Tonight I had the wonderful privilege to go on a “father-daughter date” with my Dad to one of his meetings. Now, for most kids this isn’t such a big deal. However this meeting wasn’t like any other you might even POSSIBLY begin to imagine. This meeting was one of the “Triangle Santa Buddies”. I am going to bypass the background of how/ why because if you really know me, you know the answer more or less and if you don’t know yet, that is a whole other LONG blog post.
Basically tonight’s meeting was a debriefing of the Christmas season- the highs and lows for each Santa and discussion about each. During these discussions, I had a flashback to the last Guinness and the Good News that I attended when Andrew posed the question, “How do you keep the Christmas spirit year round?”. Looking around that room I saw multiple answers to this question.
These men pour their heart and soul into a ministry that most would call them insane for. I have. Listening to their stories of watching families grow up as they act as the family’s personal Santa, having a 105 year old women light up when they enter the room, the gifts they give the children, and the pure and undying FAITH that they have in God was remarkable. The stories they told reminded me of stories from the Bible, all happening today in a world when miracles “don’t exist”.
The most incredible part? These men don’t stop being Santa on December 26. It is a year round job. They tell stories of visiting a child in the hospital, or the one that climbed up into the sleigh with them, or even the lady in the hospice bed… all BEFORE Christmas. All of these people had their “last” Christmas weeks, even months, before the calendar says it should happen. It doesn’t even phase these men if and when they put on the Santa suit in the middle of July.
Now, what I’m getting at with all of this. Christmas isn’t about the red suit. It isn’t about the Christmas tree. It definitely isn’t about the presents. Christmas is about the SPIRIT. The spirit is what these men share with everyone they come across EVERY DAY. The spirit is what we find in the manger of those nativities that I am sure everyone packed away already. The spirit is the undying LOVE of JESUS CHRIST. Jesus wasn’t just around for Christmas day… he was around throughout the entire year. He went around and met the people, ate with the people, lived with the people, and most importantly spread his LOVE throughout the world to everyone he came across. HE said “let the children come to me” and through that he spread his love and spirit to every child and their family (the love and spirit that should be the focus of the Christmas season).
SO how do we keep this spirit alive all year? You don’t have to pull on the red suit and the black boots (although it is pretty awesome to see these men in full dress), you pull out and SHOW OFF the love of Jesus Christ to everyone that you come across. Yes, it is “Ordinary time” but as Mary pointed out in GGN, ordinary time aint ordinary in any way what so ever, so why don’t we celebrate this by keeping the love and spirit that we find during the month of December, through every other month?
It isn’t hard to do. Like I mentioned in my post about the Wise Men… all it takes is listening to someone’s story, reaching out your hand to help someone up (literally and figuratively), or even just smiling at them. While it is preferable that they know WHY, it isn’t necessary. They will figure it out in some way, and at the very least, I can almost guarantee that they will pass it on! The Christmas spirit is alive in every single one of us, all we have to do is find the little spark that it leaves and fan it until it can become a flame to share with the world.
I hear people talking about how Santa is isn’t real all the time. I am 22 years old and this is my answer to the question “Is Santa real?”…
The SPIRIT of Santa is as real and alive as ever. All you have to do is look for that sparkle in your life, the sparkle that comes from the inner flame of the love of Jesus Christ. Every man that was in that room tonight takes on the persona of a man named Santa Claus, and it doesn’t happen when they pull on the red suit. It happens when they open their hearts to the world, ready to be the gift givers that Santa Steve spoke of so eloquently tonight. Fifteen bearded men sat around the dinner table tonight. Some were in jeans, some were in red vests, and some had just come from their day job. Every one of them has a name that their friends and family know them by, but every one of them carries an even more important name- Santa. Santa is not just a name for the jolly old man that comes on Christmas Eve every year… it is a name and spirit that every single one of us can take on as we share the same love and spirit every day that these men were celebrating and sharing tonight.
My charge to you tonight? Fill in the blanks…
“Hi, my name is Santa (your first name) and I am going to fan my spark within so I can share the fire and spirit and love that was shared with me through the birth of Jesus Christ. I will do this every day by _____, because Christmas isn’t just on December 25th. Christmas is 365 days a year.”
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
Friday, January 7, 2011
Baptism
I will never forget that day. I had to wear a white t-shirt and shorts so that when I got wet, they wouldn't show through my robe and then I changed into the prettiest white dress. My whole family was there, sitting in the folding metal chairs, waiting and watching in excitement as Mr. Law talked about the importance of this Holy Sacrament and the extra piece that made this particular time a bit more special- he had included water from the River of Jordan (I did enjoy that a little bit more than the others I think). As I walked down the steps into the not quite warm (more on the side of freezing) water, I freaked out just a little bit, but Mr. Law was there to hold my hand and I had a sneaky suspicion he wasn't the only one. When it came time, I pinched my nose as he held the back of my head and my hands and slowly immersed me in the water. I had been baptized.
In the scripture (Matthew 3: 13-17), Jesus goes to find John the Baptist so that he (Jesus) might be baptized. John has baptized many people in the Jordan, but he insist that he should be the one being baptized by Jesus rather than the other way around. After a bit of persuasion on Jesus' behalf, John baptizes Jesus. As he came up from the water, the scripture says that God descended from heaven in the form a dove (the symbol of peace) and a voice from the heavens called out "This is my Son whom I love; with him I am well pleased."
It is interesting to me that the book of Matthew has this event almost immediately proceeding the birth of Jesus Christ (with a few events in between). As I recall, there isn't a reference to Jesus' age (probably wrong though). The focus has been put on the act rather than the little details. Jesus isn't all high and mighty with an ego that puts him above the rest. He has gone to find the same man that everyone else is going to, so that HE (Jesus) might be baptized as well. It is my guess that he knows he is at least somewhat special by this point in his life (look at his comment in Matthew 3:15), but he still understands the importance of being baptized just like everyone else... kinda a huge part of his role as "God in the flesh" in my opinion.
As Christians, we believe that baptism is the word made visible and proof of God's grace and that we are the heirs of his grace. Through baptism we are reborn as children of God in his kingdom and are members of the Holy Catholic Church... one great big happy family with a pretty awesome dad :) Many churches celebrate the act of baptism differently. Growing up in the Disciples of Christ Church, we were baptized sometime around 3rd grade after going through a Pastor's class during which we learned all kinds of ins and outs of the Bible and Christianity. In other churches (I know Presbyterian for sure), people are baptized as infants. Then you can get into all of the different kinds (immersion, water on the forehead... sorry I drew a complete blank there, etc.). While I am a big fan of the way I did it, I don't think any one way is better than the other. The importance is not in the "how", but in the "why".
The "why" of baptism is different for everyone in my opinion. The reason that I prefer being baptized as a child rather than infant is because I was able to discover and understand my "why" better (that part comes through confirmation class for the Presbys who baptize as infants). For me, my "why" was very to the point (after all I was in elementary school and didn't think too deep on subjects that weren't friend related). I loved God and wanted to be his child through baptism (I knew I was already his child, but baptism took it to another level). What I find most interesting, is talking to people who are baptized as adults. The reasons are so vast, yet so similar, and typically they all revolve around a single answer- they want to be part of the body of Christ.
SO... rather than continuing to talk in circles about something that I am only now beginning to really study (and very informally at that), I just want y'all to think about your "why". Why were you baptized? Why weren't you baptized? Has it changed since then?
Just as Jesus did thousands of years ago, people are still being baptized every day. Jesus' "why" was more about bringing all of God's work together through this single act (Matthew 3:15 MSG). I think the overarching "why" of today's society is to be part of the body of Christ and to continue with fulfilling Jesus' "why", bringing together and acting on God's work over the centuries.
As I sit here and think about this, I think about the cross that my Grandparent's gave me for my baptism. It is a gorgeous cross that they got in Alaska, and in the very center there is a single stone. This stone is a gorgeous deep blue with some green swirling through it, almost resembling the earth. It is one of my favorite crosses because it is as if the earth is as the heart of the cross which signifies Jesus Christ. Thinking about his reason for baptism, to bring God's work together, I find it very appropriate that the "earth" (God's creation, including all of his work) is as the heart of my baptism cross, always reminding me of his love and the reason for this Holy sacrament of baptism.
Think about it :)
In the scripture (Matthew 3: 13-17), Jesus goes to find John the Baptist so that he (Jesus) might be baptized. John has baptized many people in the Jordan, but he insist that he should be the one being baptized by Jesus rather than the other way around. After a bit of persuasion on Jesus' behalf, John baptizes Jesus. As he came up from the water, the scripture says that God descended from heaven in the form a dove (the symbol of peace) and a voice from the heavens called out "This is my Son whom I love; with him I am well pleased."
It is interesting to me that the book of Matthew has this event almost immediately proceeding the birth of Jesus Christ (with a few events in between). As I recall, there isn't a reference to Jesus' age (probably wrong though). The focus has been put on the act rather than the little details. Jesus isn't all high and mighty with an ego that puts him above the rest. He has gone to find the same man that everyone else is going to, so that HE (Jesus) might be baptized as well. It is my guess that he knows he is at least somewhat special by this point in his life (look at his comment in Matthew 3:15), but he still understands the importance of being baptized just like everyone else... kinda a huge part of his role as "God in the flesh" in my opinion.
As Christians, we believe that baptism is the word made visible and proof of God's grace and that we are the heirs of his grace. Through baptism we are reborn as children of God in his kingdom and are members of the Holy Catholic Church... one great big happy family with a pretty awesome dad :) Many churches celebrate the act of baptism differently. Growing up in the Disciples of Christ Church, we were baptized sometime around 3rd grade after going through a Pastor's class during which we learned all kinds of ins and outs of the Bible and Christianity. In other churches (I know Presbyterian for sure), people are baptized as infants. Then you can get into all of the different kinds (immersion, water on the forehead... sorry I drew a complete blank there, etc.). While I am a big fan of the way I did it, I don't think any one way is better than the other. The importance is not in the "how", but in the "why".
The "why" of baptism is different for everyone in my opinion. The reason that I prefer being baptized as a child rather than infant is because I was able to discover and understand my "why" better (that part comes through confirmation class for the Presbys who baptize as infants). For me, my "why" was very to the point (after all I was in elementary school and didn't think too deep on subjects that weren't friend related). I loved God and wanted to be his child through baptism (I knew I was already his child, but baptism took it to another level). What I find most interesting, is talking to people who are baptized as adults. The reasons are so vast, yet so similar, and typically they all revolve around a single answer- they want to be part of the body of Christ.
SO... rather than continuing to talk in circles about something that I am only now beginning to really study (and very informally at that), I just want y'all to think about your "why". Why were you baptized? Why weren't you baptized? Has it changed since then?
Just as Jesus did thousands of years ago, people are still being baptized every day. Jesus' "why" was more about bringing all of God's work together through this single act (Matthew 3:15 MSG). I think the overarching "why" of today's society is to be part of the body of Christ and to continue with fulfilling Jesus' "why", bringing together and acting on God's work over the centuries.
As I sit here and think about this, I think about the cross that my Grandparent's gave me for my baptism. It is a gorgeous cross that they got in Alaska, and in the very center there is a single stone. This stone is a gorgeous deep blue with some green swirling through it, almost resembling the earth. It is one of my favorite crosses because it is as if the earth is as the heart of the cross which signifies Jesus Christ. Thinking about his reason for baptism, to bring God's work together, I find it very appropriate that the "earth" (God's creation, including all of his work) is as the heart of my baptism cross, always reminding me of his love and the reason for this Holy sacrament of baptism.
Think about it :)
Sunday, January 2, 2011
The (more than) Three Wisemen...
Even though Christmas day has come and gone and we are now in 2011, we are still in Christmas... the 12 days of Christmas. No, this isn't like the song... no this is about the 12 days that followed the birth of Jesus Christ before the wise men showed up.
Just a brief background...
Jesus is born. King Herod freaks out (as do most of the people in Jerusalem) and is threatened by what is being said about this new baby boy and orders that all baby boys in Bethlehem be killed. Meanwhile, Herod meets with the wise men pretending to be as excited and devoted as they are and tells them to find the baby and let him know where he is so he might join them. So the wise men go find baby Jesus but are warned in a dream to not return to Herod so they flee to their own country. Meanwhile, after the wise men leave, an angel comes to Joseph once again and tells him to leave Bethlehem with Mary and Jesus because Herod is on a hunt to kill the baby Jesus.
NOW... the story of the fourth wise man (in a nutshell).
Arteband (the fourth one) has it in his head that he is going to travel with the others to see Jesus, so he collects three gifts to take- a ruby, a sapphire, and pearl. On his way to meet the others, he stops to care for a sick man and misses the other guys so he has to sell his ruby to pay for transportation with a caravan. The night before he is to arrive to see Jesus, Joseph and Mary flee with Jesus after what the angel told them, so Arte stays at an inn. While at the inn, the soldiers come to kill all the baby boys and Arte saves one by paying off the guards with his sapphire. At this point, he has lost Jesus' trail, but he doesn't give up. Arte takes different jobs so that he can have money to live off of, but keep the pearl for when he does find Jesus. Word starts to spread of a crucifixion and Arte rushes to see his Lord. On the way, he runs into a woman who is going to be sold as a slave so he gives up his last gift, the pearl, to save her. All of the sudden, an earthquake comes and causes a wall to fall on Arte. As he lay there, he called up to God "O Lord, how often have I failed you?" to which God replies, "You have not failed me, for you have given to the least of your brothers...".
Now, while I may not be completely accurate in all of that I have written out (give me a year and it will be better!), there is a point to all of this. No where in the Bible does it say that there were only THREE wise men. It only says that Herod went to the religion scholars of the city (i.e. the wise men). The "three" comes from the three gifts (Gold for a king, Frankincense for a priest, and myrrh as an acknowledgment that Jesus was born to die). So even though the story of our friend Arte may not be found in the Bible, it is still very important.
Just like Arte brought himself to the Lord by way of giving his most precious gifts to those he met along the way, the least of his brothers, we can bring our most precious gifts to God. Kind of like I said in my last "real" blog about the mean of Christmas, it isn't about the material gifts. While material gifts are nice and we can all enjoy them for a time, the most precious gift that we have is OURSELF. As we reach out and help others, whether that be giving food to the food bank or listening to our friends problems, we should give OURSELVES. WE can be one of the wise men.
There is no better time to give yourself than now, as you are making your New Year's resolutions. Why not set aside some time each week to reach out to those that we might otherwise ignore. It could be that you spend some time on the phone with your brother or sister that you haven't talked to in a while because you were "just too busy", or you might visit that old lady from church and let her tell you some stories from when she was younger. Maybe you can go to the food bank and help sort food or help build a house with your church at Habitat for Humanity. The monetary gifts help the organizations, but they need help working with what it is they are buying. Remember, we don't have to go abroad to help someone. Help is needed right outside our front door, and sometimes, sitting across from you at the dinner table.
There is no fixed number of how many wise men there can be, so why not make that number as high as possible?
What can I give him, poor as I am?
If I were a shepherd, I would bring a lamb;
if I were a Wise Man, I would do my part;
yet what I can I give him: give my heart.
~In the Bleak Midwinter~
Just a brief background...
Jesus is born. King Herod freaks out (as do most of the people in Jerusalem) and is threatened by what is being said about this new baby boy and orders that all baby boys in Bethlehem be killed. Meanwhile, Herod meets with the wise men pretending to be as excited and devoted as they are and tells them to find the baby and let him know where he is so he might join them. So the wise men go find baby Jesus but are warned in a dream to not return to Herod so they flee to their own country. Meanwhile, after the wise men leave, an angel comes to Joseph once again and tells him to leave Bethlehem with Mary and Jesus because Herod is on a hunt to kill the baby Jesus.
NOW... the story of the fourth wise man (in a nutshell).
Arteband (the fourth one) has it in his head that he is going to travel with the others to see Jesus, so he collects three gifts to take- a ruby, a sapphire, and pearl. On his way to meet the others, he stops to care for a sick man and misses the other guys so he has to sell his ruby to pay for transportation with a caravan. The night before he is to arrive to see Jesus, Joseph and Mary flee with Jesus after what the angel told them, so Arte stays at an inn. While at the inn, the soldiers come to kill all the baby boys and Arte saves one by paying off the guards with his sapphire. At this point, he has lost Jesus' trail, but he doesn't give up. Arte takes different jobs so that he can have money to live off of, but keep the pearl for when he does find Jesus. Word starts to spread of a crucifixion and Arte rushes to see his Lord. On the way, he runs into a woman who is going to be sold as a slave so he gives up his last gift, the pearl, to save her. All of the sudden, an earthquake comes and causes a wall to fall on Arte. As he lay there, he called up to God "O Lord, how often have I failed you?" to which God replies, "You have not failed me, for you have given to the least of your brothers...".
Now, while I may not be completely accurate in all of that I have written out (give me a year and it will be better!), there is a point to all of this. No where in the Bible does it say that there were only THREE wise men. It only says that Herod went to the religion scholars of the city (i.e. the wise men). The "three" comes from the three gifts (Gold for a king, Frankincense for a priest, and myrrh as an acknowledgment that Jesus was born to die). So even though the story of our friend Arte may not be found in the Bible, it is still very important.
Just like Arte brought himself to the Lord by way of giving his most precious gifts to those he met along the way, the least of his brothers, we can bring our most precious gifts to God. Kind of like I said in my last "real" blog about the mean of Christmas, it isn't about the material gifts. While material gifts are nice and we can all enjoy them for a time, the most precious gift that we have is OURSELF. As we reach out and help others, whether that be giving food to the food bank or listening to our friends problems, we should give OURSELVES. WE can be one of the wise men.
There is no better time to give yourself than now, as you are making your New Year's resolutions. Why not set aside some time each week to reach out to those that we might otherwise ignore. It could be that you spend some time on the phone with your brother or sister that you haven't talked to in a while because you were "just too busy", or you might visit that old lady from church and let her tell you some stories from when she was younger. Maybe you can go to the food bank and help sort food or help build a house with your church at Habitat for Humanity. The monetary gifts help the organizations, but they need help working with what it is they are buying. Remember, we don't have to go abroad to help someone. Help is needed right outside our front door, and sometimes, sitting across from you at the dinner table.
There is no fixed number of how many wise men there can be, so why not make that number as high as possible?
What can I give him, poor as I am?
If I were a shepherd, I would bring a lamb;
if I were a Wise Man, I would do my part;
yet what I can I give him: give my heart.
~In the Bleak Midwinter~
Saturday, January 1, 2011
Looking back...
Last year was definitely one to look back and smile on.
A year ago, I was sending in applications to seminary and preparing for interviews. It was all I could do to keep focus when everyone around me had other plans for me, telling me do/ do not go to seminary, go to this one and not that one, do music instead... I was beyond stressed out. Eventually, a few more months down the road though I found my home at Union Presbyterian Seminary when I visited the campus for an interview. Nothing could have felt more right. So I spent the rest of the year preparing in multiple ways for seminary and trying to make sure that everything is taken care of on my end so I can start class this summer with as little extra stress as possible.
I also "finished" off a huge part of my life this year. Only a few weeks after my interview at Union PS, I completed my senior recital and as much as I hate, basically called it quits in the trumpet realm for a while. Of course I still had my students and a few gigs here and there but I took some time off for me to refocus and figure out why I play trumpet. While at UNCG I lost that focus somewhere between all of the hurdles they had me jumping over and as many of you know, I was quite unhappy. That also essentially closed up my performance degree and I was able to put all of my time into finishing my ed degree. I loved student teaching and learned a whole lot from my OSTE and my students. It was a great few months but honestly, I am glad I am done. I finally completed the ed degree and graduated with a BM in Instrumental Music Performance and BM in Instrumental Music Education on December 16.
What I find most interesting about this year is who I spent my time with. I definitely became a lot closer to some friends than I ever expected. Hope, Malik, and Bobby are three people that I have always known in some capacity (mostly through class or the fraternity) but we were never terribly close. I think God had a plan for us when he put us all in the most dreadful class I have ever taken. Through the complaining and commiserating, we grew to be great friends and I love every single one of them. Eventually (and finally!), Bobby and I started dating and that was the best decision I have ever made. It is because of those three (especially Bobby... but I am going to try to keep the gross stuff out :D ) that my life has turned around and I am happier than ever. They made my last year at UNCG the best and really put my focus where it should be (whether or not they know it).
All of this, in addition to the other "smaller" things that happened this year, made 2010 a pretty awesome year. I may have lost some friends, but I gained some amazing ones. I started the year thinking I would stay single and free of commitment until seminary, and closed it in the arms of the most incredible man I know. Last January I had no idea what my plans were other than "go to seminary", I am now counting down the days until I start at Union PS. I think it is easy to say that 2010 has been the best year of my life, but I can't wait to see what 2011 brings. I am an incredibly blessed person and I thank God for all of it every single day, as I hope all of you do as well.
"Life is not measured by the breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away."
May 2011 bring you many moments to take your breath away!!!
Happy New Year!!!
A year ago, I was sending in applications to seminary and preparing for interviews. It was all I could do to keep focus when everyone around me had other plans for me, telling me do/ do not go to seminary, go to this one and not that one, do music instead... I was beyond stressed out. Eventually, a few more months down the road though I found my home at Union Presbyterian Seminary when I visited the campus for an interview. Nothing could have felt more right. So I spent the rest of the year preparing in multiple ways for seminary and trying to make sure that everything is taken care of on my end so I can start class this summer with as little extra stress as possible.
I also "finished" off a huge part of my life this year. Only a few weeks after my interview at Union PS, I completed my senior recital and as much as I hate, basically called it quits in the trumpet realm for a while. Of course I still had my students and a few gigs here and there but I took some time off for me to refocus and figure out why I play trumpet. While at UNCG I lost that focus somewhere between all of the hurdles they had me jumping over and as many of you know, I was quite unhappy. That also essentially closed up my performance degree and I was able to put all of my time into finishing my ed degree. I loved student teaching and learned a whole lot from my OSTE and my students. It was a great few months but honestly, I am glad I am done. I finally completed the ed degree and graduated with a BM in Instrumental Music Performance and BM in Instrumental Music Education on December 16.
What I find most interesting about this year is who I spent my time with. I definitely became a lot closer to some friends than I ever expected. Hope, Malik, and Bobby are three people that I have always known in some capacity (mostly through class or the fraternity) but we were never terribly close. I think God had a plan for us when he put us all in the most dreadful class I have ever taken. Through the complaining and commiserating, we grew to be great friends and I love every single one of them. Eventually (and finally!), Bobby and I started dating and that was the best decision I have ever made. It is because of those three (especially Bobby... but I am going to try to keep the gross stuff out :D ) that my life has turned around and I am happier than ever. They made my last year at UNCG the best and really put my focus where it should be (whether or not they know it).
All of this, in addition to the other "smaller" things that happened this year, made 2010 a pretty awesome year. I may have lost some friends, but I gained some amazing ones. I started the year thinking I would stay single and free of commitment until seminary, and closed it in the arms of the most incredible man I know. Last January I had no idea what my plans were other than "go to seminary", I am now counting down the days until I start at Union PS. I think it is easy to say that 2010 has been the best year of my life, but I can't wait to see what 2011 brings. I am an incredibly blessed person and I thank God for all of it every single day, as I hope all of you do as well.
"Life is not measured by the breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away."
May 2011 bring you many moments to take your breath away!!!
Happy New Year!!!
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