Holiday time as exciting as wonderful and beautiful as it is, can be stressful. The next few weeks, should be times of contemplating gratitude, centering, focusing, and preparation for not only Jesus' birthday, but the rebirth of our faith. We so often let ourselves get lost in the trappings and the wrappings of the holidays instead of the soul soothing events both of these holidays should be.
Who can make the biggest, moistest turkey? Who makes the spiciest pumpkin pie? Cranberry sauce or actual cranberry berries? Stuff the bird before or after we cook it? Put up the decorations before or after Thanksgiving? How much money do I spend on each person? Does each child get the same amount of presents or the same amount spent on them? Do I let my child believe in Santa? Can I go skiing this year instead of all that time trapped with my family? Sigh.....do we really have to invite drunk Uncle Filbert?
As you can see, the list of trappings and wrappings go on.......and on......and on.
Where can each of us find comfort, meaning, and contemplation?
Traditional, ancient, modern, or new age?
God is Great, God is Good;
Let us thank Him for our food.
By His hands we all are fed,
Give us Lord our Daily Bread.
Amen.
Let us thank Him for our food.
By His hands we all are fed,
Give us Lord our Daily Bread.
Amen.
I love Thee, Lord Jesus
Look down from the sky
And stay by my side,
'Til morning is nigh.
Be near me, Lord Jesus,
I ask Thee to stay
Close by me forever
And love me I pray
Barukh atah Adonai, Eloheinu, melekh ha'olam
Blessed are you, Lord, our God, sovereign of the universe
Dark of night and light of day,
we honor you in each and every way.
Bring to us your sacred and magical birth.
A shift of axis for our beloved Earth.
The sun will rise and show her beautiful light.
Warmth filling our soul so our spirit shines bright.
A new year of blessings and abundance.
A feeling for everyone of a great oneness.
Unity and love combined.
Celebrating all that is divine.
We honor the sun on this most important day.
Hope, renewal and good things are on their way.
We are blessed to have such sacred life.
This year we will live without strife.
Let us honor this solstice eve and day.
Love and kindness felt from each and every sun ray.
we honor you in each and every way.
Bring to us your sacred and magical birth.
A shift of axis for our beloved Earth.
The sun will rise and show her beautiful light.
Warmth filling our soul so our spirit shines bright.
A new year of blessings and abundance.
A feeling for everyone of a great oneness.
Unity and love combined.
Celebrating all that is divine.
We honor the sun on this most important day.
Hope, renewal and good things are on their way.
We are blessed to have such sacred life.
This year we will live without strife.
Let us honor this solstice eve and day.
Love and kindness felt from each and every sun ray.
~Winter Solstice Blessing
"O Breathing Life, your Name shines everywhere!
Release a space to plant your Presence here.
Imagine your possibilities now.
Embody your desire in every light and form.
Grow through us this moment's bread and wisdom.
Untie the knots of failure binding us, as we release the strands we hold of others' faults.
Help us not forget our Source, Yet free us from not being in the Present.
From you arises every Vision, Power and Song from gathering to gathering.
Amen - May our future actions grow from here!"
~The Lord's Prayer as translated from the Aramaic
(one of several translations from the Aramaic)
Matthew 6:9-13
King James Version (KJV)
9After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.
10Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.
11Give us this day our daily bread.
12And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.
13And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.
During this season, remember whatever tradition you follow and create, first and foremost, to find love, peace, comfort and joy for you and yours.
Amen, peace out, word to the mother, fist bump, love to my peeps, shalom. Tada, that is all.
2 comments:
"Amen, peace out, word to the mother, fist bump, love to my peeps, shalom. Tada, that is all".-LOVE IT! You forgot WOOT WOOT :)
I no longer feel the excitement of the season. Yes, Christmas is to represent Jesus's birth;I keep telling myself this. But I no longer feel the joy and sparks I once did as a kid. I remember when I was young we would decorate the tree and once the lights were lit and the tinsel was draping in it's shiny silver glory I would lay on the floor gazing up into the balsam branches which twinkled pink then blue then green. I could smell the the cedar resin as the lights warmed up each twig and it filled the room. Those Christmases as a kid, were filled with never ending possibilities and wonderment. I would lay for hours while in the background various programs played on TV, Rudolph, Frosty the Snowman, and The Little Drummer Boy. I looked forward to going to Mamaw's house. The food was so good and ALL the family would gather in her tiny little house. The grown ups would talk for hours and my favorite words to hear would be "oh there's Papaw's girl..." As a kid Christmas time meant snow and it would be a given that we would have a white Christmas, some years mom and dad would debate on whether travel was safe because of the snow covered roads. We always made it to Mamaw's, snow or no. The journey to her house was not long, by my adult standards but as a kid everything is grander, bigger, longer, and taller. My brother and I would gaze through the frosted windows of the Jeep to the falling snow in hypnotic stares. The decorations lit up the cold, night sky as we passed houses adorned with scenes of Santa or nativity. We felt like we were in some far of fairy tale such as Alice in Wonderland. I remember as soon as Dad knew people put up their decorations we would take a chilly ride out just to see the lights.
Ah, great memories and even now when I smell cedar or see those big lights that would get blistering hot on the trees I am filled for just a moment with the spirit of Christmas. It is short lived though, sorry to say. Reality dashes back in and I find myself worrying about gifts and money and all the things adulthood is made of. To be a kid again....
I love your inclusiveness Carrie!! Only YOU would include a winter solstice blessing!! How awesome to see something other than the traditional drivel we normally see at Christmas. I hope you continue exploring some of the earth religions in this blog. Its nice to be included for a change!
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