Thursday, January 19, 2012
Wednesday, January 18, 2012
Why I LOoove Christmas!!
Tomorrow is January 7, 2012 and we will at last have Christmas with our kids. While most of you are saying, "I'm so glad it's over!," for us Christmas is tomorrow. And I can't wait. I love Christmas! And not because I will get everything I want but because it is a time when I've acquired deep joy in my family's identity and my own values. Here are Christmas memories I'd like to share with you.
Imagine, it is Christmas Eve.
Story #1: The setting is a small town in southern Minnesota.
Some arrive early to help set things up and then ALL go to candlelight worship at the small church to sing and cry as the story touches us once more and then it's time to party at my mother-in-law's house. Picture it with me......smiles on every face, laughter all around, some wearing jeans and t-shirts, some wearing pretty red, bare feet, stocking feet, shoes, young old, single, married, kids, no kids, and dogs every where....each person who walks through the door is greeted with hugs as they hand over the "dish" they've brought to add to the feast....we barely get through the door and someone is already striking up a conversation, "how are you? did you get the job? how is your foot?" ...the caring isn't a political or social put-on, this is real....they really want to know how you are....we usually sit at two tables because we can't fit on one...this means that before we gather in the big circle for songs, readings and presents, we have to clean up and take one of the tables down...there are a few tense moments as we wait for some late-comers but all is quickly forgiven as we move forward...we didn't come here to create tension....we came for peace...finally in the big circle we sing and listen to the Christmas story one more time...then on with the White Elephant game...everyone wins because it is so much fun...the evening ends with people just talking and laughing and sharing more with each other....the game has done its job; giving us all a break from taking our gift-giving too seriously. This is Christmas with the Bonde family, the family I fortunately married into 30 years ago. And this is why I love Christmas!
Story #2: The setting is Madagascar, the island off the east coast of Africa where I grew up. My parents have driven down to our boarding school about a week before to see our huge Christmas program and then drive us back home with them.
There is no candlelight service and no big shows or things to go to. We start the day by making a huge amount of lefse. I remember helping flip them on the grill as young as five years of age. When we became teens we got to learn how to mix them and roll them out....no fancy equipment, no recipe, just our hands and our hearts and a little creativity. We eat a good dinner at noon knowing that in the evening we will get to eat as many lefse as we can handle. This is part of the Chritmas treat. The afternoon is filled with wrapping presents and whispers behind closed doors as the children plan the evenings "program." The tree always seems full with packages under it, though we have no store to shop at. The tree is beautiful though no douglas firs or Minnesota pines are available on this tropical island. AT last everyone is ready.
We begin the evening with a little lefse. My dad prays for blessings on our evening. Then we kids put on little Christmas pageant dressed in bathrobes and whatever we've found around the house to be Mary & Joseph and baby Jesus. The shepherds look very much like the wise men. Mom and Dad are amused and touched and applaud our efforts. Then we sing Christmas carols. And then Dad reads the Christmas story from start to finish out the Gospel of Luke. Then its time for presents. The youngest person in the room which was usually me, got to hand them out. I was so proud to have this job. it gave me so much pleasure. And then when all is handed out, we open them one at a time so that everyone gets to enjoy every gift. THe gifts are mostly homemade stuff, something sewn or crocheted, or made out of wood and nails int he shop. They are gifts filled with the joy of giving. And that's what we take into our dreams on that night; the joy of giving. And that's why I love Christmas!
Story #3: Not Christmas Eve but a day or two later...The scene is our home in Northeast Minneapolis, circa 1996. We have four young boys ages two to ten. It's December 26 or 27th. We've already spent Christmas Eve at the Bonde household as in Story #1. And now it is time for our own celebration.
I start the day by making frosting while Pete and the boys are busy wrapping presents. I usually have mine already wrapped by this time. I pick 3 or 4 of the brightest and prettiest colors I can find for the frosting. Then I dig out all of my cake decorating equipment and get out the cake that has been baked the day before. When all is ready, I call the boys to come and decorate Jesus' Birthday cake. They get to decorate however they want to which usually ends up being this delightful pile of colors and sprinkles and old candles from all their birthdays. and then we light the candles and sing happy birthday to Jesus. No one really cares that much about eating the cakes.
Then we move on to playing games. We dig out some board game and play for awhile. Or we introduce the boys to a new game that they haven't heard of. As the boys grew, they made up their own games. and then we sing some Christmas carols. WE've been practicing them during Advent so the boys are familiar with them. The favorite is Hark the Herald ANgels Sing. Then we read a story about Christmas or giving. Since the older boys know how to read, one of them gets to read something too.
AT last it is time for presents and this is my favorite part. Fromt he beginning Pete & I decided that the person who bought the gift should give it. So we start with the youngest. He picks one of his gifts from under the tree and gives it to the person he wants to. AFter the gift is opened, that person picks a gift to give to someone else. and so we go one at a time until all are opened. The boys enjoy watching the gifts they've bought be opened and they enjoy opening their own. And often when they are all opened, we go back to playing games. And that's why I love Christmas!
Imagine, it is Christmas Eve.
Story #1: The setting is a small town in southern Minnesota.
Some arrive early to help set things up and then ALL go to candlelight worship at the small church to sing and cry as the story touches us once more and then it's time to party at my mother-in-law's house. Picture it with me......smiles on every face, laughter all around, some wearing jeans and t-shirts, some wearing pretty red, bare feet, stocking feet, shoes, young old, single, married, kids, no kids, and dogs every where....each person who walks through the door is greeted with hugs as they hand over the "dish" they've brought to add to the feast....we barely get through the door and someone is already striking up a conversation, "how are you? did you get the job? how is your foot?" ...the caring isn't a political or social put-on, this is real....they really want to know how you are....we usually sit at two tables because we can't fit on one...this means that before we gather in the big circle for songs, readings and presents, we have to clean up and take one of the tables down...there are a few tense moments as we wait for some late-comers but all is quickly forgiven as we move forward...we didn't come here to create tension....we came for peace...finally in the big circle we sing and listen to the Christmas story one more time...then on with the White Elephant game...everyone wins because it is so much fun...the evening ends with people just talking and laughing and sharing more with each other....the game has done its job; giving us all a break from taking our gift-giving too seriously. This is Christmas with the Bonde family, the family I fortunately married into 30 years ago. And this is why I love Christmas!
Story #2: The setting is Madagascar, the island off the east coast of Africa where I grew up. My parents have driven down to our boarding school about a week before to see our huge Christmas program and then drive us back home with them.
There is no candlelight service and no big shows or things to go to. We start the day by making a huge amount of lefse. I remember helping flip them on the grill as young as five years of age. When we became teens we got to learn how to mix them and roll them out....no fancy equipment, no recipe, just our hands and our hearts and a little creativity. We eat a good dinner at noon knowing that in the evening we will get to eat as many lefse as we can handle. This is part of the Chritmas treat. The afternoon is filled with wrapping presents and whispers behind closed doors as the children plan the evenings "program." The tree always seems full with packages under it, though we have no store to shop at. The tree is beautiful though no douglas firs or Minnesota pines are available on this tropical island. AT last everyone is ready.
We begin the evening with a little lefse. My dad prays for blessings on our evening. Then we kids put on little Christmas pageant dressed in bathrobes and whatever we've found around the house to be Mary & Joseph and baby Jesus. The shepherds look very much like the wise men. Mom and Dad are amused and touched and applaud our efforts. Then we sing Christmas carols. And then Dad reads the Christmas story from start to finish out the Gospel of Luke. Then its time for presents. The youngest person in the room which was usually me, got to hand them out. I was so proud to have this job. it gave me so much pleasure. And then when all is handed out, we open them one at a time so that everyone gets to enjoy every gift. THe gifts are mostly homemade stuff, something sewn or crocheted, or made out of wood and nails int he shop. They are gifts filled with the joy of giving. And that's what we take into our dreams on that night; the joy of giving. And that's why I love Christmas!
Story #3: Not Christmas Eve but a day or two later...The scene is our home in Northeast Minneapolis, circa 1996. We have four young boys ages two to ten. It's December 26 or 27th. We've already spent Christmas Eve at the Bonde household as in Story #1. And now it is time for our own celebration.
I start the day by making frosting while Pete and the boys are busy wrapping presents. I usually have mine already wrapped by this time. I pick 3 or 4 of the brightest and prettiest colors I can find for the frosting. Then I dig out all of my cake decorating equipment and get out the cake that has been baked the day before. When all is ready, I call the boys to come and decorate Jesus' Birthday cake. They get to decorate however they want to which usually ends up being this delightful pile of colors and sprinkles and old candles from all their birthdays. and then we light the candles and sing happy birthday to Jesus. No one really cares that much about eating the cakes.
Then we move on to playing games. We dig out some board game and play for awhile. Or we introduce the boys to a new game that they haven't heard of. As the boys grew, they made up their own games. and then we sing some Christmas carols. WE've been practicing them during Advent so the boys are familiar with them. The favorite is Hark the Herald ANgels Sing. Then we read a story about Christmas or giving. Since the older boys know how to read, one of them gets to read something too.
AT last it is time for presents and this is my favorite part. Fromt he beginning Pete & I decided that the person who bought the gift should give it. So we start with the youngest. He picks one of his gifts from under the tree and gives it to the person he wants to. AFter the gift is opened, that person picks a gift to give to someone else. and so we go one at a time until all are opened. The boys enjoy watching the gifts they've bought be opened and they enjoy opening their own. And often when they are all opened, we go back to playing games. And that's why I love Christmas!
Thursday, January 5, 2012
TAKE HEART IN THE NIGHT
Rejoice, rejoice, take heart in the night,
Though dark the winter and cheerless,
The rising sun shall crown you with light,
Be strong and loving and fearles;
Love be our song and love our prayer,
And Love our endless story,
May God fill every day we share,
And bring us at last into glory.
~Marty Haugen
Dear friend,
I pray you feel the Light, the LOVE rising within you even in your darkest moment.
love, jules
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