Advent Season
Light in the Darkness
Written before Christmas:
This year has been hard on me. We had so much happen all at once in the last few months that I felt like emotionally it’s just starting to catch up. We haven’t been to church in months despite my deep desires to attend. And of course, in 2 days it’s Christmas. I felt like the twice holiday Christian. It was a little disheartening for someone with a Masters in Theology from a seminary. Especially at Advent and Christmas.
So today, Sunday, I made it to church. Gratefully really. And today the advent candles is that of love. Now- there are several places my christian faith goes when discussing love “coming down” at Christmas. But the main message today was the light coming into the world. And I needed that image today.
Despite all the chaos, the dark, the bad: a child cane into the world to bring light and hope to broken people. Now I don’t get focused on what time of year (while making it winter in the Northern hemisphere does provide an excellent example for contrast) or historical specifics… but the idea of a child with the power of God in Him is something to celebrate.
So from the light, I got back to my favorite Christmas verse: Isaiah 9. Mostly because it is from the little light it all grows into greatness. And is this little child symbolized as a light that holds the glory and strength our world needs. Hope. Peace. Joy. Love. Light!
So I pray as the year closes, This message lasts longer than the dark winter season. For our world needs it much longer than one night of the year.
Christmas Thoughts 2018
It’s Dec. 17th. 8 days until Christmas. Yesterday in our house we barely set up the tree. We hung the stockings just in time. And yet-Yesterday I watched my son hang his first ornament on that same tree he helped pick out and tonight he pointed to the dogs on those stockings. Yesterday we went to Disneyalnd– 8 DAYS BEFORE CHRISTMAS! And yet, Austin got to silly dance to some big band and we all got photos in front of the snowy castle, the light up christmas twice and even Mickey Mouse!
Christmas came quick (and early but late) this year. So instead of taking millions of photos and getting sucked in, I decided that “making memories” is more important.
So as the season brings the year to a close, think about the things that matter. I know I don’t want to miss my son dancing and jumping to music, to giggling or getting excited about Mickey coming, or thinking starry-eyed thoughts while we smile for that tradtional photo in front of a glowing sparkly castle.
Here’s to making memories matter
Life Happens
So here it is. January 2nd. I had planned and outlined this wonderful idea (at least I THOUGHT it was wonderful) where I would write and talk about traditional Christmas carols or holiday songs and then go through the 12 days of Christmas with the song and it’s history.
And then life happened.
On December 11th, I got in a car accident. Someone turning left out of a driveway didn’t see me and hit my husband’s car. I wasn’t seriously injured (only the strongest stiffness I ever felt) and my son not his seat were not in the car. But the accident still totaled my husband’s Impala. So we spent a week handling the claim, week getting a new car and then celebrating Christmas and New Years.
So yeah, life happened.
And while it made holidays with my family much sweeter…i am sad i didn’t get to explore holiday songs.
Caroling caroling
While Christmas bells are ringing… I’m moving on from Santa to decorations. I know for me holidays get started when the tinsel is hung, the tree is lit and the lights trim the houses on the streets. And this song also is one of those simple songs I pictured singing around the piano
So #9 Deck The Halls
I found out that this is originally a Welsh carol meant more for New Years. I was reading the wiki and found some interesting comments, mainly this paragraph:
“Originally, carols were dances and not songs. The accompanying tune would have been used as a setting for any verses of appropriate metre. Singers would compete with each other, verse for verse—known as canu penillion dull y De (“singing verses in the southern style”). Consequently, tunes originally used to accompany carols became separated from the original dances, but were still referred to as “carols” (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deck_the_Halls )
Set deck the halls is a good childish dance that despite its monotone characteristics, can be an enjoyable little too
What?!?! Agh!!!
But I was a child, there were a few songs like kind of freaked me out. One of them was the song I picked for today! It is a song that coming downstairs on Christmas Eve finding Santa getting a kiss from your own mother. Now, I don’t know if this was a message about how daddy could dress up as Santa Claus or that Santa Claus is so attractive and so friendly that he draws in your own mother. Either way, it’s disturbing. Maybe this is why I didn’t like the song… And frankly some of the versions of it kind of creepy as well. But, here we are, today’s song:
I saw mommie kissing Santa Claus
So I looked up some research on this song… And it appears it was written by Jimmy Boyd when he was only 13. This explains the goofy discovery of the song and I think it truly is about maybe discovering that Santa Claus isn’t real. Or at least a big fat white bearded dude in a red suit. And I’m okay with that.
Musings of An AfterThought 