Where's Frosty?

Thank you Miss Cellenia!

36 Roses

36 years ago today husband CB and I were married in St. Paul's Episcopal Church in Bellingham, Washington. Today he surprised me with 36 red roses.




Tonight we are going out to dinner with our children who are home--MJ, AE from Seattle, and BJ from Victoria, TX. Tomorrow the married couple, DC and AA, will drive here from Austin, TX.

Forgiveness

The path of forgiveness is the path of freedom.

Forgiveness is a rebellion against the ego’s self-importance.

Ivan M. Granger

Poetry Chaikana

Christmas Gift Suggestions

To your enemy, forgiveness.

To an opponent, tolerance.

To a friend, your heart.

To a customer, service.

To all, charity.

To every child, a good example.

To yourself, respect.

Oren Arnold (1900-1980)

Arizona editor and free-lance writer, Oren Arnold was born in Texas in 1900, and attended primary and secondary schools in Henderson, Texas. Following studies at Rice Institute in Houston and the University of Texas, he secured positions as editor of three local newspapers. After his 1927 marriage to Adele Roensch, he accepted the position as Sunday editor of the Arizona Republican and settled in Phoenix, Arizona. In 1932, Arnold began his free-lance writing career, publishing a number of books beginning with Superstition's gold in 1934. He was very active in local civic and religious groups including the First Presbyterian Church of Phoenix, the Phoenix Kiwanis Club, Phoenix Executives Club and the Phoenix Arts Council. He died in 1980.

Ade Bethune's silk screen Icon of the Mother of God

Orange Slice Cake

Have you ever heard of orange slice cake?
I have this old recipe from my grandmother, which she gave to my mother when I was in high school, almost 40 years ago! I haven't made it since DC was a baby, about 27 years ago. Little loaves are in the oven right now. When they come out of the oven, I pour orange juice mixed with powdered sugar on top, then chill overnight.

I cannot remember how the cake tastes, but I'm giving it for gifts. As I mixed, I thought it looked like a modern variation of fruitcake, with dates, orange slices, coconut, and pecans. It was time consuming to chop up the orange slices (but AE helped!) and the dates. There once was a time when I could buy chopped dates in a package, but not anymore here in south Texas.

A Blog Blessing

I was blessed by a new friend at Episcopollyana by a Blog Blessing. Thank you so much! The idea: it’s a game of tag with a difference, rather than looking inwardly, we look outside ourselves and bless, praise and pray for one blog friend. By participating in this endeavor we not only make the recipient of the blessing feel valued and appreciated, but we are having some fun too. We’re going to see how far the blogging blessings can travel around the world and how many people can be blessed! Recipients of a blog blessing may upload this image to their sidebar if they choose to. To read more about the blogging blessing please click here .

I am choosing to tag Garten or Wyrdbyrd, Fran, and Mompriest, who add much to my daily life with their blogs.

Another Christmas Meme

Wyrdbyrd or Gartenfische tagged me for another Christmas meme. Since I'm on "hold" until husband CB and I drive to the airport to get daughter AE, I'll try to do this one.

What is your least favorite holiday task? (eg. shopping, baking, wrapping)
Shopping with crowds of people, but this year I did most of my shopping on the internet, and I am very happy.

What was the worst gift you received?
There have been various things that are piled into my memory; a few are: shoes I didn't choose, potpourri and a book on how to make it, a carbon monoxide detector.

A friend PD told me how one of her daughters exclaimed when she opened a Christmas present: "Don't your friends know you?" That thought comes up to all of us, I bet.

Who is the hardest person in your family to shop for?
My husband; he doesn't want anything and is retired and no longer needs nice clothes. He buys the tools he wants. He doesn't read, except on the internet, so he doesn't read books, which are always a safe bet to buy me!

What holiday tradition would you eliminate if you could?
Not sure--maybe my excessive cookie baking, which is a "tradition," just like the Gingerbread House. . . . .

What do you swear, every holiday season, that you'll never do again, only to find yourself doing it again the next year?
Waiting to the last minute to send out Christmas cards and not writing personal notes in each one. I started out that way, but only the people at the front of the alphabet got a note, which stopped as soon as I realized how late it was for mailing them!

What relative do you dread seeing at the holidays? Or, when you were a child, what relative did you dread seeing?
It used to be my dad, because he didn't like Christmas and got very grumpy. It was a strain when I had small children, and I tried to maintain a balance of good will. My dad didn't know how to be with children either. I wanted to see him, but also dreaded it.

I tag whomever has the time to do this!

Favorite Things

The Crimson Rambler tagged me to try to think up my favorite things:

• My children and their spouses
• Books, books, books--and reading them
• Writing letters and receiving them
• Teaching/talking about God
• Walking around Lake Padden in WA State
• Friends
• Baking cookies, desserts, bread
• Hanging clothes outside to dry on the clothesline
  
• Clean, crisp sheets
• Spending time at Lebh Shomea House of Prayer in Sarita, TX
• Taking (good) classes about God and not just theology
• Eucharist
  
• My children calling me on the phone
• See's Bordeaux chocolates
• Turquoise jewelry, esp. old Navajo pieces
• Nativity scenes where baby Jesus is held by Mary (or Joseph!)
• Trees and leaves, esp. in Autumn, which doesn't happen in south Texas
• Oregon beaches
• Visits back to Washington
• Blogging
• Warm-hot showers
  

I tag Garlic and/or Salt, Mompriest, and Katherine E.

Let Go

When our weekly lectio divina group met today, we prayed with Isaiah 7:13-15:

7:13 Then Isaiah said: "Hear then, O house of David! Is it too little for you to weary mortals, that you weary my God also?

7:14 Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Look, the young woman is with child and shall bear a son, and shall name him Immanuel.

7:15 He shall eat curds and honey by the time he knows how to refuse the evil and choose the good.

This brought to mind a toddler and so I remembered a picture of the child Jesus sweeping, which then reminded me of a week of lectures given by Wendy Wright at the Two Year Spiritual Formation Academy a few years ago. One day she spoke of the Sacred Heart and showed some medieval pictures of a golden haired child Jesus in a heart. Odd though that seems, I was greatly struck by the picture of Jesus sweeping out the heart.

This is a beautiful image of how to let go--let go of expectations, judgments, worries, whatever, all of which may arise during family gatherings that won't fit into the Norman Rockwell image of perfection. I so want everyone to be happy, but I have no way of controlling other people's emotions. Let go, sweep out my false image of control! I am hoping that I can remember the image of the child Jesus sweeping away whatever I need to let go of, remembering that Immanuel (God with us) is here.

Why Not a Star?

Friend DHT gave me copy of a responsive reading from her Unitarian Church this past Sunday. It is #621 "Why Not a Star?" in the Unitarian hymnbook and is by Margaret Gooding (1922-2003).

They told me that when Jesus was born a star appeared in the heavens above the place where the young child lay.

When I was very young I had no trouble believing wondrous things; I believed in the star.

It was a wonderful miracle, part of a long ago story, foretelling an uncommon life.

They told me a super nova appeared in the heavens in its dying burst of fire.

When I was older and believed in science and reason I believed the story of the star explained.

But I found I was unwilling to give up the star, fitting symbol for the birth of one whose uncommon life has been long remembered.

The star explained became the star understood, for Jesus, for Buddha, for Zarathustra.

Why not a star? Some bright star shines somewhere in the heavens each time a child is born.

Who know what it may foretell?

Who know what uncommon life may yet again unfold, if we but give it a chance?

Margaret Gooding

Messiah

Messiah
Notes:	Dr. He Qi is a professor at the Nanjing Union Theological Seminary and a tutor for master candidate students in the Philosophy Department of Nanjing University. He is also a member of the China Art Association and a council member of the Asian Christian Art Association. Fourth Sunday in Advent, Year A: Paul's letter to the Romans speaks of Jesus, "descended from David according to the flesh and was declared to be Son of God with power according to the spirit of holiness by resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord...' -- He Qi's painting imagines the incarnation by placing the new-born Jesus at the feet of the risen Jesus, who emanates the spirit of holiness.
Date:	2001
Artist:	He Qi
Object/Function:	Painting
City/Country:	Country: China

Choose to Learn

"The best things for being sad," replied Merlin, beginning to puff and blow, "is to learn something. That's the only thing that never fails. You may grow old and trembling in your anatomies, you may lie awake at night listening to the disorder of your veins, you may miss your only love, you may see the world about you devastated by evil lunatics, or know your honor trampled in the sewers of baser minds. There is only one thing for it then--to learn. Learn why the world wags and what wags it. That is the only thing which the mind can never exhaust, never alienate, never be tortured by, never fear or distrust, and never dream of regretting. Learning is the thing for you."

T. H. White, The Once and Future King


I think we each have to learn about outer and inner worlds. Look to the world and see "why the world wags and what wags it." BUT also look to your own inner world and see "why the world wags and what wags it." Only looking outside ourselves does not bring the change that helps us to bring acceptance and recognition to relationships, which form our immediate world. Learning why one gets angry or fearful or even happy is a step towards inner peace, which radiates outward--Is the feeling warranted or is it a reaction from childhood patterns that we fall into without realizing? What do I want to foster in my life? Feeling blamed; criticism of others; judgement of self? Noticing others; seeing the good; growing into the person I am meant to be?

Learning is the openness to the possibilities of the moment. What can I learn from you when you disagree with me? What is under the anger? What can I learn when there is only agreement? What can I learn when I am unhappy? bored? tired? in pain? Do I look for the possibilities or do I slam into the hard door of me, me,me--IMPORTANT ME and look no more?

Do I want to be stuck in this emotion or attitude? Is this how I want to live? I have to be aware enough of myself to make a choice, even if I am stuck in whatever way I am living or acting. This is the process of growing up, and I still need to grow up at my advanced age--there is always more to learn!

This reminds me of the 12-Step aphorism:
AWARENESS--ACCEPTANCE--ACTION

This is the process for change, for growth, and even for repentance.

And here is a little poem that I jotted down:

This or that
not
This and that
Which is my choice?
Both block me
into a box
alone
that's cozy
for awhile
Until I remember
that I'm alone
lost
in the great I Am

Go and look!

Do go over to Purpletologically Speaking and read F5: Rejoicing . PS put poems and quotes along with beautiful pictures for each category of the Friday Five about waiting, darkness, winter, Advent, and Jesus coming. Each is to be savored, like this:

from Meister Eckhart:

We are all meant to be mothers of God...

for God is always needing to be born.

Advent Prayer

Thou son of the Most High, Prince of Peace, be born again into our world. Wherever there is war, wherever there is pain, wherever there is loneliness, wherever there is no hope, come, thou long-expected one, with healing in thy wings.

Holy Child, whom the shepherds and the kings and the dumb beasts adored, be born again. Wherever there is boredom, wherever there is fear of failure, wherever there is temptation too strong to resist, wherever there is bitterness of heart, come, thou blessed one, with healing in thy wings.

Saviour, be born in each of us who raises his face to thy face, not knowing fully who he is or who thou art, knowing only that thy love is beyond his knowing and that no other has the power to make him whole. Come, Lord Jesus, to each who longs for thee even though he has forgotten thy name. Come quickly. Amen.

Frederick Buechner

Gaudete Sunday

I just learned what Gaudete Sunday (third Sunday in Advent) is from Sally at Eternal Echoes. Her explanation is so concise and beautiful that I am copying it here:

"The Third Sunday of Advent is Gaudete Sunday, the 'pink candle' Sunday, the Sunday we light the pink candle on the Advent wreath. Gaudete is the imperative plural form of the Latin verb gaudere (to rejoice). It is a command ordering us to rejoice! In these days of penance and preparation leading up to the feast of our Savior's birth, it reminds us of the joy that is to come, and serves, amid this season of penance, as a kind of 'break' when we recall the hope we have because of the coming of Jesus."

Perhaps only the Anglican Church at times celebrates the third Sunday in Advent in this way, but evidently it is a celebration in the Roman Catholic Church. I like knowing the traditions, even if I don't observe them. Plus, I like the thought that this Sunday is one for REJOICING.

Thank you, Sally, for your words and for the following video, which shows some beautiful art:

online Christmas shopping

I love online shopping for Christmas! It has been so easy this year.

What we must be

At The Mercy Blog, Mike has written about faith being spelled "RISK." It's a good piece, especially for this time of year, but also for any time--about being OPEN and how "we must be the answer by our faith. For it is the Christ in us that will always recognize and know the Christ in others – and in all" (quoting Mike).

And also from Mike:

"Civil rights leader Howard Thurman set the stage for us to know this Christ when he wrote of Advent and Christmas as seasons of hope. 'When the song of the angels is stilled,' he said. 'When the star of the sky is gone. When the kings and princes are home. When the shepherds are back with their flocks. The work begins … To find the lost. To heal the broken. To feed the hungry. To rebuild the nations. To bring peace among people. To make music in the heart.'"

O Come O Come O Manual

Thanks to Miss Cellania:

This was so punny, I had to copy it and put it here.

Plus, of course, I like Mary holding baby Jesus.

Prayer connections (or spins)

The book I am reading (more than others) lately is The Soul of Christianity: Restoring the Great Tradition (Plus) by Huston Smith. Today I read about aspects of energy, which I grasped only an inkling of in the cosmology books I read, compared to how prayer "works." I find this beautiful and logical to me, in my oddly illogical mind and heart.

"The most important scientific discovery of all time--anticipated by Einstein, worked out in Bell's Theorem, and experimentally confirmed by the EPR (Einstein-Podosky-Rosen) experiment--proves that the universe is 'non-local.'

"Described in everyday language, the story is this: Particles have spins. In paired particles, when one particle spins downward the other spins upward. Now, separate the two--distance is irrelevant; it can be an inch or to the edge of the universe--and when one particle goes into a downspin, simultaneously the other spins upward. For prayer, nonlocality suggests that the person praying and the person being prayed for are closer than side by side. Distance doesn't apply--they are in the same spaceless mathematical point. When the pray-er plunges deep down into his praying self, his prayer spins downward, so to speak, and spins its recipient upward. When Jesus prayed all night, and during the day, he was 'spun upward' by placing himself in the presence of his Father who so loved the world that he 'spun down'--into his Incarnation, Jesus--and transformed him." (58, 59)