Make ICT is hosting a series of workshops on how to build a self balancing robot. Tonight from 7-9, no fee for members.

This weekend, January 7 & 8, enjoy Johnson’s Garden Center’s 25% off sale on their 5-step lawn care program.

Come Monday the 9th to Great Plains Nature Center’s Creature Feature: Water Critters. From 1-2 you can learn about invertebrates that hang out under our streams and creeks.

Starting tomorrow, Friday the 6th, enjoy 25% off all supplements at Whole Foods. Then Saturday the 7th, enjoy Juice Basics and Cleanses 101 class from 10-11. This is a free program, but you must reserve your spot here.

Did you know that, through January 16th, you get to waive the joiner fee at the YMCA? Great time for the whole family to get moving.

Tomorrow night, January 6th, from 6-8 come to a free City Arts 2017 Launch Party! Take a look at new gallery exhibits, experience classroom demos, and learn about the winter events and classes.

The Donut Whole is celebrating their 8th Anniversary. Read more about their shop here.

Here is the rest of the week’s ICT Pop-Up Urban Park food truck schedule.

Library:

Rockwell is hosting a Budgeting Basics 101 Workshop. The first session is this coming Tuesday, January 10th from 6-7:30. This is a free event but registration is required.

And next Wednesday is Westlink’s first Adult Coloring for the Fun of It of the new year. Come from 6-7:30. Bring your own supplies (or not – they will have stuff) and a friend and de-stress.

Check out all upcoming events and storytimes here.

Have a great weekend!

Rogue One

Happiness

Eating Healthy (anyone else?)

Millennium Falcon

Your 7 Days?

“When I heard these things, I sat down and wept. For some days I mourned and fasted and prayed before the God of heaven. Then I said:

‘O LORD, God of heaven, the great and awesome God, who keeps his covenant of love with those who love him and obey his commands, let your ear be attentive and your eyes open to hear the prayer your servant is praying before you day and night for your servants, the people of Israel.'”

Nehemiah 1:4-6a

When Nehemiah heard the report he sat down – yashab, to abide dwell – to palal – pray, intervene, intercede. He made it the new place to dwell: interceding for his brothers and sisters. He did this before (paneh) the face of the God of heaven. Who is frightening yet tender enough to shamar (bodyguard) His covenant with those who bodyguard His commands. He does this because of His hesed – unfailing love that, according to the NASB notes, is a “faithful love that honors a covenant through thick and thin.”

Honors a covenant through thick and thin. What a God.

This morning I dropped egg on the stove burner and it was smoky and stanky and I was crabby. Dan opened a window to alleviate the rank and it did. But what it left was inspiring to me: the shaft of light glistened on the residual smoke like a rainbow. Or dust flecks in the afternoon glimmer. A mistake turned into beauty.

Our brokenness transformed by love.

We took down Christmas décor this week and I have a new sign up in the entryway: Grace Changes Everything.

It does, friends. For every person we disagree with, let’s make our place to dwell in that relationship one of prayer. And believers, let’s fear our God of heaven in a good way. A way that desires to bodyguard His commands to His Bride. There is a way to do this in grace toward ourselves and each other. It’s hard to do it any other way when we’re dwelling in prayer. His Spirit makes it difficult to bash with Truth because we’re so deeply aware of our own need for grace.

Indeed, Grace changes everything.

A new round of Stay Strong, Stay Healthy classes is kicking off through the Sedgwick County Extension Office. This 8-week course is for ages 60+ and meets twice a week. Register here.

We have one more chance to join Winter Art Mania today at the Wichita Art Museum. Enjoy a fun movie, create a family masterpiece, and take a tour. Free from 11-3.

Did you know you can drop off your Christmas tree in the recycling area of Great Plains Nature Center’s parking lot? Your tree will be turned into garden mulch, free for the taking.

Kid at Heart admission is still going strong at Botanica. Come to Illuminations through tomorrow the 30th, and adults receive kids’ admission price with 2 canned good donations for the Kansas Food Bank. Last chance for Christmas Lights!

Marty Spence (of Songbird Juice Company fame) is hosting a Finding Real Foods Store Tour at Whole Foods Tuesday the 3rd from 5:30-6:00.

Final Friday at Reverie will feature local artist Rhonda Bunch-Davis. Come tomorrow, the 30th, from 6-8 pm for art & conversation.

Just so you know: The Donut Whole was listed in USA Today as most Instagrammed restaurants in Kansas. Not too shabby.

Library:

Read More Live More Adult Reading Program 2017. Their goal is fabulous: reading from authors or settings very different from you. Great way to learn and expand our horizons.

And don’t miss Ring in the Noon Day for those of us unable to stay up until midnight (ages 3-11). Register here for that party.

Happy, Happy New Year!

Christmas Eve cookies

Round One

Helping Grandma

Carols for the shut-ins

Peace

Great Grandma Love

Table setting

Round Two

Selfie Love

Round Three

It is well (via Six Clever Sisters)

New Game: “opening” a gift with pot holders.

It’s hard

Rudolph!

Your 7 Days? (I hope your Christmas was beautiful.)

“They said to me, ‘Those who survived the exile and are back in the province are in great trouble and disgrace. The wall of Jerusalem is broken down, and its gates have been burned with fire.'”

Nehemiah 1:3

Last time we looked in on the arrival of Nehemiah’s brothers coming from Judah. Nehemiah questions how the exiles in Jerusalem are and the state of the City.

The report is not good. The people are cherpah – a source of disgrace, scorn and shame. The wall is broken down – parats. Breached, dispersed. Not there. And the city gates? Yatsath – set aflame, burned.

There is a possibility the brothers from Judah are simply referring to the destruction King Neb wreaked way back during the Babylonian invasion. However, most scholars think it is referring to a different, much more recent incident when the exiles decided to begin work on rebuilding the walls.

Either way, the city is defenseless against enemies, the people feel disgraced, and there is no work being done to repair the damage.

How grateful are you that our God does not leave us here? He has done all the work to repair all the damage, starting with Christmas.

He takes away shame. He gathers His lambs in His arms; they will not be dispersed. He takes the ashes in our lives and redeems them for beauty and praise and purpose. He gives us work for our hands – work that brings dignity and restoration to our lives for the sake of others.

And He can set our hearts aflame for Him, His Word, and His glory.

Make it true of Your people this Christmas, LORD.

Tree Top has 50% off all things Christmas right now.

Have you been to Winter Wednesdays at the Zoo? Entrance is only $3 per person through February.

You can stop by now until January 3rd at Great Plains Nature Center for craft projects and animal programs. Next week, the 27th through 30th, you can see some favorite critters presented by a Naturalist at 1 pm. Free!

As seen at Spice Merchant

We have 3 more days left in 12 Days of Cheese at Whole Foods. Each day save 50% on a select cheese. Great way to try something new.

Tonight, December 22nd, from 5:30-8:30, come to Botanica for a Pony Tales Book Signing. All proceeds of the book go toward the restoration of the Joyland Merry-Go-Round into the Botanica Carousel (projected completion 2018). Great Christmas gift!

Have you been around to look at Christmas lights yet? Carolyn at Wichita on the Cheap has compiled a list of areas of note.

Food Truck schedule is up for ICT Pop-Up Urban Park for this week.
Library:

Paint a Present at Alford and make a New Years Hat at Comotara Branch

Seen at Seasonal Decorating

And don’t forget all locations will be closed December 24-26.

Have a wonderful Christmas!

The pull toward hibernation is real right now. With wintry blasts and less light, I want to huddle up with my family and only those within a several block radius and wait it out until spring. But I know that’s not what Christmas is about.

So the other part of me will stay diligent: preparing and praying for those we see on the streets in this cold. Deliberately seeking out those unlike our family. Reaching out to neighbors and strangers in stores and praying for those of other faiths living across the ocean.

I will stay connected to at least a majority of the news. Because what’s happening out there should affect our family in here.

And with every present we wrap and cozy blanket we snuggle, I will remember those without. Not because it will ruin our Christmas, but precisely because it will flesh it out. He came. He chose to come. He left everything and came down to little, to limitations, to temptation and hunger and famine and war. He made His bed in our mess and stayed until it was finished.

Merry Christmas Week from our family to yours. Let Earth receive her King.

He is worthy.

“…while I was in the citadel of Susa, Hanani, one of my brothers, came from Judah with some other men, and I questioned them about the Jewish remnant that survived the exile, and also about Jerusalem.”

Nehemiah 1:2

We join back up with our new leader, Nehemiah, in verse 2 today. We know he’s in Susa, the capitol of the Persian Empire. Now we get to peek in on some of his visitors: Hanani and other men from Judah.

Nehemiah introduces Hanani as his brother – ach. The word can mean an actual blood brother. It is also “used in the widest sense of…metaphorical affinity…kindred.” Basically, this could easily be a friend and fellow Judah-ite (Jew).

I’m curious about Nehemiah’s inquiry. Surely he had heard of the first wave of exiles and the completed temple. And it would be hard to imagine he didn’t know about the current wave of exiles who had returned and the marriage reform Ezra led. Perhaps he is like us and there are 12 years of silence we don’t know about. He wants to know about the remnant – shaar – and the matter hovering over Jerusalem.

So he asks his brother.

I’ve been thinking about the Church lately. In our harsh and divided national climate, yes, but also on the world scene. Believers – those of affinity to one another because of His blood – all over the planet showing up to wage a peaceful war against hate and injustice and oppression. May we be of a kindred heart right now. Not because we are all blood related or politically similar, but because we are allies crowded in a stable this winter, longing to know the Christ child better.

Surely a God born closer to hay and manure than comfort and opulence can handle our mess. And He can unite those starkly unlike us until we start to resemble each other. Because we are starting to resemble Him. The One who promised the whole world will know we belong to this God-Man when we love each other.

Each of us exiles in a world that’s not our Home.

Wichita Art Museum’s Winter WAM-za at 10:00 and 1:30 today, December 15th. This is a free program, but you do need to register here.

Are you remembering free horse-drawn carriage rides at Bradley Fair? Every Friday and Saturday night up to Christmas.

How about Illuminations at Botanica? Some helpful tips here.

RSVP here for the free Seafood Seminar at Whole Foods this Saturday the 17th from 3-4. Learn how to prepare tasty seafood chowder.

This Saturday the 17th, get some shopping done while your kids get crafting at the Parents Shop/Kids Create workshop at City Arts. Kids can enjoy a full or half day of crafting fun. (And get a Gift Certificate for the art lover in your life.)

The Franklin Falconettes Honor Choir will be at Mead’s Corner tonight from 7-8.

Santa Stu visits Reverie this Saturday. Come from 4-5 for photos and storytime (and coffeee). Also next Wednesday the 21st enjoy Cookie Decorating for Kids.

Our Kansas Grown Farmers Market is making an appearance this Saturday the 17th.  Enjoy their Indoor Holiday Market with over 50 vendors from 8-noon.

Library:

The Library has your back during Winter Break, friends. See all upcoming events here.

Have a wonderful weekend!