I'll be home for Christmas

I watched Crossroads with Joss Stone and LeAnn Rimes a couple weeks ago, and since then I've been really into Joss Stone. I keep listening to her videos on Youtube while I'm working, and I'm not quite sure why.

Tomorrow morning I'm on my way home to Frederick for Christmas, so I've been finishing up all those last-minute things at home tonight. The last two trips I took, seemed incredibly organized - I was ready to go when I wanted to, and had everything that I needed to. Hopefully this one will be the same.

Two very good friends of mine are firefighters. I admire the work they do, and had you asked me earlier today if there job was dangerous, I would have said, "Of course." But today, a fire at a church in Old Towne Portsmouth reminded me just how true that is.

I heard about the fire at lunch, but as often happens when I get caught up in my own little world, I didn't even put it together that if there was a fire, especially of that size, there's a good chance Hannibal and/or Robbie was fighting it. It wasn't until I read Nick's blog entry, and then later talked to Heather, that I put it together.

In this case, Hannibal was one of a team of firefighters sent into the church, to see if the homeless that often sleep there had gotten out. While inside, they heard the building about to collapse around them, dropped their gear, and got out of there. He's fine, as is Robbie, who was fighting the fire on the next shift today.

Tomorrow I will drive to Frederick to spend the next several days in close quarters with people who can inspire more love and frustration in me than anyone else in my life. We'll celebrate family and each other, and the birth of a Savior who came into the muck of our world to pursue us. Somehow, it seems fitting that today, I'm reminded of just how fleeting life is.