Wednesday, December 26, 2007
Christmas
Thank you all for posting during Advent. Perhaps we can do it again next year. I hope you all had a great Christmas!
Saturday, December 22, 2007
Saturday, December 22, 2007
Today’s reading quotes Mary: “My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, he has looked with favor on the lowliness of his servant. Surely from now on all generations will call me blessed; for the Mighty one has done great things for me, and holy is his name.” Luke 1:46
I have also loved this quote because Mary has modeled for us what humility REALLY is. Instead of denying her gifts as a form of being humble, she acknowledges them and gives God the credit.
Activity: Think of a special ability or talent you possess. Thank God for that strength or blessing and find a way to share that gift. Now that’s humility Mary-style!
I have also loved this quote because Mary has modeled for us what humility REALLY is. Instead of denying her gifts as a form of being humble, she acknowledges them and gives God the credit.
Activity: Think of a special ability or talent you possess. Thank God for that strength or blessing and find a way to share that gift. Now that’s humility Mary-style!
Thursday, December 20, 2007
The Serb Christmas for the Christian Orthodox comes two weeks later than Christmas for Roman Catholics. Serbs don't celebrate Christmas on December 25th like most of us. Instead, they celebrate Christmas on January 7th.These differences are because the Serbs follow the Julian calendar for holidays and cultural festivities instead of the Gregorian calendar. The Gregorian reformation of the calendar came into force in 1582. It made corrections to the Julian calendar. Like everybody else, Serbia fully accepted the new calendar, but all of their holidays are still celebrated according to the Julian calendar.
On January 6, the day before Christmas, the Serbs celebrate Badnje Vece. The Serbs prepare badnjak (yule log) in advance. The name for their Christmas Eve actually got its name from the badnjak tree. Badnjak trees are some kind of Oak tree. It is a custom that the father and the oldest son of a household go out in the morning on January 6 and search for the right badnjak. When it is found they return to the house and knock on the door. The mother opens the door. They enter in the house saying to the mother, "Welcome to you Badnje Vece!" They take the Badnjak to the fireplace and place it on the fire to augur good fortune. Serbs put coins, walnuts, almonds, and dry figs around the fireplace to represent the connection with earth. This could also be a gift for the children. The traditional January 6th supper for Serbs is a religious dietary meal. The meal consists of baked beans, fish, dried figs, dried plums and apples. At the end of the supper, the table with the left over food, is covered with a tablecloth until Christmas morning. It is a belief that during the night the spirits of the dead come to eat the food left for them. This way, Christmas Eve has the character of All Souls' Day. Before going to bed it is very important for the Serbs to cover the badnjak with hot ash so that it will burn slowly to the following morning.
On Christmas morning, the first person that enters the home is called polozajnik. This person should stoke the fire in the fireplace and say the following: "How many sparks, that much sheep. How many sparks, that much money. How many sparks, that much health!" After this the polozajnik is offered the black wine and zito, which is a boiled wheat Christmas specialty.
On Christmas day lunch gets underway earlier than usual, but last longer. The menu contains many foods. People don’t hand out any presents but they need to spend the whole day with their family.
On January 6, the day before Christmas, the Serbs celebrate Badnje Vece. The Serbs prepare badnjak (yule log) in advance. The name for their Christmas Eve actually got its name from the badnjak tree. Badnjak trees are some kind of Oak tree. It is a custom that the father and the oldest son of a household go out in the morning on January 6 and search for the right badnjak. When it is found they return to the house and knock on the door. The mother opens the door. They enter in the house saying to the mother, "Welcome to you Badnje Vece!" They take the Badnjak to the fireplace and place it on the fire to augur good fortune. Serbs put coins, walnuts, almonds, and dry figs around the fireplace to represent the connection with earth. This could also be a gift for the children. The traditional January 6th supper for Serbs is a religious dietary meal. The meal consists of baked beans, fish, dried figs, dried plums and apples. At the end of the supper, the table with the left over food, is covered with a tablecloth until Christmas morning. It is a belief that during the night the spirits of the dead come to eat the food left for them. This way, Christmas Eve has the character of All Souls' Day. Before going to bed it is very important for the Serbs to cover the badnjak with hot ash so that it will burn slowly to the following morning.
On Christmas morning, the first person that enters the home is called polozajnik. This person should stoke the fire in the fireplace and say the following: "How many sparks, that much sheep. How many sparks, that much money. How many sparks, that much health!" After this the polozajnik is offered the black wine and zito, which is a boiled wheat Christmas specialty.
On Christmas day lunch gets underway earlier than usual, but last longer. The menu contains many foods. People don’t hand out any presents but they need to spend the whole day with their family.
Saturday, December 15, 2007
That Christmas feeling
Since I was a little girl, I have loved Christmas. The magic that it brings to our daily lives, the classic carols that are sung on every Christmas album from Burl Ives to the newest American Idol, and the homes that are decorated with twinkling lights and figurines. It is the one time of year that we look at the people in our lives with a childlike twinkle in our eyes and regardless of the past see a kinship that unites us as friends with a common goal, joy! Whether that joy comes from hearing reindeer hooves on your rooftop, retelling the story of the little baby in a manger or sharing what wonders are in your life with someone less fortunate than you, we all strive for that feeling. You know the one, where your eyes tear up and your breathe catches in your throat and you catch yourself smiling as if you know a wonderful secret that no one else knows. My wish this year is that every one I love knows that joy many times between now and the years to come.
Activity: Think back on a specific moment in your life that brought you joy, forget all the day in day out stress and let that moment carry you through the day with peace and love.
Activity: Think back on a specific moment in your life that brought you joy, forget all the day in day out stress and let that moment carry you through the day with peace and love.
Wednesday, December 12, 2007
Active Waiting
We all know the story – the angel Gabriel appears to Mary and tells her that she is going to have a baby whose “…kingdom there will be no end.” [Luke 1.33]
If I was Mary, I would have been like “Whoa angel, where did you come from, and, uh, I think you’re looking for that guy” where I would have pointed to Joseph. I’d be a mess! Can you imagine - an angel appearing and telling you something that didn’t make sense? Maybe not unlike me, Mary might have been a little confused. She is described as being “…greatly troubled at what was said…” [Luke 1.29]
As anxious as she may have been, as troubled as she may have been, as curious as she may have been at what the angel told her, Mary took the plunge. “Be it done unto me according to thy word.” [Luke 1.38]
And then she is left to wait. 9 months. Knowing that she is going to have a baby that an angel said would be “great” and would be called “Son of the Most High” [Luke 1.32] That would be a tough waiting game!
Like Mary, we are continually waiting. Some of the things for which we wait are more defined – while in high school, we await graduation. While at work, we await our vacation. But many things, maybe even some of the most important things we await (like for Mary), are less concrete in that the destination is unclear or the timeline is impossible to know. And that can make us anxious.
Will I stay in this job forever? Will I get married? Will I have children? Will I stay healthy? How long will I live? And so on…
My uncle has a sign over the entrance to his kitchen that says “Blessed are those who take joy in the journey.” As we continue on our journey, may we “actively wait” to uncover our destinations.
Active waiting, to me, means two things:
- faithfully and confidently going through life trying to do the best with what we’ve been given, and
- trying to grow in self-awareness so that we can recognize and seize better opportunities to do God’s will.
As Karol Wojtyla wrote in 1956, years before he became Pope John Paul II, “…life is a constant development toward that which is better, more perfect – if there is no stagnation within us.” [p102 Witness to Hope by George Weigel] Stagnation, to me, is passive waiting. The opposite would be “active waiting.”
Mary’s leap of faith with the angel Gabriel provides a great example for us – active waiting, by knowing that we are doing our best to fulfill God’s will, is more important than knowing or understanding our destination. May we all, then, follow Mary’s lead, even if it means “taking a plunge of faith”, and actively wait…
If I was Mary, I would have been like “Whoa angel, where did you come from, and, uh, I think you’re looking for that guy” where I would have pointed to Joseph. I’d be a mess! Can you imagine - an angel appearing and telling you something that didn’t make sense? Maybe not unlike me, Mary might have been a little confused. She is described as being “…greatly troubled at what was said…” [Luke 1.29]
As anxious as she may have been, as troubled as she may have been, as curious as she may have been at what the angel told her, Mary took the plunge. “Be it done unto me according to thy word.” [Luke 1.38]
And then she is left to wait. 9 months. Knowing that she is going to have a baby that an angel said would be “great” and would be called “Son of the Most High” [Luke 1.32] That would be a tough waiting game!
Like Mary, we are continually waiting. Some of the things for which we wait are more defined – while in high school, we await graduation. While at work, we await our vacation. But many things, maybe even some of the most important things we await (like for Mary), are less concrete in that the destination is unclear or the timeline is impossible to know. And that can make us anxious.
Will I stay in this job forever? Will I get married? Will I have children? Will I stay healthy? How long will I live? And so on…
My uncle has a sign over the entrance to his kitchen that says “Blessed are those who take joy in the journey.” As we continue on our journey, may we “actively wait” to uncover our destinations.
Active waiting, to me, means two things:
- faithfully and confidently going through life trying to do the best with what we’ve been given, and
- trying to grow in self-awareness so that we can recognize and seize better opportunities to do God’s will.
As Karol Wojtyla wrote in 1956, years before he became Pope John Paul II, “…life is a constant development toward that which is better, more perfect – if there is no stagnation within us.” [p102 Witness to Hope by George Weigel] Stagnation, to me, is passive waiting. The opposite would be “active waiting.”
Mary’s leap of faith with the angel Gabriel provides a great example for us – active waiting, by knowing that we are doing our best to fulfill God’s will, is more important than knowing or understanding our destination. May we all, then, follow Mary’s lead, even if it means “taking a plunge of faith”, and actively wait…
Tuesday, December 11, 2007
Christmas Jingles
Christmas Jingles
“…yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will be joyful in God, my savior.”
Habakkuk 3:18
As you read my blog, I need you to hum my personal version of ‘have a holly jolly Christmas’. If you would like, I can personally serenade you as you read this blog.
On to the message of the season…Christmas songs are everywhere- on the radio, in the grocery store, in the elevator, even in commercials!
It is easy to take their message for granted or even get tired of hearing another version (my version) of ‘Joy to the World’.
But, we cannot even BEGIN to comprehend the music of the first Christmas and the excitement that went with it. It began with a chorus of angels singing to a few shepherds on the hillside, “Glory to God in the highest!” Luke 2:14. After hearing the good news, the shepherds were so ecstatic that they ran! “They ran to the village and found their way to Mary and Joseph…They told every what had happened and what the angel has said to them about this child.” Luke 2:16-17
They were excited beyond containment! Is our joy uncontainable? Let us pray to be overflowing with joy so we can carol it to the world!
And always, I AM TAKING REQUESTS!!!!
Family Activity: Call a family member or friend who lives far away or is alone, and sing a Christmas carol to him or her just as the angels did for the shepherd and I unselfishly do for you each day!!!
Monday, December 10, 2007
December 8th, 2007
"Take my Son"
A wealthy man and his son loved to collect rare works of art. They had everything in their collection, from Picasso to Raphael. They would often sit together and admire the great works of art.
When the Vietnam conflict broke out, the son went to war. He was very courageous and died in battle while rescuing another soldier. The father was notified an d grieved deeply for his only son.
About a month later, just before Christmas, there was a knock at the door. A young man stood at the door with a large package in his hands.
He said, "Sir, you don't know me, but I am the soldier for whom your son gave his life. He saved many lives that day, and he was carrying me to safety when a bullet struck him in the heart and he died instantly. He often talked about you, and your love for art." The young man held out this package. "I know this isn't much. I'm not really a great artist, but I think your son would have wanted you to have this."
The father opened the package. It was a portrait of his son, painted by the young man. He stared in awe at the way the soldier had captured the personality of his son in the painting. The father was so drawn to the eyes that his own eyes welled up with tears. He thanked the young man and offered to pay him for the picture. "Oh, no sir, I could never repay what your son did for me. It's a gift."
The father hung the portrait over his mantle. Every time visitors came to his home he took them to see the portrait of his son before he showed them any of the other great works he had collected.
The man died a few months later. There was to be a great auction of his paintings Many influential people gathered, excited over seeing the great paintings and having an opportunity to purchase one for their collection.
On the platform sat the painting of the son The auctioneer pounded his gavel. "We will start the bidding with this picture of the son. Who will bid for this picture?"
There was silence.
Then a voice in the back of the room shouted, "We want to see the famous paintings. Skip this one."
But the auctioneer persisted. "Will somebody bid for this painting Who will start the bidding? $100, $200?"
Another voice angrily. "We didn't come to see this painting. We came to see the Van Goghs, the Rembrandts. Get on with the real bids!"
But still the auctioneer continued. "The son! The son! Who'll take the son?"
Finally, a voice came from the very back of the room. It was the longtime gardener of the man and his son. "I'll give $10 for the painting." Being a poor man, it was all he could afford.
"We have $10, who will bid $20?"
"Give it to him for $10. Let's see the masters."
"$10 is the bid, won't someone bid $20?"
The crowd was becoming angry. They didn't want the picture of the son.
They wanted the more worthy investments for their collections.
The auctioneer pounded the gavel. "Going once, twice, SOLD for $10!"
A man sitting on the second row shouted, "Now let's get on with the collection!"
The auctioneer laid down his gavel. "I'm sorry, the auction is over."
"What about the paintings?"
"I am sorry. When I was called to conduct this auction, I was told of a secret stipulation in the will. I was not allowed to reveal that stipulation until this time. Only the painting of the son would be auctioned. Whoever bought that painting would inherit the entire estate, including the paintings.
The man who took the son gets everything!"
God gave His son 2,000 years ago to die on the cross. Much like the auctioneer, His message today is: "The son, the son, who'll take the son?"
Because, you see, whoever takes the Son gets everything.
FOR GOD SO LOVED THE WORLD HE GAVE HIS ONLY BEGOTTEN SON, WHO SO EVER BELIEVETH, SHALL HAVE ETERNAL LIFE...THAT'S LOVE
When the Vietnam conflict broke out, the son went to war. He was very courageous and died in battle while rescuing another soldier. The father was notified an d grieved deeply for his only son.
About a month later, just before Christmas, there was a knock at the door. A young man stood at the door with a large package in his hands.
He said, "Sir, you don't know me, but I am the soldier for whom your son gave his life. He saved many lives that day, and he was carrying me to safety when a bullet struck him in the heart and he died instantly. He often talked about you, and your love for art." The young man held out this package. "I know this isn't much. I'm not really a great artist, but I think your son would have wanted you to have this."
The father opened the package. It was a portrait of his son, painted by the young man. He stared in awe at the way the soldier had captured the personality of his son in the painting. The father was so drawn to the eyes that his own eyes welled up with tears. He thanked the young man and offered to pay him for the picture. "Oh, no sir, I could never repay what your son did for me. It's a gift."
The father hung the portrait over his mantle. Every time visitors came to his home he took them to see the portrait of his son before he showed them any of the other great works he had collected.
The man died a few months later. There was to be a great auction of his paintings Many influential people gathered, excited over seeing the great paintings and having an opportunity to purchase one for their collection.
On the platform sat the painting of the son The auctioneer pounded his gavel. "We will start the bidding with this picture of the son. Who will bid for this picture?"
There was silence.
Then a voice in the back of the room shouted, "We want to see the famous paintings. Skip this one."
But the auctioneer persisted. "Will somebody bid for this painting Who will start the bidding? $100, $200?"
Another voice angrily. "We didn't come to see this painting. We came to see the Van Goghs, the Rembrandts. Get on with the real bids!"
But still the auctioneer continued. "The son! The son! Who'll take the son?"
Finally, a voice came from the very back of the room. It was the longtime gardener of the man and his son. "I'll give $10 for the painting." Being a poor man, it was all he could afford.
"We have $10, who will bid $20?"
"Give it to him for $10. Let's see the masters."
"$10 is the bid, won't someone bid $20?"
The crowd was becoming angry. They didn't want the picture of the son.
They wanted the more worthy investments for their collections.
The auctioneer pounded the gavel. "Going once, twice, SOLD for $10!"
A man sitting on the second row shouted, "Now let's get on with the collection!"
The auctioneer laid down his gavel. "I'm sorry, the auction is over."
"What about the paintings?"
"I am sorry. When I was called to conduct this auction, I was told of a secret stipulation in the will. I was not allowed to reveal that stipulation until this time. Only the painting of the son would be auctioned. Whoever bought that painting would inherit the entire estate, including the paintings.
The man who took the son gets everything!"
God gave His son 2,000 years ago to die on the cross. Much like the auctioneer, His message today is: "The son, the son, who'll take the son?"
Because, you see, whoever takes the Son gets everything.
FOR GOD SO LOVED THE WORLD HE GAVE HIS ONLY BEGOTTEN SON, WHO SO EVER BELIEVETH, SHALL HAVE ETERNAL LIFE...THAT'S LOVE
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)