UPDATE: (5:30 pm) The snow stopped a little after 4pm – - a twenty-eight hour snowstorm that reportedly brought 26.5 inches to BWI Thurgood Marshall Airport. as of Noon on Saturday. That makes it the second biggest storm in Maryland history.

Meanwhile, I have shoveled twice more today, each effort either easier or an indication that I am building upper body strength.  (“Bring it!”)

Finally, despite being Boy Scout-prepared on shoveling… a large tree has fallen with the parking lot blocking access to plows and egress for the rest of us. (click pic to enlarge.) I can’t imagine rescue from this until Monday morning…  we’ll see.  Anyway, I am appreciating the irony of Turner Classic Movies broadcasting The Great Escape.

- – -

(8:30 am) And, so the DelMarVa region is being hit with snowfall… again; on a weekend… again!

I’ve been documenting my own man vs. snow battle on fighting mother nature on access to car in the apartment complex’s parking lot on facebook: “shoveled Friday at 4pm, and again at 7:30 and now Sat. at 1:30am. Third round was even deeper, heavier. A near-by snow-laden branch has fallen. We ain’t done yet! BRING IT!”

The morning news brings reports that my neighborhood has already received 24 inches of the white stuff. And, yes, I did hear thunder-snow last night. Awesome!  So far, we have only faced one low front with another yet to arrive.    Snow is anticipated to fall until the evening.

Well, I just completed the fourth round of shoveling around 7:30 am and feel as is I am now winning the battle! I’ll have the shovel to where the snow plows will eventually skim and there is certainly more to snow to fall.  Click pics to enlarge.

(FYI, Nichole and Johanna – - the car on the left is yours!)

Meanwhile, I’m safe and indoors now…  Comfort food has yet to be broken into, books are stacked waiting to be read, firewood is also stacked, and a list of many chores and movies are lined up as well.  Snow???  BRING IT!

And in the end, it’s not the years in your life that count.
It’s the life in your years.  

– Abraham Lincoln

We are wrapping up the NFCYM annual membership meeting in Los Angeles and I will be spending a majority of this day, ironically enough, Up in the Air. And, today, I turnover the personal calendar to 52 years old.

It is a little more of a fascinating age of a birthday for me than has been 50 (which was just fun), 40, and other younger years (which, frankly, were plain forgettable)  At 52, for whatever reasons, I find myself a little more reflective.

52 reminds me of the Ray Lewis dance.  There is a certain amount of confidence that does come along with experience. I am personally a bit more self-contained that the Ravens’ middle linebacker, but I do appreciate the celebratory nature of each new encounter.

And, so… A little reflective and ready to dance.  Let’s go!

Others hitting 52…  Matt Fewer/ Max Headroom (this month), Ellen DeGeneres (last Tuesday), Judy Norton-Taylor/ Mary Ellen Walton  (yesterday), comedienne Brett Butler (today), and sports reporter Rick Reilly (next Wednesday)

O Guardian of Israel,
Our shelter and shade,
Stir up in us that flame of justice
That Jesus incited on this earth,
That rages in our hearts by the Holy Spirit.
O arouse in us
That very flame of righteousness
That enticed Martin
To be a living sacrifice of praise,
To seek freedom for all God’s children.
O to you, God every faithful and true,
Be glory for ever and ever.
Amen.

J. Glenn Murray, SJ

No, no, no
Stick to the stuff you know
If you wanna be cool
Follow one simple rule
Don’t mess with the flow, no no
Stick to the status quo

High School Musical sings of it.  It’s easier, right?  You know it, You understand it. It’s what works. And we really don’t have to think very much about it, do we?

Mark Batterson recently blogged some encouragement to challenge the status quo. There is nothing uniquely special about a change in the calendar for a new year or a new decade, but it does offer the opportunity to evaluate your life spiritually, relationally, physically, emotionally, and intellectually.

No, no, no, mess with the flow and challenge the status quo.

The blog is shutting down for the remainder of the year.

Please know that you and any holiday programs that you might be offering are in my prayers.

But, also, please know that prayers are being offered that we might all experience the treasure that is our families and that we also might find quiet and peace amidst the insanity of the season.

Might we all join in the angelic praise “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth, peace (and) goodwill towards men.”

Because, the story of God becoming man is what Christmas is all about, Charlie Brown.

Merry Christmas, friends!

My Christmas favorites are slightly different, preferring Bing and Danny, Rosemary and Vera of White Christmas over Ralphie of A Christmas Story.

Therefore, it follows that my choice for a favorite Christmas television show is similarly obscure. 

A Wish for Wings That Work brings the characters from Bloom County, Opus the Penguin and Bill the Cat into a Christmas tale of community (dysfunctional and odd though it may be) and redemption (strange as it might seem) to us.

I think this is one of the most beautifully illustrated cartoons, even if it is a story that involves hairballs and transvestite bugs.

This weekend, give yourself a happy 23 minute gift and view it all: Part Two, Part Three

Within the Miller clan, there are a few time honored traditions.  One involves sneaking a recently baked chocolate chip cookie into the stuffing inside a turkey.

Another involves a viewing of White Christmas.  It’s a musical connected to Christmastime.  Yet, I would contend that this is very much not a “chick flick,” but truly a guy movie.

It is a “buddy film” of two song-and-dance guys who, in the end, pay tribute to their former commanding officer from their war days. 

And, it has a slightly spiritual side to it as well.  Here is a simple little song, but one that has truth for us in tough times.

Count Your Blessings.

Yesterday, I went absolutely NO where, tried to walk to a nearby bank but it was closed. Otherwise, no hustle, bustle, or shopping, just chillin’ in some sweat all day

Yesterday, I did some cooking that had NO immediate purpose -  cookies for the holidays, waffles for Christmas morning.

Really, yesterday there was NOthing to really do, I caught myself napping a lot and was off to bed early.

This morning, I looked out the window to realize that NO more snow was falling, accumulating atop of the twenty-three inches that we received.  It might be the old paperboy in me, but I was the first to shovel out of the complex and I live in and hit the road.  NO longer were there gray skies, the sun was rising over the glistening snow.  NO one but the plows and paper deliverers were out on the roads.  The world was fresh and new and the journey into winter held NO disappointments of the past, NO barriers in the present, and NOthing but promise.

My youngest child, Meghan, turns 18 today.  It seems as if the family has now officially run out of kids.

(Beyond serving as the ingénue of this blog’s favorite viral video,)  Meghan is the sweetest kid that you ever wanted to know.  She is a good friend to her friends, the equally loving, admiring, and irritating baby sister to her siblings, and a great kid of whom any parent would be proud.

She has started her freshman year in college and all seems to be going well.  Updates are easy to come by via consistent phone calls and facebook postings and, from this week, a surprise visit while on vacation.

Meghan, I am so proud of who you have become and who you are still growing into who you will be.

Happy Birthday, Meghalegh!

Man, I needed that.

As reported last Friday, I departed a wonderful youth ministers’ retreat lead by Marilyn Santos and a snowstorm-y Baltimore and headed down to Daytona Beach for a few days.  My mom has a condo which is literally on the beach.

I had long nights of sleep, played some cards and was spoiled with some fine meals, read three books, sat and napped in the sun (last day… 87 degrees!), and, basically – - – totally vegged. (picture is the late afternoon view from “my chair.”)

On the last day, I gained a bonus day and took the opportunity to surprise the youngest daughter for a campus tour and a lunchtime run to Cold Stone Creamery which was one of those “rental car – some dollars, long drive – some hours, ice cream with daughter – - -  priceless” experiences.

Was back in the office yesterday with two out-of-office commutes (on a cloudy 41 degrees day) and one monstrous backlog of e-mail.

Vacation – - – Man, I needed that.