Luke 1:78-79: Through the tender mercy of our God; whereby the dayspring from on high hath visited us, to give light to them that is in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.

This is a beautiful, beautiful thought. Our Sunday School quarterly said that the idea of the “dayspring from on high” refers to the early morning sun rising over the mountains around Jerusalem.

So, just think about it. The world, cloaked in shadows for thousands of years, was about to be visited with a new, brilliant light. For millenia, people--even God's people--dimly groped for the glimmer of hope that they knew was there for them. And then the dayspring from on high changed all that. When Jesus was born, it was as if a new day had dawned on humanity. A brand new, brilliant day.

And as we were discussing this in Sunday School, the rain had stopped and the clouds parted enough for the sun to shine through, a glimmering reminder of this very fact.

I’m thinking of experimenting with a beard. Not that I like beards, generally I’m not a fan, so if I did it would be just to see what it was like, and I’m pretty sure it wouldn’t last very long. Maybe I’ll go back to the little scruff goatee thingy. Whatever.

No, no, I don't think so. A beard? Byran? Uh-uh. That's scary.

Maybe I’ll shift (vroom, vroom) into philosophical mode here in the next few weeks, as my days will partially be consumed with that bastion of intellectual stimulation, the pellet mill.

I’ll certainly read more.