I imagine that most families that celebrate Christmas have some sort of countdown similar to ours. We have counted down the sleeps to Christmas for many years now and we also use a similar countdown to other major events, but Christmas is the big one. So as you can see there are two sleeps to Christmas.
I recall counting down the sleeps when I was a child in Ireland. I remember waiting for Christmas morning to arrive to see what treasures Santa would bring. I vividly recall a Christmas when I sat by my bedroom window straining to hear the bells from the sleigh. I would sneak downstairs in the hopes of catching Santa in the act. Unfortunately I was never successful at catching him, he was too quick for me, and of course all others.
Moving forward to my years of being a father to young ones, I recall their excitement as they waited for the big day. When they were little we had a birthday party for Jesus on Christmas eve, dressing Josh up as Joseph and Alex as Mary with baby Jesus wrapped in swaddling cloths in her lap. Somehow they do not want to dress up any more. In those days we would have the countdown as I did when I was much younger
Now that they are older and even though there are no teens in this house, the excitement is still there. Now they enjoy shopping and purchasing for others. They have caught the joy of doing something to bless others. They realize how much of a benefit there is in watching the eyes of the receiver as they open a gift planned and bought in love.
What an amazing transition, from wide eyed child to wide eyed father watching my beloved children as they have traversed the pages of time and seeing them with new eyes as their adult lives have begun to unfold. My gift this year will be watching them give to others without reservation and to their Mom and I.
Two sleeps to go and I am eagerly anticipating being awoken early on Christmas morning by a 23 and 20 year old as they prolong their tradition of serenading us awake to their version of "We wish you a Merry Christmas". How else would I want it?
Two sleeps to go and I am so excited.
Thursday, December 23, 2010
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
The shopping is done
Wow, unlike previous years I am finished with my Christmas shopping. For gifts that is. There's lots to do for the big meal yet, but I have completed the task of shopping for gifts for my beloved.
Now what?
I have time to stop. That's an interesting sentence, "I have time to stop". The hustle and bustle have been completed and I have no other reason to go and negotiate for parking spots or anything else in the mall or on "main" street.
Now, my focus is on my final preparations for Christmas, which of course is so much more than a day. Christmas is a season, a time, a state of mind. In preparation I have been trying to read the applicable scriptures and A Christmas Carol. Now, I can stop and enjoy the warmth of the fire, the sweetness of the tea, the soothing of gentle music, the smell of ink on page and the sounds of my family as they laugh with and at together.
Now I can stop and think about the choice that was made long before the universe began. I can think about when the fullness of time God sent His son, born of a woman to redeem all of us who are "under the law". I can wonder, question, and scratch my head until my fingers ache and still not understand how this came about and yet it doesn't matter how because I know why. Why did all this happen? It did not happen so we could enjoy the season, it didn't happen so we could sorrow over those who will be missing from the table, it didn't happen to allow us to lavish our love on one another, not it happened because God wanted to lavish His love on us.
Simple really. He loves us so He sent us our "get out of jail free card" if I can be so crass. This creation He loved needs a redeemer kinsman and this little babe in swaddling clothes grew to be the redeemer kinsman. We could only be bought and redeemed by one who understood our station, who know what it means to hurt, who knows what it means to be overjoyed by love, who knows what it means to cry.
Yes, the shopping is done, the final price is paid, the most amazing gift has been given.
What will you do with this gift this Christmas? Will you accept it or give it back. It cannot be regifted because everyone has been offered this gift. What will you do with this Christmas gift? It is time. The question "now what" has been answered.
Yes or No?
Your eternal life hangs in the balance.
Now what?
I have time to stop. That's an interesting sentence, "I have time to stop". The hustle and bustle have been completed and I have no other reason to go and negotiate for parking spots or anything else in the mall or on "main" street.
Now, my focus is on my final preparations for Christmas, which of course is so much more than a day. Christmas is a season, a time, a state of mind. In preparation I have been trying to read the applicable scriptures and A Christmas Carol. Now, I can stop and enjoy the warmth of the fire, the sweetness of the tea, the soothing of gentle music, the smell of ink on page and the sounds of my family as they laugh with and at together.
Now I can stop and think about the choice that was made long before the universe began. I can think about when the fullness of time God sent His son, born of a woman to redeem all of us who are "under the law". I can wonder, question, and scratch my head until my fingers ache and still not understand how this came about and yet it doesn't matter how because I know why. Why did all this happen? It did not happen so we could enjoy the season, it didn't happen so we could sorrow over those who will be missing from the table, it didn't happen to allow us to lavish our love on one another, not it happened because God wanted to lavish His love on us.
Simple really. He loves us so He sent us our "get out of jail free card" if I can be so crass. This creation He loved needs a redeemer kinsman and this little babe in swaddling clothes grew to be the redeemer kinsman. We could only be bought and redeemed by one who understood our station, who know what it means to hurt, who knows what it means to be overjoyed by love, who knows what it means to cry.
Yes, the shopping is done, the final price is paid, the most amazing gift has been given.
What will you do with this gift this Christmas? Will you accept it or give it back. It cannot be regifted because everyone has been offered this gift. What will you do with this Christmas gift? It is time. The question "now what" has been answered.
Yes or No?
Your eternal life hangs in the balance.
Saturday, December 11, 2010
How are you preparing for Christmas?
So, with all this talk of buying and giving and wanting and all that what are you doing to prepare for the big day, or the season of Christmas? It's here already, the season that is, but what else are you doing to make it special for you and others.
Some watch all the Christmas specials, the old ones, I cannot get through Christmas without seeing "A Charlie Brown Christmas", or Boris Karloff in "How the Grinch stole Christmas". Others put the music on, for me it has to be "The Messiah" and a collection of my favourite oldies, "White Christmas", the "Chestnuts" song by Nat and even "The Littler Drummer Boy" duet with Bing and Bowie. Others read the Luke 2 version and still others read Dickens' "A Christmas Carol".
We can't just let Christmas come without preparing. I'm not talking about the purchases, the food, the tinsel. I am talking about the emotional stuff that causes us to remember. I remember the first time I watched Charlie Brown and heard Linus speak those famous words about shepherds in the field. I cry every year when I watch the cartoon. Why? Because Charles Schultz got it right when he used the peanuts gang as an inclusive troupe to tell the real story about Christmas.
For me this year, I am reading A Christmas Carol. I don't like the Alistar Sim original version of the movie, I much prefer books. I will also spend time reading the gospels as they tell the story and charge us to "tell it on the mountain". Of course music will be playing regularly as I and we prepare for our son to be "Home for Christmas".
I am preparing for that 11 day period when the family foursome is finally together again, possibly the last Christmas we spend together in Canada for some time. His work may require him to be away next year and we will endeavour to join him wherever he is, so that we will be together for the Christmas season.
I am also preparing by thinking of those who are no longer with us on this earth. Both my parents passed at Christmas time over the years and you know of the loss of our friend this August. I will miss my Mom and Dad and my friend Ruth and will continue to do some of the things that my parents taught me about Christmas as part of a tribute and as a passing on of tradition and memories.
No matter how you are preparing for the celebration of Christmas, make time to remember why we celebrate Christmas. In the midst of the food, fun, gifts, movies, music and pandemonium take a moment and thank God for Jesus.
Some watch all the Christmas specials, the old ones, I cannot get through Christmas without seeing "A Charlie Brown Christmas", or Boris Karloff in "How the Grinch stole Christmas". Others put the music on, for me it has to be "The Messiah" and a collection of my favourite oldies, "White Christmas", the "Chestnuts" song by Nat and even "The Littler Drummer Boy" duet with Bing and Bowie. Others read the Luke 2 version and still others read Dickens' "A Christmas Carol".
We can't just let Christmas come without preparing. I'm not talking about the purchases, the food, the tinsel. I am talking about the emotional stuff that causes us to remember. I remember the first time I watched Charlie Brown and heard Linus speak those famous words about shepherds in the field. I cry every year when I watch the cartoon. Why? Because Charles Schultz got it right when he used the peanuts gang as an inclusive troupe to tell the real story about Christmas.
For me this year, I am reading A Christmas Carol. I don't like the Alistar Sim original version of the movie, I much prefer books. I will also spend time reading the gospels as they tell the story and charge us to "tell it on the mountain". Of course music will be playing regularly as I and we prepare for our son to be "Home for Christmas".
I am preparing for that 11 day period when the family foursome is finally together again, possibly the last Christmas we spend together in Canada for some time. His work may require him to be away next year and we will endeavour to join him wherever he is, so that we will be together for the Christmas season.
I am also preparing by thinking of those who are no longer with us on this earth. Both my parents passed at Christmas time over the years and you know of the loss of our friend this August. I will miss my Mom and Dad and my friend Ruth and will continue to do some of the things that my parents taught me about Christmas as part of a tribute and as a passing on of tradition and memories.
No matter how you are preparing for the celebration of Christmas, make time to remember why we celebrate Christmas. In the midst of the food, fun, gifts, movies, music and pandemonium take a moment and thank God for Jesus.
Christmas is coming the goose is getting fat and so are we
Snow is falling, carols are playing, presents are being purchased and wrapped, the malls are busy, the roads are clogged and for the most part, people have started to become pleasant again. Why is it that during the Christmas season a certain pleasantness comes over people? Well, except in the parking lot of the mall where finding a spot is a little like the proverbial needle ion the haystack, or more appropriately, the white iphone in the snow bank.
I love Christmas, I have the perfect picture in my mind as to how Christmas should be, it's a little between the "ideals" magazine and a Rockwell picture. But, it often ends up a lot more like an Escher picture. Why? We(myself included) set amazing expectations for ourselves and others about how Christmas should be. But it's never like that is it? Christmas brings disappointments just as every other day does.
There is a way to change and eliminate the disappointments and that is to change the focus. I wonder what would happen if we all agreed to stop spending outrageous amounts on each other and even on people we may not like and give all that money to a shelter for abused women or a mission who feed people who live on the street? Oh to assuage our guilt we may throw a few bucks into the kettle as we walk from store to store racking up hundreds nay thousands of dollars on credit to make others "happy".
I am starting to sound angry and I am ...........at myself. I love my family and friends, do I need to buy them things to show my love? I already have too much compared to 80% of the people in this world. When do we make changes that make differences to other people?
Emmanuel had everything, but he found that obedience was more important than holding onto a crown. So on that first Christmas in an amazing feat, He took off His crown and became a man child. He came that we would be forgiven and not have to buy our way into heaven, that would have been impossible. "O Holy Night" is playing as I type and the third verse says
Instead of becoming fatter (like the goose) this year, why not give to someone else and show a little piece of that love to another person who really needs that tie, scarf or whatever. Do something to cease the oppression of poverty, homelessness and abuse. Maybe, just maybe that joy you give will continue as others bring joy and that peace that we all so desperately need will come.
Merry Christmas...................................your move..................and mine!
I love Christmas, I have the perfect picture in my mind as to how Christmas should be, it's a little between the "ideals" magazine and a Rockwell picture. But, it often ends up a lot more like an Escher picture. Why? We(myself included) set amazing expectations for ourselves and others about how Christmas should be. But it's never like that is it? Christmas brings disappointments just as every other day does.
There is a way to change and eliminate the disappointments and that is to change the focus. I wonder what would happen if we all agreed to stop spending outrageous amounts on each other and even on people we may not like and give all that money to a shelter for abused women or a mission who feed people who live on the street? Oh to assuage our guilt we may throw a few bucks into the kettle as we walk from store to store racking up hundreds nay thousands of dollars on credit to make others "happy".
I am starting to sound angry and I am ...........at myself. I love my family and friends, do I need to buy them things to show my love? I already have too much compared to 80% of the people in this world. When do we make changes that make differences to other people?
Emmanuel had everything, but he found that obedience was more important than holding onto a crown. So on that first Christmas in an amazing feat, He took off His crown and became a man child. He came that we would be forgiven and not have to buy our way into heaven, that would have been impossible. "O Holy Night" is playing as I type and the third verse says
"truly He taught us to love one another,
His law is love and His gospel is Peace
chains shall He break for the slave is our brother
and in His name all oppression shall cease"
Instead of becoming fatter (like the goose) this year, why not give to someone else and show a little piece of that love to another person who really needs that tie, scarf or whatever. Do something to cease the oppression of poverty, homelessness and abuse. Maybe, just maybe that joy you give will continue as others bring joy and that peace that we all so desperately need will come.
Merry Christmas...................................your move..................and mine!
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