Coatless in Seattle

It snowed last night! It gets really cold in Seattle only a couple of times a year for those of us who live indoors with a heater. Like today--the 1-3 inches of snow is beautiful--we defrost our car windows and rejoice in the rare winter wonderland. We got out the snow clothes and the kids rampaged around the yard, oblivious to their red cheeks and noses and the biting cold.

There are 1000's of our friends and neighbors however, like the good people served by Seattle's Union Gospel Mission, www.ugm.org, who are truly freezing tonight. Emergency shelters like the City Hall building and others lay mats on the floor with no blankets for the people dealing with homelessness, but there are still plenty of folks outdoors. Operation Nightwatch http://www.seattlenightwatch.org/ will serve 100's of hot meals this weekend at about 10 pm, and UGM will serve a hot breakfast about 7am, but that's a long interval to attempt to stay warm, safe, and dry--something most of us take for granted.

I'm off to a Christmas party where over 100 of our church family will get all dressed up and enjoy each other's company by a roaring fire with great snacks and live music. I'm looking forward to it. But I also think about a family far from home, traveling on foot, lacking medical care, having a baby in a barn, and soon thereafter fleeing as refugees to a different continent. I wonder who met their needs? I wonder who invited them in out of the cold? I wonder who cooked dinner and bought diapers? I wonder if we could help, here in Seattle, or wherever you are...

What do you do about dark city streets?

A wise Jewish Carpenter once told his followers: "You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven."

Just as Seattle cannot be hidden at night because of its many lights, so also we are to live in a way that brings light to dark places in our schools, workplaces, and neighborhoods. Who is lonely? Who is in pain? Who needs a kind word or a visit or an invitation? Let your light shine, and begin to practice your own dance!

I thought dancing was wrong...

Hello friends. Dancing was frowned upon in my family and church growing up, but I've grown to appreciate the physical skills, movement subtle and sudden, and energy required by many types of classical and modern dance. While I'm not "in da club" on Friday nights, I am trying to be led by my dance partner for life, mostly subtly but sometimes suddenly through the streets of our fair and not so fair city. In this BLOG I'd like to attempt to chronicle my steps as I follow His lead.

This morning I was dragged along by Saucy, our one year old mongrel, 5 miles from my house around spectacular Seward Park and back in 54 minutes of limping, huffing, and efforts to keep Saucy from jumping on other dogs, humans, or cats. I increased my sunburn and made an inital step towards preparing for our Seattle's Union Gospel Mission Hope Run and Walk coming up October 4. I'm dragging now but hope to be dancing by then.