I often make references to those classic old timie claymation movies that are so corny that they become outright hilarious. The best ones have horrible voices that show no kind of emotion at all, with the awkward movements of little handmade clay creatures that didn’t get their legs bent all the way so they can’t seem to walk properly without looking crippled. Those are the best. One of my favorite/most awful ones made has got to be the Rudolph one. That fabulous one with the abominable snowman that has foil teeth and a bad hair day, so awesome. I think I’ve seen lots of people that look just like that, which is a little alarming....
One thing about that old, ridiculous cartoon thing that I find funny, yet interesting at the same time..is the Misfit Island. Where all those weird toys somehow got magically put in one place so they could be depressed together. It’s kind of that way with people, you’ve got the outcasts to what we all might consider to be ‘normal’ wandering around and trying to find a place to fit. They generally end up finding other people similar to themselves that they can be around and ‘not’ fit in together. People tend to travel in herds, popular people roll with other popular people. Rich people stick with fellow rich people, nerds with nerds, jocks with jocks, churchies with churchies...and on and on it goes. (Sidenote: churchies is a word, seriously.) Nobody really likes to be alone you know, even for those of us that generally tend to be loners, it’s still not desirable to be alone all the time. So we gravitate towards others that we’re similar to and feel like we belong with. But there are so many people in the world that just don’t belong, so many of us that can get along with all sorts of groups or kinds of people and yet we don’t classify ourselves to fit into any particular group. You can have tons of friends, so many that they’re coming out of your ears, but yet you still don’t feel like you fit in entirely. Or you could have few friends, struggling to find anyone that might understand you in even the slightest inkling. In either circumstance, it get’s frustrating when you feel like you are on the outside looking in. No matter how tough skinned you are, it’s going to be a struggle.
I know how that feels, really. People don’t scare me, and friends are something that I consider to be a huge blessing....but I know that I don’t necessarily fit in anywhere. My life is different, my goals are different, and my focus is different. But I’m okay with that. It’s a good thing to be different (not freaky, mind you...just different.) I think too often, we’ve allowed ourselves to become part of the crowd and not fully grown into the men and women that God created us to be. Can you imagine what would happen if we all lived to our fullest potential, using all the gifts and talents that God has given us for His glory? It would be absolutely amazing.
So I guess to tie in the whole weird claymation thing along with how we all tend to shuffle by with the crowd, I just want to point out that we’re all misfits in some shape or form. We all have quirks or traits that separate us from each other, different looks, tastes, talents and so on. We’re all unique. So instead of us all trying to either pretend that we’re the same as everyone else and making fun of the ones that are different, (like those annoying reindeer that really got theirs in the end of that Rudolph movie) let’s be the ones that become ground breakers, growing into mighty men and women that live victorious lives in Christ. And instead of taking our eccentricities and differences to an extreme and isolating ourselves on our own personal islands, (like those creepy little toys with depression issues) let’s be bold and share what God has given us with others and help them to become stronger too. Weird analogy, I know. But I’ve seen weirder. And I may look elf-like in some instances, but I don’t have any plans on being a dentist or anything, so rest easy.
Misfit Island, gosh....I think by now it’s probably considered a continent.....there are plenty of people I WISH would go on an island like that....but that's another story:)
Thursday, May 8, 2008
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
If I Were A Boy
A strange title, I know, but this is the story of why I have it...
I’ve discovered an epidemic that’s pretty much infiltrated every school, church and many other groups, establishments, or just people in general. It’s called the word ‘special.’ How do you spell special? B-O-Y.
It’s an interesting phenomenon really, when you think about it. You go to school and may see two girls in a fight. These girls are called ‘ghetto’ or ‘skanks,’ depending on the circumstances of the fight. Two boys in the same situation in a fight are considered cool. Boys will be boys right? In church, you’ve got the stereotypical bandwagon that’s propelled in full force right now, but honestly hasn’t changed so much from the past few decades. What could it be, you may wonder? Men leading everything. Oh there’s a few women here and there but I doubt it came easily. From the old (as dirt) school people who believe women should speak when spoken to...to the morphed-into modern day men that curiously have the same clothes, haircuts, guitars and voices. It really changed but so much. Sure, we have a few girls speckled into the mix of boys, but now all the other girls are being groomed to imitate them.
Since when has being a girl been bad? I don’t understand this. I’m not saying we need to be given special treatment or a free ride. I just want to know why people have lost the ability to look at things with fairness and wisdom.
As a wacky example I’ll suggest we may all see two people wearing blue coats. One a man, one a woman. Both coats are the same color and fit their owners just right. So is the coat any more blue simply because the man wears it? Is it any less of a coat simply because the woman wears it? We may see two people dating many different people at some point in our lives. One is a man, one a woman. Both do the same things exactly. So why is the woman considered promiscuous while the man is considered to be ‘playing the field?’ It’s our own tilted perception that’s weirding things out.
I’m not writing anything to be male-bashing or because I want to shout that girls are going to conquer the world. I’m just voicing some frustration over how ridiculous all of us can be at times. We’re not all the same, obviously, God has made us unique and placed special gifts and desires in each of us for a purpose. Our commonalities are that we are human, that Jesus died for us all, and that we need Him. We’ve all been given the priceless gift of eternal life through Jesus Christ, if we accept it. So why do we waste so much time warring against each other for things that are so meaningless?
Let’s not be stuck in the mind-sets of those people that have permanent round trip tickets on the bandwagon of people-pleasers. Let’s be fair and not afraid to be different. It’s a learning process of how to see things with God’s perspective and not our own.
I’ve discovered an epidemic that’s pretty much infiltrated every school, church and many other groups, establishments, or just people in general. It’s called the word ‘special.’ How do you spell special? B-O-Y.
It’s an interesting phenomenon really, when you think about it. You go to school and may see two girls in a fight. These girls are called ‘ghetto’ or ‘skanks,’ depending on the circumstances of the fight. Two boys in the same situation in a fight are considered cool. Boys will be boys right? In church, you’ve got the stereotypical bandwagon that’s propelled in full force right now, but honestly hasn’t changed so much from the past few decades. What could it be, you may wonder? Men leading everything. Oh there’s a few women here and there but I doubt it came easily. From the old (as dirt) school people who believe women should speak when spoken to...to the morphed-into modern day men that curiously have the same clothes, haircuts, guitars and voices. It really changed but so much. Sure, we have a few girls speckled into the mix of boys, but now all the other girls are being groomed to imitate them.
Since when has being a girl been bad? I don’t understand this. I’m not saying we need to be given special treatment or a free ride. I just want to know why people have lost the ability to look at things with fairness and wisdom.
As a wacky example I’ll suggest we may all see two people wearing blue coats. One a man, one a woman. Both coats are the same color and fit their owners just right. So is the coat any more blue simply because the man wears it? Is it any less of a coat simply because the woman wears it? We may see two people dating many different people at some point in our lives. One is a man, one a woman. Both do the same things exactly. So why is the woman considered promiscuous while the man is considered to be ‘playing the field?’ It’s our own tilted perception that’s weirding things out.
I’m not writing anything to be male-bashing or because I want to shout that girls are going to conquer the world. I’m just voicing some frustration over how ridiculous all of us can be at times. We’re not all the same, obviously, God has made us unique and placed special gifts and desires in each of us for a purpose. Our commonalities are that we are human, that Jesus died for us all, and that we need Him. We’ve all been given the priceless gift of eternal life through Jesus Christ, if we accept it. So why do we waste so much time warring against each other for things that are so meaningless?
Let’s not be stuck in the mind-sets of those people that have permanent round trip tickets on the bandwagon of people-pleasers. Let’s be fair and not afraid to be different. It’s a learning process of how to see things with God’s perspective and not our own.
Friday, February 22, 2008
Into The Castle..
Well I recently moved, and I’m happy to say that the location I am now residing in is actually nice. In fact, one of the neatest things about it is being able to walk everywhere.
There are a good many things that I think are so interesting about this place, but sadly, I can only point out a couple of key things because there are stalker issues to be careful about. And honestly, I think I have enough weirdies in my life already...I just don’t want to deal with more;) So I will refrain from giving too many specifics that could make my description become too obvious for anyone that may be familiar with the area I live in.
And on that note, back to the neatness of the whole place...I am blessed to live in an historic building that resembles something like a castle. The stained glass windows are lovely to look at, with different pictures in each one. I never get tired of gazing in stained glass windows. And the stonework on the outside of this place looks like something taken straight from a storybook. Almost makes you think that you’re not supposed to stay in it. Almost;)
Yesterday, when I was taking a rare and elusive thing called a ‘nap,’ I looked out my window and had to smile to myself because the sky was filled with puffalump clouds. You know, the kind of clouds that are so fun to watch cause they’re really fluffy and full of shapes. I saw a big-nosed dog morph into an eagle right before my very eyes. Absolutely amazing I tell you. And the color of blue in the sky was that vibrant sort of blue that you only see in commercials for sinus/allergy medicines. The bluest blue.
At this very moment, I’m pretty tuckered out from carrying stuff up and down stairs, and getting over a sore throat that has made me sound like a boy for a day or two. Ugh. But I’m extremely thankful that God has brought me to enjoy a new place for a while, a place I will definitely put in my ‘memory box’ that is completely unique and special.
I’m thinking we could use a moat..
There are a good many things that I think are so interesting about this place, but sadly, I can only point out a couple of key things because there are stalker issues to be careful about. And honestly, I think I have enough weirdies in my life already...I just don’t want to deal with more;) So I will refrain from giving too many specifics that could make my description become too obvious for anyone that may be familiar with the area I live in.
And on that note, back to the neatness of the whole place...I am blessed to live in an historic building that resembles something like a castle. The stained glass windows are lovely to look at, with different pictures in each one. I never get tired of gazing in stained glass windows. And the stonework on the outside of this place looks like something taken straight from a storybook. Almost makes you think that you’re not supposed to stay in it. Almost;)
Yesterday, when I was taking a rare and elusive thing called a ‘nap,’ I looked out my window and had to smile to myself because the sky was filled with puffalump clouds. You know, the kind of clouds that are so fun to watch cause they’re really fluffy and full of shapes. I saw a big-nosed dog morph into an eagle right before my very eyes. Absolutely amazing I tell you. And the color of blue in the sky was that vibrant sort of blue that you only see in commercials for sinus/allergy medicines. The bluest blue.
At this very moment, I’m pretty tuckered out from carrying stuff up and down stairs, and getting over a sore throat that has made me sound like a boy for a day or two. Ugh. But I’m extremely thankful that God has brought me to enjoy a new place for a while, a place I will definitely put in my ‘memory box’ that is completely unique and special.
I’m thinking we could use a moat..
Monday, January 14, 2008
Sighing Days
Do you ever have some of those days where you can’t do anything but sigh at it. Like it’s just so absolutely, positively strange or tiring in a way that all you can really do to sum it up, is sigh? I have some of those days now and then.
When I was a little girl, I had the giggley days, when everything from the sun to the moon was simply hilarious to me. I would get so tickled by the oddest things that normally wouldn’t be so humorous, but on that day it was. Then there were the days when I would feel adventurous and think I could conquer the whole world....while riding safely on my three wheeler. It sure did take me forever to get on two wheels too;) The adventure days were fun because there was always something you had to overcome in a superhero way, that you secretly knew nobody else could...like catching a butterfly or racing some other kid twice your size that didn’t have the same appreciation for the three wheeler. Who was that kid anyway? He probably didn’t even live on your block, but you had to prove the point you know. Don’t knock a superhero's three wheeler.
When I got older, drifting into my teens, my days weren’t so adventurous. They became awkward days, and ‘I wish I didn’t have to go to school’ days. And lots and lots of days where I would dream and imagine having a more interesting life traveling around the world on trains and hot air balloons. Fun dreams.
All sorts of days really....days that you remember in different ways. Some from the funny things you saw, or the frustrating situations you couldn’t fix, or from that massively big curb you tripped on in front of the entire country (that just so happened to be going to the store at the same time.) There are endless kinds of days that we have. But the sighing days are not so fun, they’re somewhere between the happy, peaceful days and the gloomy, rainy days. Because you’re not thrilled about what’s happening during it but you have a hope that the exciting adventure days will come tomorrow.
Willow wisps remind me of a sighing flower-like thing (in my thinking anyway.) The way that you blow them and let the tiny white fluttery petals fly away, which is what I would like to do to all the sighing days. Blow them gently away so they go far far away from me, so all the new adventure days can quickly sprout up in the morning....free from the worries of yesterday.
"Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of it’s own."
Matthew 6:34
When I was a little girl, I had the giggley days, when everything from the sun to the moon was simply hilarious to me. I would get so tickled by the oddest things that normally wouldn’t be so humorous, but on that day it was. Then there were the days when I would feel adventurous and think I could conquer the whole world....while riding safely on my three wheeler. It sure did take me forever to get on two wheels too;) The adventure days were fun because there was always something you had to overcome in a superhero way, that you secretly knew nobody else could...like catching a butterfly or racing some other kid twice your size that didn’t have the same appreciation for the three wheeler. Who was that kid anyway? He probably didn’t even live on your block, but you had to prove the point you know. Don’t knock a superhero's three wheeler.
When I got older, drifting into my teens, my days weren’t so adventurous. They became awkward days, and ‘I wish I didn’t have to go to school’ days. And lots and lots of days where I would dream and imagine having a more interesting life traveling around the world on trains and hot air balloons. Fun dreams.
All sorts of days really....days that you remember in different ways. Some from the funny things you saw, or the frustrating situations you couldn’t fix, or from that massively big curb you tripped on in front of the entire country (that just so happened to be going to the store at the same time.) There are endless kinds of days that we have. But the sighing days are not so fun, they’re somewhere between the happy, peaceful days and the gloomy, rainy days. Because you’re not thrilled about what’s happening during it but you have a hope that the exciting adventure days will come tomorrow.
Willow wisps remind me of a sighing flower-like thing (in my thinking anyway.) The way that you blow them and let the tiny white fluttery petals fly away, which is what I would like to do to all the sighing days. Blow them gently away so they go far far away from me, so all the new adventure days can quickly sprout up in the morning....free from the worries of yesterday.
"Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of it’s own."
Matthew 6:34
Sunday, December 30, 2007
Fireworks
Well we've passed the Christmas, and survived! Imagine that. And now it's already time for the present year to end and the new one to begin. Now I know what most people think of when you say 'New Year.' They can't help but think of those sad little clay-mation (how exactly is that spelled..) movies with a big-eared baby crawling around the world while weird people that can't walk normally chase after him to save us all from not having a new year or something. At least that's what I think it was about....I don't know, but where exactly Rudolph fit in there, I will never know. It was a very confusing movie to say the least. I'm thinking maybe the animators of it could have been recovering from some spiked eggnog of sorts when they made it. It's a possibility. I do like those corny claymation movies though. It's like those dogs that are so ugly, they're cute. Because they're so corny, they're funny.
I wonder if people still try to make New Year's resolutions anymore, or is that a thing of the past? I don't keep up with them really, they don't seem to make much difference anyway. Though I have heard rumors that gyms get hundreds of customers for about a week or so after New Year's, only to have them stop coming a few days later. Such commitment I tell you;) It's a curious thing, that people make an inkling of effort to evaluate a smidgeon of their life and want to improve it, but don't usually see it through. Kudos to the ones that do. It really is a brave thing to want to change a pattern in your life and work to do it.
We're all creatures of habit in some form or another....we eat the foods that we know we'll like, we go to the places we normally like, watch the shows we normally like, listen to the music, buy the clothes, and round and round we go. But it is difficult to stop a pattern in your mind and retrain your brain to go a different way. Hopefully it's for the better, and not bad patterns that you're creating:) It definitely is hard though.
I'm sorry to say that every year when that psychadellic ball drops in New York, I am usually asleep. If I'm awake, I'm usually not interested in watching it anyway. I think when you've seen it once, you've seen the general gist and it can lose the excitement. It did for me anyway.
I wonder if it's the best way to celebrate a new year.....going to the parties, or events, or watching the special on tv.....or maybe not. We should celebrate the end of the year and coming of a new one obviously, because God has blessed us to live for another year! We've survived the wild jungle of life for 12 months, that is always something to be thankful for. But I just wonder what would be the best way to prepare ourselves for the new twists & turns ahead. Probably the same way it's best to prepare for everything.....pray. Pray about your work, your problems, your school, your friends/family, your dreams, your weaknesses, your strengths.....pray about every little thing. Who better to lead you into the unknown future, than the author of life, who carries your future?
One thing I do like about the New Year festivities, are the fireworks. I love fireworks. I think they're fascinating. And they explode. Legally. In different colors even. How cool is that? When I was little I used to wonder how people made them and how all those little light fragments could shoot off into so many different directions to make a beautiful shape. So neat to watch. Ofcourse not everywhere has fireworks for that I guess, more so for the 4th of July. But still, I love to see them:) It would be a neat thing, to think of our lives as fireworks......we're given the ingredients and tools to do something bigger in this life than we can think. Just like people put all the right ingredients into making and planning a fireworks display. We've all got different colors and shapes, and we shoot off into different directions from each other and at different times. But when we're obedient to God, he get's us ready and teaches us how to use all the things He's placed inside of us so that when that time comes.....BAM! He shoots us high into the stars, so we can burst in the pitch black sky with a magnificent array of lights. So high that it's noticeable from a long distance away and everyone can see. Then everyone is left wondering how all those icky ingredients, those trials in life, could make something so stunning. That would be neat.
So here comes the New Year! Let's pray that the Lord will take all the grimey trials we go through in life, and make us burst through them...exploding into the sky and showing everyone in the world how His light shines inside us. Happy New Year!
I wonder if people still try to make New Year's resolutions anymore, or is that a thing of the past? I don't keep up with them really, they don't seem to make much difference anyway. Though I have heard rumors that gyms get hundreds of customers for about a week or so after New Year's, only to have them stop coming a few days later. Such commitment I tell you;) It's a curious thing, that people make an inkling of effort to evaluate a smidgeon of their life and want to improve it, but don't usually see it through. Kudos to the ones that do. It really is a brave thing to want to change a pattern in your life and work to do it.
We're all creatures of habit in some form or another....we eat the foods that we know we'll like, we go to the places we normally like, watch the shows we normally like, listen to the music, buy the clothes, and round and round we go. But it is difficult to stop a pattern in your mind and retrain your brain to go a different way. Hopefully it's for the better, and not bad patterns that you're creating:) It definitely is hard though.
I'm sorry to say that every year when that psychadellic ball drops in New York, I am usually asleep. If I'm awake, I'm usually not interested in watching it anyway. I think when you've seen it once, you've seen the general gist and it can lose the excitement. It did for me anyway.
I wonder if it's the best way to celebrate a new year.....going to the parties, or events, or watching the special on tv.....or maybe not. We should celebrate the end of the year and coming of a new one obviously, because God has blessed us to live for another year! We've survived the wild jungle of life for 12 months, that is always something to be thankful for. But I just wonder what would be the best way to prepare ourselves for the new twists & turns ahead. Probably the same way it's best to prepare for everything.....pray. Pray about your work, your problems, your school, your friends/family, your dreams, your weaknesses, your strengths.....pray about every little thing. Who better to lead you into the unknown future, than the author of life, who carries your future?
One thing I do like about the New Year festivities, are the fireworks. I love fireworks. I think they're fascinating. And they explode. Legally. In different colors even. How cool is that? When I was little I used to wonder how people made them and how all those little light fragments could shoot off into so many different directions to make a beautiful shape. So neat to watch. Ofcourse not everywhere has fireworks for that I guess, more so for the 4th of July. But still, I love to see them:) It would be a neat thing, to think of our lives as fireworks......we're given the ingredients and tools to do something bigger in this life than we can think. Just like people put all the right ingredients into making and planning a fireworks display. We've all got different colors and shapes, and we shoot off into different directions from each other and at different times. But when we're obedient to God, he get's us ready and teaches us how to use all the things He's placed inside of us so that when that time comes.....BAM! He shoots us high into the stars, so we can burst in the pitch black sky with a magnificent array of lights. So high that it's noticeable from a long distance away and everyone can see. Then everyone is left wondering how all those icky ingredients, those trials in life, could make something so stunning. That would be neat.
So here comes the New Year! Let's pray that the Lord will take all the grimey trials we go through in life, and make us burst through them...exploding into the sky and showing everyone in the world how His light shines inside us. Happy New Year!
Tuesday, December 25, 2007
Christmas Chaos
Well today is Christmas day. Amazing that the year is already over and it feels like it just started yesterday. I just can't catch up to it I tell you.
Now ordinarily I would never have time to sit down and write something on a blog at Christmas because our holidays have always been so full of chaos that there isn't a second to spare. Ever since I was little, we would all open the presents we received on Christmas morning and then you'd have to race to clean up the house and run out the door to visit relatives. The same group of relatives in fact, all of us going from house to house in something resembling a cattle drive. I don't think anyone ever stopped to think how silly it was really....going to see someone, knowing that they were coming over your house a couple hours later. Not much sense in that at all. But there it was, a little carousel of tradition that no one would ever dare to question, because no one was to go against family tradition. But since we're disowned from that family, now we're free from those decrepit old traditions that did nothing but exhaust everyone who had to clean & prepare food, taking all focus off of the actual meaning of Christmas to begin with.
Sadly, even with just a few of us, we can make traditions all over again that will only continue to keep us looking at the over commercialized Christmas that everyone is supposed to have. You walk through the stores and what do you see? The zombie faces of people killing themselves trying to shop for everyone on their list so that they can keep the whole world happy and not ruffle anyone's feathers. Is that really important? Why do we have to buy each other presents at Christmas? If we want to buy something for someone, why not just buy it and give it when you want to? Why do people make lists of what they want others to get them? I think I've become completely sour on it to tell you the truth. Kids don't care what Christmas is about, they just want what's on the list. What a great thing to teach a child....Christmas = presents. Yep. Can't see that doing any harm to a child.
And there's always the food. You must have certain kinds of food at Christmas or someone's angry eyes will surely make an unfestive appearance and most likely create more stress for the one who was so bold as to not make it. Turkey. I hate turkey. I'd rather have chicken or steak, if we're talking meat. How about some Christmas pizza? Oh, let's just live on the wild side and make some dang quesadillas. Come one, live a little people. And that stuffing. In a box. Or better yet, the age old recipe of someone who died a good number of years back but was kind enough to leave the "secret" ingredients to their precious stuffing. Folks, let's be honest....they probably keeled over from eating that stuffing too much. That stuff is gross. And the vegetables, ok vegetables are good for you, obviously I've never been on good terms with them but ok. Except collard greens. What is that?! Does anyone know? It scares me, it's like an unidentified alien form of seaweed that tries to pass itself off as some high powered vegetable that all old people believe will somehow heal every ailment. I wouldn't touch it with a 50 ft pole.
And there we are.....the neverending cycle of Christmas "traditions" that keep going on all over the world, right beside the rock hard fruitcake that will outlive us all. Gee, what a lovely way to remember holidays huh? Mmm..maybe not so much.
The reason why I'm rethinking the whole psycho-cycle of holiday festivities right now is because I've actually been able to feel what it's like to stop all of it and realize what's important. I always knew that we were supposed to be celebrating the birth of Jesus, an incomparible gift to us. But yet, that cyclone of craziness really prevented me from thinking about it on Christmas for more than a couple seconds in between visits and present giving. Isn't He the Prince of Peace? I wonder why we want to celebrate the peace He gives with absolute chaos. I don't know.....but I'm very thankful to be able to think about all that He's done for me on this awesome day. And I can lift up some worship to Him, which will honor Him more than running around like a chicken with it's head cut off. Maybe I'm finally seeing firsthand what it is to truly celebrate Christmas after all, by offering God the gifts that He so richly deserves, with my time and joyful worship of a mighty God. I am completely penniless at the moment. I mean, if you opened my wallet, the only thing you'd see in there was a little tumbleweed rolling by. So I can't buy gifts for anyone......but life goes on even though I can't get everybody something special. It's about giving to the Lord anyway isn't it? So maybe my gift giving is exactly how it should be after all, giving my heart to Jesus and giving His love to all those around me:)
I hope anyone that may read this will understand that I'm not saying any of this to bash people for doing their Christmas traditions. I only want to challenge others to step off the chaos carousel and listen. Listen to the voice of the Lord calling to people, wanting to show them His true heart. Have a most blessed and peaceful Christmas day!
Now ordinarily I would never have time to sit down and write something on a blog at Christmas because our holidays have always been so full of chaos that there isn't a second to spare. Ever since I was little, we would all open the presents we received on Christmas morning and then you'd have to race to clean up the house and run out the door to visit relatives. The same group of relatives in fact, all of us going from house to house in something resembling a cattle drive. I don't think anyone ever stopped to think how silly it was really....going to see someone, knowing that they were coming over your house a couple hours later. Not much sense in that at all. But there it was, a little carousel of tradition that no one would ever dare to question, because no one was to go against family tradition. But since we're disowned from that family, now we're free from those decrepit old traditions that did nothing but exhaust everyone who had to clean & prepare food, taking all focus off of the actual meaning of Christmas to begin with.
Sadly, even with just a few of us, we can make traditions all over again that will only continue to keep us looking at the over commercialized Christmas that everyone is supposed to have. You walk through the stores and what do you see? The zombie faces of people killing themselves trying to shop for everyone on their list so that they can keep the whole world happy and not ruffle anyone's feathers. Is that really important? Why do we have to buy each other presents at Christmas? If we want to buy something for someone, why not just buy it and give it when you want to? Why do people make lists of what they want others to get them? I think I've become completely sour on it to tell you the truth. Kids don't care what Christmas is about, they just want what's on the list. What a great thing to teach a child....Christmas = presents. Yep. Can't see that doing any harm to a child.
And there's always the food. You must have certain kinds of food at Christmas or someone's angry eyes will surely make an unfestive appearance and most likely create more stress for the one who was so bold as to not make it. Turkey. I hate turkey. I'd rather have chicken or steak, if we're talking meat. How about some Christmas pizza? Oh, let's just live on the wild side and make some dang quesadillas. Come one, live a little people. And that stuffing. In a box. Or better yet, the age old recipe of someone who died a good number of years back but was kind enough to leave the "secret" ingredients to their precious stuffing. Folks, let's be honest....they probably keeled over from eating that stuffing too much. That stuff is gross. And the vegetables, ok vegetables are good for you, obviously I've never been on good terms with them but ok. Except collard greens. What is that?! Does anyone know? It scares me, it's like an unidentified alien form of seaweed that tries to pass itself off as some high powered vegetable that all old people believe will somehow heal every ailment. I wouldn't touch it with a 50 ft pole.
And there we are.....the neverending cycle of Christmas "traditions" that keep going on all over the world, right beside the rock hard fruitcake that will outlive us all. Gee, what a lovely way to remember holidays huh? Mmm..maybe not so much.
The reason why I'm rethinking the whole psycho-cycle of holiday festivities right now is because I've actually been able to feel what it's like to stop all of it and realize what's important. I always knew that we were supposed to be celebrating the birth of Jesus, an incomparible gift to us. But yet, that cyclone of craziness really prevented me from thinking about it on Christmas for more than a couple seconds in between visits and present giving. Isn't He the Prince of Peace? I wonder why we want to celebrate the peace He gives with absolute chaos. I don't know.....but I'm very thankful to be able to think about all that He's done for me on this awesome day. And I can lift up some worship to Him, which will honor Him more than running around like a chicken with it's head cut off. Maybe I'm finally seeing firsthand what it is to truly celebrate Christmas after all, by offering God the gifts that He so richly deserves, with my time and joyful worship of a mighty God. I am completely penniless at the moment. I mean, if you opened my wallet, the only thing you'd see in there was a little tumbleweed rolling by. So I can't buy gifts for anyone......but life goes on even though I can't get everybody something special. It's about giving to the Lord anyway isn't it? So maybe my gift giving is exactly how it should be after all, giving my heart to Jesus and giving His love to all those around me:)
I hope anyone that may read this will understand that I'm not saying any of this to bash people for doing their Christmas traditions. I only want to challenge others to step off the chaos carousel and listen. Listen to the voice of the Lord calling to people, wanting to show them His true heart. Have a most blessed and peaceful Christmas day!
Tuesday, November 27, 2007
The End Of An Era
I am coming to the end of a Florida era. An era of endless golf carts and over-abundance of elderly people that look like they could water skii with the best of 'em. Where the winter clothing consists of short sleeve collar shirts and light rain jackets, and people talk of how it's beginning to feel a lot like Christmas because the temperature got down to the 60's. Brr. These people are hardcore.
I'm wearing my Rudolph t-shirt right now just to be festive:) But in all honesty, it's kind of thrown us off with our seasons....seeing Christmas lights up on the houses and hearing the classic holiday songs played on the radio, while also walking by people who are still wearing shorts. Weirdness. Not a bad weird though. Not to me anyway, I fully appreciate the warm.
Yes, I definitely do NOT have any complaints about the warmer weather, no sirrey-bob. I have not missed wearing 3 pairs of socks and still having suspicions that under those layers, my toes were still blue. Or going outside to get something out of the car and having to dress like the famous overly-layered kid from A Christmas Story that couldn't even wiggle his arms. Yeah...haven't been in a hurry to get back to that. And how can I forget the smiling while your outside, only to feel your teeth hurt cause the freezingness somewhere sinks into your teeth and causes some kind of brainfreeze (only teethfreeze..) That's always fun. But the best thing of all is when you get a sniffley nose and you can feel the runnyness literally stop midway down. Why? Because it freezes. That's right, as if you don't look attractive enough, with a red face and chapped lips...and stacking so many coats on that you could put the Michellin Man to shame while you waddle around...you also have snot freeze on your face. "Eww!" you are most likely saying right now. But I'm sorry, that's what happens. It's not a pretty sight.
So much to look forward to! Yippee! I can't wait to experience absolute numbness in my fingers:) I mean, who doesn't? I know I'll enjoy it for sure. In fact, I may just invite some friends to go to the mall with me so we can take off our hats and watch the mortified faces of children as they witness our atrocious hat hair. It really is an experience. One that I'm sure you would enjoy;)
Ofcourse, I can take the unforgettable memories of seeing a golf cart collision between over-eager old people trying to gunnit through the intersection. Those little speed demons, they were probably hitting 30 on those things. Next thing you know they'll be catching them doing drag races in front of Walmart. Then again..who's to say they aren't already doing that? Hmmm...
I will really have to pray for more patience while on the trip back, because on the way here I thought I was going to wear the honk off the horn. And I don't know about other people, but I realize that for some crazy reason, I must subconsciously think that they can hear me yell at them through the windshield. You could look me in the face and tell that they can't hear me, but for some reason I feel like I should try. Maybe THIS will be the time when someone actually does hear......but I did keep the shakey fist to a minimum. That is something to be noted. I feel like I should've gotten a sticker or maybe a cheap bookmark that says, "I can control my shakeyfist!" That would be nice.
So the countdown is nearing an end to this wild Florida era filled with big bugs and lots of spanish music. But I hope that in all this craziness that we've tried to share with our fellow Americans, we can somehow take from it a bit more wisdom in what the Lord is teaching us and how to keep the joy He gives us, even in the trying times. So long sunshiney state, it was a blessing to know you:)
And just to point out, runnyness is a word. It's new. Thought that should be said...
I'm wearing my Rudolph t-shirt right now just to be festive:) But in all honesty, it's kind of thrown us off with our seasons....seeing Christmas lights up on the houses and hearing the classic holiday songs played on the radio, while also walking by people who are still wearing shorts. Weirdness. Not a bad weird though. Not to me anyway, I fully appreciate the warm.
Yes, I definitely do NOT have any complaints about the warmer weather, no sirrey-bob. I have not missed wearing 3 pairs of socks and still having suspicions that under those layers, my toes were still blue. Or going outside to get something out of the car and having to dress like the famous overly-layered kid from A Christmas Story that couldn't even wiggle his arms. Yeah...haven't been in a hurry to get back to that. And how can I forget the smiling while your outside, only to feel your teeth hurt cause the freezingness somewhere sinks into your teeth and causes some kind of brainfreeze (only teethfreeze..) That's always fun. But the best thing of all is when you get a sniffley nose and you can feel the runnyness literally stop midway down. Why? Because it freezes. That's right, as if you don't look attractive enough, with a red face and chapped lips...and stacking so many coats on that you could put the Michellin Man to shame while you waddle around...you also have snot freeze on your face. "Eww!" you are most likely saying right now. But I'm sorry, that's what happens. It's not a pretty sight.
So much to look forward to! Yippee! I can't wait to experience absolute numbness in my fingers:) I mean, who doesn't? I know I'll enjoy it for sure. In fact, I may just invite some friends to go to the mall with me so we can take off our hats and watch the mortified faces of children as they witness our atrocious hat hair. It really is an experience. One that I'm sure you would enjoy;)
Ofcourse, I can take the unforgettable memories of seeing a golf cart collision between over-eager old people trying to gunnit through the intersection. Those little speed demons, they were probably hitting 30 on those things. Next thing you know they'll be catching them doing drag races in front of Walmart. Then again..who's to say they aren't already doing that? Hmmm...
I will really have to pray for more patience while on the trip back, because on the way here I thought I was going to wear the honk off the horn. And I don't know about other people, but I realize that for some crazy reason, I must subconsciously think that they can hear me yell at them through the windshield. You could look me in the face and tell that they can't hear me, but for some reason I feel like I should try. Maybe THIS will be the time when someone actually does hear......but I did keep the shakey fist to a minimum. That is something to be noted. I feel like I should've gotten a sticker or maybe a cheap bookmark that says, "I can control my shakeyfist!" That would be nice.
So the countdown is nearing an end to this wild Florida era filled with big bugs and lots of spanish music. But I hope that in all this craziness that we've tried to share with our fellow Americans, we can somehow take from it a bit more wisdom in what the Lord is teaching us and how to keep the joy He gives us, even in the trying times. So long sunshiney state, it was a blessing to know you:)
And just to point out, runnyness is a word. It's new. Thought that should be said...
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