Merry Christmas................

I want to wish everyone a Happy Christmas. I also want to wish people Happy Holidays. I would not have said that before. I was one of those Christians who thought that people were trying to do away with Christmas.

Well I sort of had a revelation. Not sure why or how but I did. Christmas is a celebration of the birth of our Saviour, of the Christ child. It's not really His birthday but is sort of like the Queen, she has an official birthday. We don't know the date of His birth and maybe that's because He would not want a "birthday" party. I don't know. What I do know, is that this is supposed to be a season of Love and Goodwill towards men.

We use the symbols of Christmas to remember the day of His birth. The Star that guided the wise men to His humble place of birth. The Nativity set to show how He was accepted by the poor and the animals first. His angel spoke to the shepherds bringing "Tidings of Great Joy to ALL men" We give gifts to each other in rememberance of the Magi's gifts to the baby Jesus. Things used at His death and buriel.

However a lot of what we do is also very pagan. The Holly, Misletoe, the tree among other things. So really can we say that we have not taken Christ out of Christmas already? It's a Hallmark holiday. It's commercial. It starts at Thanksgiving and the January sales begin right away. Boxing Day is not celebrated here in America. Twelth Night is gone. It's back to work day after and on with the every day hussle and bustle and returning of unwanted gifts. Instead we should be treasuring them because someone though about you and chose that item for you. I never ever return or exchange a gift. Years ago it was a "Christmas season" people gloried in it, family and friends were the focus. The bible stories were read to the children.

I used to be very irritated when I was working. We ended up not being able to have a Nativity because it may offend someone. We could not have a tree because someone was a Jehovah Witness. That made me angry. I used to decorate our department but when I had to stop using the things that made it Christmas I refused to do it anymore. To me its NOT about Santa.
I tollerated a holiday I really despise without spoiling the fun for those who love Halloween. I could have. So why oh why can we not be left to do our own thing, within reason.

So where am I going with this you may ask.............My own revelation was this. It is not JUST Christmas. It really isn't. It is a season for many religions to celebrate. Kwanzaa is a week long celebration. Hanuuka is the Jewish festival. Yes, on the calender it is marked as Christmas, because its always been that way. This country and many others now are made up of many many non Christians. If we as Christians are to be loving and kind and worship our Lord, then don't we need to accept it with grace and pleasure that someone wishes us a Happy Holiday, because they do not know what our religion is. Not just because its a date on the calender that says Christmas. We need to greet people with Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays because it really is BOTH. How can we be seen as loving human beings who worship our Lord and then turning away a blessing by saying ITS CHRISTMAS, DONT TAKE CHRIST out of Christmas.........This is just my recent thoughts. I do understand now why a business must "not offend" its customers who may be of a different religion. Ironically, in places like some of the Arab countries they allow people to celebrate Christmas openly and by decorating Malls etc for their guests who are Christian. Can we not be as kind.?..........We can NOT take Christ out of Christmas unless we do it ourselves by our commercialism. By loosing the meaning of Christmas, by calling it Xmas.

Christmas is not about shopping, in what we get for Christmas, it's about Love, Peace, Joy, reflection, family, friends and above all it's about God, who came down to dwell amongst us, to die for us, to save our souls. Don't lets forget that by being petulant when someone says Happy Holidays, because it IS a holiday after all. Or being rude and saying "Its Christmas" because for them it may not be, but they are still wishing you joy......say peace be unto you, let the love of Christ shine through you. Jesus told us to let our light shine before men............. Merry Christmas and Happy joyful Holidays.

Easter Sunday....................

When we go through our daily lives and we encounter problems, tragedy and strife we must think also of what Christ went through for us. We bring on most of our own problems either by our way of life, or our eating habits. Sometimes the way we live our life effects those around us. That is not always true but quite often it is. We can never be perfect because we did inherit imperfection from our forefathers. It does all come down to "original sin". The "Sin" was not sex it was the direct disobedience of Adam and Eve to God. That meant that when sin entered the world it changed it forever. Christ told us that the sins of the Fathers would be handed down to the third and fourth generations, and that is often true .............Christ was perfect. He took our imperfect selves and suffered and died for every one of us...............so don't ever say that God does not care. Or where is God in our times of trouble. He is there, He has seen it all, He has been there before us. He has taken upon Himself all of our burdens and died so that we may live. Not here in this imperfect world but life everlasting in a new world. He is there to hold our hands but we must go through this life and live what comes our way. Think of all Job went through. He is my hero, he is the one I look to when I know things may get worse. He held fast to God's hand and God led him through. He never cursed God and never gave up. Christ is there for us to hold our hand and lead us through even to the next life sometimes. Through deaths door. He does not promise to save our life but He can and is willing to save our souls. Don't let this life and this life's problems get you down. We all have our cross to bear and we have friends to hold us up, and family too............but most of all we have our Lord. We are never alone, He sends His angels to help us and His spirit to dwell with us "Even to the end of the world" ...
Happy Easter...............Blessings to all my family and friends ....Janice

Thanksgiving................

Tristen and his Uncle Jason.



While not an American this is one holiday I truly love. There is just so much to be thankful for. This is the first year without Alexandra, but we have made it thus far. What I am so very grateful for is the faith I have that we will see her again some day. I thank God for our salvation. I thank Christ for His courage and endurance in sticking it out down here, submitting to the humiliation and shame of the things he was put through, the pain and ultimate sacrifice. He made this world and everything in it and yet He left His home in heaven and came here to make that sacrifice for me, and for you and for Alexandra. Because of that I know without a doubt that we will meet again.
I also thank God for my family. This year Dan and Debbie came for dinner. The fact that Alex's mother and father can sit together with their new spouses and share a day together with Alex's son Tristen. To help make the day special for him. Jason came home and is now Tristens new best buddy as he brought with him Tristens birthday gift from September. Tristen sat at the top of the stairs when Jason went for a shower. Gabby is living with us and so she too was here and Bill came over to visit. Dan took Tristen in the afternoon to go visit Debbies folks and have lunch with them so he had an amazing day and was very happy to see Reina and Evie.
We cooked a big meal as always. Turkey, ham, Brussel sprouts, baby carrots, green beans. Roast potatoes and mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes. Stuffing and gravy. Quite the feast. I have not yet recovered enough to even think about dessert. We have cherry pie and pumpkin pie but it can wait.

This is a picture of a traditional Thanksgiving feast.



Thanksgiving

The year has turned its circle,
The seasons come and go.
The harvest all is gathered in
And chilly north winds blow.
Orchards have shared their treasures,
The fields, their yellow grain,
So open wide the doorway~
Thanksgiving comes again!
~Old Rhyme



Harvest

(John Charles McNeill, 1874-1907)

Cows in the stall and sheep in the fold;
Clouds in the west, deep crimson and gold;
A heron's far flight to a roost somewhere;
The twitter of killdees keen in the air;
The noise of a wagon that jolts through the gloam
On the last load home.

There are lights in the windows; a blue spire of smoke
Climbs from the grange grove of elm and oak.
The smell of the Earth, where the night pours to her
Its dewy libation, is sweeter than myrrh,
And an incense to Toil is the smell of the loam
On the last load home.