Simple Moodlings \'sim-pѳl 'mϋd-ѳl-ings\ n: 1. modest meanderings of the mind about living simply and with less ecological impact; 2. "long, inefficient, happy idling, dawdling and puttering" (Brenda Ueland) of the written kind; 3. spiritual odds and ends inspired by life, scripture, and the thoughts of others
It's that time of year again, the season when we remember that God IS with us. Somehow Christmas, in these darkest days of the year, offers us an opportunity to discover the little bits of Heaven all around us that we often seem to miss in daily life.
My sister had her grade 5 students sing this song at their school Christmas concert last week, and it brought tears to my eyes... I offer it to you, my readers, with a prayer for blessings in your lives now and always. May you be the grace that shows our world the hope it needs, and may others be that grace for you, too.
2016 has been the kind of year that makes it a bit harder to really celebrate, to really feel those carols that sing of hope and joy and the One who is with us through all our troubles. But God really is with us, closer than our next breath, and that's always worth celebrating.
So I can't help myself... I have to recycle this video from last year's moodlings on this Christmas Eve, this celebration of God-with-Us. Have a beautiful Christmas, and may 2017 be a time for love above all else.
The glory of the Lord shines around us, and we hear good news of great joy. Don't be afraid! It's a glorious night! Let the Earth receive her King!
This Christmas eve, I am struck by the fact that the Holy Family are a sharp contrast to so many of us celebrating the birth of the Child. We in the western world lack for nothing, but they were poor travellers with no place to lay their heads. Then they became refugees, running from a mad king who was afraid that the Child might usurp his powers. These days, we all know about refugees, and some of us are afraid of them.
But that little family and its holy Child call us to a simple awareness of those among us who are frightened, far from home, alone, struggling, or looking for a friend -- we who have so much are invited to be generous, warm-hearted and loving. Do we have more than a stable to offer?
Today, I was listening to Michael W. Smith's Christmas Album and was struck by a line in his Anthem for Christmas: "Love has come to walk among us/ Christ the Lord is born this night."
Let's not fail to notice the love that waits to be noticed as it walks quietly among us, or to live it and be it ourselves. That's why Christ came -- to call us to BE love, so that love walks among us always.
Thanks to Alwyn Barry for posting this YouTube video (with Chris Monson's fitting images) so that you all can hear the Anthem for Christmas for yourselves. It's an inspiring and inspired piece of music.
Have a blessed Christmas, my friends, and BE love all year long.
This busy time of year became busier when my Aunt Sis (not of the record-breaking family) passed away yesterday. She was a beautiful person with a wonderful sense of humour, and what I will always remember is how she hated to say goodbye. Teared up every time! She's having her merriest Christmas yet in heaven with the husband she's missed for twenty years. Friends and family will be gathering to remember and celebrate her over the next few days, and I'm thinking that it might just be a good thing to take a wee Christmas break from these moodlings so that I can be fully present to all those around me.
May this holy season be a time of peace, gentleness, humility and compassion for you and yours, and may you witness the birds' rejoicing with a quiet joy of your own...
Merry Christmas, and see you early in the New Year!
What do you want for Christmas this year? Is it something you really need? I could use some new oven mitts -- but if I'm totally honest, the ones I have still work just fine (though they're a bit worn and kind of ugly from past baking "accidents"). And the rest of the stuff on my Christmas wish list isn't really essential to my well-being, either -- or anyone else's, for that matter.
So I'm thinking I should be more like my mom. For our family Christmas exchange, she put "men's briefs" on her Christmas wish list. Not because she's odd that way, but because she knows that there's always a shortage of underwear for homeless guys who visit the Society of St. Vincent de Paul Clothing Room where she volunteers.
What if everybody on the planet gave/asked for gifts that made the world a better place for others, not just for themselves? Here's a funny little video in that vein to make us all think!
There are many organizations that provide necessary items to those who need them -- in our own back yard or in the developing world. Even better are those organizations that help people to help themselves, like microloan groups.
If Kid President (who is pointing his viewers to Unicef's inspired gifts.org website) has you thinking, here are a few more websites worth a visit:
So here's a note to the person who has my name in our family gift exchange: Ignore everything I may have told you that I want for Christmas. I'd be happy to receive a donation to any of the above organizations! Or, some men's underwear...
P.S. Looking for more Simple Suggestions? Click here.
Poor old Santa. He's one of the most misunderstood characters on the face of the planet. He started out as Nicholas, the bishop of Myra, Greece, a kind man who helped people in dire straits by giving them anonymous gifts. Over time, he became the favourite saint of sailors, merchants, thieves, archers, students, and children. Eventually, his name morphed from St. Nicholas to Sinterklaas in Holland, where his feast on December 6th is celebrated with gift giving. In 1823, Clement Moore turned him into the chubby character that climbs down chimneys in "A Visit from St. Nicholas" and the rest is history. We see Santa everywhere these days, in every shopping mall, in all sorts of advertisements, and in blow up form on peoples' front lawns.
But here's a cheery little tune that kind of goes back to the heart of the actual man himself. If you read "historical" mythologies about the Saint of the sort you find on Wikipedia, he was a "random acts of kindness" sort of guy. An anonymous do-gooder. The kind of person we're all called to be. The happy little tune and message of this video make me smile. I hope they do the same for you!
