Thursday, December 20, 2012

It Doesn't Have To be "Merry Christmas" to Mean "I Love You"












I love christmas, because it is family together time for us, and some years we travel to be with friends and family and some years we have money and some years we just make do but it is fun, and we do play a lot of games and talk a lot and watch movies and get to the snow somewhere and walk in the light displays somewhere.  I also love the solstice and a bonfire then.  My heart is more pagan than Christian, more believer than my mind is, I love holidays, none the less and firmly do believe in Santa Claus.  I love when people wish me well, however they do it, and celebrate whatever they are celebrating.

That said, I hate seeing people turn their belief into "Dogma"  I hate hearing that there is only one right way and the belief that anyone different is wrong.  i hate the being offended by "Happy Holidays" CRAP!

So when I saw this on facebook, I loved it and I'll share even though it isn't mine, but if you feel like it is me preaching at you, or offending you. Sorry.  Not meant that way at all, at all.








Dear Children,

It has come to my attention that many of you are upset that folks are taking
My name out of the season. Maybe you’ve forgotten that I wasn’t actually born
during this time of the year and that it was some of your predecessors who
decided to celebrate My birthday on what was actually a time of pagan festival.
Although I do appreciate being remembered anytime.

How I personally feel about this celebration can probably be most easily
understood by those of you who have been blessed with children of your own. I
don’t care what you call the day. If you want to celebrate My birth, just GET
ALONG AND LOVE ONE ANOTHER.

Now, having said that let Me go on. If it bothers you that the town in which
you live doesn’t allow a scene depicting My birth, then just get rid of a couple
of Santas and snowmen and put in a small Nativity scene on your own front lawn.
If all My followers did that there wouldn’t be any need for such a scene on the
town square because there would be many of them all around town.

Stop worrying about the fact that people are calling the tree a holiday tree,
instead of a Christmas tree. It was I who made all trees. You can remember Me
anytime you see any tree. Decorate a grape vine if you wish: I actually spoke of
that one in a teaching, explaining who I am in relation to you and what each of
our tasks were. If you have forgotten that one, look up John 15: 1 – 8.

If you want to give Me a present in remembrance of My birth here is my wish
list. Choose something from it:

1. Instead of writing protest letters objecting to the way My birthday is
being celebrated, write letters of love and hope to soldiers away from home.
They are terribly afraid and lonely this time of year. I know, they tell Me all
the time.

2. Visit someone in a nursing home. You don’t have to know them personally.
They just need to know that someone cares about them.

3. Instead of writing Barack complaining about the wording on the cards his
staff sent out this year, why don’t you write and tell him that you’ll be
praying for him and his family this year. Then follow up. It will be nice
hearing from you again.

4. Instead of giving your children a lot of gifts you can’t afford and they
don’t need, spend time with them. Tell them the story of My birth, and why I
came to live with you down here. Hold them in your arms and remind them that I
love them.

5. Pick someone that has hurt you in the past and forgive him or her.

6. Did you know that someone in your town will attempt to take their own life
this season because they feel so alone and hopeless? Since you don’t know who
that person is, try giving everyone you meet a warm smile; it could make the
difference.

7. Instead of nit picking about what the retailer in your town calls the
holiday, be patient with the people who work there. Give them a warm smile and a
kind word. Even if they aren’t allowed to wish you a “Merry Christmas” that
doesn’t keep you from wishing them one. Then stop shopping there on Sunday. If
the store didn’t make so much money on that day they’d close and let their
employees spend the day at home with their families

8. If you really want to make a difference, support a missionary– especially
one who takes My love and Good News to those who have never heard My name.

9. Here’s a good one. There are individuals and whole families in your town
who not only will have no “Christmas” tree, but neither will they have any
presents to give or receive. If you don’t know them, buy some food and a few
gifts and give them to the Salvation Army or some other charity which believes
in Me and they will make the delivery for you.

10. Finally, if you want to make a statement about your belief in and loyalty
to Me, then behave like a Christian. Don’t do things in secret that you wouldn’t
do in My presence. Let people know by your actions that you are one of mine.

Don’t forget – I am God and can take care of Myself. Just love Me and do what
I have told you to do. I’ll take care of all the rest. Check out the list above
and get to work; time is short. I’ll help you, but the ball is now in your
court. And do have a most blessed Christmas with all those whom you love and
remember …

I LOVE YOU,

JESUS

- Author Unknown
 

Monday, December 3, 2012

Have Yourself a Merry Christmas, or whatever melts your butter.

Shoo Fly pie and pumpkin too, no Apple Pan dowdy yet because I am the only one here who likes molasses.
 I love the fall, but I always sense my clothing getting tighter.  I don't think that they shrink in the heat. I think it is the cold that tightens the space between each thread.
Yep. That's my story and I'm sticking to it.
After All I ran the weaving lab at Southern Oregon State College as an undergraduate, so you can trust me about those fiber arts.

 The Sky has been lovely here when we can see it, and obscured by (I love this term) and atmospheric river for most of the time! Flooding, mud slides, power outages. Yeah, business as usual.




And here it is time to celebrate the holidays already.  If you are one who hates being told Happy Holidays, skip this next line.

             Happy Holidays! 

  I love them, if you want to wish me a Merry Christmas, Happy Chanukah Blessed Eid, Happy Kwanzaa or  Happy Winter Solstice or whatever  melts your butter. Thank You.


I love my record of my life which the much ridiculed Christmas form letter has provided along with the annual photo card. I keep them in a binder but want to make a book for me.


Today I realized it is time to write the annual Christmas Card and take the Family picture as I have done every year since 1987 when my husband and I were Students in Beijing and I wrote and doodled it by hand.

I am very thankful now for the easiest record. What Year did I get Injured, When did we go to Your Mom's house last, How old were the kids when . . .? the questions are all answered in these and if the house burned I know the record is safe at my moms and some friends who tell me they keep them and treasure them too.

BTW, I love adding people to the mailing list when I make new friends but I never take people off so every year there is the smile at remembering a friend I saw every day 30 years ago but only hear from once every couple years now.

At the Christmas Tree lot.

One branch of my maple has turned red, the rest of the tree is still mostly green.

 The perk of living with rain, is that rainbows are frequent too.
 My family uses a lot of trees each year, the woodstove keeps us warm and keeps the house dry enough to avoid the mold which permeates the Pacific Northwest
 But the Christmas Tree warms the house in a whole different way.
 Ok, maybe there is one other reason that November saw my clothes getting tighter.  I did glue myself to the computer until I managed to Write 50, 000 words for a 
National Novel Writing Month
 WIN!

All that glue must be hard on the cloth.

but it means that Duffy Barkley is Not a Dog
and
Duffy Barkley: Seek Well 
should be joined by the third book in the series by the end of summer 2013

Reason enough to challenge the end of the world theory.