rising Sun"- cool, huh?

Especially around Christmas, I can't help but think of Light. The lights on the porch, on houses; candles in windows, and around the Advent wreath. Because the whole point of Christmas is "The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of deep darkness a light has dawned...for unto us a child is born"~Isaiah 9. And Is. 49, "It is too small a thing for you to be my servant to restore the tribes of Jacob... I will also make you a light for the Gentiles, that my salvation may reach to the ends of the earth.” (Phew! Super thankful for that one!)

Light.

The first thing God created. God is our light. His Word is a light to our path. In His light, we see light. We walk in the light as He is in the light. We are the light of the world.

So much good stuff in the concept and reality of "light". I'm going to stop trying to articulate, and simply...bask.