this is the best christmas decoration we have. rosalea made it in sunday school a few years ago and it is made of some great elements... a naked plastic baby doll that is supposed to be for baby shower cupcakes or those mardi gras king cakes covered with a scrap of felt. he is on top of cotton balls in half of a toilet paper roll and for some reason that seems like the most accurate ornament that we have on our tree.
it is so beautiful to me that her little hands hold this plastic naked baby doll Jesus in a half a toilet paper tube when in reality, we are the ones living in the toilet tube all naked and plasticy covered with only a scrap of felt, laying on really soft but way too thin cotton balls but His strong Hands hold us every moment of every day and sometimes we can’t feel Him through the cotton balls and toilet tube.
“yet as bizarre and screwed up as we are, beauty is threaded through our stories. glory, dignity, and grace bubble up from our souls. we can tell we’re from here but don’t belong here. we’re meant for more than this. we are dust and bones and blood and dreams, skin-covered spirits with hungry souls.
in the crazy world of christianity, those who think themselves wise are really fools in disguise, while those who know they are fools become our greatest prophets and teachers. those who are the most aware of their sins are our greatest saints, while those who thing they are not really all that bad (at least compared to other people) are the greatest sinners. those who think they’re humble are proud, but those who know they’re proud are humble. those who believe themselves to be free are the most enchained; those who see their chains are finally free. as long as i think i can see, i’m blind. and only when i’m brave enough to admit that i’m beyond all hope does hope come crashing in and cleanse my heart.”
from
sailing between the stars by steven james (really he should give me some royalties from his book)