Tag Archives: Friends

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Saith Me… Debate or Tirade

Differing perspectives can elevate our comprehension of complex issues, but they can also drag us down into a pit of malevolence when discussion and debate are replaced by an unbending quest to convert or conquer.

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Saith Me… Let the tears fall…

There are sorrows in life that one simply cannot avoid.

There are sorrows in life that through diligence can be avoided.

There are sorrows in life that arrive despite diligence.

When faced with sorrow, it is best to let the tears fall…

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Questions… Taking Sides and Losing Unity

Is there a danger in supporting YOUR TEAM rather than supporting OUR Team? Have we lost the OUR NATION and become irrevocably divided in a contest of finding fault? Has history become only the Myths and Legends with which we batter and attack the opponent? Or can history still teach us something about the reality of human fallibility and the imperfect nature of trying to do our best and falling short of expectations? Can truth ever be found if we only see what we want to see, only hear what we want to hear, and only perceive what we already perceive?

Are we still trying to learn, grow, evaluate, and improve – or are we simply taking sides?

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“Note to Democrats and Republicans: This Is Not a Game” by Mathew Dowd

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A Stellar Year

An odd realization occurred just recently, the realization that true friends not only support you when you struggle, but also when you succeed.  In times when recession and struggle seem more common than not, it is a great blessing to have friends who will celebrate your joy and success even when their lives are less bountiful.

2012 was a very stellar year for me and for my family.  It was filled with joy and excitement, something of a break compared recent years where struggle to overcome dominated the scene. As this year neared its end, I have reflected on the abundance of my blessings and the sheer joy of life, family, and friends. This reflection makes me glow inwardly and outwardly. It is impossible to contain.

It is a great gift to have friends who celebrate joy with me even while 2012 presented greater struggle for them, and sorrow or pain clouded their days. These friends show themselves to be true.  It is of them I will ponder as the clock strikes twelve, and for them I will cast my wish for blessings and abundance in the upcoming year.

Friends and Family, this year they have intertwined and become of the same in my heart. It has been a stellar year and my heart rejoices for the abundance of friendship and love which I have been blessed.

Happy New Year and may 2013 greet you with abundance of friendship!

2012 Stellar Year

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Genuine Greetings of the Season

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Whenever the media or friends discuss the war on Christmas these thoughts come to mind…….

I often wonder if “political correctness” is blamed for the decline in “Christmas” because Christians avoid looking at themselves and asking if they are teaching “Christmas” or teaching something else. It is easy to get fired up at the “attacks” but much harder to recognize that “Christmas” doesn’t just happen because you buy a tree and make cookies.

I really don’t think the lack of a nativity at the court house or public building will adversely affect my family, but the lack of one in my home certainly will. While it is sad to see public display of the holiday diminish, I do try to keep in mind that it is the traditions we make at home and share with our family and friends that count. I also remind myself that Hollywood’s version of Christmas is a rather new version and that the fundamentals of Christmas count more than how Hollywood defined Christmas to our parents and grandparents.

Whether I say Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, or Season’s Greetings, I am wishing a person the best. Christ is only removed from Christmas when I forget to include him in my life, not when others exclude him from theirs. I would hope I live in such a way that people will still know I am Christian even when I wish them Happy Holidays. If nothing else, I hope they at least see the kindness in me when I wish them happiness.

A wish of cheer, in any form, is the message that carries on even after the lights and the tinsel get packed away for another year. Christ will never be removed from Christmas as long as well-wishers genuinely wish each other glad tidings at least once a year. This is part of the magic of the season; this genuine wish for blessings and cheer to be the companion of others. The Bleak Midwinter is replaced by a White Christmas the moment when a genuine greeting brightens someone’s day.

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Joy to the World or Blue Christmas?

My Christmas Letter for 2012…

Christmas time can be a time of contradiction. Even while we celebrate the joys of the season, we often struggle with melancholy memories of days gone by, of family no longer with us, or of worldly troubles. This is not a new struggle, song writers have written many tunes of longing and wishes for family, home, and peace.

Traditions of the Christmas Season help us hold on to better times; times of our childhood before we became aware of the melancholy struggles so many face each year. Grandma’s chocolate chip cookies still are a prerequisite for me.  While grandma was still alive, I spent time learning to reproduce her cookie. After she passed on, I made it my goal to send cookies each Christmas to my grandfather and close family each year.

As a child, I was under the impression that my mother did not like frosted sugar cookies because she so seldom made them.  Actually she loved them; she just did not like to make the mess. As soon as I learned this, I added frosted sugar cookies to the list of must haves in the Christmas parcels. Just last night we, my husband, children and I, frosted the cookies. Rather than admit to having fun, the boys take the attitude of grouchy bears. It is funny how traditions start, even the tradition of acting grumpy while frosting cookies; a tradition started when mom was able to frost with more flare than dad. It is funny how a fake tantrum by dad years ago aimed at helping the kids accept their limitations has now become the tradition, at least for the men at the table.

Homemade jams and jellies were the constant in my childhood home. Even after my mom stopped making them, grandma kept us supplied. Gifts of jelly have saved many a Christmas when the pocket book was limited but the friends were abundant. Jalapeño Bread soon joined the jelly and is now a favorite as well. My son has taken over the making of the jelly and the bread, but soon his sister will need to step in and not long after that, mom will have to return as the Christmas head chef.

Life does not stand still, and Christmas time reflects the changes of time. Years ago we would send four or five boxes of goodies to family each Christmas, but now we only have one box to prepare. In what seems like a blink of an eye, the family has grown small. Death is part of life but so is marriage and children. One day the family will be back to growing rather than shrinking and Christmas packages will again be numerous.

I really look forward to the Christmases where little pajamas are made by grandma in addition to the adult sized ones being made by mom. These are the visions that dance though my head as I prepare for this Christmas. The dreams of the future coupled with memories of the past make Christmas my favorite time of the year.

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I would be remiss in my ramblings if I didn’t also include mention of the joys of Christmas present.  There is such a wonderful quality about the time spent with one’s children, time keeping up the traditions of their youth. Sewing the pajamas and Christmas clothing with your daughter or baking holiday treats with your son are truly blessed moments, but the best tradition is decorating the tree. Each year we gather together to unwrap the ornament collection, reminiscing on when each ornament was received and remarking on our favorites. Over the years the kids have grown older and taller and need no assistance reaching the highest branches. During this same passage of time, my husband and I have grown to resemble Mr. and Mrs. Clause a bit more. This was not my husband’s desire but a reality I don’t mind at all, at least not in December.  So in honor of our growing resemblance to the jolly North Pole couple, we (meaning me) have decided to begin sending Christmas greetings once again.

Our wish to you during this Christmas Season is that you will always find the comfort of the Savior in your lives, and that His presence will help you through the melancholy as well as the joys of life.