Christmas again...

It is that time of year when we turn our collective eyes and hearts to all things Holiday-ish. I come into the season a bit weary but nonetheless ready. This year our family's theme is Hope wherever we can find it and recognize it. So as my tradition I will be posting along that theme not only on advent Sundays but through-out the 25 days.

I have just finished reading a series of history books about the middle ages, Celts, Irish, Greeks and the early Jews. In this tapestry of information that I have ingested, the celebration of Christmas has certainly evolved over the years. One the more interesting items is that as much as we think that Christmas is being stolen from us by those non-religious...we started off the stealing it in the first place. We all know that Jesus was not born on the 25th of December and that this holiday of solstice was taken and redeemed by the early Catholic church. Many of the decorations we use today was used before for something pagan. I think it is a bit ironic how upset we get when people take Christ out of Christmas when we put Christ into Solstice in the first place. We made it Holy...but then we can make every day Holy.
It's really OK how anyone wants to celebrate this break in the winter doldrums. We need some light in these dark days. Re-placing the former with a better is a wonderful way to lighten up the dark nights. Why not make it Jesus' birthday, why not give meaning to presents and trees and garlands and food. But it isn't our holiday, we took it and remade it in our image. Today, even more so in the consumer laden, guilt giving , over-indulgence of a Western holiday gone amok.
Maybe we can relax about making sure everyone takes this holiday seriously... It is a huge undertaking and not really a fight we have been commanded to take. Now...Resurrection Sunday on the other hand...this is another story all-together. Let start by not calling it Easter.

Something Holy

Scott, Nick and I went on a long drive over the river and through the woods and over the mountains and through the snow and over the HUGE land mass of farm land in Alberta and Saskatchewan to surprise my Dad on his 80th. It was great and fun and wonderful as only they can do. Something happened on Friday that made me rethink what is Holy.
I don't know if you know Elfrieda, Elviera and Elsie but if you do ... they are pretty amazing ladies who have done pretty amazing things in their lifetime. They have gone overseas, as teachers and nurses, been loyal friends and tight sisters. They work hard, laugh often, love fiercely, pray deeply always unselfishly. I have had the privilege of knowing them all my life and I have always been the beneficiary of their knowledge, love and healing care.
Their older sister Anna is in a home that helps care for her since the accident. The accident that I wrote about almost 2 years ago. Before this accident Anna was in the middle of this trio, the only thing missing in her participation was that her name did not start with an E. She worked on quilts, puppets, gardening...constantly working with her hands on behalf of other. They were an amazing team of women...Anna would make, Elsie and Elviera would take what she made and would teach and organize ...
Now the three of the ladies go to Anna's home and love on her and if she is sleeping, love on every one else there. They come in with smiles and encouragement and warmth and love...Even if Anna is not sleeping and is attempting to eat in the dining room they walk around and hug, and talk and hold hands with the other residents. This is so much part of who they are...that I know they think of it as what any body would do. This is where they are wrong...there are not many like these women. Who so unselfishly day in and day out do a most Holy work.
Remember if you do this to the least of these you do it to Jesus. If they had nursing homes in Jesus day he would have said...when you came and visited me when I could not speak very well, when my mobility was so limited and I had become too old and hurt ... you came and brought me flowers. You fed me at lunch time so gently and carefully. You spoke the words of Psalm 23 so help me remember what I had always known. You brought me joy in your enthusiasm and love in your smile. That was me...
What they have done...what they are doing...Holy work and I am humbled by their examples. We get it wrong folks if we think what is done on the stage is what is Holy. This is where it happens in that small room, in that home in Warmen, Saskatchewan .

It's all good

Dog stole off the counter two of the three hagel boxes and tore open a cracker box looking for food. The basement has flooded and will flood again becuase of a window sill that is not quite sealed. My back is bothering me for some odd reason . It has been dark and rainy out for I don't know 2 weeks now YET , it's all good. I think it is the vitamin D I am taking every day....or I am loved. Maybe both...

Waffling

Here is the deal....I have not been a member of a church since lets say 10th grade. I have attended church, taught in church, tithed, etc. but have not seen reason to become a member of a church. I think we are members of The Church so being a member of a local church seems redundant. Scott and I are thinking of becoming members of the church we are attending and we have gone to the classes etc...now all we have to do is get in front of the church and say yes we do want to be members. Why is this so important? The church we have been attending is a local reformed church in walking distance from our house. This isn't saying much because if I stand on my roof I can count and see at least 8 churches in walking distance. The thing is ..I am not reformed. I like some things about the reformed church but not all.
I can say this about every flavor of church. I think of denominations as flavors of ice-cream. Fundamentally ice cream is made up of milk and sugar, then flavoring. So if the fundamentals are right (unlike the Mormon stake which uses soy milk) it is really what flavor you like. So to stand up and say to all...I like this flavor better then all the other flavors would be silly...I like a lot of different flavors and some...I don't like at all. Why can't I just say..I love Ice Cream and at this time, I like this flavor well enough but not exclusively. Every one gets so caught up in making sure everyone likes their flavor best and only their flavor when it really is all about the Milk and Sugar.
I am sure I will go ahead and become a member because it seems that liking and disliking flavors isn't how we want to 'do church'. I have to come up with a good enough reason though why we are becoming members...before tomorrow. I don't think 'it is in walking distance from our house' and 'I know some people' is a good enough reason. Now...if this church said to me, Hey Heidi, we know you like to preach and would love to use this gift of yours in this congregation...I would really like this flavor. But they don't like women to have this particular gift...then not alot of flavors do. Well, some flavors but I don't like the fruits and nuts they use in their mix.
Here I go a waffling...

Earning wrinkles and South Pacific

It is that time of year when I begin to think about a new hairstyle. I used to change my hairstyle every 6 months...Looking back I think I was a bit insecure about how I looked and thought that a new hairstyle would catapult me into beauty bliss. There were some that catapulted me in the opposite direction. I have one of those faces (thank you parents) that makes every hairstyle OK but no matter what the beauty technician said...there were times I wish I had been more forth-right.

Hairstyles and going to the salon is a distinctly female malady. But no matter how often we are told we look great, we gamble ...OK, I gamble and go back in again for that elixir of youth. I have been told that at this age...there are some hairstyles that are appropriate and some...not so.

So again age has limited the possibilities. I know, there are some of you that say...do whatever you want Heidi...but honestly...there are some hairstyles that the younger women should own and some only for us older folks. You see these wrinkles on our face that we have worked hard to earn gives us the exclusive domain of hairstyles that hide rather then expose, enhance rather then flaunt, simplify rather then complicate.

I have no idea if those wonderful ladies and few men know how much power they have in those scissors and combs.

When you have found her...never let her go.........

Hiding place or Boulder

The Holy can be either a Hiding Place or a Boulder in your way. Is. 8
I have been chewing on this phrase for almost a month now. It slides in and out of my thinking, and every time it gives me pause. Don't fear what they fear...Don't take on their worries.
This passage in Isaiah in context is warning Israel...The King of Assyria and all his power..he is coming like a flood.
Form a plan and it will be thwarted; make a respolve, and it shall nor be carried out. Call not alliance what this people call alliance, and fear not, nor stand in awa of what they fear. Yet He shall be a snare, an obstacle, a boulder in the way.
Protection in either case. We don't like the boulder...interesting that not only is He a obstacle, He is also a snare. I pray for open doors, straight paths, easy directions. Maybe we should also pray for the Holy Boulder...When things are not working out the way we think they should...like there seems to be something in the way...maybe the Holy is keeping us from something...teaching us to wait...teaching us that forward is not always the best direction.