12.29.2011

Joyful and Joy-fill: Part Deaux

After all the fun (including the best wedding reception party EVER - it included a high school marching band!), we packed up and headed back to our home in the southwest to celebrate Christmas.


We are so thankful for a healthy family this Christmas. Maggie and I were sick off and on the entire month of December last year, and Maggie was still sick on Christmas day, but this year everyone was well. Joy! 

Maggie had so much fun, and Jorde and I enjoyed her Christmas enthusiasm. She made us laugh so much because when she got downstairs on Christmas morning and saw her Santa gift – a play kitchen – we couldn’t get her to open any other presents! I would ask, “Maggie, do you want to open this present from Nina Mary?” and hear in response, “No. I pyay wif my ki’shen.” When we could finally get her to open a gift, she would pull it out, say she liked it, then run back to her kitchen. At least Santa scored big points this year J



(I just noticed how unladen our Christmas tree looks. Seems awfully bare under there, I know, but the bulk of our gifts were wrapped and waiting under my momma's tree. I figured there was no sense in hauling gifts down to her place when most of them were shipped directly there, but that does make for a sparse picture at home. Ah well. The girl didn't notice.)


The other big ticket items she got this year were from the grandparents: a huge dollhouse from Grandma and Grandpa, a v-tech InnoTab from her Pop, and a drivable, battery-operated Ford F150 from Nana and Papaw. Maggie wanted me to get in the truck with her and ride, but after explaining there was no way Mommy would fit, she settled for Cinda’gweya. Everyone needs company when cruising around the driveway.

A cute thing has begun happening pretty frequently at home. My folks gave me a Kindle for Christmas and, as I am not only an avid reader but one who often reads 1200 pagers, I love it! The Kindle is much lighter and easier to hold than The Sunne in Splendour (I am currently on my 5th or 6th journey through that monster). In the evenings, when Jorde is watching sports or flipping channels, I will sit on the couch with my Kindle and Maggie will climb up there with her InnoTab and turn her books on (it reads to her). She commented that “Mommy haf you computa and Maggie have her computa, too!” She loves sitting on me while we both read – such sweet little moments together. Joy!

Thank you, Jesus, for our joy-filled life!

12.28.2011

Joyful and Joy-filled: Part One

We have experienced so much joy during the Advent and Christmas seasons this year, it’s almost too much to relate, but I’ll give it a try J
We travelled to Louisiana two weeks before Christmas for the wedding of one of my two best friends, Ashli. Maggie did so well on the road trip! It took us 3 days but she could not have been a better traveller. The only issue we had was that she would not go to bed at night in the condo timeshare we were staying in. Many tearful nights, including one with my mom driving Maggie around until she fell asleep at midnight, made it a little hard, but other than that, it was a great time.

(It was awful that Maggie so disliked the condo we were in. So many tears at bedtime, which is not like her at all. She would just cling to me when I tried to lay her down. Maggie is usually the easiest child to put to bed ever, but not at that condo. The only thing we can figure is that she watched Mickey Mouse Clubhouse that first night and saw the sleepover episode where Goofy tells a ‘scary’ story about the Silly Gilly Gumble, and it freaked her out once bedtime rolled around. Maggie mentioned SGG a couple of times during the week, so that’s what we think happened. Needless to say, the sleepover episode will not be replayed at our home any time soon.)

Every moment in LA was joyful – seeing friends I had not seen in years, spending time with my two best friends who are more like sisters, hugging my godsons and their grandmother (my second mama), hanging out with my mom, spending so much time with Maggie.



Most of all, watching my beautiful friend as she and her love were bound together in the Sacrament of Marriage. Ashli made a stunning bride, and I am beyond thrilled for her and Lee.

picture credit: Mary Mechler
We all worked a lot while we were there, helping Ashli with whatever she needed, driving her around as she checked things off of an every-growing to-do list, but just being there with her and Mary made it joyful.

We did have some family fun while in Louisiana. Joy! Jorde flew in Wednesday morning, and we spent that day in the French Quarter. I had not been there since I left the South in 1998, and Jorde never, so we were all excited. Maggie’s grandfather, Pop, drove over from Alabama to meet her and spend time with her, and he walked the Quarter with us.

We ate an early dinner at Pere Antoine’s, and I was so disappointed that their Monte Cristo was no longer on the menu (not so much joy). Don’t get me wrong, I had a great meal, but y’all, their Monte Cristo was to-die-for good and I was so looking forward to it. Apparently I should visit more often than every 13 years.

On our way back to the parking garage, we passed back by the St. Louis Cathedral and heard music, so we went inside and listened to the last few songs of a free Christmas jazz concert. Joy! It was so fun, and Maggie really enjoyed herself – the girl loves music! It would have been nice to attend the entire concert, but I am thankful for what we did hear.

We stopped by Café du Monde before leaving. Joy! Joy! Joy! I cannot visit the French Quarter without indulging in beignets and café au lait, no matter the time of day or night. I miss those beignets – fresh and hot with powdered sugar sticking to them. Mmmmm. So messy and good. Jorde and Maggie ate beignets for the first time and enjoyed them quite as much as I did!. I may have to try making them at home, though I doubt they will turn out the same. Atmosphere contributes so much to the experience of a meal, and Café du Monde has elevated beignet-making to an art, and I just think our Arizona kitchen is an unqualified substitute J


I miss the South, y’all. I didn’t realize how much until I was there, but it just felt so good to be there. However, I will admit that, as it was unseasonably warm up until the day of the wedding and my Arizona-acclimated body is no longer used to Southern humidity, I may or may not have been vocal about all the sweating J I invested in an $8 deodorant because I was so worried about being icky in a taffeta-ish bridesmaid dress (Secret Clinical Strength Waterproof WORKS – I’m saving it for the Mary’s wedding in May!). Of course, then the weather got cold. Figures!

I am so thankful to have been blessed with a mom who loves my friend's enough to drive across country with me and my child, a Hubby who understands how important it was for me to be in Louisiana a week before Christmas even though it meant a quite a few days apart, sister-friends who I love so much and who know me so well, family and friends who make it feel like I never left the South when we're together, travelling mercies and beautiful weather on the road (thank you, Jesus! We couldn't have asked for better!), In-Laws who generously care for our furry kiddos when our family is out of town ... our lives are truly joyful, and joy-filled!

Coming soon: the conclusion of our Christmas festivies in Joyful and Joy-filled: Part Deux

12.26.2011

12.25.2011

Merry Christmas!

Reading:
Isaiah 52:7-10
Hebrews 1:1-6
John 1:1-18

Reflection:
During the first and second centuries, the Roman Empire enjoyed a period of relative prosperity and tranquility. In one of the great marketing campaigns of history, Caesar Augustus was hailed as a "god" and the "savior of the world" for the peace he enforced.

And enforce it he did. "Peace" meant everyone in their place, everyone bowing to the power and authority of the emperor. The celebrated Roman peace was built largely on intimidation and violence against the vulnerable, the poor, and the powerless. It was a tense, anxious, costly "peace."

And then, one night in a backwater of the great empire, a new vision of peace appeared. It was peace centered on that perfect love between a mother and her newborn child. It was peace that brought together heaven and earth.

The song heard over the village that night proclaimed the peace that would be the nucleus of the kingdom this child would initiate.

Peace is not just the absence of strife but the presence of compassion and forgiveness. Peace is not fearful passivity but loving perseverance to reconcile and heal. Peace is not enforced by one's power but celebrated in mutual respect and generosity. Peace is not the province of the powerful but the responsibility of all "men and women of good will." Peace exalts humility, poverty, simplicity, service. The economy of peace is built on justice for all and the dignity of the most vulnerable.

Today the peace of God dawns. God's love takes on a human face and heart and body. The work of building God's kingdom of peace begins on Christmas Day.

Meditation: In what concrete ways can you transform "peace" from an absence of conflict into God's peace of generosity, forgiveness, and humility?

Prayer: Welcome, O Child of Bethlehem! Fill our empty hearts with your Father's peace. May your Spirit make us ministers of that peace, enabling us to become God's "people of good will."

from "Daily Reflections for Advent and Christmas: Waiting in Joyful Hope 2011-12" by Jay V. Cormier

12.18.2011

4th Sunday of Advent

Readings:
2 Samuel 7:1-5, 8b-12, 14a, 16
Romans 16:25-27
Luke 1:26-38

Reflection:
There is an old Jewish folk tale about a king's son who goes mad: the boy believes he is a bird. He removes all his clothes and goes to live in a tree near the nests of robins and starlings; he refuses to eat normal food or return to his warm, safe room in the castle, His distraught father summons all manner of experts to come and cure the boy, but no physician or sage can help the sad prince.

Then one day a rabbi, a man of great compassion and humility, hears about the plight of the royal family. He comes to the castle and offers his help. The king, desperate for a cure, takes the rabbi to see the prince. The rabbi then does something that no one else had done: he climbs the tree and joins the boy on one of the highest branches and declares that he too is a bird and has come to live in this beautiful tree.

Over time, the rabbi and prince become friends. The prince begins to trust this old "bird" living in the tree with him; the boy comes to realize that the rabbi is a man great wisdom and grace.

Gradually the rabbi is able to convince the bird-prince to put on his clothes and return to his home and family.

In today's gospel, God breaks into human history in the birth of Mary's child. God puts aside divinity to climb the tree into which we have escaped in our "madness" and fear. In becoming "birds" like us, in taking on our human condition in all its complexities and challenges, God - in the person of Jesus of Nazareth - shows us how to live fulfilling and grace-filled lives of compassion, forgiveness, and justice.

Meditation: In what ways do you see God affecting the decisions you make?

Prayer: Come, Lord Jesus, Light of God's grace, and illuminate our road to the Father. Come, Lord Jesus, Mirror of God's love, and teach us to reconcile our world in justice and peace. Come, Lord Jesus, Bread of God's life, and feed us with manna of wisdome and righteousness.

from "Daily Reflections for Advent and Christmas: Waiting in Joyful Hope 2011-12" by Jay V. Cormier

12.11.2011

3rd Sunday of Advent

Readings:
Isaiah 61:1-2a, 10-11
1 Thessalonians 5:16-24
John 1:6-8, 19-28

Reflection:
Under orders from the king, the English armies occupying Ireland in the seventeenth century enforced the suppression of the peasants' "Roman" religion. Priests became outlaws, forced to minister on the run and celebrate the sacraments in secret.

When Christmas came, some Irish families would place burning candles in their windows and leave their doors unlocked. The suspicious English demanded to know the purpose and meaning of this custom. The Irish would explain that the candles were lighted and their doors left open so that Mary and Joseph, looking for a place to stay on Christmas Eve, might find their way to their homes where they were welcomed. The English considered this just another silly Irish "superstition" and thought no more of it.

But the lighted candles were actually a signal to any priest in hiding that this was a "safe" house where they could come and offer Mass on this sacred night.

We continue to mark this holy season with lights in our windows, as well as on our doorposts and Christmas trees. But let our lights be more than mere decorations. Let our lights announce the dawning of the Christ - the light of God's own "work" that shatters the darkness of the long night of sin and alienation; the sacred light that illuminates our vision to realize God's dream of a just world of peace and compassion; the holy light that heals us of our blindess to the pain and anguish, the poverty and suffering of others.

Meditation: What decorations in your home are the most meaningful to you? How to they express the true meaning of Christmas?

Prayer: Christ our light, may the candles and lights we use to decorate this Christmas remind us of your love in our midst. Let the brightness of your love and mercy shine brightly in every season before us; may your light be reflected in our hospitality to all who come to our home during this Christmas season.

from "Daily Reflections for Advent and Christmas: Waiting in Joyful Hope 2011-12" by Jay V. Cormier

12.07.2011

Away in a Manger, Maggie-style

Sung with gusto, often from the carseat as we are driving home each evening:

away in da manger no cwib fu a bed
but a yittle yord Jesus yay down fwee' ted
a 'tars in a 'ky yook down way-a he yay
a yittle yord Jesus a'shweep on a hay

Come On, Christmas!

Maggie is getting really excited about Christmas. Our conversations nowadays are most often about three things: kwis'miss is Gee-zas burfdee, a king comes! (that's in reference to the 3 wise men - Maggie latched onto the whole they-brought-presents thing pretty quick, plus she is really into princesses and such, so a king fits right into all of that), and Santa comes. She and Hubby have called to 'talk' to Santa a couple of times now, mostly just to verify that he is indeed coming to see Maggie :)

(Last night as I was buckling her in the car, we were talking about Santa and how he only visits the good little boys and girls, and she piped right up with "And Maggie!")

We continue to build on her understanding using her nativity, though when I hear her and Hubby playing together there are a lot of pshews and pows and grawrrs and oh-nos ... makes me worry about that Baby Jesus :)


Maggie's nativity is quite open to visitors - the regulars include Fwosty and the yittle ponies. Frosty does duty as the abominable snowmonster when Hubby is involved, which would account for all the kapows I hear when he's involved :)


Our girl is having fun with Christmas, and Hubby and I are so excited about celebrating with her this year. I have a feeling it will be a memorable one :)

12.04.2011

2nd Sunday of Advent

Readings:
Isaiah 40:1-5,09-11
2 Peter 3:8-14
Mark 1:1-8

Reflection:
Dietrich Bonhoeffer, the renowed Lutheran pastor, preacher, and theologian, was one of the most outspoken Christian voices raised in opposition against Adolph Hitler and the Nazis during World War II. His adamant resistance led to his arrest in April 1943 and his execution two years later. He was thirty-nine.

Shortly before his arrest, Bonhoeffer became engaged to Maria von Wedmeyer. During the two years of his incarceration, Dietrich and Maria exchanged hundreds of letters. Facing his first Christmas in prison in 1943, Dietrich wrote to his beloved Maria: "A prison cell like this, in which one watches and hopes and performs this or that ultimately insignificant task, and in which one is wholly dependent on the door's being open from outside, is a far from inappropriate metaphor for Advent."

In another letter, Bonhoeffer wrote of celebrating Christmas in his new circumstances:
          I used to be very fond of thinking up and buying presents, but now that we have nothing to give,
          the gift God gave us in the birth of Christ will seem all the more glorious; the emptier our hands,
          the better we understand what Luther meant bby his dying words, "We're all beggars, it's true."
          The poorer our quarters, the more clearly we perceive that our hearts should be Christ's
          home on earth.

From a prison cell, a young pastor proclaims the uncompromising hope and unconditional love of Advent. Christ comes to release us from the fears, doubts, cynicism, and despair that imprison us; his Gospel of compassion and forgiveness are the keys to the cell doors.

These days of Advent also invite us to embrace the poverty of the Christ Child who comes to illuminate the poor stables of our own lives with the light of God's hope and grace. Before God we are all "beggars" who have been given the gift of life, not because of anything we have done to merit it, but only because of the limitless love of God. In embracing Christ's emptiness to become of us, may we make of our homes and hearts a dwelling place for the God who comes with compassion that heals and peace that liberates.

Meditation: What gift can you give to another person that comes from your "poverty" rather than your wealth?

Prayer: Come, Lord Jesus, and release us from our prisons of fear and disappointment; fill our empty spirits with your compassion and grace. May forgiveness and reconciliation be the gifts we give this Christmas; may justice and charity be the songs we sing to welcome your birth in our midst.

from "Daily Reflections for Advent and Christmas: Waiting in Joyful Hope 2011-12" by Jay V. Cormier

12.01.2011

It's About Time

Maggie has been very interested in time lately. She will be playing, completely absorbed in what she is doing, only to run up to me and ask Mommy, what time is it? I also get this question a lot in the car (or Mommy's Jeep-Jeep, as Maggie calls it).

Well, last night as we were driving home I hear from the backseat Maggie's second favorite question*: Mommy, what time is it? To which I answered It is five-twenty-eight. She asked me again, and I replied again. Then I hear Mommy, I don't have a cwock. I don't have a cwock fu Maggie's aawm or Maggie's woom. I asked her if she wanted one and heard Yeeaah. Then I asked her if that was something she wanted for Christmas and was told Yeeaah. Santy Cwaus bwing a cwock fu Maggie's aawm and Maggie's woom.

So last night, Maggie and Hubby called Santa Claus on her cell phone to tell him. Mrs. Claus answered the phone, but it turns out Maggie is super important to Santa so he took a break from his work to talk to her (Hubby is very good with pretend phone conversations). Maggie usually enjoys 'talking' to her buddies on her cell phone (grandparents, Minnie Mouse, etc), but didn't say anything to Santa - she just sat 'listening' with a sweet little smile on her face. Hubby was sure to convey her message, though. I'm sure it's because she doesn't really 'know' Santa like she does Mickey and Donald and Goofy :)

I purchased a little kids watch for her about a week or so ago for her stocking because I knew how interested she had become with this whole time thing. Now I will be shopping once more to find my girl a clock for her room, as well.

She is funny because whenever she asks me for the time, I always tell her exactly what time it is currently, but if I ask her what time it is, I usually get an answer like It's forty-ten.

(Forty-ten and eighty-ten are often used to describe Baby Emma's temperature when Maggie is doctoring her.)

I am constantly amazed at how Maggie is always learning and how (brilliantly!) smart she is. It is such a joy to watch her figure things out. I'm pretty sure she's going to keep Hubby and me on our toes!

* Her very favorite question is: What (insert family member, Disney character or inanimate object here) doooin'? As in Mommy, what you doooin? or Mommy, what Fwosty doooin'? or Mommy, what kwis'mis twee doooin'? or Mommy, what Cindygwey'ee doooin'? You get the drift - we live in a question asking world :)