See you at the New Blog Site

This blog has moved to a simpler address: http://footprintsfromthebible.blogspot.com/ See you there for future meditations, including one for each of the 12 Days of Christmas.

Friendship and Accountablity

The Christmas season reminds us of the value and love of friends. We each need to have a circle of friends to share experiences with. Sometimes those friends are members of our family. Sometimes we find them at work or church. Sometimes they are people we grew up with or share common experiences with.



I have a group of women whose friendship I treasure. We have supported one another through many life changes. There have been traumas with children, health issues, job changes, challenges to faith, and just life in general. Some of these women have moved away, but we still keep in touch. Most important is the way we hold each other accountable for our actions. When someone makes a plan, we help her remember what it was. If one of us is discouraged, we offer support and let her know she isn't alone. When anyone in the group is seeking answers, we pray with her.

Even Jesus had his closest companions—the 12 disciples. And within that group were the ones nearest his heart—Peter, James, and John. There were many who followed him as Rabbi, but it was these special few that He entrusted with His true identity and mission. Do you follow Jesus as a wise Rabbi or as the One whose birth we celebrate in 3 days--the "God Incarnate, Man Divine" (as the hymn puts it)?

Hopefully you, too, have friends you can laugh AND cry with. You will find your life journey enriched by the friends who walk with you. I’m sure you already know how much they support you and hold you accountable to your calling in life. Take time to say “Thanks” to the special ones in your life, this and every season.


See you tomorrow.

Advent Four

This is the Fourth and final Sunday of Advent. All the candles are lit in anticipation of the imminent arrival of our Lord.

Purify our conscience, Almighty God, by your daily visitation,that your Son Jesus Christ, at his coming, may find in us a mansion prepared for himself; who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

The prayer for today from the Episcopal Book of Common Prayer reminds us that God comes to us daily, not just at Christmas. We are also reminded to be a dwelling place -- and not just any dwelling, but a MANSION. Think about what images come to mind when you consider 'mansion'.

Is it a place where the rich and famous live?

Is it a medieval castle?

Is it an old haunted place?

Is it, like the photo above, a house that has been turned into a bed and breakfast? (http://www.themansioninn.com)

What about your own Mansion--what space do you have in your heart for our Lord?

See you tomorrow.

Don't forget yourself

The weekend before Christmas can be a hectic time with everyone trying to do all the last minute things: shopping and decorating and baking and cleaning and polishing and on and on. All this can leave us stressed and exhausted before we ever get to the actual Day.

To be counter cultural and not ‘do’ any of these things is probably not an option for too many of us. Children and family members and friends all seem to have expectations. And it is fun to see the surprised or delighted faces when they open a special gift.

I would suggest, though, that you carve out a time for yourself. Give yourself the gift of an hour or two where you can sit quietly and hear the angels sing.

Maybe that will involve sitting down to watch a favorite Christmas movie.
It could be a walk through the zoo or along a nature path.
How about reading “The Gift of the Magi” or some other lovely old Christmas story?
Perhaps simply ordering pizza instead of cooking dinner is what you need.
Soaking in a warm bubble bath with scented candles in the room can be relaxing.
You could read the Bible account of the birth and sit with the story for a while, thinking about how you would have felt if you were present.

My husband and I plan to go to the River of Lights this weekend--a display of figures all made of strings of lights. Some seem to move and it's always fascinating to see the craftsmanship.

See you tomorrow.

The Christmas Tree

The Christmas tree has a long history. Like the luminaria, the symbolism originated in the darkness of the change of seasons. The evergreen branches were used to ward off evil spirits and to bring prosperity. These customs were esp. important to the Roman December celebration of Saturnalia. For centuries the Church prohibited use of evergreen boughs in Christian celebrations because of the pagan connection.

The current custom of Christmas trees seems to have originated in Germany. Legend has it that Martin Luther noticed how lovely the stars looked amid the evergreens in the forest and brought one home for his children to remind them of God’s creation. Despite opposition by Calvin and other Reformers, the tree was here to stay.

The Christmas tree came to England when Prince Albert (of Germany) gave Queen Victoria a tree in 1841. German immigrants to America brought the tradition to the United States. Soon ornaments, paper chains, candles (and then electric lights) were found on the trees.

Whether your tree is artificial, freshly cut or living, the beauty and symbolism brighten homes and businesses throughout the season. The addition of a few baubles and tinsel transforms the most scrawny tree into a thing of beauty.

As Linus so eloquently put it, "I never thought it was such a bad little tree. It's not bad at all, really. Maybe it just needs a little love."

Maybe we all need the reminder that we are not ‘bad little trees’, all we need is a ‘little love’ to become beautiful in adoration of the Holy Child.

See you tomorrow.

Eggnog

Yum-one of my favorite things about the holiday season is eggnog. You can get it almost year 'round now, but for me it's one of those things that says Christmas. We have special cups we use for the nog and it's the only time of year they are even used.

Eggnog is easy to make and if you make your own, you can make it, ever so, slightly lower in calories. Here's my recipe. It's best if you make the custard part (eggs, sugar, & milk) the day before so it can chill thoroughly.

Easy 'Lower Calorie' Eggnog

1 1/2 c. milk (2% or whole)

1-1 1/2 c. sugar (depending on how sweet you want the eggnog)

6 egg yolk

2 t. vanilla or rum flavoring

6 egg whites (optional--they make the 'nog a bit fluffier, but aren't required)

1 c. whipping cream

3 c. milk (2% or whole)

Mix the 1 1/2 c. milk with sugar and egg yolks in a pan over low heat. Stir until sugar is dissolved and then every minute or so after that until it thickens and comes to a simmer. Cook slowly or it will scorch. When it is pudding like, turn off the heat, stir in flavoring. If you have any little lumps in the pudding/custard strain it and return to pan or bowl.

If you are going to add the egg whites, beat them stiff and fold into the hot mixture--this will cook the egg. (Adding the whites just makes it a little fluffier)

Chill at least a couple of hours. Overnight is best.

When ready to serve. Beat the whipping cream stiff. Mix the custard thoroughly, if it separated. Fold in the whipped cream and add the remaining milk. Serve in mugs or glasses with nutmeg on top. Some like to add a couple of tablespoons of rum or whiskey to the nog before serving.

Sit back in front of your tree or fireplace and enjoy a nice rich cup of eggnog, while preparing for the last few days before Christmas.

See you tomorrow.

Christmas Stocking

I had an entirely different meditation planned for today, but then I ran across an article in The Anglican Digest that I want to share a bit from. It's written by the Rev. Richard Tudor, St. Barnabas', Florissant, Missouri.

Tudor notes that this time of year is known for the many 'old favorite' movies. Among them The Bishop's Wife in which the Bishop preaches a sermon. Tudor doesn't quote the sermon word for word and I will not include all his article, but I found it a moving reminder of the real Reason for the Season, as they say, and a call to offer homage to the One we often forget.

"We still remember that night. We will gather in our churches on Christmas Eve to celebrate that birth. We put a star atop our Christmas trees and sing carols, the songs the angels sang. And as a part of the Christmas Season and Spirit, in imitation of the Magi, we give gifts. We work our way frantically through stores picking up presents so our parents, children, brothers and sister, nieces and nephews, cousins and friends, all those close to us, will have a gift from us on Christmas morning. Everyone's stocking gets filled, except one. That stocking belongs to the person whose birth we celebrate on Christmas, the Christ Child.

That empty stocking needs to be filled with gifts from each of us. What gifts can we bring to the Christ Child?...We can give him precious gifts which he and this world desperately need: human kindness, love, and compassion for others! These are the only gifts which will fill the empty stocking of the Christ Child.

When that star in the East hung low in the heavens and drew those people to the manger in which the Christ Child lay, it shone as a beacon of hope to all, to you and to me. That hope, born again on Christmas, is a realization of what it means to be one of God's children...When we look into the manger, we see an innocence which was once ours, an innocence of goodness and trust to which we are summoned to return.

It is so simple and yet so complex and confusing. Jesus is born into a world of power and might but these are not the possessions he craves. God enters the world on Christmas in the person of the Christ Child--weak, humble, and defenseless. And he gives the world the priceless gift of appreciation of these qualities. May we, I pray, come away from our celebration of Christmas with a personal awakening of the Godly power of these timeless values...

I hope that on Christmas morning you will find your stockings filled with all that you want and need. But I also hope that you will hang up the stocking of the Christ Child and in this coming year, will try to fill it with the gifts God give to you--human kindness, love, compassion for others. Christ's stocking canot remain empty if there is to be peace on earth. When the stocking of the Christ Child is filled, ours will be filled too."

See you tomorrow.

Toys are for Kids

The holiday season brings out the desire to share what we have with others, esp. with children. One organization that helps out is the Toys for Tots campaign run by the Marines. Do you know it was started in 1947 because the wife of a Marine major couldn't find an organization that collected toys for needy children? That first year, 5000 toys were collecting in Los Angeles alone. The success of the 1947 drive was the start of the nationwide Toys for Tots organization.

In 1980 Toys for Tots started collecting only new toys and 11 years later formed the Marine Toys for Tots Foundation. It is estimated that over 370 million toys have been distributed since the beginning of Toys for Tots.

Of course there are now many other organizations that also collect toys and food for children and needy families. Tomorrow night St. John's will be boxing up presents and dinner supplies for over 80 families which will be distributed on Saturday.

I'm sure there are churches, hospitals and other organizations near you who would love a small donation--not only to help a child, but to feed your soul. Certainly there are Toys for Tots drop boxes in many locations and you can donate online as well. (toysfortots.org)

Of course, it's also fun to give gifts to the little ones you love and know personally! May you find blessing in helping one of the least of these this holiday season.

See you tomorrow.

The Creche

If you haven’t yet had a chance to set up your Nativity scene, tonight would be a lovely time to gather as a family to do this. Styles vary from the traditional scene used for years at St. John's, to the more modern set used one year in the chapel of the church.

Another name for the Nativity scene is ‘creche’ and the tradition has been around for centuries. Painted frescos depicting the birth of Christ have been found in catacombs, dating from the 2nd Century! Three dimensional representations didn’t appear until the 13th Century. By then, the elements of the scene, as we know it, were established as Mary, Joseph, and the Infant, with ox, ass, shepherds and Wise Men. St. Francis of Assisi is credited with the first live Nativity when he filled a manger with hay and added live animals to the scene in 1223.

When I was growing up, we always put out the entire crèche scene when we set up the Christmas tree. Some families start with just the stable and perhaps a few sheep and shepherds. Over the next 10 days more and more participants will gather at the manger, until on Christmas Eve, the Christ Child is placed reverently in the manger. Even then the scene isn’t complete because the Wise Men don’t arrive until Epiphany (January 6).

Our tradition is to include not just the traditional sheep and shepherds, but also animals and figures that mean something to us as a family. There is the ceramic horse I’ve had since High School, a small ceramic elephant from my childhood, and some foreign dolls given me by my uncle from trips overseas. (This is just a portion of the entire scene.)

We do put up the entire scene at the start, except that some years we haven’t put the Christ Child in the manger until Christmas. I’ve always thought it would be nice to develop the tradition of adding to the scene over the days before Christmas, but there is so much else happening, that we never did.

However you do your Nativity, let it be a time of peace and remembering the reason for our preparations and a reminder of the coming of the Prince of Peace.

See you tomorrow.

Rose Sunday

Rejoice in the Lord always, and again I say, rejoice; let your forbearance be known to all, for the Lord is near at hand; have no anxiety about anything, but in all things, by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be known to God. Phil. 4:4

Today is the 3rd Sunday in Advent. You light 2 purple and the one rose candle. Liturgically the day is called Gaudete Sunday. Gaudete is a translation of the Latin word for ‘rejoice’, which is found in the antiphon of the service today—taken from Philippians 4:4. (The Advent wreath in the photo is from several years ago at the Cathedral.)

We are reminded that our Lord is drawing close and we are to be active and JOYFUL in our waiting and watching for that coming.

The prayer today is from the Episcopal Book of Common Prayer. I love the words that invoke God's presence among us.

Stir up your power, O Lord, and with great might comeamong us; and, because we are sorely hindered by our sins,let your bountiful grace and mercy speedily help and deliverus; through Jesus Christ our Lord, to whom, with you andthe Holy Spirit, be honor and glory, now and for ever. Amen

See you tomorrow!

St. Lucia

Today is the feast of St. Lucy--Santa Lucia.

Lucia lived in 3rd century Rome. She was martyred for her faith after rejecting marriage to a pagan bridegroom. Her feast is celebrated mainly in Scandinavian countries with crowns of candles and Lucia bread. Her name means light and the celebration of her saint’s day was originally linked to the start of lengthening days, esp. in Sweden where the days are very short in the winter, but in December they start to get longer, again.

As with most saints many legends grew up around her. It is said that she appeared during famine with bread, so her day is celebrated with the specially shaped bread. It is either formed into a ring and candles can be added, or into smaller rolls that resemble animals.

Family celebrations can also include having the oldest daughter dress in a long white dress with a red ribbon around the waist. She wears no shoes and a wreath with candles on her head. Any other children in the household also wear white robes with shiny ribbons around their waist and head. Girls carry a lighted candle and boys a baton with a star. The children serve bread to the adults while singing Santa Lucia. They can also take bread to their neighbors and teachers.
Simple Lucia Bread can be made using store bought bread dough and kneading in a little orange rind and some spices. However, the purist would want to make the bread from this or another recipe.

St. Lucia’s Braided Bread
1 1/2 cups milk, warm but not boiling
2 1/4-ounce packages active dry yeast
1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar
6 tablespoons butter, cut into pieces
2 large eggs
1/4 cup orange juice
1 tablespoon finely grated orange rind
5 1/2 to 6 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
Spices (cardomon, cinnamon, saffron) and yellow food color
Mix yeast with 3 cups of flour, orange rind sugar and spices. Stir in milk and butter. Add eggs, orange juice, and yellow food coloring. Blend in remaining flour to form a soft dough. Let rise until doubled. Punch down and form into rolls or ring.
For rolls, divide dough into 30 pieces, roll and shape into rolls.
For braided bread, divide dough into 3 parts. Form three strips of dough, braid together, shape into a ring on a baking sheet.
Let rolls or bread rise. Bake at 350o until done (15 minutes for rolls and ½ hour to 45 minutes for bread).
Top with Glaze and Garnish made by mixing 2 1/2 cups confectioners sugar with 2 1/2 to 3 1/2 tablespoons orange juice. Drizzle over bread ring when cool and top with 1/3 cup dried cranberries.

Enjoy your Lucia Bread while you think about the One who came as Light to the World. How can I be a light to others on the path?

See you tomorrow.

Friends

Mid Advent is a wonderful time to get together for a special time with friends. Set aside all the Christmas preparations and meet somewhere for a cup of coffee, tea, or as a couple of us do, for appetizers at a restaurant. We've been meeting for birthdays for many years. This Christmas one of the group is moving away, so we all gathered for a chat to wish her God Speed.

Even if your friends aren't moving away, taking a respite from the busy schedules we all have this time of year, is a nice way to boost your energy by sharing laughter and stories with them.

See you tomorrow.

Holiday Symbols

What are some of your favorite Holiday Symbols?
What comes to mind when you think of Advent and Christmas? Most Christmas symbols are easily created. In fact many of them are included in the Chrismon decorations.

Some of my favorite holiday symbols are:

Bells—that ring in the good news.
Angels—who proclaim glad tidings.
Sheep—remind us of the Shepherd who came and the shepherds who adored. (I’ve recently come across a new way of making a sheep’s head. Lay your hand on a paper, with the 3 middle fingers together and the thumb and little finger sticking out for the ears. It's similar to the way you make a turkey from your hand, except you keep the 3 middle fingers together.)
Evergreen wreaths and trees—represent eternity and are found everywhere this time of year.
Candy Canes—symbolize the purity and blood of Jesus.
Stars—foretold the birth to the Wise men.
Holly—foreshadows the crown of thorns and drops of blood.

However, the main focus of all the decorations and symbols is, of course, the Nativity and Manger. If you are looking for something to do with the youngsters in your life to help them learn about the story, have them use their fingerprints to create the scene. (It can also be a creative spiritual aid for you as you think about the role each person and animal played in the whole story.) Remember a couple of years back when making animals and other real and imaginary creatures using your fingerprints was all the rage…well, here’s how to make the complete Nativity scene with the same craft.

You’ll need a white paper, some colored ink pads (you can use black, but I think it’s a bit more fun with the colors), and a damp cloth or paper towel to clean your fingers. You will also need markers or pens to complete the figures.

Practice making the animals and people before you make your scene. Here are some of my practice ones, including my first, not so great attempt at a camel. Looking at tit now, I could perhaps have turned the smudges into a cow by adding ears, legs, and horns. In reality, I don't think there are mistakes with this art form. While it may not look like anything at first, once you add eyes, legs, etc., they do take on a life of their own.

Sheep: Index finger for body, and tip of the pinky finger for the head. Add eyes, nose, ears, legs, and tail with markers.
Donkey: Thumb for body, end of pinky for head. Add ears, nose, legs, tail, and eyes.
Camel: Thumb for body, pinky for head (like Donkey). Make the hump from your index finger at right angles to the body.
King: First 2 joints of your index finger. Tip of index finger for face. Add arms, crown, hair, beard, and eyes. You can add a gift in his hands, too.
Shepherd: Like the King, except add a head band and shepherd’s crook
Mary: Index finger for body and second print at right angles for her to kneel, Index finger head and pinky print for her veil. Add hair, arms, eyes, mouth, and halo.
Joseph: Similar to Mary, except add beard and halo
Angel: Like Shepherd and King, with index finger wing. Add halo and outline wings and gown.
Infant Jesus: Index finger for swaddled baby, pinky head. Add eyes, halo, hair, a few lines on the body to indicate the bands of cloth.
Sketch a manger under the Baby and add straw on the ‘floor’.

While making the scene with the children in your life, have them tell you the story, if they are old enough. If they don’t know all the details, you can help them out.

Have fun! Remember it’s the creativity that counts, not the perfection of the result!

See you tomorrow.

Think about Joseph

"Now the birth of Jesus the Messiah took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been engaged to Joseph, but before they lived together, she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. Her husband Joseph, being a righteous man and unwilling to expose her to public disgrace, planned to dismiss her quietly. But just when he had resolved to do this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for the child conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” All this took place to fulfill what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet: “Look, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel,” which means, “God is with us.” When Joseph awoke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him; he took her as his wife, but had no marital relations with her until she had borne a son; and he named him Jesus." Mt. 1:18-25

In the Christmas story, Joseph tends to be overlooked. We should remember that if he made a different decision the story we know would be very different. According to Jewish law, he could have had Mary stoned for infidelity, but instead he made the decision to accept her and claim the child, which was not of his blood, as his own.

By his acceptance, Joseph let the neighbors think that he had overstepped the betrothal boundaries and had relations with Mary. She was exonerated and he took on the shame of her pregnancy. Only the pair knew the whole truth of the angelic visitors.

Joseph is usually portrayed as a much older man. In truth he would have been older than Mary (who was probably only 13 or 14), but to me that doesn’t mean he was aged. I like the images I found online that show him as a younger man--I think the second one is from "The Nativity Story" movie.

I would urge you to take time to read and re-read the passage from Matthew.

Think about what your reaction would have been to Mary’s astonishing announcement.

What would you have done?

Could you have accepted her and the child, knowing it was not your own?

How would you have felt when you were visited by the angel?

Would the announcement that Mary’s Child was ‘conceived from the Holy Spirit’, have been reassuring or not?

Why do you think Joseph believed the angel and took Mary as his wife?

Enjoy your reflections. See you tomorrow.

Luminarias Light the Way for the Christ Child

Here in the SW, luminarias are an ever present symbol that Christmas is coming. A luminaria is a paper bag with the top folded down sand in the bottom. A votive candle is placed in the sand and lighted on Christmas Eve to light the way for the Christ Child to your home.

Luminarias have quite a history. Throughout the centuries, light—whether from a fire or candle—has been used to ward off the darkness and ‘evil spirits’ that resided there.

Nearly all cultures have some kind of celebration of light. The Hebrew people used candelabras filled with oil in the Temple, modeled on the golden candelabra used in the Tabernacle built during the Exodus. The Feast of Hanukkah, in December, is, of course, the celebration remembering how one day’s worth of oil, lasted for 7 days when the Macabees rededicated the Temple in 167 BC.

The ancient Romans celebrated Saturnalia by giving wax tapers as gifts to one another and to Saturn. Celts used bonfires as part of their religious observances. The December celebration, welcoming the Sun at the solstice, included fire in the form of the burning of an oak log and may have involved participants leaping over the fire to obtain protection from evil forces. German and Irish custom dictates the placing of a lighted candle in the window on Christmas Eve as a welcome to the Christ child.

In Spain, a tradition named “Hogueras” (bonfires) is still in evidence in some places. It started long before Christianity as part of the observance of the winter solstice (and probably originated from their ancient Celtic roots). The celebration includes people jumping over the fire to obtain protection against illness.

It is easy to see how the luminaria tradition grew up in what is now the Southwestern United Sates. Spanish Conquistadors and the Franciscan friars brought the tradition from their homeland into the new country.

The bonfires of Hogueres grew smaller in the new world where wood was scarce. The first luminarias were indeed small bonfires formed from a 3’ cube of crisscrossed pinon branches. Only when paper and paper bags became readily available did the luminaria take on its current form. (In fact, not so long ago--maybe 40 years, there was still great debate over which was the ‘real’ form of a luminaria—the bonfire or a paper bag with candle.)

Now, luminarias are an expected part of Christmas here, with tours of decorated neighborhoods. The tradition has been carried home by visitors, too, so you can find luminarias nearly anywhere--some are fancifully cut out and decorated for other holidays, too--a far cry from the original purpose. You can even get electric luminarias, but I don’t think the effect is quite the same.

If you put up luminarias, I hope you’ll remember that you are guiding the Holy Infant to your home and heart.

See you tomorrow.

Give Unto Others

This time of year there are many, many groups seeking donations. Food pantries are esp. hard hit because the need is greater over the holidays. Some groups collect food and money to provide Christmas dinners for needy families. Other organizations are collecting clothing or coats or blankets for the less fortunate in our communities. While the collections go on year round, many depend on the Christmas season generosity to fill their shelves and coffers.

At our church we have an Angel Tree with the names and desires of children of families who frequent our Food Pantry on a regular basis. It is heartwarming to watch the (about) 250 tags disappearing from the tree and the many wrapped gifts reappearing under the tree. We also provide a Christmas dinner for each of the families through donations of turkeys, hams, green beans, pumpkin and other items.

If you have extra time to volunteer, or the ability to purchase a can or two (or more) of food to donate, any of these groups will be grateful for the help. And an added benefit will be a warm feeling in your heart this Advent season. We usually take a tag or 2 off the tree and bring a food donation, too. While that has sometimes stretched our budget, it is a reminder that others are less fortunate and that really, we are very blessed.

See you tomorrow.

Second Sunday of Advent

Today’s prayer is taken from the New Zealand Prayer Book for the Second Sunday of Advent. The Advent wreath is the new 8' wreath in the Cathedral of St. John in Albuquerque, NM. (My husband Ken made it.)

“Praise and honor to you, Living God; your chose the Hebrew people and brought them step by step to look for a redeemer , and hope for the Christ. Give us grace to see our need and recognize salvation when it comes.”

I pray your Sunday worship and your Sabbath time today will be a blessing to you and yours.

See you tomorrow.

St. Nicholas Day

There really was a Nicholas. He was Bishop of Myra in Asia Minor, born about 260AD. He served at the Council of Nicea (when the Nicean Creed was formalized). Nicholas was imprisoned

Later, legends grew up around his generosity and help for the needy. He is said to have provided dowries for three daughters of an impoverished father. One of the more miraculous things attributed to Nicholas is the restoration of life to 3 boys chopped up and pickled by an innkeeper. Because of his action in calming a storm and saving sailors, he is the patron of sailors.

Nicholas has many traditions and symbols including leaving your shoes outside the door on December 5, (the Eve of St. Nicholas). You can include a note and carrots and hay for his horse in the shoes. When he visits, Nicholas leaves fruit (an orange), candy (gold coins), and other treats.

As these traditions moved from country to country, Saint Nicholas or Sankt Niklaus (German) or Sinterklaas (Dutch) gradually became Santa Claus in America. Clement Clark Moore, a professor at the Episcopal General Theological Seminary in NY wrote A Visit from St. Nicholas ('Twas The Night Before Christmas) in 1823 and established Santa Claus as an icon in the popular culture. Thomas Nast, a caricaturist, created the familiar plump look for Santa Claus in 1881.
There are still those who maintain some of the Saint Nicholas traditions like making a St. Nicholas Garden. You plant wheat on St. Nicholas Day (December 6) and they should sprout by Christmas. Put a white votive in the garden to light on Christmas Eve.

Santa Claus is known for giving presents, however, St. Nicholas himself was more interested in helping those in need. Maybe there is someone you can “be St. Nicholas for”.

See you tomorrow.

Annunciation

In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary And he came to her and said, “Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you.” But she was much perplexed by his words and pondered what sort of greeting this might be. The angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And now, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you will name him Jesus. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give to him the throne of his ancestor David. He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.” Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I am a virgin?” The angel said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be holy; he will be called Son of God. And now, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son; and this is the sixth month for her who was said to be barren. For nothing will be impossible with God.” Then Mary said, “Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word.” Then the angel departed from her. Luke 1:26-38
Today I invite you to consider the visit of the angel to Mary as recounted by Luke. Read the Biblical record at least a couple of times. Sit quietly and let yourself imagine being in the scene.
Think about how you might have felt if an angel came to you.
What would you have experienced? Heard? Felt? Seen? Smelled? Tasted?
Mary was very likely a young teenager at the time—how does that change your impressions?
Would you react to an angel visit differently now than as a younger person?
The Annunciation has been a favorite theme of artists through the years. I’ve included a variety of their images for you. Look at all the pictures—perhaps one of them really speaks to you. Maybe you find yourself drawn to sketching your own impressions of the event.

Let this be a holy time of listening to God and relating to the story in whatever way your heart is led.

See you tomorrow.

Chrismon Decorations

Today we’ll have some fun (and maybe even some inspiration) with Chrimons. The word ‘Chrismon’ means Christ Monogram. These are decorations that represent the Names of Christ. Often used to decorate trees, I’m using mine on a wreath this year. On my wreath you will see several of the simple designs I dredged up from my Sunday School teacher days.

The wreath itself is a symbol and reminder that Jesus is the Branch from the Root of David (Is. 11:1). See if you can find the other symbols on the wreath:

He is the Lamb of God. (John 1:29)
The candle represents Jesus, Light of the World. (John 8:12)
A crown shows Christ as King of Kings. (I Timothy 6:15 or Revelation 17:14)
Snowflakes remind us that he forgives our sins and makes them white as snow. (Isaiah 1:18)
Crosses, of course, represent Jesus, Savior and Redeemer. The white and gold cross is a Chrismon someone gave me as a gift & introduced me to the concept. (Matthew 27:37-50)
The candy cane is a dual reminder that Jesus is our Shepherd and that He shed his blood to make us holy. (John 10:11)
The Trefoil represents the Three-in-One nature of God—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. (Matthew 28:19)
Sometimes Jesus is called the Rose of Sharon. (Song of Solomon 2:1)
Holly is not really a Chrismon but is a symbol that reminds us of the three-fold nature of God and of Christ’s crown of thorns and the blood He shed.

You can use the verses as starting point(s) for devotions, prayers, or lexio divino meditations on Who Jesus Is.

If you decide to make your own Chrismon ornaments, there are many websites with various patterns and ideas. Just enter Chrismon into a search engine. My own designs are very simple and use paper, beads and pipe cleaners. You can open this pdf file on my website (http://cynthiadavisauthor.com/Chrismon%20Decorations.pdf) to see the patterns and directions I used.

See you tomorrow.

Mexican Chocolate

It's the middle of the first week in Advent--time to take a breather and sit with God. I suggest you fix a nice steaming mug of Mexican Hot Chocolate (recipe below), wrap yourself in a cozy blanket or prayer shawl and sit in God's presence.

You might just sit quietly with the Advent candle lit. Perhaps you find God in meditation or journaling or drawing. Maybe it's in reading a long delayed book that you will be renewed for the rest of the week and rest of the Advent journey.

Whatever you do, try to 'wait on the Lord' for at least 15 minutes-1/2 hour.

Easy Mexican Chocolate

8 oz. milk
1 packet of Dark chocolate cocoa mix (it really should be the dark kind, not Nestle's Quik)
Sprinkle of cinnamon, to taste

Heat milk, whisk cocoa mix and cinnamon into milk to form a light froth on top.
Sit back and enjoy some quiet time.

You can also make the more traditional form:
Melt 3 oz. bittersweet (bakers) or Mexican chocolate in 3 C. milk and 2 T. sugar or honey over medium heat, until not quite boiling. Froth together with a mini whisk*. Pour into 3 mugs, stir with cinnamon sticks and top with mini marshmallows (if desired).

*To be really traditional, use a Molinillo de Madera para Chocolate (Chocolate Stirrer-pictured above) to mix the milk and chocolate.

Enjoy your time with God. See you tomorrow.

Remember our Troops

About this time in December, I start thinking about addressing Christmas cards. That's partly (OK mostly) because a friend hosts a Christmas Card Tea every year so friends can get together and visit while addressing cards.

This year, I plan to include a card to a soldier. There are a couple of ways to do this. You can participate through the American Red Cross by sending a card(s) to:

Holiday Mail for Heroes

PO Box 5456

Capitol Heights, MD 20791-5456

Note--there are a few guidelines at: http://www.redcross.org/email/saf/, including that the cards have to be postmarked no later than December 10!

You can also go to: http://www.americasupportsyou.com/AmericaSupportsYou/index.aspx for other organizations that are accepting cards or other donations.

In offering others blessing, you will be blessed this Advent.

See you tomorrow.

Angel Kisses

It's Monday and getting back to work after a long weekend can be tough. It's a perfect day to give someone Angel Kisses for Advent. The little angel can be cut out with punches or you can easily use just circles as well for the pieces. About a 1 3/4 or 2" circle works pretty well for the body and wings. Cut them in pie shaped pieces and glue together as shown. Add a 3/4" head and a halo. Attach the angel and rhyme to a 4 x 4" square, folded in half.

The little rhyme says "Angel kisses from above, To remind you, God is Love". Then put a handful of marshmallows or chocolate in a sandwich bag. Attach the bag to the inside of the card with staples and tape the front down to cover the top of the bag and staples.

I have to thank my daughter for the idea--she sent her neices and nephews 'snowman kisses' for Christmas. She also has the directions for this angel on her blog: http://www.ruthsstampingcorner.blogspot.com/.

I'm sending you each virtual Angel Kisses this morning with the hope that your day will be blessed.

See you tomorrow.