Valentine's Day

If I hear one more person rant about what a ridiculous holiday Valentine's Day is I think I will scream! I am so sick of hearing about what a "hallmark holiday" it is and how over-done it is. If you don't want to celebrate it, don't, but don't infringe on everyone else's right to enjoy the day. I have heard everything from the holiday is too expensive to it is a frivolous, foolish celebration to it is the exploitation of men. Come on! Let's get real. If the woman you are dating or engaged to or married to makes you feel like you are worthless unless you spend a life-savings on her then you should probably look at getting someone new. I am tired of hearing about how men fear Valentine's Day because of how demanding women are. If your woman is that demanding then there is something wrong with her and the issue is your relationship, not the holiday. The worst thing I have heard so far was a man saying that men everywhere should boycott V-Day. He strongly asserted that women only used the day to get everything they could from their man and then promised not gratitude or love and respect in return, but sex. My first thought on hearing this - What is wrong with you and why do you keep choosing to be with such cheap, manipulative women? My thoughts were not how horrible the women were but why this guy was stupid enough to keep getting involved with that type of female. Listen, not all women are that way. Not all women think of Valentine's Day as a way to get everything they wanted or to see just how far their guy will go to please them. Some of us, yes, the decent ones, view it as an opportunity to show those we love how much we care about them. Honestly, I'm not expecting anything on Valentine's Day. I am looking forward to spending some time with the person I love being with best, but I'm not expecting some great gift or some huge monetary expression of love. Why should I? Since when did diamonds and monetary gifts become the standard for showing someone you care about them. Since when did writing someone a short note letting them know how much they mean to you become so unacceptable as an expressions of caring? Why can't the hype about Valentine's Day be about what you can do for others? Why can't men see it as an opportunity to tell the woman in their life how much she means to them? Why can't they see it as an opportunity to use their intellect and creative abilities to make her flash that incredible smile they like so much or make her sigh with the realization that she makes a big difference in their life? Why does the holiday have to be about money and how much you spend? How pathetic!!!! And how untrue to the origins of the holiday. I wish that all those complaining about Valentine's Day would shut their mouths and start finding ways to let those they love know how much they care about them. Maybe if their focus was more on how to please others and less on how they are dreading what they have to do they might find that they actually like the chance to celebrate the loves of their life. I guarantee any guy that if their girl is even halfway decent they could make her ethereally happy and spend less than $10 doing it. Showing you care about someone should not be a burden, and it doesn't have to be. That is the true spirit of Valentine's Day and for all those of you out there who find it such a burdensome holiday I hope, somehow, you can realize that. If you really can't find one person to show tenderness to this Valentine's Day then at least be courteous to those of us who cherish the chance to make a big deal about those we love and BE QUIET!!!!! Better yet, take the time you won't be celebrating the day and examine your life and ask yourself why it is you can't think of one person you want to express care for. If you find it is because there is no one worth your effort in your life then work to change that, starting with the one you view as your significant other and yet you have nothing but dread when it comes to any attempt to please them. Secondly, I would challenge you to look at yourself and wonder why it is you seem to have no ability to feel love without obligation. What is wrong with you that you see things the way you do?

Christmas in California

I spent my Christmas in California this year visiting relatives I hadn't seen in years. The trip there was pretty good and the stay was great. I had such a good time catching up with cousins that I hadn't seen in a while and getting re-acquainted with them as well as getting to know their children. There were two things that were really interesting to me. First, my uncle was such an intimidating person when I was a child. I remember that I was pretty much scared to death of talking to him. Seeing him as an adult was very different, but I noticed that he is really an easy-going sort of person that was actually quite funny to talk to. He did so much to make me feel welcome and I loved that I got to see that part of his personality. The second thing was my oldest cousin. She was adopted as a child so I never knew her until this past year. Come to find out, she and I have the same birthday and we are very similar. She was great to talk to. She and I talked for the longest time. Her husband and my dad kept asking what else we could possibly have to talk about. lol. It was really good getting to know her and comparing notes on the family. It's always amazing to me to how much genetics plays a part in how people develop. You can definitely tell my cousin and I are genetically related. The whole trip was really nice. I loved going to California for the first time. All my previous trips have left a horrible taste in my mouth and no desire whatsoever to return. This time I found myself wishing I could stay longer and hoping I can return soon. The trip also had the added bonus of giving my dad and I a lot of time together, just the two of us. We talked about a lot of things and I was really good to be able to just be with him. I've missed my dad so much these past years and I am so thankful God has given me the opportunity to be with him again. As I was with family on Christmas, reflecting over all the family issues there are and thinking of all the things that I have seen happen over the years I couldn't help but be grateful that God had given me the opportunity to not only be with my family but be a part of the work of restoration that I believe He is doing in our lives. The most important thing my cousins and I shared with each other as we sat talking was the desire each one of us has to see our family be a whole family again. I had the distinct feeling that somehow God was using us, the younger generation of the family, to help accomplish His will and His design for our family. There have been so many things happen, so much hurt, and so many rifts in my family. I couldn't even write everything here because its hard for me to keep track of sometimes. But I know God doesn't want things that way and feel that He is doing something new, working in so many ways to change that, and I am thrilled that I can be a part of it.
So, my Christmas was pretty special in more ways than one. Was it perfect? No. There were people I missed and wanted so much to be a part of that day. But, it was a great day.

The Shepherds and the Wise Men

The last characters in the Christmas story I want to notice are the shepherds and the wise men. These two groups of people were groups that were not directly linked to Mary or Joseph in any way, and yet God chose to involve them in this most holy occasion. As I think of the shepherds I can't help but wonder if perhaps God did not include them in this story in order to make it very clear that His plan for salvation includes everyone, even the most humble people. The shepherds were unassuming people who would not have had any idea of what God had in store for them that Christmas night, nor would they have any expectation of being directly involved in the coming of the Messiah. They were merely out on a hillside doing their job, never thinking that their lives would be changed in a single night. Yet, when the heavenly host appeared to them and informed them that the Saviour of the world was born in the city near them their response was so perfect, so completely in line with what it should have been. They promptly went to find the child and then they spread the news of his birth to everyone they came in contact with. These poor, uneducated men knew how to respond to this heavenly news, this most awesome event, and yet I wonder how many of us would respond as well. We think so highly of our educational, technological, and economical advances that we lose sight many times of the more important things in life, things such as finding our Savior and spreading the good news of His arrival to those we know. Perhaps that is why God chose to use the shepherds that night to herald the glad tidings of His Son's arrival to earth.
Then we have the wise men. These were wealthy, well-learned men. Men of science, not prone to making foolish decisions, men very much respected and revered for their intelligence and station in life. Why would God use them to play a part in His Son's birth? In looking at these sages, these wise men, I see how God showed Himself as transcending all social boundaries and classes to make known His plan of redemption. These men who had wealth and intelligence left their homes, traveled a great distance, and endured many hardships including threats on their lives to not only find this baby born in Bethlehem but to worship Him as well. If these men could do all that, not having any personal knowledge of this child, but just information, how much more can I, who has personal knowledge and experience of the Savior, endure any hardship to find the Savior and give Him the worship He so deserves? The question is will I, and if I start will I continue to do so?
All these characters played a part in God's amazing Christmas story. They are all different, from different backgrounds, different social settings, and different mind sets, but they all had one thing in common: they obeyed the voice of God and they were blessed to be a part of the birth of the Messiah. In looking at all these different characters I can also see how God uses people from every walk of life to be a part of His unfolding plans here on Earth. He uses the most humble people to remind us that we are never too lowly to be a part of His plans and He uses the more elevated people to remind us that we are never too good to bow the knee to Him. The only thing that really matters to God is whether or not we are willing to be obedient, willing to lay everything down in exchange for the great and glorious things He has for us, and most of all willing to welcome Him into our world, whatever that may be.
Happy Birthday, Jesus! You are more than welcome into this world of mine.
Merry Christmas!

Joseph

The next character I am drawn to in the Christmas story is Joseph. This simple carpenter had one of the key roles in this story and yet he could have walked away from it all and been justified by those around him. Can you imagine being engaged to a woman who then tells you she is pregnant and the child is not yours? Can you imagine being asked to go ahead and marry this woman and raise the child as your own? Your first thoughts would most likely be along the lines of Joseph's: I need to break this engagement. To the human eye it appeared that Mary had broken his trust and their agreement and had to have been intimately involved with another man, but that was only the human reasoning. The truth was that Mary's pregnancy was supernatural and as such it would take a supernatural occurrence to bring Joseph to this conclusion. So, an angel appeared to him in a dream and verified Mary's story, telling Joseph that he was indeed to marry her and help her raise this holy child. Still, visit from a heavenly being aside, Joseph had a tough decision to make. The people in the town that were closest to him and Mary knew that she was already pregnant. In marrying her Joseph was agreeing to take on the shame that would follow her and her child for the rest of their lives. Even when Jesus was grown He was reminded by those wishing to silence Him that He was the bastard child of a poor carpenter. But, Joseph saw into the future, just as Mary did, and he saw what this Child meant not only to the world he knew but to all mankind - those who had lived, those who were living, and those who were yet to be. Joseph saw God's plan of redemption unfolding in front of him and he chose to be a part of it, no matter what the cost was to himself personally and no matter how hard it seemed it was to follow through on the instructions given. The result of Joseph's decision was the birth of our Saviour and His protection and training as He was growing up. Joseph went from being a commonplace carpenter in a commonplace city somewhere in the vast timeline of history to being a pivotal player in God bringing salvation to man. Joseph's task was not an easy one and what the Lord asked of him was no light thing, but he obeyed and because He did we have something to celebrate - not just Christmas but God's most perfect gift - Jesus.

Mary

As I celebrate Christmas I reflect on the people that played the major roles in the unfolding of God's plan of redemption for man. The first person my thoughts are drawn to is Mary. What was she like? Was she seen as different or special in some way by those around her, by her family or her peers? What kind of a person was she? She was so young and yet she was so wise and brave. Can you imagine what was going through her head when one day as she was at home an angel appeared to her and told her that she was going to have a baby. Not only was she, a virgin, going to miraculously have a baby, but that baby was going to be the long-awaited, promised messiah. For most women the news that they are pregnant is such a pivotal moment in their lives. They wonder if they will be able to handle the pregnancy, wonder how the child will change their lives, wonder if they will be able to carry the child through the nine months and then deliver it, wonder it they will be a good mom, and wonder how their husband or significant other will handle the news. Mary faced all those questions and more, for she was not carrying just another child, she was carrying the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. What a huge responsibility that was! Did she ever wonder if maybe God had gotten it wrong and assigned this enormous task to the wrong person? What was the mental torment like to wonder how Joseph would respond when he found out she was pregnant? Would anyone even believe her? It was, indeed, an incredible story. But, then again, God is an incredible God. Somehow, Mary, a young commonplace girl, found it within herself to trust God implicitly and to obey Him in everything. She willingly shouldered the burden that was given her and showed strength beyond her years as she embarked on a journey that would change not only her own life but the life of all humanity both past and present. The reason she could do this was because at the bottom of her actions was a heart to obey the Lord no matter what, to trust Him as her guide and source of strength, and to believe that the Lord her God was the One Who went with her through every mountain, through every valley, through every experience. Now, I have to ask myself, would I do the same? What about the things in my life that the Lord has asked me to do that seem so impossible or insurmountable? Do I trust Him and proceed or do I balk and fight so that I won't be asked to do such things? Do I show the same strength and courage that Mary showed, enduring the struggles, knowing that in the end all things will work according to the Lord's plan if only I will obey? Do I realize, as Mary must have, that I have been given an amazing opportunity to not only serve the Lord but to serve mankind in bringing about the will of God on the earth, thus making it a place that better resembles heaven, bringing God's help and light into a darkened, needy world? As I reflect on Mary and her part in the Christmas story my prayer is that I might be even half the woman she was and might say with all my heart, "Behold, the handmaid of the Lord! Be it done to me according to your word."

December

It's December, time to celebrate Christmas. This is one of the most exciting holidays for me and I love that I get three to four weeks to celebrate it. I love the lights, the music, the general good cheer that's in the air, and the spirit of giving that, for the most part, permeates everything. This year will be different for me in many ways. It is the first time I will be away from what I have known as family and friends, away from the traditions I have celebrated for the past twenty-something years, the first time I will make all my own decisions and actually be a truly independent adult. In some ways that is exciting to me; in others it is frightening. I miss my family terribly and want so much to be with them this Christmas, but not at the cost that would be asked of me. However, I am excited to see and experience new things, find new traditions, restore lost relationships and establish new ones. The most exciting thing, though, for me this year is that I get to express myself and my feelings for those I care about in a way I was never able to before. For me, the best part of Christmas is realizing everything God has done for me and taking the gratitude that floods my being and expressing it in a way that blesses and helps someone else. I didn't grow up exchanging Christmas presents, but I did grow up learning to give of myself to help those around me, especially at Christmas time, and in so doing my own needs would be met. This year I am probably more needy than I have ever been, or at least in so many ways it feels that way, and I have still found that what makes me the happiest is doing things for other people. I love it when something I do meets a need someone has or when I am able to help someone with something that maybe no one else has noticed or is able to help them with. I cannot even tell you what good it has done me in the past few weeks to have had the opportunity to do something for my friends or my family. So, this Christmas, as I celebrate all month long, I want to always keep at the forefront of my mind the concept of giving - giving of myself, my time, my money, or anything else connected with me. After all, isn't giving what the season is all about?

Thanksgiving

Yesterday was Thanksgiving and I hope you all had a great day. I have so much to be thankful for. God has been so good to me and provided me with so many good things that I could never thank Him enough or say enough about what a great, amazing God He is. He is beyond comparison and there really aren't words that can aptly describe Him. I continue to be in awe of Him and I was happy to spend a day reflecting on all the blessings He has bestowed on my and those I love. I had a very different Thanksgiving from anything I have had in quite a while. I was with a different set of family and it was a nice change. There were people I got to know for the first time and family I got to catch up with. The day started kind of slow and I wasn't sure I was going to enjoy myself but when all was said and done God was so good and the day turned out really well. There were several family members that met at my grandparents old home and there was lots of reminiscing about days gone by. There were plenty of laughs at stories and old pictures and quite a bit of joking about things like cell phones and husbands. It was a lot of fun. Towards the end of the afternoon the immediate family gathered in my uncle's work shed to go through my recently deceased grandmother's things. It was a good time of remembering things about her and my grandfather and laughing at some of the ridiculous things we found. I really enjoyed myself and I think the whole experience helped draw everyone in the family closer together. My favorite things to go through were the pictures, my grandmother's recipes, and her numerous records. By the time I was done I ended up with 5 boxes of stuff for my dad to drive home for me. I am richer in family history and in my record collection. My grandparent's farm has always had a special place in my heart and I always loved going back there as a kid. This year it was hard to imagine being there without one of them to great me as I walked in the door, but life continues, even after you lose someone, and there were other family member's arms to hold me in place of my grandparent's. Last night I curled up on the couch in the living room like I had done so many times as a child. I had on my grandmother's flannel pajama pants (it was really cold there), and my grandfather's flannel shirt on. I was wrapped in the memories of them and all the times, good and bad, that I had with them, and it was a comforting thought to fall asleep to. I miss you, Grammer and Poppie, but I know I'll see you again some day soon.

July 4th

Happy July 4th! Today we celebrate the birth of my favorite nation, the United States of America. This country is by no means perfect, has much room for improvement and has failed in many ways over the past 231 years. However, it has been a champion of freedom and both human and civil rights around the world, has helped countless nations around the world, and has been a voice for democracy since its inception. It has encouraged free thinking and the pursuit of knowledge and has helped lead out in the discovery and manufacturing of new ideas and exploring new horizons in science, technology, business, and health care. While I may not agree all the time with those in power I recognize that because I live in the nation I do I have the power to change who is in authority and to have a voice in how my country is run. Our founding father used great wisdom in setting up the republic system they did and I am so grateful is has stood the test of time thus far, and I hope it will continue to do so. I also want to mention how grateful I am to all those who have served and are currently serving in our armed forces. Thank you for your sacrifice and for being willing to give of yourself to protect and defend the rest of us here at home. Also, thank you to the families of these brave men and women. Thank you for supporting them and encouraging them as they give of themselves to benefit this nation.
I know for a lot of people July 4th is not a big deal. The holiday comes and goes with little notice of it or recognition of its significance. For me that is not the case. Ever since I was a little girl the 4th has been the major point of every summer. I have been gathering with friends and family at my church to sing patriotic songs and watch the fireworks from our hillside ever since I can remember. There has always been cake and ice cream and, of course, watermelon. It was always stressed how important it was to remember where we came from and look at where we are going. I was taught to have a deep respect for those who gave of themselves to birth and support this nation and for those who are currently giving of themselves to protect this nation and ensure its long life. These are things I want to hang on to and hope to some day pass on to my children. So, if you never thought of paying much attention to this holiday, I hope you reconsider; and I will continue celebrating just as I have done for the past 20 plus years. Hope you all have a wonderful day!!!!!!