Christmas Prayer

A Christmas Prayer

Loving Father,

Help us remember the birth of Jesus,

that we may share in the song of the angels,

the gladness of the shepherds, and worship of the wise men.

Close the door of hate and open the door of love all over the world.

Let kindness come with every gift and good desires with every greeting.

Deliver us from evil by the blessing which Christ brings,

and teach us to be merry with clear hearts.

May the Christmas morning make us happy to be thy children,

and Christmas evening bring us to our beds with grateful thoughts,

forgiving and forgiven,

for Jesus' sake.
Amen.

(Robert Louis Stevenson)

I pull this out every year at Christmas when I am feeling most pressure -- to buy, to bake, to wrap, to organize, to clean and to plan. There is so much going on and it's so easy to forget what Christmas really means.

Reading this calms my soul, reminds me of what is important, and brings back the gratitude which really is there (it's just buried!).

Read it. I think you'll find peace too.

An Explanation

Several times now (I hesitate to say 'repeatedly'), Holly has requested an explanation of what is wrong with "The Little Drummer Boy". (Again, I do like Josh Groban's version but will get to that later.) I figured it was time to enlighten her and anyone else who doesn't get it. Here's my reasons:

1. It's almost always done very slowly and in a long, boring fashion. It just takes too dang long to drag through it and it sounds the same same same all the time. Boring.

2. It has really dumb lame words (i.e. "pa-rum-pa-pum-pum". These are not great words. I get that they are supposed to sound like drums, but they don't.)

3. Usually when you even get some drumming action in the accompaniment (which - there should be a lot of drumming -- it's a song about drums!!) it's a big, booming bass drum that doesn't go with the music. Which itself is pretty repetitive and boring. (see above)

4. It's been performed by everyone and their dog. I've heard it performed by some very interesting performers (i.e. Johnny Cash, the Chipmunks, and some cowboy who sang it off-key and really slow) which doesn't add a thing to a song that doesn't have much going for it in the first place.

5. Need I say more?

But I do like Josh Groban's interpretation. Why?

1. Because his tempo is good. He moves it along at a nice, snappy pace.

2. Even when he has to sing 'pa-rum-pa-pum-pum' repeatedly, it's moving along quickly enough that it isn't as annoying as it usually is. And his articulation is good so at least ithe words don't sound more mushy than they really are. (And by mushy, I just mean unintelligible.)

3. He has some really stellar snare drumming going on and that makes it fun to listen to. After all, it is about a drummer!! Yay for Josh for hiring a good one.

4. Josh sings it much better than I've ever heard it sung. His voice really suits the music. (that is not to say that I find his voice boring). He uses some great orchestrations -- I especially like the Celtic flute/slide whistle that comes in about the middle of the song. He also does a really nice musical transition from a lower key up to one a bit higher which also provides some interesting stuff to listen to.

5. With this arrangement, I actually can get past the other stuff and hear the message about giving the baby Jesus what gifts we have. Which is, really, what it's all about.

Just so you all know.

(picture via paula becker)

Dancing With the Starved 2: Girls Night OUCH Marie Osmond

This made me laugh out loud. (if you didn't watch the show, you probably won't do the same but I found it to be pretty funny!)

"I wish you could live with me forever!"

Maya is a loving little girl who makes it clear that she enjoys Grandma time. This (of course!) fills up her Grandma's heart and makes everything in life sweeter. Today, she told me again that she wished I could live with her forever.

In the past, when she has said things like this, I've gently led her into a discussion about how great it is that our family can be together forever if we do the things we should. I always tell her how much I love her and that I wouldn't miss out on any part of her life (or any of the kiddoes) for anything.

But today it felt different when her comment came out. I could almost hear our Heavenly Father saying to me -- "I want you to live with me forever." And then His gentle reminder, "I love you and I don't want to miss out on any part of your life for anything."

I want that too. So I have to work hard to do everything I can so that I don't miss out on anything and we can spend our forevers together, both with each other and with our Heavenly Father.

There's So Much to be Thankful For

As I get to know my new Josh Groban Christmas album, I have surprised myself by developing favorites that aren't at all usual for me. I love traditional Christmas music and I kind of hate it when there are new songs touted as Christmas classics that I have never heard (and I've heard a lot, over the years -- so it takes something new to surprise me).

It came as a surprise to discover that my favorite songs on this album are the formerly despised "Little Drummer Boy" (I still loathe it in general but clearly not this version) and a 'new' song called 'Thankful.' I could listen to both of them over and over (and I do!). The music is lovely, the voice is lovely and the spirit is strong in both songs.

My favorite part of 'Thankful' though, is the message.

THANKFUL

Some days, we forget to look around us,

Some days, we can't see the joy that surrounds us,

So caught up inside ourselves, we take when we should give.

So for tonight we pray for what we know can be,

And on this day we hope for what we still can't see.

It's up to us to be the change,

And even though we all can still do more,

There's so much to be thankful for.

There is so much to be thankful for. I'm thankful for this lovely message that speaks so strongly to me through the music.

I can always use a reminder to look outside myself, to pray for goodness in my life and in the world, and to continue in faith and gratitude.

The Hockety-Bom-Bomb

Maya has so many ways of showing her exuberance and general joy of living and a lot of the time she does that with her amazing vocabulary. She likes words and she likes to know what they mean and she likes to mess around with them. She also like to move. She's got ants in her pants most of the time. One of her favorite things to do is to combine this love of words and movement -- and when she does, she calls it the hockety-bom-bomb. (how do I know how to spell it? I'm guessing!) Instructions? Your hands go in the air, your rear end is stuck out as far as you can get it, and you shake that behind till you can't shake it any more.

Last night Natalie, the kiddoes and I had a fast dinner at Donn's BBQ in our neighborhood. Donn's is not fancy but it's close and the food is wonderful. (you do come away smelling like a smokehouse, but I don't find that to be such a bad thing!) We had our dinner, managed to get the kiddoes to have a few veggies, (despite Maya's protests that the green beans 'had prickles, just like cactus!' -- they didn't!) meats and mac and cheese and then were on our way out the door. I told Maya that she had done a great job on her dinner. Her response? "Well, Grandma, then you should do the hockety-bom-bomb!" (it has been used often as a sort of celebration dance which explains that response).

I was up for the challenge. I stuck out my rear end, threw my hands in the air and did a great version of the hockety-bom-bomb (if I do say so myself!) -- right at the front door where (un-noticed by me - I was busy gettin' down!) several ladies were on their way in. They were very taken with the hockety-bom-bomb and I'm sure would have hung around for a lesson if I hadn't been in a hurry to get the heck out.

Bottom line? Apparently I will do the hockety-bomb-bom anytime I am commanded to. Anything for any one of our kiddoes! Any time. No matter what. (even with a red face!)

For all you crafty types

I never have been and never will be a crafter - -but I am a real craft appreciator. (is there such a thing? I think so!) I have no creativity in me and no patience to work on things like these but I do find them cute and fun. Check them out here. Good old Woman's Day!

Change of Heart (or, Eating my Words)

I've heard many, many people raving about Josh Groban and waxing eloquent about how much they love his voice. So a while back, I took a listen to him and I have to admit that I was a little under-whelmed. I mean, I liked him fine. What's not to like? He has a nice voice. But I didn't love him. (and in our family, that phrase 'liked him fine' is sort of the kiss of death. To us it means we don't like something well enough to even give it much thought.) I thought his voice was fine but that his vibrato was a little too fast for my taste. So I really haven't given him much consideration since then. I liked him fine.

But now it's Christmas time and Christmas music is very important to me. I'm looking for a new Christmas CD (I do it every year) and I have been told(repeatedly, I might add) that Josh Groban's Christmas album is the one to get. I've heard it everywhere and from people whose taste I totally trust. Natalie received a copy as an early Christmas gift and after listening, told me that she thought I'd like it a lot. Her taste is a lot like my own, and she is someone who really knows what I like. So I decided to borrow it and give it a try.

(Now comes the words-eating part). I loved it. I flat-out loved it. I'm like Natie -- I don't much like people messing around with my traditional Christmas music but his versions are just enough different to really be fun to listen to. And his voice? The one that I thought was nice? Well, at least when he sings Christmas music, it's glorious. It really is.

Buy it. You'll love it. Really.

Sidenote: I have always loathed "The Little Drummer Boy", but this rendition has changed my mind. It's amazingly beautiful. Who knew?

Christmas is a Feeling

"Christmas! The very word brings joy to our hearts. No matter how we may dread the rush, the long Christmas lists for gifts and cards to be bought and given-when Christmas Day comes there is still the same warm feeling we had as children, the same warmth that enfolds our hearts and our homes." (Joan Winmill Brown)

This morning I pulled out a new (to me, anyhow) piece of Christmas music and played through it on the piano and found myself completely in tears and overwhelmed with the spirit and love of the gift that is Christmas. I love the music of Christmas, but I think it's because of the spirit that always comes with it. Those feelings of love, gratitude, joy, peace -- for me, they all come through the music.

So today, I'm thankful for the feelings of Christmas. And I'm so, so grateful for the music. I'm grateful for the talents that the musicians of the world share, I'm grateful for the inspirations they have received and acted upon, and I'm grateful for the way it makes me feel.

Warm. I love it.

Contentment

"Yet true happiness comes from a sense of peace and contentment, which in turn must be achieved through the cultivation of altruism, of love and compassion, and elimination of ignorance, selfishness, and greed" (Dalai Lama)

What’s better than being happy? Being content. Today I feel very content and as I analyze those feelings, I understand that gratitude is an integral part of the equation.

So, I am grateful for. . .

*A roof over my head. (a very nice roof, I might add). There are a lot of families who do not have a place to call home.
*Mark's job, because it gives us the opportunity to be independent and live comfortably.

*Being able to eat what I want when I want, while others starve.
*Good health. I have learned to be grateful for health during the times when I didn't have it.

*Enjoying my childhood. I had a lovely, protected, sweet childhood.

*My wonderful dad. He took care of us all and gave us comfortable lives.
*My loving and dedicated mom . She has taught me many lessons, and I wish I had learned to listen to her sooner.

*My sister. I love her with all my heart and I wouldn’t trade her for anything.
*My children, in-laws and grandkiddoes. Each one of them is a blessing that I will forever cherish and never be worthy of -- but for which I will always be grateful.
*Having someone to love who loves me back. Mark and I have made it through thick or thin, come rain or shine. It's nearly our 33rd wedding anniversary and for this, too, I am grateful!

*A Heavenly Father who knows me and loves me though I know that oftentimes I disappoint Him. He and His son are my strength and my peace.

I have so much and I am trying to learn to value what I have, to love without needing anything in return.

This to me is contentment.