Sparta FUMC Youth!

Christians

2012-02-01T11:30:00.001-06:00

In closing, to those who have closed the door on religion — I was recently asked by a non-Christian friend if I thought he was going to hell. I said, "I hope not. It will be hard to enjoy heaven without you." If those of us who believe in God do not believe God's grace is big enough to save the whole world... well, we should at least pray that it is.

Truth can be found in the strangest of places...

Herding Sheep...

2012-02-01T07:00:00.002-06:00

In this video, you will see one remarkable bunny rabbit, herding sheep. As unlikely as it seems, he does a good job!

In the Bible, people are called sheep many times. There are definite similarities...wonder how many times we have allowed ourselves to be herded by wolves dressed as bunnies?

The Pope and the doves...

2012-01-31T11:30:00.001-06:00

Even some of us who are not Catholic, look upon the Pope as a spiritual leader. Because he is so precious to the church, he is closely guarded and the world rarely gets to see or hear spontaneity. But obviously, even the doves love him. Listen for his exclamation of "Mama Mia!"

The words he speaks afterward basically say that they want to stay in Papa's house (in case you didn't know, the Pope is known as Papa)...

Although I would never presume to have an audience with the Pope, I too world love to visit his house...to view the Dome of St. Peter's,

the ceiling in the Sistine Chapel,

to view "The Pieta"...

he has a very lovely house indeed!

Unconditional love...

2012-01-31T09:08:00.000-06:00

This is in no way an endorsement of a candidate...we don't do that here. It is the story of a family who loves and nurtures a child who has no way of reciprocating that love...

She is a font of love,” he said. “And she made me understand that that’s how the Father looks at me. I’m disabled and unable to ‘do’ anything for him — except love him. And he loves me unconditionally.”

Read the Santorum's story here...

Beauty

2012-01-30T07:11:00.000-06:00

I used to think the world was trying to teach girls and women that you had to do this or that or use this beauty product or that, wear these clothes or that, attend this school, be a cheerleader, dancer, be the most popular, and the list goes on an on. I now realize that the world is actually saying, "You'll never be good enough!"

That is so not true...

We must all work to teach our children and young girls that all are beautiful in God's eyes...and ours!

Thankful

2012-01-29T07:00:00.000-06:00

Little Old Ladies....

2012-01-28T11:30:00.001-06:00

I know people like this...

Grief

2012-01-28T07:00:00.000-06:00

Although grief is something we wish we could avoid, it happens to us all. And while there is not an "How to face Grief" manual that tells us what to do or how to handle it, there are those among us who have walked the path and who are willing to reach out. This is actually 3 articles but they're not tool long and worth the time...

The experience starts here...

Having recently gone through the devastating experience of having our beautiful 32-year-old daughter die, completely unexpectedly, of a pulmonary embolism, I was determined from Day One (January 11, when she was found dead in her home in Durham, N.C.) to be open to whatever positive thing there might be to glean from this. I cling by my fingernails to the promise of Romans 8:28 that “God works all things together for good for those who love him….”
Thoughts on grieving...
When a person suffers the devastating loss of a loved one, you should — however well-intentioned you might be — keep your mouth shut. Or at the very least, you should think long and hard before you say anything. Here are some of the things I recently heard that did not help, and frankly were not true.
1) “The Lord gives and the Lord takes away.”
2) “You’ll get over it soon.”
3) “Sorry about your lost loved one.”
4) “Well, at least you still have your son.”
5) “God will make up for this with a twofold blessing.”

The hope of the grieving:
What does it mean to grieve, then, as one who has hope? It means we grieve with one eye forever fixed on the eschatological horizon. It means we grieve knowing that resurrection will reverse Death. It means we grieve knowing that Death will not have the last word about us. Life will. Elsewhere, Paul reminds us of the old saying “Who hopes for what they already have?” Just so. The hope to which he refers is not something we possess now in a fully realized form. While I may have comfort now, and solace now, and peace now, none of this is my hope.

3 Generations...

2012-01-27T11:30:00.001-06:00

that, as of 2012, span 222 years.

President John Tyler was born in 1790, became President in 1841, married his second wife Julia Garndiner (30 years his junior) in 1844. They had 7 children together (added to the 8 he had with his previous wife!) Their son Lyon Gardiner Tyler, Sr. was born in 1853 (when his father was 63).

He married his second wife, Sue Ruffin, in 1923. His son

Lyon Gardiner Tyler, Jr was born in 1924, when his father was 71. He still lives in Virginia today at the age of 88. His brother,

Harrison Ruffin Tyler was born in 1928, when his father was 75. He still lives in Virginia today at the age of 84.

These 3 generations have born witness to:

The year the President was born (1790), George Washington gave his first State of the Union address and the French Revolution began. In the year his son, LG Tyler, Sr was born (1853), the Crimean War began and Levi Strauss was founded. In the year LG Tyler, Jr. was born (1924), Lenin died and Stalin took over dictatorship of Russia and MGM studios was founded in Los Angeles. When HR Tyler was born (1928), Mickey and Minnie Mouse debuted on film. Along with automobiles, airplanes, televisions, computers and the thousands of other inventions that make our lives what they are...

Forgiveness...

2012-01-27T07:00:00.000-06:00

To forgive another person from the heart is an act of liberation. We set that person free from the negative bonds that exist between us. We say, "I no longer hold your offense against you" But there is more. We also free ourselves from the burden of being the "offended one." As long as we do not forgive those who have wounded us, we carry them with us or, worse, pull them as a heavy load. The great temptation is to cling in anger to our enemies and then define ourselves as being offended and wounded by them. Forgiveness, therefore, liberates not only the other but also ourselves. It is the way to the freedom of the children of God.

Henri Nouwen

Open the Doors

2012-01-26T11:30:00.001-06:00

A thought provoking video from St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church...for any church looking for ways to draw people closer to God. It's obviously not the only way but it worked for them...

War

2012-01-26T07:00:00.003-06:00

"Wars are not acts of God. They are caused by man, by man-made institutions, by the way in which man has organized his society. What man has made, man can change."
Memorial Day Speech at Arlington National Cemetery, 1945
by: Frederick Moore Vinson

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The following prayer was written and spoken by Franklin D. Roosevelt as the Allied troops were invading German-occupied Europe during WWII. It was read to the nation on the evening of D-Day June 6, 1944. American, British and Canadian troops were fighting to establish beach heads on the coast of Normandy. This past Tuesday, Congress passed the World War II Memorial Prayer Act to authorize it to appear on a plaque in the World War II Memorial.

My Fellow Americans:
Last night, when I spoke with you about the fall of Rome, I knew at that moment that troops of the United States and our Allies were crossing the Channel in another and greater operation. It has come to pass with success thus far.
And so, in this poignant hour, I ask you to join with me in prayer:
Almighty God: Our sons, pride of our nation, this day have set upon a mighty endeavor, a struggle to preserve our Republic, our religion, and our civilization, and to set free a suffering humanity.
Lead them straight and true; give strength to their arms, stoutness to their hearts, steadfastness in their faith.
They will need Thy blessings. Their road will be long and hard. For the enemy is strong. He may hurl back our forces. Success may not come with rushing speed, but we shall return again and again; and we know that by Thy grace, and by the righteousness of our cause, our sons will triumph.
They will be sore tried, by night and by day, without rest -- until the victory is won. The darkness will be rent by noise and flame. Men's souls will be shaken with the violences of war.
For these men are lately drawn from the ways of peace. They fight not for the lust of conquest. They fight to end conquest. They fight to liberate. They fight to let justice arise, and tolerance and goodwill among all Thy people. They yearn but for the end of battle, for their return to the haven of home.
Some will never return. Embrace these, Father, and receive them, Thy heroic servants, into Thy kingdom.
And for us at home -- fathers, mothers, children, wives, sisters, and brothers of brave men overseas, whose thoughts and prayers are ever with them -- help us, Almighty God, to rededicate ourselves in renewed faith in Thee in this hour of great sacrifice.
Many people have urged that I call the nation into a single day of special prayer. But because the road is long and the desire is great, I ask that our people devote themselves in a continuance of prayer. As we rise to each new day, and again when each day is spent, let words of prayer be on our lips, invoking Thy help to our efforts.
Give us strength, too -- strength in our daily tasks, to redouble the contributions we make in the physical and the material support of our armed forces.
And let our hearts be stout, to wait out the long travail, to bear sorrows that may come, to impart our courage unto our sons wheresoever they may be.
And, O Lord, give us faith. Give us faith in Thee; faith in our sons; faith in each other; faith in our united crusade. Let not the keeness of our spirit ever be dulled. Let not the impacts of temporary events, of temporal matters of but fleeting moment -- let not these deter us in our unconquerable purpose.
With Thy blessing, we shall prevail over the unholy forces of our enemy. Help us to conquer the apostles of greed and racial arrogances. Lead us to the saving of our country, and with our sister nations into a world unity that will spell a sure peace -- a peace invulnerable to the schemings of unworthy men. And a peace that will let all of men live in freedom, reaping the just rewards of their honest toil.
Thy will be done, Almighty God.
Amen.
President Franklin D. Roosevelt - June 6, 1944

Vanity

2012-01-25T11:30:00.001-06:00

Society has a name for mothers who have recently given birth and quickly resumed their former shape...they're called "Yummy Mummys"...in an effort to make us all want to be one. I mean really, who doesn't want to have an infant in arms while wearing a size 2...or less?

This is not a testament against women who have worked hard to get into shape and work even harder to stay that way. Of course it is a healthier way of life! But, unless one is doing it strictly for their own health and well being, it can be a double edged sword. There is a healthy weight (which can be different for each person) and what I'll call Celebrity weight (which might be even worse for you than being a little heavy).

I, for one, have a terrible time trying to loose weight unless I am able to focus most of my time and energy into it. At this point in my life, all my time and energy are already spoken for. I'm heavier than I'd like to be and have been berating myself about it for quite some time. That is, until I sat down and looked at the reasons why I wanted to be slimmer.

Sure, I would like to be healthier...but secretly, down deep inside, I think I have come to believe it will make my future brighter...everything will be easier and better if I loose weight...my clothes will fit better, people will admire me when I enter a room, I will be liked by everyone. "My how good she looks, she can't be a grandmother!" My, how ridiculous! Yes, even those of us on the downward slide from middle age can have fantasies.

If I did drop the extra pounds, my life won't change just because of that...actually, for me, there may even be a down side. I have been married to one man for 34 years and cannot imagine life with another. Even though it's just in my head...why would I want other men to follow after me? I have two grown children who are on their own and have the blessing of an 8 year old grandson in my home...what would he think if Nana lost her lap? Or the soft cushiony area where he likes to lay his head when I hold him. At what price am I willing to loose the peace I have in my home, with my family? God gives us peace ("peace on earth to those on whom His favor rests") and our bodies are His temple. And while, like I said earlier, being healthy is an admirable goal, loosing weight for the sake of my vanity will never be worth the peace in my heart.

I guess all those stars in Hollywood can quit worrying now... ; )

I never knew...

2012-01-25T07:00:00.000-06:00

Jane Roe was not her real name...nor that she has had a change of heart...

But now I do...

Cringe Worthy

2012-01-24T16:10:00.000-06:00

This is located just outside Marta Valle HS on the Lower East Side of New York City.

Surprisingly no one is accepting the "blame" for the error which until now went unreported...even by the faculty of the HS...

St. Francis de Sales

2012-01-24T07:00:00.000-06:00

Today is the feast day of St. Francis de Sales (1567-1622), bishop of Geneva, leader of the Catholic Reformation, cofounder of the Visitation Order, and influential spiritual writer.

Francis was born of an aristocratic Savoyard family at a time of reform and spiritual renewal within the Catholic Church. His early education was in the Christian humanist tradition of the Jesuits. At the University of Padua he studied law at his father's request and theology on his own initiative. Ordained in 1593, he was shortly made associate to the bishop of Geneva and in 1602 succeeded to his predecessor's post. Since the Protestant city of Geneva did not allow Catholic presence, Bishop de Sales resided in the nearby town of Annecy. He actively evangelized his Calvinist opponents, especially through gentle persuasion. He engaged in vigorous reform of religious institutions and sought to revitalize faith among all in his diocese.

Francis de Sales believed that the "devout life" was open to all, not only monks and priests. God, he felt, raised up persons in all walks of life to be leaven in the loaf of a revitalized church. Thus he promoted many works of spiritual renewal, including spiritual direction, preaching (his sermons were said to speak "heart to heart") and writing. His best-known book Introduction to the Devout Life was based on the letters of direction he wrote to a woman who wished to live a Christian life in the midst of her husband's duties with the French court. A practical summary of the means by which one cultivates a living faith in the midst of the busy demands of family and work, the Introduction was an overnight success and has remained a staple of devotional literature to the present day.

Francis de Sales was canonized in 1665 and declared a Doctor of the Church (an authoritative teacher) in 1877. "Upper Room"

Noblesse Oblige

2012-01-23T12:30:00.002-06:00

...is the obligation of the nobility to the poor much like Luke 12:48 "...From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked." When this first appeared in print the early 1800's, the concept was there, but not the terminology.

Translated from the French, noblesse oblige means "nobility obligates." Originally, the term was used to suggest that certain requirements of behavior could be legitimately imposed upon persons of noble birth. Noblesse oblige in modern English is a broad concept which implies that anyone who possesses special talents or gifts is required by society to make the best use of those gifts; that he or she is duty-bound to do his or her best. It is required by society, but even more so by God.

What if we took this principle to heart and believed that we are held personally accountable for our stewardship. What if we knew there is a direct correlation between what we are given and what we give. God looks not only at how well we open our heads, our hearts and our hands, but also at the attitude with which we do these things.

In 1994, Forbes magazine profiled a man who lived in the USA but was the son of a Czechoslovakian aristocrat who fled the Republic at the age of 10. When the Czech government was democratized he was able to reclaim his family's wealth and estates. His holdings are vast and include castles, artwork by the masters, a phenomenal library, original musical manuscripts by Mozart and Beethoven, thousands of acres, a vineyard and a brewery (dating from 1466) and well, you get the picture. The surprising fact is, rather than sell off the bulk of these holdings and make himself obscenely wealthy, he has taken a different approach: "We are merely custodians of the cultural treasures that must be preserved for future generations" (Berman, 1994).
He feels it is his obligation to maintain these irreplaceable objects for the people of the Czech Republic. Societal pressures here compels him to act selflessly and honorably—the very essence of noblesse oblige.

The strength and power of this concept can be rightfully applied to Christians. If we know the depths of God's love and mercy and if we know that His grace is available to all who will call upon His name, then we are obligated by His word and this concept to show the world "a life lived in Christ". Who among us can deny that to call ourselves Christians is the very definition of noble? ..."possessing outstanding qualities"...Not through any work we may have done but by the grace of God. Who can hold to such a gift and not share it with a hurting and troubled world?

We are blessed to hold the key to locking up the evil that prevails in our world. We are called upon by God to share this key with anyone and everyone. We are obligated to share so that the world may know what manner of God we serve. Noblesse Oblige...

Human...

2012-01-23T09:30:00.001-06:00

from Asbo Jesus

Busy, busy, busy

2012-01-23T07:44:00.000-06:00

Sorry there have been no posts for the last few days. My one and only grandson had a birthday this weekend and so we dedicated the entire time to him! After all, you only turn 8 once. Because he's still a child, playtime is his favorite activity. All he wants from any of us is attention. Not constantly, but enough to reassure him that he is special.

It won't be long until he starts in to the pre-teen and teenage years. Those times have joys of their own but with each passing year I mourn "innocence lost". It's not that I expect him to become jaded but I do know he will begin to question, to doubt, to experiment. And with those things can come fear, anger and confusion.

Our prayer for him, as he starts this next year of his life...
That he always feel the Hand of God in his life,
That he never forgets that the voice in his head is actually the Holy Spirit helping him on his path.
We cannot shield him from the hurts that will come but pray that he is strong enough to weather the storm and come out on the other side, a better person.
And finally, that he will know that he is loved and cherished...forever.

Movie Themes

2012-01-19T14:00:00.001-06:00

I'm sure this will (or may already) be popping up everywhere...but it was just too funny not to share. Especially for those of us who remember the original Star Wars and Darth Vadar's theme...

It's called...wait for it...The Bark Side!

The Poe Toaster

2012-01-19T11:30:00.000-06:00

With me, poetry has not been a purpose, but a passion. Edgar Allan Poe

Every year, since at least the 1940's a man dressed in black, with a white scarf and wide-brimmed hat has visited Edgar Allan Poe's grave on his birthday. The visitor always leaves 3 roses and a half-empty bottle of cognac in tribute. And no one knows the identity of the Toaster.

Alas, this is the 3rd year in a row that he has not visited. You see, Poe fans have gathered at the grave for years to watch the mysterious man pay his tribute to the writer. He did not appear in either 2010 or 2011 but fans said they'd wait one more year before ending the tradition.

You can read the details here...

Those who have read Poe know that his writings are prolific and varied but almost without exception, they are dark. Although I have enjoyed many over the years and heard his voice in each of them, Anabelle Lee is a favorite, ending thus...

For the moon never beams without bringing me dreams
   Of the beautiful Annabel Lee;
And the stars never rise but I see the bright eyes
   Of the beautiful Annabel Lee;
And so, all the night-tide, I lie down by the side
Of my darling, my darling, my life and my bride,
   In her sepulchre there by the sea--
   In her tomb by the side of the sea.

It's worth your time...

2012-01-19T07:00:00.000-06:00

An exceptional video by an extraordinary middle school class in Alabama...

from here...

The colors of the flesh...

2012-01-18T07:00:00.001-06:00

Need I say more?

Lies

2012-01-17T15:00:00.000-06:00

Hebrews 4:12-13 tells us, "For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two edged sword, piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart."

Look at the image of the sword. If the blade were sharp only on one side, it's use would be limited.This is a formidable weapon no matter what direction you swing it. God's word is just such a weapon. But instead of dealing death, it deals LIFE!

Sin whispers through the desires of the flesh and the rationalizations of the mind. "You won't have a chance in the future if you don't cheat on this test." "You won't be noticed if you don't dress this way." "You won't have job security if you speak up about dishonest practices at work." "Your life will be wasted in this relationship, you should just get a divorce." "Only a fool would go around looking weak instead of getting revenge." These are all lies...every one of them.

It is the deceitfulness of sin made manifest in the flesh. These lies and others can lodge themselves very deep in our hearts. They will stay in our minds as thought and intentions. They will seem unshakably true because of the hardness of the heart that encloses them like a dark, sealed casket.

When the heart and the mind are in this condition, unbelief has the upper hand. They block out the teachings that we know are true. Instead of trusting in the promises of God, we are believing in the promises of sin.
The Word of God is living, active and sharp. It will penetrate deeper than the deception of sin has ever gone and reveal what is truly worth trusting.

Head vs. Heart

2012-01-17T14:14:00.000-06:00

There's an old saying that tells us "the longest journey we ever undertake is between the head and the heart". The path to our hearts, even though it is where Christ lives, is always cluttered and sometimes almost totally obscured. Like the seeds from the parable, weeds spring up way too easily and will take over, if we let them. The Apostle Paul reminds us...what our head says we want, our actions contradict; what our hearts long for, our head refuses to attend to. We are blessed in the fact that God knows all about weeds and is a loving and tender gardener.

Because God loves and dwells within us, nothing is closer than a place of quiet rest. His heart is waiting for our hearts to stop running, stop trying so hard, to stop focusing on externals and to let go. When your days are filled with noise and the juggling of tasks and demands, when you face the daily decisions and stresses, when you face times of sorrow and despair remember He is as close as your own heart.

Angels and Archangels

2012-01-16T11:30:00.003-06:00

I hope you've had the opportunity to watch the movie "Michael". While John Travolta's depiction of the Archangel may be a little irreverent at times, I'd like to think that it is a true showing of his nature. Michael
is an archangel in Jewish, Christian, and Islamic teachings. In Hebrew, Michael means "who is like God" (mi-who, ke-as or like, El-deity), which is traditionally interpreted as a rhetorical question: "Who is like God?" to imply that no one is like God. In this way, Michael is reinterpreted as a symbol of humility before God.

In the Bible he is called "Prince of the first rank", an advocate of the Jews (Book of Daniel), a healer and protector (Book of Daniel) and as the leader of God's army (Book of Revelation).

One would hope that the writers of the movie had these things in mind when they wrote this scene:

as well as this one (dialogue in Italian)

Angels and Archangels do God's work, at His bidding and I for one am glad they do...

The only US citizen...

2012-01-16T07:18:00.000-06:00

to have a national holiday dedicated to him. You know of whom I speak, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Next to his "I have a dream speech", one of my favorite passages is:

"If a man is called to be a streetsweeper, he should sweep streets even as Michelangelo painted, or Beethoven composted music, or Shakespeare wrote poetry. He should sweep streets so well that all the hosts of heaven and earth will pause to say, "here lived a great streetsweeper who did his job well.""
(Based on Ecclesiastes 9:10, Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might...)

But perhaps one of his most profound quotes is, "In the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends."

Church is...

2012-01-15T07:00:00.001-06:00

What is the church? Watch and find out....

Be Still

2012-01-14T13:00:00.001-06:00

He is all these things and so much more if we but Be Still and open up to Him,
He is all these things and so much more if we but Be Still and ask Him,
He is all these things and so much more if we but Be Still and let Him...

^{Psalm 46:10}
¹⁰ He says, “Be still, and know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth.”

God's gifts

2012-01-14T07:00:00.000-06:00

About a year ago, the "Homeless man with the Golden Voice" hit the airwaves. His desperate struggle was there for all the world to see. Have you wondered what he's doing now?

So who gets the credit for this life changing turn around?
The difference between my successes of years gone by is that I didn't acknowledge the Lord or thank him for anything before," he told them. "This time around, I have God in my life, acknowledging him on a daily basis. I've found a new sense of spirituality now."

Lost?

2012-01-13T13:00:00.002-06:00

If you've ever been lost...then you'll relate to this video. If you're still lost, perhaps this might give you the encouragement you need...Either way, it's worth a couple of minutes of your time.

Sooner or later it had to happen....

2012-01-13T07:00:00.001-06:00

I don't normally write about sports and athletes but there's always an exception. I am speaking of the person who is Tim Tebow.

I have watched this young man play football since his first start with the University of Florida. He is the same today as he was then...respectful, talented, determined, hard working, and several other adjectives along those lines. But what gets the most recognition from the main stream media is the fact that he believes in God with his whole heart. You know it when he talks...not because he's trying to "win you over", but in his quiet humbleness. He chooses to unashamedly live his life of faith so that the whole world can see it. And that is not acceptable in the sight of the media types.

For once, sports in general and football in specific has a player who is worthy to be held up as someone to emulate. Someone that young people can look up to as an example of how to live their lives. And they do look up. Even though they don't have the platform to get the word out, and don't stand a chance of drowning out his detractors, they know what they see when they watch him.

So what is it about Tim Tebow that is so threatening? It's can't be his views, he has never once suggested that God cares one whit about football. He never tries to proselytize. Oh sure, he might wear a Bible verse reference (such as, Mark 8:36) on a patch under his eye, but he leaves it to the reader as to whether they look it up or not. He does take a knee on the field (several times during the game) and somehow that's perceived as worse than the silly, sometimes vulgar antics of other players in the end zone?

Again I will ask, what is it about him that makes so many people crazy? Why do they even care what he does? Some have theorized that it is because he emphasizes the part of his talent that he feels in given, not earned. When he bows his head he is saying that there is someone who is greater than anything else in the universe who deserves his attention, his allegiance and his praise.

Does his faith actually work? Have you ever watched one of his 4th quarter come backs (in college or pros)? Then you know that for him, it absolutely does. He does not believe his talent is random at all, but that it is bestowed on him by his Creator. It was not given to him so he can sit back and relish the adulation of the crowds but (as I heard from his own mouth in an interview) so that he can be in a position to impact the lives of others. And this he does through his foundation to help the poor, through his work at his father's orphanage, through his mission work and through his face to face visits.

So when you hear all those people bashing and giving him a hard time, think of the young people who desperately want to see a life lived by faith. And recognize that His God has given him a tremendous talent but at the same time, a formidable challenge. To live with the adulation I spoke of earlier. He must hear it, but not believe it. Read it, but not fall for it. It is a terrible, all consuming monster to those who do, who let themselves believe their press. But given the rock solid foundation he has grown up with, somehow I don't believe he will.

Waiting with a song...

2012-01-12T12:56:00.000-06:00

I already knew it was way more fun to have to "lay over" somewhere if you had a choir with you...

Passengers on this flight were given a surprise as they waited for a maintenance check on their aircraft...

I traveled to Boston with the Advanced Chorus from the local high school when son was a member. We were waiting for the other half of our group in a McDonald's somewhere between Providence, RI and Boston when one of the employees asked the group to sing. Needless to say, those lunch time diners had a special treat with their Big Macs that day.

Noblesse Oblige

2012-01-12T12:30:00.002-06:00

...is the obligation of the nobility to the poor much like Luke 12:48 "...From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked." When this first appeared in print the early 1800's, the concept was there, but not the terminology.

Translated from the French, noblesse oblige means "nobility obligates." Originally, the term was used to suggest that certain requirements of behavior could be legitimately imposed upon persons of noble birth. Noblesse oblige in modern English is a broad concept which implies that anyone who possesses special talents or gifts is required by society to make the best use of those gifts; that he or she is duty-bound to do his or her best. It is required by society, but even more so by God.

What if we took this principle to heart and believed that we are held personally accountable for our stewardship. What if we knew there is a direct correlation between what we are given and what we give. God looks not only at how well we open our heads, our hearts and our hands, but also at the attitude with which we do these things.

In 1994, Forbes magazine profiled a man who lived in the USA but was the son of a Czechoslovakian aristocrat who fled the Republic at the age of 10. When the Czech government was democratized he was able to reclaim his family's wealth and estates. His holdings are vast and include castles, artwork by the masters, a phenomenal library, original musical manuscripts by Mozart and Beethoven, thousands of acres, a vineyard and a brewery (dating from 1466) and well, you get the picture. The surprising fact is, rather than sell off the bulk of these holdings and making himself obscenely wealthy, he has taken a different approach: "We are merely custodians of the cultural treasures that must be preserved for future generations" (Berman, 1994).

He feels it is his obligation to maintain all these irreplaceable objects for the people of the Czech Republic. Societal pressures here compels him to act selflessly and honorably—the very essence of noblesse oblige.

The strength and power of this concept can be rightfully applied to Christians. If we know the depths of God's love and mercy and if we know that His grace is available to all who will call upon His name, then we are obligated by His word and this concept to show the world "a life lived in Christ". Who among us can deny that to call ourselves Christians is the very definition of noble? ..."possessing outstanding qualities"...Not through any work we may have done but by the grace of God. Who can hold to such a gift and not share it with a hurting and troubled world?

We are blessed to hold the key to locking up the evil that prevails in our world. We are called upon by God to share this key with anyone and everyone. We are obligated to share so that the world may know what manner of God we serve. Noblesse Oblige...

Election Year

2012-01-12T10:21:00.000-06:00

Another election year has rolled around and it promises to be a doozy! While I am all for the free exchange of ideas, the vitriol is already almost unbearable and it's only January!

Why can't we have the candidates tell us their positions and ideas without attacking their counterpart or being attacked themselves? What does it tells us about the person running if their time is totally wasted on negativity? Wouldn't it make choosing a candidate easier if you could find their stance on the issues and trust the information you are receiving? Must we always check, double check and re-check?

I am blessed to live in a country where I can step into the booth and vote for MY choice...without pressure, without fear. I just wish the campaigns were run in such as way as to reflect what an enormous privilege this is...

Prayer for elections:

O God, we acknowledge You today as Lord, Not only of individuals, but of nations and governments.

We thank You for the privilege Of being able to organize ourselves politically And of knowing that political loyalty Does not have to mean disloyalty to You.

We thank You for Your law, Which our Founding Fathers acknowledged And recognized as higher than any human law.

We thank You for the opportunity that this election year puts before us, To exercise our solemn duty not only to vote, But to influence countless others to vote, And to vote correctly.

Lord, we pray that Your people may be awakened. Let them realize that while politics is not their salvation, Their response to You requires that they be politically active.

Awaken Your people to know that they are not called to be a sect fleeing the world But rather a community of faith renewing the world.

Awaken them that the same hands lifted up to You in prayer Are the hands that pull the lever in the voting booth; That the same eyes that read Your Word Are the eyes that read the names on the ballot, And that they do not cease to be Christians When they enter the voting booth. Awaken Your people to a commitment to justice.

Lord, we rejoice today That we are citizens of Your kingdom.May that make us all the more committed To being faithful citizens on earth.

We ask this through Jesus Christ, our Lord.
Amen.

Prayer source: various websites

Faith in the Divine Plan...

2012-01-11T11:30:00.000-06:00

On December 28th I posted about Msgr. Stephen Rosetti spending Christmas in Antartica. Here is a letter he wrote upon his return...

Jan. 5, 2012

Dear friends,

My trip to the Ice is finished. After four days, the weather finally broke and the C-17 was able to land and bring us back to New Zealand. I was happy to see the plane and I am looking forward to snuggling up in my own warm bed, the sun going down at night, and breathing air with humidity. Whew! But I also have mixed feelings about leaving Antarctica. I will miss the stark beauty of the ice continent and the new friends I made.

My main feelings are ones of gratitude. There are so many people who make significant moments in our lives possible. CUA’s School of Theology and Religious Studies was generous in allowing me to go. The Diocese of Syracuse continues to be very supportive. The National Science Foundation was more than welcoming. And I am grateful to you, all my friends, for living this experience with me. I constantly felt your presence as I journeyed through the continent.


Stark beauty of the ice continent, Antarctica

I am grateful for the enthusiasm which many communicated to me about my Antarctic journey. One couple told their young child that I was at the South Pole for Christmas. The child’s question was, “Does Santa go to the South Pole?” I can respond that, although I personally did not see Santa, I met many of his helpers and the spirit of Christmas was alive and well at the other end of the earth.

One of the most moving moments on the Ice was, indeed, Christmas at the Pole. After celebrating Christmas Mass, a small group gathered in the communications room. As is the custom, all the American sites around the continent (over 20) tuned their radios into a common frequency and then site after site sang Christmas carols so all could hear. It was a touching moment as we heard from these isolated souls far from home singing their beloved hymns. We were especially blessed by the presence of several Norwegians who courageously skied into the Pole and were camped nearby. They joined us and sang three traditional Norwegian Christmas carols to the great delight of all.

Finally, I am grateful to God. When we turn our lives over to God, we never know where the Divine plan will take us, even to the ends of the earth. I was asked by the program director if I would consider returning to the Ice sometime in the future. I said it was unlikely as it is so difficult to take such an extended period away. But that is what I said four years ago after my first trip ... who knows what the future holds?

When God finally calls all of us home, we will likely have mixed feelings as well. We will be sad to leave behind the beauty of this earth and our many friends and loved ones. But we will know that the time has come to return to our true and final home.

May God bless each of you in the coming new year.

Blessings,
Monsignor Steve

You can check out his Antarctica Notebook . By the way, this is one very interesting piece of information from his Notebook:
At South Pole station, people drink melted ice and snow. The water is so pure that it is specially treated or it would leech out their bones. The water costs 10 times more to make there than in the United States. The average usage is 35 gallons per person per day compared to 100 in the U.S. For example, people are asked to take just two showers a week. The water consumed at the South Pole comes from approximately 500 feet below the surface. The ice at this level accumulated around 550 A.D. when Imperial Rome fell.

Now how cool is that? Drinking water accumulated over 1,400 years ago!

Human Zoo???

2012-01-11T08:51:00.001-06:00

Under Indian laws designed to protect ancient tribal groups susceptible to outside influence and disease, photographing or coming into contact with the Jarawa is illegal.

The tribe, thought to have been among the first people to migrate successfully from Africa to Asia, lives a nomadic existence in the lush, tropical forests of the Andamans in the Bay of Bengal.

This just makes me sad and angry! All people deserve their dignity...read the rest of the story here....

In a nutshell

2012-01-10T08:30:00.000-06:00

Just because it's Monday, again!

2012-01-09T09:46:00.002-06:00

Perhaps this is a little off-color but I felt the need to pass it along for a chuckle...it is Monday after all!
This is an ode to all the e-mails we receive from our "friends"...

As we enter 2012, I want to thank you all for your educational e-mails over the past year. I am totally messed up now and have little chance of recovery: I can no longer open a bathroom door without using a paper towel, nor let the waitress put lemon slices in my ice water without worrying about the bacteria on the lemon peel. I cannot sit down on a hotel bedspread because I can only imagine what has happened on it since it was last washed. I have trouble shaking hands with someone who has been driving because the number one pastime while driving alone is picking one's nose. Eating a little snack sends me on a guilt trip because I can only imagine how many gallons of trans fats or pounds of gluten or insect parts I have consumed over the years. I can't touch any woman's handbag for fear she has placed it on the floor of a public toilet.
I must also send my special thanks for the email about rat poo in the glue on envelopes because I now have to use a wet sponge with every envelope that needs sealing. Also, I have to scrub the top of every can I open for the same reason.

I cannot have a drink in a bar because for fear I'll wake up in a bathtub full of ice with my kidneys gone. I can't eat at KFC because their chickens are actually horrible mutant freaks with no eyes, feet or feathers (someone saw pictures!). I can't use cancer-causing deodorants even though I smell like a water buffalo on a hot day. Thanks to you, I have learned that my prayers only get answered if I forward an e-mail to seven of my friends and make a wish within five minutes. Because of your concern, I no longer drink Coca Cola because it can remove toilet stains . I no longer buy gasoline without taking someone along to watch the car, so a serial killer doesn't crawl in my back seat when I'm filling up and I no longer use Cling Wrap in the microwave because it causes seven different types of cancer.

Thanks for letting me know that I can't boil a cup of water in the microwave anymore because it will blow up in my face, disfiguring me for life . I no longer go to the movies because I could be pricked with a needle infected with a serious disease when I sit down. Because of your information, I no longer answer the phone because someone will ask me to dial a number for which I will get a huge phone bill with calls to four or five other countries . Thanks to you, I can't use anyone's toilet but mine because a big black snake could be lurking under the seat and cause me instant death when it bites me. Because of your advice, I can't ever pick up a dime dropped in the parking lot because it was probably placed there by a sex molester waiting to grab me as I bend over. It is a shame but I can no longer garden because I'm afraid I'll get bitten by the Violin Spider and my hand will fall off.

Please understand that if you don't send this e-mail to at least 144,000 people in the next 7 minutes, a large bird will land on your head at 5:00 p.m. tomorrow afternoon, and the fleas from 120 camels will infest your back, causing you to grow a hairy hump. I know this will occur because it actually happened to a friend of my next door neighbor's ex mother-in-law's second husband's cousin's best friend's beautician .

One last note, a scientist performed a lengthy study and has discovered that people with insufficient brain activity read their e-mails with their hand on the mouse. Don't bother taking it off now, it's too late. P. S. I now keep my toothbrush in the living room, because I was told by e-mail that water splashes over 6 ft. out of the toilet. Remember to have yourself and very good day and a most Happy New Year (and try not to be so paranoid)!

Just Friends

2012-01-07T07:00:00.001-06:00

This has been the topic of conversation in my home on more than one occasion. My answers mirror the girls, my husbands mirror the boys. But I still think I'm right!

Stayin' Alive!

2012-01-06T13:30:00.000-06:00

The British Heart Association has a great video demonstrating "Hands Only" CPR...Of course, in the USA call 911.

Hands only, it's a good thing to know!

Epiphany

2012-01-06T09:15:00.000-06:00

The Twelve Days of Christmas is probably the most misunderstood part of the church year. Contrary to much popular belief, these are the twelve days from Christmas (Dec. 25) until the beginning of Epiphany, (January 6th).

In the Western church, Epiphany is usually celebrated as the time the Magi arrived to present gifts to the young Jesus. The term epiphany means "to show" or "to make known" or even "to reveal." The Magi were the first Gentiles to acknowledge Jesus as "King" and so were the first to "show" or "reveal" Jesus to a wider world as the incarnate Christ. This act of worship by the Magi, which corresponded to Simeon’s blessing that this child Jesus would be "a light for revelation to the Gentiles" (Luke 2:32), was one of the first indications that Jesus came for all people, of all nations, of all races, and that the work of God in the world would not be limited to only a few.

The Christian Church has long celebrated the 6th of January as the feast of the Wise Men but we have never quite figured out who they were. Tradition tells us there were three (because there were three gifts) and that their names were Melchior, Caspar and Balthazar. Their gifts were gold, which is valuable and represents kingship on earth, frankincense, a perfume and a symbol of deity, and myrrh, an anointing oil and a symbol of death.

The Magi have also been linked to Old Testament prophesies that the Messiah would be worshipped by kings.

Psalms 72:10

¹⁰ May the kings of Tarshish and of distant shores bring tribute to him. May the kings of Sheba and Seba present him gifts.

Isaiah 60:3
³ Nations will come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your dawn.

Although most of the information we have about the Magi comes from tradition rather than written history, it's emphasis shows Jesus being recognized as king of the earth, even from infancy.

Who knew?

2012-01-05T11:30:00.003-06:00

The Phi Phi Islands off western Thailand are known for their abundance of sea turtles, but chances are that very few people have watched two of these playful critters greet each other with their version of a high five. Jan Lempfrid captured the peculiar but amusing event during a recent expedition to the region, specifically at a dive site called Malong.

Prison is easier...

2012-01-05T07:00:00.020-06:00

Well, it seems not everyone can be a monk:

A convicted criminal who was serving out his sentence in a monastery has escaped for the second time and asked to be sent back to prison because life was too tough. David Catalano, 31, was sent to Santa Maria degli Angeli community run by Capuchin monks in Sicily last November.

On Monday he fled for a second time in six weeks and swiftly turned himself in at a police station and begged officers to send him back to jail in the nearby town of Nicosia.

Read the rest of the story here.

Decorating

2012-01-04T13:42:00.000-06:00

Just in case you haven't had your fill of the holidays...a short film of 400 volunteers decorating the White House. You read that right...they volunteer! And do an awesome job! Someday I plan to see it with my own eyes.

Heaven and earth

2012-01-04T07:00:00.001-06:00

An oldie but goodie from Asbo Jesus!

Resolutions

2012-01-03T12:30:00.007-06:00

As I mentioned earlier today, I'm not much on New Year's resolutions. But I ran across Woodie Guthrie's New Years Rulin's for 1942...

Larger version here...

NEW YEAR'S RULIN'S

1. WORK MORE AND BETTER
2. WORK BY A SCHEDULE
3. WASH TEETH IF ANY
4. SHAVE
5. TAKE BATH
6. EAT GOOD - FRUIT - VEGETABLES - MILK
7. DRINK VERY SCANT IF ANY
8. WRITE A SONG A DAY
9. WEAR CLEAN CLOTHES - LOOK GOOD
10. SHINE SHOES
11. CHANGE SOCKS
12. CHANGE BED CLOTHES OFTEN
13. READ LOTS GOOD BOOKS
14. LISTEN TO RADIO A LOT
15. LEARN PEOPLE BETTER
16. KEEP RANCHO CLEAN
17. DON’T GET LONESOME
18. STAY GLAD
19. KEEP HOPING MACHINE RUNNING
20. DREAM GOOD
21. BANK ALL EXTRA MONEY
22. SAVE DOUGH
23. HAVE COMPANY BUT DON’T WASTE TIME
24. SEND MARY AND KIDS MONEY
25. PLAY AND SING GOOD
26. DANCE BETTER
27. HELP WIN WAR - BEAT FASCISM
28. LOVE MAMA
29. LOVE PAPA
30. LOVE PETE
31. LOVE EVERYBODY
32. MAKE UP YOUR MIND
33. WAKE UP AND FIGHT

Courtesy of The Woodie Guthrie Foundation

Faith, Hope and Trust

2012-01-03T10:48:00.000-06:00

Although I love seeing family and friends during the holiday season, sometimes it can get hectic to the point of being exhausting. Although I always start out the season with the intent to keep my eyes and heart focused on Advent and the coming of the King, most years I fail to follow through. Also, I am not one to make New Year's resolutions...like most everyone else, I find I have broken them before I've allowed them to become habit.

Now this is not meant to be a pity party. I thoroughly enjoyed being with those that we don't see often. I loved having children/grandchildren and others under our roof. We spent much time in fellowship and rest...we recharged ourselves together. Although, as I said, I didn't put the focus on Advent that I should have, I did spend time reading and meditating about Joseph. He gets very little credit within the Nativity story but played a large part. I wrote the following piece for our Church Newsletter:

During Advent we are called to spend time joyfully waiting for the birth of the Christ child. But hope is the key...it's why we are joyful in the first place! Joseph's life is a shining example of choosing to hope and to trust.

He's betrothed to a young woman named Mary. Only to find out she is pregnant. When he asks her why and how, Mary tells him the truth...God is the proverbial “other man” and she is carrying a divine child. Also, she's still a virgin! Now how do you think Joseph reacted? I can only assume he was perplexed to say the least. But, despite her strange excuses, he is generous in his decision to divorce

her quietly. This would spare her the wrath of a harsh penal system that frowned upon adulterers (as in stoning offense). But wait! Because of an angel in a dream, Joseph decides to stick by Mary. Jesus is born and raised by His parents to become the Savior of the world.

Think of it...what reason did he really have to believe he wasn't being “played”? Would you believe? Not only that, what kind of courage does it take to believe that you can be a father to God's only Son?

It is because he chose to hope. He chose to hope that Mary was telling the truth. He chose to hope he wasn't crazy when the angel appeared. He chose to hope that he would have whatever it took to be the father of Jesus. It was not logical...it was not rational...he just did it. Because he also chose to trust. I'm sure he was told that everything would be alright but there had to be doubt...somewhere, deep down. I'm sure he questioned the wisdom of the path he chose. Whether it was his love for Mary or his faith in God (or a combination), Joseph and Mary lived the first-ever Advent. He chose to be a husband, a father and a man of faith.

If you need an example of living the Advent season...look to Joseph.

So, even though the holidays are over and it's time to get back to the normal routine, it's never to late to spend time learning about the parents God chose for His Son.

God's Imagination

2012-01-02T07:23:00.000-06:00

So much of our energy, time, and money goes into maintaining distance from one another. Many if not most of the resources of the world are used to defend ourselves against each other, to maintain or increase our power, and to safeguard our own privileged position.

Imagine all that effort being put in the service of peace and reconciliation! Would there be any poverty? Would there be crimes and wars? Just imagine that there was no longer fear among people, no longer any rivalry, hostility, bitterness, or revenge. Just imagine all the people on this planet holding hands and forming one large circle of love. We say, "I can't imagine." But God says, "That's what I imagine, a whole world not only created but also living in my image."

Henri Nouwen

New Years...

2011-12-31T12:31:00.002-06:00

From Busted Halo!

Feast of St. Thomas Becket

2011-12-29T07:00:00.002-06:00

St. Thomas Becket was born in AD 1118, in London. He studied in both London and Paris, and became a great friend to King Henry II of England. The two of them indulged in all sorts of unseemly behavior. In 1162, when King Henry appointed him Archbishop of Canterbury, no one was more surprised than Thomas. He took to the job right away, living meagerly so that others could have more. He proved a very powerful archbishop, and his unswerving self-confidence and stubbornness shone through in his labors.

It was the same self-confidence and stubbornness, however, that caused King Henry to grow angry with him. The two disagreed on many issues, including taxation and the balance of power between church and state. But Thomas and Henry both refused to back down. Though the relations between them had been repaired after a while, Thomas excommunicated several bishops for coronating King Henry's son without first seeking Thomas's approval. Henry flew into a rage, and shouted, "Who will rid me of this turbulent priest?" Four of his knights took this to mean he wanted the Archbishop dead.

An eyewitness account states:

...The wicked knight leapt suddenly upon him, cutting off the top of the crown which the unction of sacred chrism had dedicated to God. Next he received a second blow on the head, but still he stood firm and immovable. At the third blow he fell on his knees and elbows, offering himself a living sacrifice, and saying in a low voice, 'For the name of Jesus and the protection of the Church, I am ready to embrace death.' But the third knight inflicted a terrible wound as he lay prostrate. By this stroke, the crown of his head was separated from the head in such a way that the blood white with the brain, and the brain no less red from the blood, dyed the floor of the cathedral. The same clerk who had entered with the knights placed his foot on the neck of the holy priest and precious martyr, and, horrible to relate, scattered the brains and blood about the pavements, crying to the others, 'Let us away, knights; this fellow will arise no more.

After this horrific act, performed in 1170, Thomas became a martyr, and in the following year, King Henry served public penance in apology for the deed.

Having read somewhat extensively on King Henry II, most authors note that Henry was heartbroken that he allowed his anger to murder a friend...but he repented a little too late to save St. Thomas Becket.

I'll be home...

2011-12-28T13:33:00.000-06:00

When my daughter was young she wrote a letter to Santa (published in the local paper) asking that her uncle come home for Christmas from Germany where he was serving in the USAF. We had worked hard to prepare her for the fact that he was not going to be there that year. She was undaunted and repeatedly told us he would be there. Unknown to us, 2 hours before liftoff an officer approached her Uncle with a ticket and a leave pass. Needless to say, when he showed at our Christmas Eve celebrations (he arrived only a couple of hours before we gathered), she was the only one who wasn't surprised. She knew he would be here...

A much more recent story...hankies at the ready!

Christmas in Antarctica...

2011-12-28T11:49:00.000-06:00

South Pole, Antarctica (CNN) – Modern men and women often live under the illusion that they are in control of their lives. Science and technology have brought us far beyond the superstitions of ancient civilizations. Confident in our abilities and achievements, we feel secure. Outside of the occasional environmental or personal tragedy, we feel self-sufficient and safe.
Antarctica blasts this illusion of control. As one of the managers at the South Pole told me, “Antarctica is boss.” Anyone who loses respect for this savage continent is in danger of paying the ultimate price. As local lore has it, “Antarctica is constantly trying to kill you.”...

It felt like an easy trip to the pole this time, but the next day the winds began to howl and everything turned white. All air traffic ceased. I spoke to the weather people. Things didn’t look good. I was locked in at the pole, and there was absolutely nothing I or anyone else could do about it. A common feeling on the continent swept over me – I was helpless....

Antarctica puts you in your place. We are not in control here. Planning is difficult, and people are constantly adjusting. But on a larger scale, it reminds me that in general we have little control over much of our lives. Antarctica can remind you of that. Try as we might, we have little control over most of the events that impact so heavily upon our lives. This seeming arbitrariness can be frightening.

Some believe that their lives and very existence are a matter of random chance or simply the result of cosmic and biological processes. Behind such processes, they do not see any hand guiding it all. Much of the astounding science that occurs on Antarctica is immersed with understanding the origins and health of our planet. But it cannot answer fundamental human questions, “Why am I here?” “Is there a plan for my life?”
On this icy, frozen continent, we are humbled. It reminds us of our frail humanity. When I entered the South Pole station and I took off my thick goose-down parka, my clerical collar and lettering on my shirt saying “chaplain” were clearly visible. I walked down the corridor of the South Pole station, and there were more than a few faces that smiled and welcomed me. They said they’re glad I’m here.

This morning, as the flights out were canceled again, I walked into the manager’s office. We looked at the weather and she said, “Looks like you might be here for Christmas.” She told me that they have never before had a chaplain here on Christmas Day. She said, “We would be fortunate and grateful.” This morning, several people smiled broadly when they heard I might be at the pole with them for Christmas.

One could see this storm as a random event and my being weathered in at the South Pole simply as an act of nature. But it may be that, for the first time, a chaplain will be here on Christmas Day to celebrate the birth of the Son of God. I cannot plan it; I can only accept whatever comes. Each day, we will look out and see what has been planned for us.

Isn’t this the case for each of our lives?

Read the rest of the story:
http://religion.blogs.cnn.com/2011/12/23/my-faith-an-unexpected-christmas-at-south-pole/

The Mystery

2011-12-28T07:00:00.000-06:00

The mystery of Christmas speaks to every human heart. To those who have no religious faith, it reveals God’s closeness, His intimacy. To those who have drifted away from their faith, Christmas is a vivid reminder of simple truths and better times. To those who practice their faith in a routine or half-hearted way, Christmas can help reawaken the flame of life in Christ. And even for those who are fervent in their practice of the faith, Christmas is a chance to deepen and solidify a childlike humility and a Christlike generosity.

Christmas helps each of us realize in new and life-changing ways the paradox of God’s presence. Although He seems absent, He is closer to us than we are to ourselves. Although He is all-powerful and steeped in majesty, His coming is utterly simple, an act of supreme humility. As we pray in the Liturgy of the Hours, “A little child is born for us today; little and yet called the mighty God.”

The feast of Christmas, as we have come to know it, was strongly influenced by the devotion of St. Francis of Assisi. “The special warmth we feel at Christmas,” Pope Benedict writes, “did not develop until the Middle Ages. It was Francis of Assisi who helped bring this novelty about through his deep love for the man Jesus, for the God with us.” Quoting an early biographer of St. Francis, the pope says St. Francis “celebrated Christmas more than any other feast with an indescribable joy.” The saint’s biographer goes on to say that St. Francis “embraced with great affection and devotion the images that represented the child Jesus and stammered words of sympathy as children do words of affection. The name of Jesus was sweet as honey on his lips.”

St. Francis longed for the nearness of God. He wanted to experience the joy of Christmas directly. As Pope Benedict tells us, “He wanted to experience up close the birth of the child Jesus and to tell all his friends.”

by: Archbishop Robert Carlson

A message of Hope

2011-12-27T15:00:00.002-06:00

Queen Elizabeth II speaks of the year, the season with hope, faith and family:

Feast of St. John

2011-12-27T11:54:00.000-06:00

John, son of Zebedee and Salome, and brother to James, was one of the first disciples Jesus called. James and John were "in the boat with their father ... mending their nets, and he called them. Immediately they left the boat and their father, and followed him" (Matthew 4:21-22). Along with Peter, James and John formed the disciples' inner circle.

Jesus nicknamed the brothers "Sons of Thunder." Along with Peter, James and John formed the inner circle of the disciples. They accompanied Jesus when he healed Jairus' daughter, were present at the Transfiguration, and triggered a discussion on who would sit at Jesus' right hand (Matthew 20:20-23, Mark 10:35-45.) James and John stayed with Jesus while he prayed in Gesthemane but fell asleep.

After the death and resurrection of Jesus, John was a leader in the Jerusalem church community. He preached with Peter, was arrested, and later traveled with Peter to Samaria. John is credited as the author of the fourth gospel (thus, the repeated references to John as "the Beloved Disciple" and the one Jesus loved best). He may also have written two epistles and the Book of Revelations.

The New Testament gives no evidence of John's death.

Good news of great joy!

2011-12-26T07:00:00.000-06:00

Joy is the banner that flies over the castle when the King is in residence. anonymous

“Do not be afraid! I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord.” Luke 2:10-11

Have you ever noticed the word "you" in these passages before? It doesn't say Christ was born to them...it says a Savior has been born to YOU. In order for a child to be born to you, the child must belong to you. In the case of Christ, the only way that the child belongs to you is if you belong to him.

It is not insignificant that this message was given to shepherds. They were considered in the lower classes of society. They were dirty, they handled sheep, they smelled, and supposedly couldn't be trusted. And yet, the angels tell the shepherds...next to Mary, Joseph and Elizabeth, they are the first to know. It is thought to bear out what Mary says in the Magnificat, "He hath put down the mighty from their seat, and He hath exalted the humble". If you consider the Jewish shepherds and the gentile Magi, this may well have been the first declaration of God's intent to spread His message to all the world.

He has been born so that we may live in relationship with Him along with the Father and the Holy Spirit. He is our intercessor, He is our shield, He is the Light of the World...belong to Him and He will belong to you!

Christmas!

2011-12-25T07:00:00.008-06:00

The Bishop's Wife

2011-12-24T14:00:00.009-06:00

One of my absolute favorite Christmas movies is "The Bishop's Wife"
It was released in 1947 but is a humorous, touching story that resounds today.
Especially Henry's Christmas Eve message (that was actually written by Dudley)...

Christmas Eve 1914

2011-12-24T07:00:00.000-06:00

The meeting of enemies as friends in no-man's land was experienced by hundreds, if not thousands, of men on the Western Front during Christmas 1914. Today, 90 years after it occurred, the event is seen as a shining episode of sanity from among the bloody chapters of World War One - a spontaneous effort by the lower ranks to create a peace that could have blossomed were it not for the interference of generals and politicians.

Imagine you are standing knee deep in the slime of a perpetually waterlogged trench. It is the evening of 24 December 1914 and you are on the dreaded Western Front (which started at the North Sea and stretched to the Swiss border with France).

You wade across to the firing step and take over the watch. You exchange pleasantries with your colleague as he shuffles off, bleary eyed toward his dug out.

You listen for a few moments and your confusion gives way to surprise as men from both sides start singing carols and songs. Next you hear requests not to fire your weapon...could it be a truce? Why yes, it is! Along many parts of the line the Truce was spurred on with the arrival in the German trenches of miniature Christmas trees - Tannenbaum. The sight these small pines, decorated with candles and strung along the German parapets, captures everyone's imagination, and soon the unthinkable happens: you start to see the shadowy shapes of soldiers gathering together in no-man's land (between the trenches) laughing, joking and sharing gifts.

Many have exchanged buttons and cigarettes, the lit ends of which burn brightly in the inky darkness. Plucking up your courage, you haul yourself up and out of the trench and walk towards the foe...

On Christmas Day the truce was initiated through sadder means. Both sides saw the lull as a chance to get into no-man's land and seek out the bodies of their comrades and give them a decent burial. Once this was done the opponents would inevitably begin talking to one another.

The 6th Gordon Highlanders, for example, organised a burial truce with the enemy. After the gruesome task of laying friends to rest was complete, the fraternisation began. With the Truce in full swing up and down the line there were a number of recorded games of soccer, although these were really just 'kick-abouts' rather than a structured match. Sadly,

it was not long before the fighting began again.

Today, many see the Truce as nothing more than a temporary lull induced by the season of goodwill, but willingly exploited by both sides to better their defenses and eye out one anothers positions. Still others believe the Truce was an effort by normal men to bring about an end to the slaughter.

In the public mind the facts have become irrevocably romanticized and perhaps this is the most important legacy of the Christmas Truce today. In our age of uncertainty, it comforting to believe, regardless of the real reasoning and motives, that soldiers and officers told to hate, loathe and kill, could still lower their guns and extend the hand of goodwill, peace, love and Christmas cheer.

Shepherds

2011-12-23T12:30:00.000-06:00

Shepherds are not just important to the Christmas story, they're still a vital part of our world today...

Each Christmas Eve when he hears the familiar account of the shepherds’ angelic visit, Glen Fisher has good reason to sit up a little straighter in his pew.

The United Methodist has herded sheep for more than 30 years on his ranch near Sonora in southwest Texas, and he is a respected leader in his profession. In January, Fisher will complete his two-year term as president of the American Sheep Industry Association, the national organization that represents the 82,000 sheep producers in the United States.

Sheep remain an integral part of U.S. agriculture. Farm flocks are raised in all 50 states, providing wool for mills as far away as China and meat for dinner tables closer to home. Fisher’s home state of Texas has the nation’s largest share of the industry, with more than 10 percent of the nation’s sheep producers and some 830,000 sheep and lambs as of this past January.

Read the rest here...

They weren't expecting it...

2011-12-23T07:00:00.001-06:00

The shepherds would never have dreamed they would be a part of the miraculous birth. And yet, they were...a significant part.

Luke 2:13-14 tells us “13 Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, 14 “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”

Imagine yourself a shepherd in the fields...it is night and you are tending your sheep. There is safety in numbers so several of you stand guard around the flock to keep the predators at bay...or perhaps you are rounding them up to put them in a makeshift corral for the night but still you stand guard. The evening is quiet, the stars are bright. Perhaps you've noticed the one star that seems to stand out...it seems so close...just above you.

An angel appears to call attention to the star and to explain it's meaning. This would have been a most terrifying sight! Close your eyes and imagine...a bright angel, floating above the earth and speaking directly to you! After his message, you are sure to think that nothing could top that! But then...a great company of the heavenly host appears...don't know about you but to me, a great company means a lot of angels and they are praising God! If you weren't already kneeling with your face to the ground because of the first angel, I suspect you would be now! How bright, how LOUD, how joyous it must

have been! It had to be one of those moments that make the hair stand on the back of your neck.

The Bible tells us the shepherds then made their way to see the Child. And to spread the Word...they had to spread the Word...they must have felt compelled. And all who heard it marveled (which means “to cause wonder or astonishment”)! Are you approaching the Birth of the Child with joy? Do you marvel at God's love for us? Do you feel wonder, or are you astonished? We are 2,000+ years removed from the event, but it's power over us is no less than it was then. Let us be the shepherds of our time and spread the marvelous Word.

Laughter

2011-12-22T12:30:00.000-06:00

From The Telegraph

Laughter is contagious and thankfully there is no cure...

It's unclear what the joke that sparked the mass hysterics was, but mobile phone footage uploaded to the video sharing site has caught the imagination of many online viewers.

The origin of the laughter appears to a blonde woman sniggering at something on her phone. She is soon joined in her mirth by most of the other passengers.

The video, posted by a user called amerking has been viewed more than 1 million times in a week.

Winter Solstice

2011-12-22T07:00:00.002-06:00

In the Northern Hemisphere today is the longest night and shortest day of the year.

In ancient times, the winter solstice may have been immensely important because communities were not certain of living through the winter, and had to be prepared during the previous nine months. Starvation was common in winter between January and April, also known as the famine months. In temperate climates, the midwinter festival was the last feast celebration, before deep winter began. Most cattle were slaughtered so they would not have to be fed during the winter, so it was almost the only time of year when a supply of fresh meat was available. The majority of wine and beer made during the year was finally fermented and ready for drinking at this time. The concentration of the observances were not always on the day commencing at midnight or at dawn, but the beginning of the pre-Romanized day, which falls on the previous evening.

In modern times Christians all over the world celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ on Christmas, which falls on December 25. It is believed that this date was chosen by the church to offset pagan celebrations of Saturnalia and Natalis Invicti. Some believe that celebrating the birth of the “true light of the world” was set in synchronization with the December solstice because from that point onwards, the days began to have more daylight in the northern hemisphere.

Christmas is also referred to as Yule, which may have derived from the Norse word jól, referring to the pre-Christian winter solstice festival. Yule is also known as Alban Arthan and was one of the “Lesser Sabbats” of the Wiccan year in a time when ancient believers celebrated the rebirth of the Sun God and days with more light. This took place annually around the time of the December solstice and lasted for 12 days.

The Feast of Juul was a pre-Christian festival observed in Scandinavia at the time of the December solstice. Fires were lit to symbolize the heat, light and life-giving properties of the returning sun. A Yule or Juul log was brought in and burned on the hearth in honor of the Scandinavian god Thor.

A piece of the log was kept as both a token of good luck and as kindling for the following year’s log. In England, Germany, France and other European countries, the Yule log was burned until nothing but ash remained. The ashes were then collected and either strewn on the fields as fertilizer every night until Twelfth Night or kept as a charm and or as medicine.

French peasants believed that if the ashes were kept under the bed, they would protect the house against thunder and lightning. The present-day custom of lighting a Yule log at Christmas is believed to have originated in the bonfires associated with the feast of Juul.

2012

2011-12-21T16:00:00.005-06:00

According to the predictions, we are one year away from the date the ancient Mayan Long Count calendar supposedly marks as the end of an era and the end of humanity. Many archeologists argue that the 2012 reference on a 1,300-year-old stone tablet only marks the end of a cycle in the Mayan calendar. Perhaps others have added "the end of humanity"...seems so many of us are attracted to apocalyptic ideas and always assume the worst. Although it is interesting to try and interpret the writings of ancient civilizations, I believe 12/21/12 will be the Winter Solstice for 2012...nothing more.

The History channel has more information:

The cat rocks the cradle...sort of...

2011-12-21T12:30:00.000-06:00

This video shows a baby fretting, and the cat soothing him back to sleep. Who knew cats were such good babysitters?

Google

2011-12-21T09:00:00.003-06:00

This is a "just for fun" during the holiday season:

This Holiday season is no different, with a few seasonal twists recently added to Google Search.
In your Firefox or Google Chrome browser, visit Google’s Search page and perform a search of the words Let it snow to see a cascade of snow fall from the top of the browser window, rapidly filling up (and fogging up) your display. The effect is most prominent if you go full screen (typically F11 on your PC keyboard - you’ll have to manually zoom on a Mac.)

Use your mouse to wipe the snow away, or wait for your screen to become obscured enough for a Defrost button to appear, clearing it all up. Could I have one of those for my car please?

So far, I have not seen the snow fall effect work on Internet Explorer or Safari (Are there Scrooges at Redmond and Cupertino standing by, ready to ruin my Google Christmas fun?)

Performing a search for Hanukkah will provide a nice string of Stars of David to decorate your search results. Try out Santa Claus or Christmas Lights to get an old-fashioned string of lights instead. These low-tech options should work on all browsers.

Hanukkah!

2011-12-21T07:00:00.003-06:00

The video below is an explanation of the Jewish celebration of Hanukkah (or Chanukah)...today is the first day.

from: www.g-dcast.com

Celebrate

2011-12-20T14:00:00.001-06:00

Advent reminds us that our salvation comes from something small, weak and hidden. One might have expected God to present His only Son to worldwide fanfare. Although He was announced by angels singing, only the shepherds heard. Although He had His very own star, only the Wise Men saw.

When we despair, we need to look for the small signs of God's presence. The smile of a baby, the play of children, the blooming of a flower, the love and encouragement of friends. Today the world tries to overwhelm us with noise but it is the still, small voice of God that deserves our complete attention.

This season is marked by a spirit of expectation, of anticipation, of preparation and of longing. All of which are fulfilled with the birth of the Child. Celebrate His birth with unbridled joy!

Angry Birds???

2011-12-20T12:30:00.002-06:00

We are Angry Bird fans at our house but never would have thought of an interactive light display!

Christmas restored...

2011-12-20T07:00:00.000-06:00

This story reminds us that there are people out there who want others to see the Christ in Christmas...

A similar random act of kindness happened at a Kmart in Indianapolis, where a young father wearing dirty clothes and worn-out boots, stood in line at a layaway counter alongside three small children.
He asked to pay something on his bill because he knew he wouldn't be able to afford it all before Christmas. Then a mysterious woman stepped up to the counter.

"She told him, 'No, I'm paying for it,'" recalled Edna Deppe, assistant manager at the store in Indianapolis.

"He just stood there and looked at her and then looked at me and asked if it was a joke. I told him it wasn't, and that she was going to pay for him. And he just busted out in tears."

Before she left the store Tuesday evening, the Indianapolis woman in her mid-40s had paid the layaway orders for as many as 50 people. On the way out, she handed out $50 bills and paid for two carts of toys for a woman in line at the cash register.

"She was doing it in the memory of her husband who had just died, and she said she wasn't going to be able to spend it and wanted to make people happy with it," Deppe said. The woman did not identify herself and only asked people to "remember Ben," an apparent reference to her husband.

Deppe, who said she has worked in retail for 40 years, had never seen anything like it.

"It was like an angel fell out of the sky and appeared in our store," she said.

The full story is here...

Cookie Recipe

2011-12-19T11:32:00.000-06:00

from Commonweal
I just love it! Now if I could just find my chalice!

Worship fully

2011-12-19T07:00:00.003-06:00

Advent Week 4

2011-12-18T07:00:00.001-06:00

The Christmas Story

2011-12-17T12:00:00.001-06:00

You may have seen this before but it's worth another watch...
from New Zealand...

Take!

2011-12-17T07:00:00.001-06:00

Fra Giovanni Giocondo was a Renaissance pioneer. He was an accomplished architect, engineer, antiquary, archaeologist, classical scholar and Franciscan friar. He wrote the following letter to Countess Allagia Aldobrandeschi on Christmas Eve, 1513. It still speaks to us today...

I salute you. I am your friend and my love for you goes deep. There is nothing I can give you which you have not. But there is much, very much, that, while I cannot give it, you can take. No heaven can come to us unless our hearts find rest in it today. Take heaven!

No peace lies in the future which is not hidden in this present little instant. Take peace!

The gloom of the world is but a shadow. Behind it, yet within our reach, is joy. There is radiance and glory in darkness, could we but see. And to see, we have only to look. I beseech you to look!

Life is so generous a giver. But we, judging its gifts by their covering, cast them away as ugly or heavy or hard. Remove the covering and you will find beneath it a living splendor, woven of love by wisdom, with power. Welcome it, grasp it, and you touch the angel's hand that brings it to you. Everything we call a trial, a sorrow or a duty, believe me, that angel's hand is there. The gift is there and the wonder of an overshadowing presence. Your joys, too, be not content with them as joys. They, too, conceal diviner gifts.

Life is so full of meaning and purpose, so full of beauty beneath its covering, that you will find earth but cloaks your heaven. Courage then to claim it; that is all! But courage you have and the knowledge that we are pilgrims together wending through unknown country, home.

And so I greet you. Not quite as the world greets you, but with profound esteem and with the prayer that for you, now and forever, the day breaks and the shadows flee away.

Happy Birthday...

2011-12-16T11:30:00.023-06:00

To two favorites of mine...

Ludwig van Beehtoven (1770 - 1827)
A German composer whose profound deafness during the last ten years of his life makes all the more remarkable his renowned musical achievements. These include nine symphonies, 32 piano sonatas, two Masses, a violin concerto, and five piano concertos.

One of his best known pieces:

along with The Fifth Symphony, Moonlight Sonata, Ode to Joy , The 6th Symphony in F Major Opus 68 (one of my very favorites) and too many others to name.

Jane Austen (1775 - 1817)
A well known and much loved English author, her fans today number in the millions and her stories are regularly captured on film. Books such as Sense & Sensibility, Pride & Prejudice, Emma and others.

From a piece she wrote called "Prayer":
"Give us a thankful sense of the Blessings in which we live, of the many Comforts of our lot, that we may not deserve to lose them by Discontent or Indifference."

There's some good...

2011-12-16T07:37:00.002-06:00

If you've read the Lord of the Rings or seen the movies then you know that Sam is the character with the pure heart. He is the virtuous and trustworthy soul...and he never gives up. Many days it seems as if there is no good news to be heard anywhere in the world...but there is...

Marriage

2011-12-15T08:06:00.000-06:00

Good news...for the first time in decades, people who marry are staying married longer...
According to the Washington Post:
Three in four couples who married after 1990 celebrated a 10-year anniversary, according to census statistics reported Wednesday. That was a rise of three percentage points compared with couples who married in the early 1980s, when the nation’s divorce rate was at its highest.

They believe the reason is that people are postponing marriage until they're older...
Again, according to the Washington Post:

The proportion of adults who are married has plunged to record lows as more people decide to live together now and wed later, reflecting decades of evolving attitudes about the role of marriage in society.

Just 51 percent of all adults who are 18 and older are married, placing them on the brink of becoming a minority, according to a Pew Research Center analysis of census statistics to be released Wednesday. That represents a steep drop from 57 percent who were married in 2000.

I know that everything trends one way or the other but I'm not sure what this says for the state of marriage today. Although I don't believe anyone should ever "rush" into marriage, does living together really guarantee a long marriage?

Make straight

2011-12-14T11:30:00.000-06:00

Yesterday's post from the Upper Room included Isaiah 40:3 in a message from Mike Ripski:

Advent asks all of us that same question. Isaiah called people to "make straight" a way for the Lord. The modern equivalent of the prophet's image is heavy earth?movers and dynamite. We prepare for God to come by bulldozing away and washing away all that is unholy.

Read the rest here...

Saint John of the Cross

2011-12-14T07:00:00.002-06:00

Today is the feast day of St. John of the Cross...
Born in Spain in 1542, John learned the importance of self-sacrificing love from his parents. His father gave up wealth, status, and comfort when he married a weaver's daughter and was disowned by his noble family. After his father died, his mother kept the destitute family together as they wandered homeless in search of work. These were the examples of sacrifice that John followed with his own great love -- God.

When the family finally found work, John still went hungry in the middle of the wealthiest city in Spain. At fourteen, John took a job caring for hospital patients who suffered from incurable diseases and madness. It was out of this poverty and suffering, that John learned to search for beauty and happiness not in the world, but in God.

After John joined the Carmelite order, Saint Teresa of Avila asked him to help her reform movement. John supported her belief that the order should return to its life of prayer. But many Carmelites felt threatened by this reform, and some members of John's own order kidnapped him. He was locked in a cell six feet by ten feet and beaten three times a week by the monks. There was only one tiny window high up near the ceiling. Yet in that unbearable dark, cold, and desolation, his love and faith were like fire and light. He had nothing left but God -- and God brought John his greatest joys in that tiny cell.

After nine months, John escaped by unscrewing the lock on his door and creeping past the guard. Taking only the mystical poetry he had written in his cell, he climbed out a window using a rope made of strips of blankets. With no idea where he was, he followed a dog to civilization. He hid from pursuers in a convent infirmary where he read his poetry to the nuns. From then on his life was devoted to sharing and explaining his experience of God's love.

His life of poverty and persecution could have produced a bitter cynic. Instead it gave birth to a compassionate mystic, who lived by the beliefs that "Who has ever seen people persuaded to love God by harshness?" and "Where there is no love, put love -- and you will find love."

John left us many books of practical advice on spiritual growth and prayer that are just as relevant today as they were then. These books include: Ascent of Mount Carmel , Dark Night of the Soul and A Spiritual Canticle of the Soul and the Bridegroom Christ .

Info from CCEL.org

Waiting...

2011-12-13T11:30:00.003-06:00

As we all know, Advent is a time for waiting...I was struck by this simple yet poignant prayer from The Advent Door...

Blessing for Waiting

Who wait 
for the night 
to end

bless them.

Who wait 
for the night 
to begin

bless them.

Who wait 
in the hospital room
who wait 
in the cell 
who wait 
in prayer

bless them.

Who wait 
for news 
who wait
for the phone call
who wait 
for a word

who wait 
for a job 
a house
a child

bless them.

Who wait 
for one who 
will come home
who wait 
for one who 
will not come home

bless them.

Who wait with fear
who wait with joy 
who wait with peace 
who wait with rage
who wait for the end 
who wait for the beginning 
who wait alone 
who wait together

bless them.

Who wait 
without knowing 
what they wait for 
or why

bless them.

Who wait 
when they 
should not wait 
who wait 
when they should be 
in motion 
who wait 
when they need 
to rise 
who wait 
when they need 
to set out

bless them.

Who wait 
for the end 
of waiting 
who wait 
for the fullness 
of time 
who wait 
emptied and 
open and 
ready
who wait 
for you

o bless.

- Jan Richardson

Take a moment to read the rest of the post at the link above...

God locks the door...

2011-12-13T10:13:00.000-06:00

I just read the piece by that name earlier today at Conversion Diary blog...

After we said goodbye, as I watched them walk away I glanced over at the Adoration chapel. “Could it be…?!” I thought. “No way.”

Could it be that the door was locked because I was meant to talk to those sisters? Were we meant to meet that day and God arranged for the door to be locked to stall me, because they hadn’t arrived yet? I laughed at the silliness of the thought and started for my car again. But then I stopped, turned around, and decided to give it one more try. “If that door is unlocked now…I am going to freak out,” I thought.

Back in front of the door, I crossed myself with holy water again, took a deep breath, and pushed down on the handle. There was no resistance. I pressed it all the way down in one fluid motion, and the door to the Adoration chapel swung open.

I would encourage you to follow the link and read the entire piece. Needless to say, it is what I needed to hear...when I needed to hear it! Too many times, I have given in to the despair. Who knows what opportunities I have missed in doing so...because unlike the author, I don't believe in coincidence.

Our Lady of Guadalupe

2011-12-12T07:00:00.002-06:00

Wearing an emblem of the Virgin Mary on the front of their elaborate costumes and a guardian angel on the back, young dancers kick, march, stomp and swing their arms along with the beat of a tip-tapping drum.
"Each step is like praying the rosary," said Manuel Sanchez, leader of a 40-person group of matachines, or devotional dancers, from St. Leo the Great Catholic Church in Aldine.

Their dancing is a centuries-old tradition among Mexican-Americans to honor Our Lady of Guadalupe, whose Dec. 12 feast day celebrations fall in the midst of the Advent season, when Catholics are preparing to celebrate Christ's divine birth.

...The matachines wear signature-style, giant headpieces and traditional, Aztec-style dress, and they entertain thousands of Houstonians each year with their synchronized moves and almost hypnotic rhythm, but the real purpose of the dancing is spiritual. The matachines are faithful Catholics first and dancers second.

What a colorful celebration...read more here

Change

2011-12-11T13:00:00.000-06:00

Isaiah 61: 1-2a, 10-11
The spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me,
because the LORD has anointed me;
he has sent me to bring glad tidings to the poor,
to heal the brokenhearted,
to proclaim liberty to the captives
and release to the prisoners,
to announce a year of favor from the LORD
and a day of vindication by our God.

I rejoice heartily in the LORD,
in my God is the joy of my soul;
for he has clothed me with a robe of salvation
and wrapped me in a mantle of justice,
like a bridegroom adorned with a diadem,
like a bride bedecked with her jewels.
As the earth brings forth its plants,
and a garden makes its growth spring up,
so will the Lord GOD make justice and praise
spring up before all the nations.
The spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me,
because the LORD has anointed me;
he has sent me to bring glad tidings to the poor,
to heal the brokenhearted,
to proclaim liberty to the captives
and release to the prisoners,
to announce a year of favor from the LORD
and a day of vindication by our God.

I rejoice heartily in the LORD,
in my God is the joy of my soul;
for he has clothed me with a robe of salvation
and wrapped me in a mantle of justice,
like a bridegroom adorned with a diadem,
like a bride bedecked with her jewels.
As the earth brings forth its plants,
and a garden makes its growth spring up,
so will the Lord GOD make justice and praise
spring up before all the nations.

Be still...

2011-12-11T11:34:00.001-06:00

Somehow this seemed appropriate on the third Sunday of Advent...

Advent Week 3

2011-12-11T07:00:00.000-06:00

Advent Wreath

2011-12-10T11:30:00.000-06:00

Advent is about more than marking an event 2,000 years ago and the wreaths help make that clear. Progressive lighting of candles symbolizes a two-part hope surrounding Jesus's first coming into the world but also the anticipation of his second coming to judge the living and the dead. The very word Advent means "coming" or "arrival."

The four candles represent the four weeks of the season. Three are purple — symbolizing prayer, penance, preparatory sacrifices and goods works. One is rose, a sign of rejoicing because the faithful have arrived at the midpoint of Advent, when their preparation is now half over and they are close to Christmas.

The season of Advent is a late comer to Christian tradition. The early church focused on the paschal mystery and Christ's return. By about 325 A.D., Christians began formal Christmas celebrations. Gradually, a season of preparation built up and combined the two comings of Christ — in Bethlehem and at the end of time.

The wreath tradition is linked to pre-Christian Germanic practice, when villagers lit candles as a sign of hope for warmer and brighter spring days. In Scandinavia, candles were placed on a wagon wheel, an invitation to the gods to turn the earth back toward the sun.

By the Middle Ages, Christians adapted the tradition and used wreaths as part of Advent. By 1600, both Catholics and Lutherans had more formal practices surrounding the Advent wreath.

The wreath came to carry multiple symbolic meanings. The circular shape is seen as a reminder of God's presence and mercy, which has no end. The green symbolizes of hope for renewal and eternal life. Candles signify the light of God coming into the world, and remind worshipers that they, too, are called to be light in the Kingdom of God.

For centuries, Advent was a time of penance and fasting. As the notion of penitence gave way to a theme of expectant preparation in the 20th century, Advent wreaths had a resurgence in many Catholic and Protestant churches. "Anything that helps us focus on something beyond ourselves is good, especially in this age when we are so material.

The center candle is white and is called the Christ Candle. It is traditionally lighted on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day with all five candles continuing to be lighted in services through Epiphany (Jan 6). The central location of the Christ Candle reminds us that the incarnation is the heart of the season, giving light to the world.

Life holds no...

2011-12-10T07:00:00.001-06:00

Life holds no sweeter thing than this:
To teach a little child the tale most loved on earth;
And watch the wonder deepen in his eyes;
The while you tell him of the Christ Child's birth;
The while you tell of shepherds and a song,
Of gentle drowsy beasts and fragrant hay;
On which that starlit night in Bethlehem,
God's tiny Son and His young mother lay...

Waiting

2011-12-09T11:30:00.000-06:00

Advent is a time of anticipation, of waiting and making ready...just in case you need a reminder that it is worth the wait. Everyone and everything has a part in the making ready...

1. People, look east. The time is near
Of the crowning of the year.
Make your house fair as you are able,
Trim the hearth and set the table.
People, look east and sing today:
Love, the guest, is on the way.

2. Furrows, be glad. Though earth is bare,
One more seed is planted there:
Give up your strength the seed to nourish,
That in course the flower may flourish.
People, look east and sing today:
Love, the rose, is on the way.

3. Birds, though you long have ceased to build,
Guard the nest that must be filled.
Even the hour when wings are frozen
God for fledging time has chosen.
People, look east and sing today:
Love, the bird, is on the way.

4. Stars, keep the watch. When night is dim
One more light the bowl shall brim,
Shining beyond the frosty weather,
Bright as sun and moon together.
People, look east and sing today:
Love, the star, is on the way.

5. Angels, announce with shouts of mirth
Christ who brings new life to earth.
Set every peak and valley humming
With the word, the Lord is coming.
People, look east and sing today:
Love, the Lord, is on the way.
Words and Music: Eleanor Farjeon (1881-1965)

Church on Christmas

2011-12-09T07:00:00.000-06:00

I was surprised to hear that some churches will not be holding worship services on Sunday, December 25th...because it's Christmas. Huh?

Here are actual reasons given by the pastors of those churches:

too few people will come and it will hurt our worship attendance figures.
we won’t even take in enough to cover the cost of the heat and lights for the day.
we don’t want to compete with “family time.”
we’ll have our big attendance and offerings on Saturday night.
people will get their fill of worship on Christmas Eve — we don’t need to overdo it.
I’m not going to put a lot of effort into an extra sermon that almost no one will hear.
it makes people angry if we hold church at inconvenient times.
I view Christmas on a Sunday as a paid day off. Everybody else gets it as a holiday – why shouldn’t I once a decade?

What has Christmas become? Have our values been so warped by modern culture that Christmas no longer has anything to do with the birth of Christ? Is Christmas about us and the gifts given and received or is it something bigger than that? What better place for a Christian to be than in church on Christmas morning?

I am oh, so happy to say that our church is having our usual 11am worship service on Christmas morning. Not only that, but there will be (2) Christmas Eve services (at 5pm and 11pm). I'm happy to say that my children, grandchild and possible future daughter-in-law will be in the pew with my husband and me (my children live about 8 hours away). I am happy that we can rightfully sing "Joy to the World" because we will be celebrating that the birth has actually occurred! And I will lift up those who do not have this opportunity in their own congregation and give thanks that our Pastor sees to it that we do! In my mind, there really is no question as to whether we should worship on December 25th. After all, Christ is the greatest gift we can receive.

Advent Calendar

2011-12-08T14:55:00.000-06:00

From the Advent calendar at Busted Halo:

December 8th, 2011
The sun never says to the earth, “You owe me.” Look what happens with a love like that. It lights up the whole sky. — Hafez

Microchallenge:
Spend some time outside today and take a look at the earth and sky God created.

Fear

2011-12-07T13:00:00.000-06:00

I think I've lived my whole life like this...but I'm probably not alone!

An historic day...

2011-12-07T07:00:00.001-06:00

National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day, which is observed annually on December 7, is to remember and honor all those who died in the attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. On August 23, 1994, United States Congress, by Pub.L. 103-308, designated December 7 of each year as National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day. It is a tradition to fly the Flag of the United States at half-staff until sunset in honor of dead patriots.

St. Nicholas

2011-12-06T13:00:00.000-06:00

Did you know he was real? Did you know that today is his feast day?

Saint Nicholas was born in 260AD in Patara, a coastal town in what is now Turkey. The poor knew him throughout the land for his generosity, his love for children and being associated with ships, the sea and sailors. He was eventually consecrated Bishop of Myra, just miles from his hometown.

Our western tradition of Santa Claus and Father Christmas originates with the beloved saint. Many Christian churches and many countries observe December 6th, his feast day, with great celebrations, processions, services and gift giving.

Many legends surround his life. During the reign of the Roman emperor Diocletian, Bishop Nicholas was imprisoned and tortured for his beliefs but he never forsook his faith. The new Emperor Constantine eventually released him. Tradition has it that Bishop Nicholas attended the Council of Nicaea in 325 with many other bishops, a meeting that produced what we today call "The Nicene Creed".

The name St Nicholas lives in the hearts of people all over the world, young and old alike. His faith and his actions make remembering him important even in our day. He is our Santa Claus and Father Christmas, and we must remind people today of this fact. To this very day St Nicholas (Sinterklaas) arrives in Holland each November, dressed in a Christian Bishop's vestments, and rides through the streets to the enjoyment of thousands of onlookers, to begin his investigation into the behaviour of the children.

St Nicholas Day falls in the season of Advent and with the tradition of his bearing gifts, he became associated with Christmas as well.

Secret Santa...

2011-12-06T11:30:00.000-06:00

Just in case the holiday season is not what you'd hoped it would be...just in case you've begun to question the world and how we view Advent...just in case you just needed it...

Here is the story from the local paper...

Names...

2011-12-06T07:00:00.000-06:00

The history of names is so ancient that no one knows the beginning of the story. Since written history began, and as far back as oral history reaches, people have had names. It is therefore impossible to do more than guess at how the earliest given names were chosen. Most names appear to have had some sort of original meaning, usually descriptive, rather than being simply a pleasing collection of sounds.
These descriptive names developed both from nouns and adjectives. Examples of name descended from nouns are the Irish Gaelic names Conan "hound, wolf" and Aed "fire." Irish Gaelic names derived from adjectives are such names as Fial "modest, honorable, generous" and Finn "fair, bright, white." A more elaborate descriptive naming practice is exemplified in the Bible, when Rachel names her last son Benoni or "son of my sorrow" and his father Jacob renames him Benjamin "son of the right hand" (Genesis 35:18).
Many early names were compounds. For example, the following Frankish names are compounds: Sigibert (victoryshining), Childeric (battlepowerful), Fredegund (peacebattle) and Radegund (counselbattle). Sometimes such compounds in pagan societies referred to their gods. For instance, the ancient Norse had many names which were compounds containing the name of the god Thor. Among the male names were Thorbjorn, Thorgeir, Thorkell, Thorsteinn and Thorvald, and among the feminine names were Thordis, Thorgunna, Thorhalla, Thorkatla and Thorunn.

Early in prehistory some descriptive names began to be used again and again until they formed a name pool for that particular culture. Parents would choose names from the pool of existing names rather than invent new ones for their children. As time went on the language changed and in many cases the words that formed the original name passed out of use, leaving the fossilized form in the name. This is why we do not recognize the meanings of many names today. Their origins are in ancient languages from words that have passed out of use. For instance, the name Edwin was originally composed of the Old English words ead, which means "prosperity, fortune, riches" and wine, which means "friend." Both of these words have passed out of the language in the intervening thousand or so years. On the other hand, a word which has not radically changed forms the first part of the Old English name Wulfgar. The word may have changed spelling somewhat, but the word wolf is still recognizable. (The second element gar means "spear.")

With the rise of Christianity, certain trends in naming practices manifested. Christians were encouraged to name their children after saints and martyrs of the church. The oldest of these names were Jewish and GrecoRoman names. The names of the apostles and other prominent early Christians mentioned in the New Testament were often Jewish, such as Mary, Martha, Matthew, James, Joseph and John. The early Christians lived in the Roman empire, and it is among the other peoples of the empire that they first began to convert non-Jews. As a result of the persecutions in the early centuries, many GrecoRoman names entered the Christian name pool in commemoration of the martyrs and saints, such as Anthony, Catherine, Margaret, Mark, Martin, Nicholas and Paul.

These early Christian names can be found in many cultures today, in various forms. These were spread by early missionaries throughout the Mediterranean basin and Europe. At the same time pagan nations newly converted to Christianity did not abandon their original name pool. Native martyrs and saints soon arose in every culture and their names would be added to the pool of Christian names available to Christian parents. The Christian name pool sometimes preserved names that would have otherwise fallen out of use. For example, most AngloSaxon names fell out of use within two centuries of the Norman Conquest of England. One that did not, because it was the name of a famous saint, is the name Edward, which is still in use today.

By the Middle Ages, the Christian influence on naming practices was pervasive. Each culture had its pool of names, which were a combination of native names and early Christian names that had been in the language long enough to be considered native. The naming pools did continue to evolve, so that a selection of ninth century Frankish names bears little resemblance to a selection of twelfth century French names. The interesting thing is that the "early Christian names" changed the least in most name pools.

Surnames developed from bynames, which are additional identifiers used to distinguish two people with the same given name. These bynames tend to fall into particular patterns. These usually started out as specific to a person and became inherited from father to son between the twelfth and sixteenth century. The aristocracy usually adopted inherited surnames early on and the peasants did so later. Some of the specific types are: the patronymic (referring to the father or mother), a locative or toponymic (indicating where a person is from), an epithet (which describes a person in some way) or a name derived from occupation, office or status. (Information taken from this article...there is much more if you'd like to check it out)

One person lived who had more names than any other. They followed the patterns shown here and were descriptive in many ways...

Scarves

2011-12-05T11:30:00.000-06:00

This post has absolutely nothing to do with Youth, church or spirituality but it's here because I just love to wear scarves! In talking to friends, I've found the reason most don't wear them is that they don't know how to tie them. Leave it to You Tube to have a post showing you how...

Now what's your reason for not wearing them?

I'm Sorry...

2011-12-05T07:00:00.001-06:00

O come, O come

2011-12-04T11:30:00.002-06:00