A Christmas to Remember

I don't know if you and your family are as guilty as mine have been about losing the real meaning of Christmas, but we have allowed the world to suck us right smack dab into the middle of all the commercialism and hype. This year, however, I am determined to do things differently. My path is leading me to discover new joys.

How blessed we are that Jesus came to this earth and chose to live among us. What a wonderful thing to celebrate. I have been doing some research on how different religious groups and different cultures celebrate this event and have been fascinated by my findings. I'm going to try and take a little from several of those, tweek it to fit our family, and begin with fresh ideas. I plan to make this a Christmas we will never forget!

My research (see source below) has led me to discover that the middle of winter has been celebrated since before the birth of Jesus. Early Europeans celebrated light and birth in the darkest days of winter. There were also many celebrations to various pagan gods during this time of the year.

St. Francis of Assisi created the first living nativity in 1224 to help explain the birth of Jesus. Historians agree that Jesus was most likely born sometime between March and May because in that part of the country it would have been much too cold for shepherds to be out in the field during the night. Since 354 A.D. people have been celebrating the birth of Jesus on December 25th. This was put into practice partly to replace the pagan worship that was common during that time period. The Bible tells us that not only did the shepherds come to worship him but also wise men came bringing gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.

Americans did not begin celebrating Christmas until the 19th century. The English Puritans wanted to rid England of decadence and as a result, cancelled Christmas. When Charles II reclaimed the throne, the holiday was reinstated; however, the Puritans who came to America were even more strict than those in England. So when they landed on America's soil, they put an end to the celebrations. From 1659-1681 Christmas was outlawed in Boston. Anyone caught celebrating the holiday was fined. Other settlements, like Jamestown, still celebrated though.

After the American Revolution ended, people didn't want to follow any English customs, including Christmas. So, it wasn't until 1870 that Christmas was declared a federal holiday.

The Dutch immigrants brought many of the customs we practice today including Santa Claus (Sinter Klaas) and the exchange of gifts. Washington Irving is responsible for beginning the evolution of Santa to a sleigh with flying reindeer. While Irving's Santa rode over trees in a wagon, William Gilley's poem has Santa's sleigh being drawn by a single reindeer. A year later, 1822, dentist Clement Clarke's poem, "An Account of a Visit from St. Nicholas" introduces us to the rest of the reindeer complete with names; however, it wasn't until 1939 when Robert L. May wrote a poem about the 9th reindeer, that Rudolph makes his appearance. Around 1841 a Philadelphia merchant, by the name of J.W. Parkinson, hired a man to dress up in a Criscringle outfit and climb the chimney of his store. By the 1920s, the image of Santa, as we picture him today, was sealed.

As the melting pot of the world, it's interesting how our current traditions have taken pieces from other cultures and evolved into what we celebrate today. It's unfortunate, though, that we have gradually moved away from the true spirit of the season.

In 1997, artist Robert Cenedella drew a painting of a crucified Santa. He was attempting to show how Santa has replaced the true meaning of Christmas. Ironically, Cenedella received extreme criticism for his painting from religious groups.

This year I hope to make it about celebrating our family, creating life-long memories, and remembering the sacrifice that Jesus made to come and live among us, and then, after seeing first hand how pitiful we really are, choosing to die for us. What an incredible thing to celebrate! Before my children panic, there will still be some gifts under the tree, but it is my prayer that our focus will be different. The focus, instead, will be how blessed we are to have each other and a savior, and the incredible opportunity that grace has given to us to share that with others.

Blessings,
Penny

Resource:
"Christmas History." The History of Christmas: Christ, Claus and the Evolution of
Our Most Popular Holiday. 10 Holidays, 2004. Web. 3 Dec 2011.
.

The Road to a New Life

In an attempt to be completely transparent with those who read my blogs, I have to admit to you that I have been in an extreme funk lately! I usually don’t have any problem finding something to write because I have always had the ability to just take something, however small, and write about it.

I have been doing a lot of soul searching lately to try and figure out the root of my problem. I have decided that I am going through a period of self-discovery and am somewhat confused about many aspects of my life. I have been exploring many of the belief systems that I was taught from the time I was a small child until now. I have to say that some of the things just aren’t adding up for me right now.

I was raised with an extremely conservative religious background where dotting Is and crossing Ts were considered more important than anything else. In other words, if you saw someone on the side of the road who needed help but stopping would make you miss worship services, then you had better go on to worship; otherwise, you would burn in hell because punching your pew card was far more important than helping someone. Then, there were the constant debates about issues that honestly have absolutely no relevance. Churches were split over fellowship halls, gymnasiums, worship times, song books vs. overhead projectors, the use of pitch pipes, instruments vs. no instruments, clapping, raising hands, men not wearing suits to worship, ladies not wearing dresses, and the list continues. Church became a matter of doing everything by the book or suffer eternal damnation. God never owned my heart in that atmosphere because I didn’t know how to give it to Him. If I gave Him my heart, I might forget to cross one of the Ts or dot one of the Is. In that atmosphere it’s so easy to be judgmental and condescending to those who don’t believe exactly like you do. Grace and mercy are impossible to give because you buy into the idea that grace and mercy are only given to those who think and believe just like you. You pass judgment on everything and everyone around you. The ironic part of thinking like that is that soon you get so wrapped up in judgments that you begin to stop believing in grace and mercy even for yourself. Salvation becomes something that has to be earned rather than received freely.

As easy as it might seem to give up that mindset, it’s extremely difficult. It becomes so engrained inside of you that to leave that behind is scary. There have been many people who have fallen completely away because they wear out. They have no joy or life left in their soul. They give up because they finally come to the realization that they can’t do enough. Some fall away because they mess up and don’t truly believe any redemption is left for them. Some keep on punching that pew card and participating in the irrelevant debates. They attempt to rid the brotherhood of all reprobates. To them, it’s about getting rid of those who disagree rather than save the lost.

Then there are those who truly want change. They see Christ’s church as something that was meant to be simple. That’s where I want to be right now in my walk, but I feel as if I am standing on a teeter-totter. The ground is shaky, and I desperately need to cross to the other side. Not to cross to the other side will be eternally destructive to me. How do I get there, though? That is what my funk is all about. I will push through and find that light. Satan will not win this battle going on inside of me.

"If in the last few years you haven't discarded a major opinion or acquired a new one, check your pulse. You may be dead." ~Gelett Burgess

Blessings,
Penny

Greater than the Lillies of the Field!

"Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds." James 1:2

Even though I can always look back and see the blessings that have come out of trials, I have to admit that this scripture is difficult for me to swallow in the middle of a storm. It has become easier with every storm to see God's hand in the middle of it; however, I still struggle many times with my faith.

This year has been especially trying for us medically and financially. Can you really have one without the other? It began in the summer of 2010 when my husband had to have emergency hernia surgery. He was out of work for six weeks and this was during a time period when we were desperately trying to put our personal lives back together and had already spent thousands of dollars trying to save our marriage.

We managed to make it through that storm and recover somewhat financially from that when almost a year to the date later, his eyeball fell apart and required two emergency surgeries. Having used all of his PTO time vacationing and taking our daughter to college, we struggled again for a time period.

Then, our youngest daughter had an initial $565 consultation with an oral surgeon to discuss her future. We were told that she must have surgery ASAP to remove some baby teeth that had never erupted and were causing major damage to her jaw line. We knew we couldn't put it off because her orthodontic work couldn't proceed until this was accomplished. Being a middle schooler, we felt, for social reasons, we must begin this process soon.

I'll take a minute here to tell you that up to this point, I had handled all of the unexpected expenses with extreme calmness. I wrote that $565 consultation check as if I wrote $565 checks every day. I held my head high and acted as if this action caused absolutely no stress to my life at all, and speaking honestly, to this point I had learned my lesson about God taking care of me even better than He takes care of the lilies of the field. I had seen His hand in too many of life's difficulties not to believe that.

They set up the date for the extraction, and they informed us to come prepared to pay $1,090 on the day of the surgery. Upon arrival for the surgery, I whipped out my checkbook ready to write a check for $1,030 when the Barbie-doll receptionist proudly announced, "That will be $1,785." Now, an additional $755 might not seem like a huge amount to you, but for us at this time, she might as well have said $1,000,000. The calm exterior gave in to the frightened interior, and I just began sobbing uncontrollably. My mask fell off, and the real me surfaced. Our struggles just started pouring out of my mouth for all to see and hear.

Long story short, the surgeon told the receptionist to adjust our bill $755. Once again I am humbled at a mighty God who sees my needs before I even see them and already has a plan to meet those needs.

Blessings,
Penny

My Mother Trumps All Mothers

A good woman is hard to find,

and worth far more than diamonds.

Her husband trusts her without reserve,

and never has reason to regret it.

Never spiteful, she treats him generously

all her life long.

She shops around for the best yarns and cottons,

and enjoys knitting and sewing.

She's like a trading ship that sails to faraway places

and brings back exotic surprises.

She's up before dawn, preparing breakfast

for her family and organizing her day.

She looks over a field and buys it,

then, with money she's put aside, plants a garden.

First thing in the morning, she dresses for work,

rolls up her sleeves, eager to get started.

She senses the worth of her work,

is in no hurry to call it quits for the day.

She's skilled in the crafts of home and hearth,

diligent in homemaking.

She's quick to assist anyone in need,

reaches out to help the poor.

She doesn't worry about her family when it snows;

their winter clothes are all mended and ready to wear.

She makes her own clothing,

and dresses in colorful linens and silks.

Her husband is greatly respected

when he deliberates with the city fathers.

She designs gowns and sells them,

brings the sweaters she knits to the dress shops.

Her clothes are well-made and elegant,

and she always faces tomorrow with a smile.

When she speaks she has something worthwhile to say,

and she always says it kindly.

She keeps an eye on everyone in her household,

and keeps them all busy and productive.

Her children respect and bless her;

her husband joins in with words of praise:

"Many women have done wonderful things,

but you've outclassed them all!"

Charm can mislead and beauty soon fades.

The woman to be admired and praised

is the woman who lives in the Fear-of-God.

Give her everything she deserves!

Festoon her life with praises!

Proverbs 31 (The Message)

My mother has exuded this scripture her entire life.  As a child, I didn't fully appreciate the incredible strength and courage that she possessed.  In this month of thanksgiving, I am inordinately grateful to her for the example that she set for me from the time I was a small child until now.

As children we don't realize the things that are placed in our paths that will either help or harm later in life, but  I can now say without question that if it had not been for my mother, I would not be the strong and courageous woman that I am today.  I would not have survived the past two years without the strength she exemplified.

My father died at the young age of 51 and left her with three children to raise (two others were already grown and married).  I was a sixth grader, the next was a senior in high school, and the third was a freshman in college.  My father had irons in several business fires.  She, thankfully, was his bookkeeper, so she at least knew what investments he had and the value of his companies; however, this happened during a time period that was definitely a man's world.  She successfully sold all of his assets, invested wisely, and put three children through college.  None of use had school loans to pay when we finished.

Many would have folded under the pressure and stress of all of that, but my mother, at least to my knowledge, never had a pity party.  I know she grieved, but she didn't allow her grief to rule her life or become an excuse to shirk her responsibilities.  She never blamed God for the hand she was dealt.  In fact, she made sure that we attended church regularly and attended Christian colleges.  She taught us the value of honesty, loyalty, forgiveness, and kindness to others.  She took and still takes every opportunity to praise God and find the value in all hardships. 

I know I didn't show her the gratitude she deserved when I was younger, but I hope she sees the strength in me that was placed there by her.  You never really know how strong you can be until you don't have any other choice.  I'm thankful that someone went before me and set that example.  It would have been so much harder without that foundation.  On those days when I really wanted to crawl in a hole and never come out, my mother's strength  gave me the courage to get back up and walk again.

So, during this month of thanksgiving, she is at the top of my list.  If I can just pass on a tenth of what she has given me to my girls, I will feel successful. 

Blessings,
Penny Fell

Comfort Zones

"I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength." Philippians 4:13

Well, it has been a few days since I made a blog post. For my blogging companions, I did not die. I have decided to go on The 17 Day Diet that Dr. Mike Moreno created. I was drawn to this diet because one of my sisters has lost over 30 pounds on it. I poured over his book all weekend and finally took the plunge on Monday.

Let me give you a little family background. My family has a lot of German in them. I, however, was adopted and by looking at me you would say that I have zero 'Germans in the woodpile'. This means that they love junk like sauerkraut, brussel sprouts, and cabbage. So, when the program calls for things like kefir, acidophilus milk, yakult, breakstone LiveActive cottage cheese, reduced salt miso,tempeh, and kimchi, they are jumping up and down and yelling, "Yay!" Where am I? I'm still stuck on the second word, acidophilus, trying to sound it out! I mean, really?! Where do you even begin to find this stuff in the grocery store? Does it even exist in America? Is it for humans, or should I be looking in the cat food section?

So, I decided to go with what I did recognize and have now had a steady diet the last three days of boiled eggs, fruit, salad, tuna, baked chicken, spinach, and asparagus.

While all of these are great, they have a tendency to get a little old. I have now decided that I'm going to have to venture outside of my comfort zone and experiment with some things that I can't pronounce. Otherwise, I'm not going to make it.

It's so easy to get caught in the trap of comfort zones. Food is just a small comfort zone, but there are much larger ones that I need to conquer like learning to approach someone and begin a conversation. My husband has that gift, and even though I have made fun of him for it over the years, I'm actually quite jealous of his talent. There are many others that I need to conquer that I know would make life so much more enjoyable just like learning new foods might just make this diet tolerable for me.

I know I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength. Whenever I find myself getting 'stuck' in a comfort zone, I remember that scripture and most of the time I can work my way through it. It might look like the mess that was on my plate tonight, but it was attempted and that's a start!

Blessings,
Penny

It's Not About Me!

There's just something about music that touches my heart and is able to reach my soul better than anything else in this world. As I listened to the lyrics of Matthew West's song, "My Own Little World" today, I suddenly felt the tears running down my cheeks. I have often felt those lyrics in my heart even before hearing this song. What in the world am I doing outside of my own little world? How often have I been so focused on me that I've just passed this hurting world right on by? How often have I been so focused on God taking care of my needs that I have failed to see the needs of those around me.

I'm tired of being a taker in this world. I want desperately to be a giver. That choice is up to me. I pray that God will open my eyes to see those around me who are hurting, and that He will continue to fan the flame that is in my heart to help those who need it.

I've posted this song for your enjoyment. Please listen to the lyrics with your heart. If you are able to listen to it and watch the video that accompanies it without crying, please pray that God will soften your heart.



Blessings,
Penny

Wolfe's Warbling Wednesday

This post is for my friend Laurie Wade because she is not refined enough to find the finer songs that life has to offer. She did Music Monday and Tune Tuesday, and I suggested that she do one titled Warbling Wednesday. She didn't even know what warbling meant (don't tell her that I had to look up the definition before I could tell her), and so this post is just a silly-no-point-post dedicated to her. By the way, for those of you who are musically challenged warbling means yodeling.



Maybe this isn't exactly yodeling, but I figure it will do for this unrefined blog.



This one is actually enjoyable. So enjoy!



Hmmm...not so good!

And the final one for all of you Justin Bieber fans!



There you go Laurie! I'm sure my readers would appreciate it if you wouldn't give me anymore ideas!

Blessings,
Penny