Celebrate - Live It!

The Twelve Days of Christmas were alive and celebrated in our home until Friday, the a.m. of Epiphany, when as we Christians like to recognize the wise men of the East finally arriving to see the blessed child and his family in their humble stable surroundings - thus ending our Christmas time expectation season of the holy birth. 

At our house, the decorative outdoor lights are now down, the Christmas tree is poking out of its "too small" box in the garage, the creche Penguins (oh yes, it's quite cute that scene of the blessed penguin mother with the baby Jesus peeking from underneath her robe), the more grand and formal creche now miraculously packed in its styrofoam forms and boxes.  I say miraculously as each year when I prepare to return the figures to their places for storage I'm certain there's no way these things will ever conform to the styrofoam formed places from whence they came!  I usually call up my childhood habit of "speaking" to inanimate objects as I promise the creche figures and crystal angels that the year will fly by and that they'll be out of their boxes again very soon.

It was a very nice holiday season for us - though we missed our kids being here, and other assorted in-laws and outlaws unable to travel - still a blessed time for us.  We recalled and recounted the Christmases where and when we've been together and marveled at how fast the time of our lives has flown by.  It's not sadness or regret, but blessings that we recalled.

And now the year 2012 - a date in time we could have only laughed at as children - so far away, a time for really, really old people to be living......surely we would never be old, even if we lived until 2012! 

So with joy and eagerness we/I greet this new year.  Yoga classes are under way, invigorating training runs are happening about two times a week, Renovare get-togethers resume, as do Board committee meetings, a family wedding in Minneaplis soon to be celebrated, warm sandy beaches of Maui on the horizon, an e-workshop with "clarity" as its goal, the Seattle Rock n Roll Half Marathon, another one woman show, an Encaustic week long workshop, the Senior Games in Utah, a trip to Italy and a cruise, and oh, the wonder of all things to come yet unnamed or unimagined........2012 is going to be a great year!!  I plan to Celebrate and to Live It!!

Remembrance and rejoicing - yep, I'm pretty sure!

This is the first year in several years that we've put up a tree and/or really done much Christmas decorating at all.  Since retiring we've often been traveling or celebrated Christmas outside of our home.  I kind of resisted the whole decoration idea again this year but decided that since we will be entertaining family and friends over the holidays, it would be a nice thing to do:) - for them and for us.

A medium sized tree now sits decorated in our living room a-swirl with memories built into each ornament.....-handcrafted (my hands) Chrismons of white and gold pearl, along with cross stitching, church bazaar wooden handmade/hand painted animals; little bells, animals and photos gathered over the years as gifts and remembrances of our children's childhoods, a Christmas ball that plays young voices saying Merry Christmas Grandma and Grandpa, needlepoint decorations made by a beloved Grandmother now gone - all the Grandmothers and Grandfathers now gone, the aunts and uncles that always gave us gifts, they're gone too.

Ornaments for the animals - a Sheltie and a Westie - our beloved Sheltie Andy is gone this year, Riley still keeps us laughing but typically when remembering it's easy to slip into imagining how it will feel when he's gone too.........memories of Kat Mandu and gorilla man Sam slip into my mind as well.

But enough lumps in the throat - how about a little Christmas music - WHY did I think buying an album of Michael Buble crooning holiday songs would be fun?  I felt like weeping for one reason or another as each one came up - "I'll be Home for Christmas" - "It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas" - "I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas" - oh my goodness White Christmas reminds me of high school assemblies with us dreamily singing and all swaying together in our best Bing Crosby style!!

This a.m. stating/questioning loudly(?) or perhaps too "enthusiastically" to my husband (poor man) is how can I feel low this time of year?  I who have so much to give thanks for, I that have help in preparations, I that still have a mate strong and loving, I that still have children and grandchildren that I adore, I that have a beautiful home and on and on and on...........NOT TO MENTION or forget, I that still believe there was a Christ born on some unknown date 2000+ years ago - I that take comfort in knowing there is a loving God - how can I feel low????

This is to say that with all good intentions and desires to be in the present and to only think of the birth of Christ, human life gets in the way and there's a LOT of sadness surrounding my desire to "celebrate Christmas."  It might have been perfect when I was 10, or under, maybe or under was the best - but now I know that there are too many people pretending to be happy, too many families living in poverty and sorrow, too many old people alone and afraid - and if I possess a little decency, those issues and people cannot be just swept under the proverbial rug.  Remembering often and helping others where I can - maybe, probably, I'm pretty sure - that's the rejoicing that Jesus would have me do! Yep, I think so, yep, I'm pretty sure!

Ads and Advent

Image by Per Ola Wiberg ~ Powi via Flickr

Being away from the MindSieve for nearly 2 months now, it's a bit daunting to return, yet the decision has been made and you'll note by my new headline quote, I'm expecting the universe's cooperation in validating my decision.

Three plugs from me today -

1. For quality of life, decision making, personal empowerment and by the way - weight loss, click on the Tonya Leigh link in the right hand column of the MindSieve site - an amazing young talent you won't want to miss!

2. Looking or not for a place certain to draw your mind and heart into the upcoming Advent and Christmas season, please click on the link provided here for - 

Birthing the Holy: A Creative Online Journey through Advent and Christmas (11/28 thru 1/9/11)

3. Holiday shopping made easy - click here:
Episcopal Relief and Development
Mercy Corps 

See you tomorrow with more thoughts about these tips!

MERRY CHRISTMAS

Image via Wikipedia

A very Merry Christmas to you all
May the peace and love of God's coming among us
be manifest in our lives this day
Amen

It's that stewardship thing again

Image via Wikipedia

In the 4th Thursday of Advent, one of the readings is I Samuel 1:24-28, describing Hannah's rejoicing in the birth of her child and of his weaning; whereupon she took him to the temple along with sacrifices and offerings - giving thanks for the blessing of his birth and her vow to dedicate his life and service to the Lord.

Ever thankful for what the Lord had bestowed upon her, she was bound to give back in kind. It's that stewardship thing again. I guess in Advents past I have never noticed the strong stewardship theme. I expect it's been there all along but that window or eye has been open for me this season.

How about you this Advent season or if you don't celebrate Advent, how about just this season of the year in relation to the holiday that you and your family or just you may be honoring? Any new insites? Would love to hear them but also I realize the time is packed with so many chores, and fun, and events that I may not receive any answers or even any readers - matters not - have a wonderful holiday season and know that in God's time you have read this before the holiday even began...........ponder that.

Is your soul in the crowd?

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Are you one of the passengers in an over-packed midtown holiday subway? Office workers, turned shoppers on the way home, mooshing, crunching, disagreeably bumping against each other. Standing so close to one another, cushioned by briefcases, warm coats, a Bloomingdale's shopping bag or two, earbuds pulsing music guaranteeing the separation and the ever so slim chance of inadvertent recognition of any other human beings present. Are you standing in that crowd?

Breathing the same air, hearing the same irritating noises, volumes too high thump, thumping, and bleating the high c's, cellphone conversations too intimate for company, all the while using trick filters to avoid eye contact or facial expression. Truly not seeing one another? Your earbuds, perhaps?

The souls, how about the souls, where are they? Do they feel crowded? Are they there in the space, standing in the bags, bumpering the turn of the car, standing on shoulders and chatting with one another. Do they touch each other and live in peace in spite of the filters of boredom and disinterest displayed on their occupants' faces? Do they wonder at the humans' refusal to join in the celebration they share with their fellow souls?

As the doors zoom open, and the crushing crowds clamor on to the platform, intent on their individual destinations, do the souls high-five and wave good-bye all the while wishing each other Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Shalom? Are there souls left on the platform or on the train by accident, what a shame if they are. Though not for a second or even a moment, should one fear; no matter the disguise, the outward appearance, ethnic persuasion, or social milieu, the soul knows its body and will follow it home - more faithful than a puppy, more diligently, accurately, targeting one's whereabouts than a GPS, all the while, patiently waiting for recognition.

Will this be the year you recognize the joy that wants to be celebrated by your soul? May it be so - let the souls rejoice and sing so loud they can't be ignored - Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Shalom!

The throat thing

No, I'm not referring to that scratch in the back of your throat that you're praying is NOT the flu, or a sore throat, or a cold coming on (heaven forbid!) but that welling at the Lessons and Carols event as the choir surpassed your expectations, or at the Children's Pageant where the rowdiest of the rowdies were coaxed into costumes and managed to look heavenly, or at the children building "Hansel and Gretel" houses -not to be confused with gingerbread houses- this morning at the YWCA - THAT'S the welling of which I speak now and last week in another post.

In response to that last week's post of poignant events and life's tragedies that we face at this time of supposed happiness in our lives, I received some wonderful comments. One now I share with you from a blogger friend, whom I'm hopeful will rejoice in my sharing it with you -

"......welling in the throat and the water in the eyes, this is just the spirit growing too large to be contained."

I believe that to be so although I had never thought of it in those words. May your welling and water be those of joy this season and may God's Holy Spirit comfort you if those wellings and waters come from a tragedy of your own or from the tragedy of others.

Photo Sunrise Sister - Hansel and Gretel houses are constructed with a graham cracker base rather than gingerbread:)

Gabriel and Mary

Image via Wikipedia

Reading a lovely story over at Lucy's place this last week, I was inwardly encouraged to share a small story bouncing around in my heard for a while; it might be categorized more as a myth or a tale or even a fantasy........my story -

His name was Gabriel and he was the most honored and powerful angel in that far off and wonderful place called heaven. Gabriel had been in heaven so many years that even he couldn't remember so occasionally he liked to go "on assignment" to explore more of what was happening outside of heaven. However, this latest assignment was beginning to be a bit more difficult than he expected and he was eager to return home.

The assignment had been explicit but never having dealt much with teenage maidens he had no idea the single-mindedness nor self-centered young women he might encounter while carrying out his sacred duty.

He had visited several young girls in the evenings just prior to their extinguishing the last candle; seemed like a good time, but many of them never even noticed his presence and gave no thought to kneeling in prayer prior to the whoosh of their candle. They just plumped on their beds, mostly dreaming of the young boys they had seen in the marketplace, and the good looking shepherd boys that would soon be returning with their flocks - so rugged, so handsome, so, so, so really cute! Gabriel was astonished at the thoughts running through these girls' heads.

After trying to meet the girls face on and having no luck, Gabriel had resorted to consulting with the girls' mothers; most of the mothers, if they even recognized his presence, just flat out said, "no way, no how - they would not consider such a fate for their daughter. Out of wedlock, God's child, no husband, no dowry, no donkeys - what was with that?! " "Oh God," cried out old Gabe, "are you sure you want to do this?" He truly expected no answer to his prayer as he had volunteered when the boss laid out the plan. What had he been thinking?!

He only had one more day to interview, enlist, bribe, entreat some maiden into being a part of the plan. He had heard at the well that the young girl Mary was a level-headed, devout young woman of character and honor. Raised well by her mother, Mary already was engaged to a respectable young man named Joseph. The engagement might be a problem but perhaps he could persuade Joseph to be a part of the plan as well. At any rate, this Mary was the one, he just knew she was the one so he set out to meet her.

Well, I could go on with my story but mine may bring a version you're more familiar with in Luke 1:26-35 to mind; you may actually remember how that Holy Bible version ends. A far more eminent author and storyteller than I, has a bit of a story of his own about Gabriel and Mary's perhaps actual meeting; I close with it here now and for you to see someday for yourself in a charming book entitled, Peculiar Treasures - by Frederick Buechner, page 39.

"She struck the angel Gabriel as hardly old enough to have a child at all, let alone this child, but he'd been entrusted with a message to give her, and he gave it.

He told her what the child was to be named, and who he was to be, and something about the mystery that was to come upon her. "You mustn't be afraid, Mary," he said.

As he said it, he only hoped she wouldn't notice that beneath the great, golden wings he himself was trembling with fear to think that the whole future of creation hung now on the answer of a girl."


Photo from Wikipedia - 12th Century Icon of Archangel Gabriel

How about a mosquito net or a goat?

Tonight I was going over the Christmas list, checking it twice and feeling a bit overwhelmed with trying to buy gifts for people who have so many gifts in their lives already it's unbelievable - I decided I needed a break and instead went for the small pile of accumulating bills and along with online banking took a minute to dispense with that; then I began to process the money requests from charities. In addition to and after our local gifting, one of our favorite international charities surfaced quickly - Episcopal Relief and Development.

It didn't take me long at all to realize that some of the dollars, maybe not all, but some of the dollars that would have been spent on frivolous items to be opened and tossed aside quickly, are going to be sent from us in the name of friends and family. Who cannot want to contribute to the micro-loans that give women (and men) in poor and desolate countries, the chance of a lifetime to start their small businesses, or the idea that anyone in this world is going without clean water or that children and babies are contracting malaria when a $10.00 contribution will buy them a mosquito net. I could go on but you get the picture. Isn't there some favorite charity that could use your $10.00 or $25.00 or even $100.00 contribution to make this world a better place? It probably beats the heck out of those sweater vests you're going to send your grandchildren that they'll never wear!!!

Do you have a favorite charity to which you're donating this year? I know Tess and Mary and Kigen are keen on this idea - how about you?

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It's beginning to look......

It's beginning to look a lot like a White Christmas.....















REMEMBER HOW EASILY WE USED TO BE ENTERTAINED???? MERRY CHRISTMAS!!