As I sit here in the blissful half light of a Monday morning, enjoying the calm and quiet before the storm of my day breaks, I find myself pondering the meaning of Today and the year that has brought me here.
I read a book years ago, when I was the mom of 7, that stuck with me. The author was a Christian woman who talked about how she and her husband went away every year for the week between Christmas and New Years. I have no idea how many children this woman had or if any or if this was something that didnt start until she was in the empty nest phase of life, (what ever that is). But the purpose of that week away, for her at least, was prayer and reflection, and planning for the year ahead. She talked of that week being a time that she spent HOURS and hours extra in the Word to find out what God's plan for her for the coming year was and to reflect on what had happened with the past years "plan" She settled on a verse of scripture passage each year that became her focus for the year.
For me, that idea of going away to a "retreat" for a week, or even 24 hours was never achievable, and I wouldnt have given up my time with the kids out of school, even if I could have gone away, I'm not that person somehow. but, I DID spend time when they were asleep, or outside playing in the snow and the littler ones were down for a nap, searching. During those years, I not only marked "my verse or passage" but I wrote it in the front of my Bible and added comments. I have "SORT OF" done this in the intervening years between Then and Now. You know that time frame right?
Anyway, this year, I have been presented with a new challenge. Yesterday, it came in to my head during church, that I am going to read "the Minor Prophets," and all the Short Books of the New Testament, to study for this year.
So, as today is Christmas Eve, for me, it is also the Eve of a new Challenge. The morning that I choose celebrate the birth of my Lord and Savior, I begin a quest to know Him deeper and more clearly, and there by, know myself deeper and more clearly. If anyone wants to join me, it would certainly help hold me accountable and we could set up a "schedule" and find a forum to discuss what we are learing as well.
I hope each of you have a wonderful day today and stop to just think about what this day means to and for you.
S
Showing posts with label Christmas. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Christmas. Show all posts
Monday, December 24, 2012
Sunday, December 2, 2012
Day 16 The Bluebird Bus Christmas
Disclaimer: Since Blogger is currently not letting me post any pictures because, in my few short months of being on here, it says I have reached my maximum, I will be photo less for a while.
I know that November is over and the 30 days of gratitude, OF COURSE, only takes place in November. Yes, I'm joking, but made ya think anyway. My choice, however is to continue as I think of them to no matter the number. This entry was one of my planned entries anyway and now that it is December, it just fits.
The Bluebird Bus Christmas
First, our family tradition
Christmas Eve
Christmas Eve, my mom, dad and my brothers would drive around town looking at the Christmas lights. We would usually also drive up to Tularosa where they did a beautiful, huge luminaria display on the highway through town. We listened to Christmas music on the radio and ohhhed and ahhhhed till bed time.
Christmas Morning
For most of my life, our family Christmas tradition involved not just my immediate family but that of my maternal grandparents as well. We got up Christmas morning and called them to let them know we were up and waiting. They came over and we started opening presents and then my dad cooked a big breakfast for us to all share.
Sometimes, that breakfast included deer steak from the newly finished hunting season, sometimes it was sausage. In later years, it became, "lil smoky sausages" Most of those early years it also included home made biscuits and gravy. ( I loved watching my dad make homemade biscuits they way his mom taught him.). Then when it became time to share this tradition with the next generation, breakfast became pancakes, lil smokeys and fried eggs.
After breakfast we all got in the cars and went to my grandparents house to open their christmas gifts. It was always so exciting to me to see what they got for Christmas as well as my own gifts.
Next Generation:
As in all things, time goes on and as my brothers and I moved out on our own, married and had children somethings changed but one did not, Our Christmas morning just expanded. Now the tradition was that who ever had the youngest child at the time, of present opening and excitement not to be delayed age, got to make the "we are up, ya'll come on over" phone calls. We started at that families house, them made the rounds to each house, up to my grandparents house to open gifts and then went back to my Mom and Dads house for breakfast. The year that each of us had a child of the same age was kinda tricky, but that is a story for another day.
This explaination however, brings us to the YEAR OF THE BLUEBIRD BUS
By way of explaination, we live an area with a heavy military presence and have over the years done a great deal of "civilian contractor" work for that military range, and this was one of those years. Because the sight where my brother was working was about an hour and a half away to even get to and there were a number of other people working in this area, my brother decided to purchase this retired school bus. Yes, it was a bluebird bus but it was actually robins egg blue as well. (I so wish I had pictures.) My brother transported about 15 people back and forth to the jobsite in the bus each day so that they could rest on the way too and from. So, with this at our disposal that year, Christmas went from our normal wonderful pastime, to AWESOME!!!!!
Christmas Eve consisted of my grandparents, my mom, dad, my younger brother, my husband and myself and this brother, Eddie, and his wife and their 18 month old son piling into the bus to drive around the whole county to look at the lights. Since the 18 month old was the only grandchild that year, it was such fun to be able to watch his reactions to the lights sitting there, strapped in to his carseat on the seat behind his daddy, and next to his mommy. It seems like we drove for hours that night until he was fast asleep and we decided it was time to take him home to await the morning.
And morning came. When the call came in that they were awake and it was time to open presents. We each got in our cars and drove to their house, just as normal. However, when presents at that house were opened and properly displayed for all to see, and it was time to move on to the next house, the idea arose, Why drive 4-5 cars from place to place.. when we had......... THE BUS!!!!!! I cannot tell you what a wonderful day we had by being able to literally spend it in each others presence, each and every moment. The laughter, smiles and contentment still shine in my eyes when I think of that Christmas time.
I hope that all will find ways to build relationships through out this holiday season, however you choose to celebrate, or even if you don't celebrate. Use this time to get close to someone and learn about them down to their soul.
I know that November is over and the 30 days of gratitude, OF COURSE, only takes place in November. Yes, I'm joking, but made ya think anyway. My choice, however is to continue as I think of them to no matter the number. This entry was one of my planned entries anyway and now that it is December, it just fits.
The Bluebird Bus Christmas
First, our family tradition
Christmas Eve
Christmas Eve, my mom, dad and my brothers would drive around town looking at the Christmas lights. We would usually also drive up to Tularosa where they did a beautiful, huge luminaria display on the highway through town. We listened to Christmas music on the radio and ohhhed and ahhhhed till bed time.
Christmas Morning
For most of my life, our family Christmas tradition involved not just my immediate family but that of my maternal grandparents as well. We got up Christmas morning and called them to let them know we were up and waiting. They came over and we started opening presents and then my dad cooked a big breakfast for us to all share.
Sometimes, that breakfast included deer steak from the newly finished hunting season, sometimes it was sausage. In later years, it became, "lil smoky sausages" Most of those early years it also included home made biscuits and gravy. ( I loved watching my dad make homemade biscuits they way his mom taught him.). Then when it became time to share this tradition with the next generation, breakfast became pancakes, lil smokeys and fried eggs.
After breakfast we all got in the cars and went to my grandparents house to open their christmas gifts. It was always so exciting to me to see what they got for Christmas as well as my own gifts.
Next Generation:
As in all things, time goes on and as my brothers and I moved out on our own, married and had children somethings changed but one did not, Our Christmas morning just expanded. Now the tradition was that who ever had the youngest child at the time, of present opening and excitement not to be delayed age, got to make the "we are up, ya'll come on over" phone calls. We started at that families house, them made the rounds to each house, up to my grandparents house to open gifts and then went back to my Mom and Dads house for breakfast. The year that each of us had a child of the same age was kinda tricky, but that is a story for another day.
This explaination however, brings us to the YEAR OF THE BLUEBIRD BUS
By way of explaination, we live an area with a heavy military presence and have over the years done a great deal of "civilian contractor" work for that military range, and this was one of those years. Because the sight where my brother was working was about an hour and a half away to even get to and there were a number of other people working in this area, my brother decided to purchase this retired school bus. Yes, it was a bluebird bus but it was actually robins egg blue as well. (I so wish I had pictures.) My brother transported about 15 people back and forth to the jobsite in the bus each day so that they could rest on the way too and from. So, with this at our disposal that year, Christmas went from our normal wonderful pastime, to AWESOME!!!!!
Christmas Eve consisted of my grandparents, my mom, dad, my younger brother, my husband and myself and this brother, Eddie, and his wife and their 18 month old son piling into the bus to drive around the whole county to look at the lights. Since the 18 month old was the only grandchild that year, it was such fun to be able to watch his reactions to the lights sitting there, strapped in to his carseat on the seat behind his daddy, and next to his mommy. It seems like we drove for hours that night until he was fast asleep and we decided it was time to take him home to await the morning.
And morning came. When the call came in that they were awake and it was time to open presents. We each got in our cars and drove to their house, just as normal. However, when presents at that house were opened and properly displayed for all to see, and it was time to move on to the next house, the idea arose, Why drive 4-5 cars from place to place.. when we had......... THE BUS!!!!!! I cannot tell you what a wonderful day we had by being able to literally spend it in each others presence, each and every moment. The laughter, smiles and contentment still shine in my eyes when I think of that Christmas time.
I hope that all will find ways to build relationships through out this holiday season, however you choose to celebrate, or even if you don't celebrate. Use this time to get close to someone and learn about them down to their soul.
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