So these are all my thoughts about the holidays so far...
1) We have 6 days of Christmas with the family in Holland, which by happy coincidence is the same number of days I remember in the 12 days of Christmas song (6 geese a laying) that's playing right now in the background... That's not a whole lot of time considering 2 of those days are a write off on account of the jet lag. My first plan is, stop time, race around everywhere, recreate all the old, good memories I have of Christmas past, and try to create the most bestest Christmas ever for us.. Cause how can you fit everything in to so few days without some effort? And how can you try to connect with a family that you unfortunately only get to see a few times a year without so deliberate -ness? But there's this great poet that in paraphrase says if you try to force/control things you end up destroying them, all you can do is just enjoy the ride wherever it takes you. Can I learn to be up for anything and just go with the flow? Well, right now the flow is taking me to an all-night techno rave party tonight with DJ Diablo..
2) So this repetitive song that's playing in the background... does anyone really know all of the 12 days of Christmas? Survey says of course not because nobody cares about birds in fruit trees these days... I figure... And plus this is 2007... so if it's a bird of some sort and not a computer and an ipod, r a wallet with a money clip, I'd rather not get it for Christmas anyways... in light of the new spirit of Christmas, and in light of everyone doing their own version of this song, here is 12 days of Christmas Bernakevitch style...
"On the 12th day of Christmas yadda yadda yadda...
...12 hours spent on layover in an airport and a free plane ticket voucher,
...11 scented candles with real christmas tree smell cause the one we have is fake,
...10 batches of pistachio nut cookies, ginger bread men, and fudge
...9 dollar starbucks coffees (based on dollar to euro conversion rate and no Splenda)
...an 8 thousand piece puzzle
...7 games of cards
...6 Christmas movies that we have to watch every year on constant replay
...5 new amazing memories
...4 different dishes + egg rolls + won ton soup
...3 screaming babies on the plane ride from Boston
...2 of the same John Grisham book from barnes and noble
...and 1 New Year's Resolution that we will never keep...
... and 1 time a year we get out whole family together in the same place
3) So here is my problem with New Year's Resolutions. It's too much about striving and not enough about being satisfied. Isn't the secret of life about being happy with yourself and content with what you have, or you will always be looking into the future and never enjoy the present? I think maybe it should be both, to be content and still be striving. Why can't you be perfect how you are, and yet trying to improve yourself? And why can't you tell a girl she looks great but it still wouldn't hurt her to go to the gym or spend a couple hours a week on the treadmill? You know, step on the scale and take that weight and then subtract it by 20, and then, like, be that number? Is that really so bad? I don't think so. And I don't think we even have a word in the English language that means content but striving... Paul writes about it all the time about how you strive to be that which you already are. The yogis have an idea in their practice about giving total effort yet having no concern for the results... but I'm looking for 1 word, and I might have to make it up. Any ideas? Seratent maybe?
4) And a little bit about travel... travel sucks... especially during the holidays... especially when it makes you miss time with loved ones on account of an airline pilot not showing up to make a flight from Charleston to Memphis. But in the midst of this small crisis I got to thinking... How many people are there out there that have to work over the holidays and be away from hearth and home, friends and family? Pilots, Bus Drivers, Hotel workers, Policemen, Firemen, Paramedics, Doctors, Nurses, People fighting in the war, Santa, the elves (actually I think the elves might get Christmas off). We don't even realize the difficulty people go through to bring us our little time of joy as a family. So I think my point in all this is that all the time spent in the airport around Christmas made it so I couldn't possibly feel sorry for myself. Most especially after seeing the lonely bus driver that drove us to our hotel room. Therefore I did the only thing I could do, I wished him a very strong heart felt Merry Christmas as we got off the bus. And I think he felt better. Cause that's what I do, I make Christmas miracles.
4) And ya, Christmas miracles. How easy is it to go through the whole Christmas season and forget the real reason of Christmas. As the cast of scrubs puts it in it's remake of "A Charlie Brown Christmas"...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=20Of_mna-Rs
"(It's not about the presents)... ... it's about friendship, family and devotion.. ... and most importantly it's about love... you can't live without other peoples love. So spend time with people. And if they laugh at you, laugh with them. And if they laugh at you again... hit 'em. And then go find some other friends. But remember this, you have to give love to get love, so start giving... now!"
But to go even deeper...
Friends and family are so important, but not most important. The second you look to others to find your own value or depend on others to create a feeling in you, that very second I think you're settling for second best. It's not like you shouldn't leave yourself vulnerable, or pursue to love and be loved, but like Erwin Lutzer says... You need to put God at the top, and look to him first, and then everything else in your life falls into its proper place. Your image of yourself, your image of others and how you treat them, and most importantly your ability to step outside your own selfishness and actually love other people. Without God at the center of our lives there is a hole that we simply cannot fill, and we'll spend the rest of our lives restless and not content seeking a million different ways to fill it.
And what if you don't believe in God you say? I've read enough to know a paragraph will not change your mind. I will say to people that believe in science as much as I do that although we've figured out certain laws that seem to be true, it's not like we can make any claim on being the source and creator of these laws. Something holds this universe together... And what about if you haven't thought about any of this at all and really don't think you will? Well... death is the only certainty we have in this life, so it's probably pretty important to at least try to figure out how death fits into the picture of your life. Maybe look into some sort of meaning for your life. I don't know... Either way though, because of its importance to me you will have to hear it.
6) The Christmas Story... This holidays is at the very top about an all-powerful yet all-merciful being, perfect, the source of all goodness and life, that wants to connect with His own creation. He made us in his image, and just as we are social beings God is a social God (Think trinity). And just as we would rather have someone choose to like us and not force them to like us, He similarily gives us the free choice to choose Him or to choose our own way. Who although He wants to commune with us cannot because of every persons own choice to reject Him. This same God taking the first step in the process by actually coming to earth to be like one of us, to talk to us on our level, point us in the right direction, and finally to give us the ability to choose to be in a relationship with Him again. When I say God I mean when God actually came down onto the earth as the man named Jesus. And when I say Jesus I don't mean the Talladega nights style 8 pound, 6 ounce, cute, cuddly, but still fully omnipotent "Dear baby Lord Jesus, thankyou for powerade" Jesus... I mean moreso how he describes himself.
"The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor."
The one that gives people the ability to be free from whatever it is they struggle with. From their traps, their compulsions, their habits, their situations, their vices. And not always physical freedom, but most importantly spiritual, mental, and emotional freedom (There's a big difference between being in a prison and being a prisoner.)
And yes, a lot of deepness just happened here, but I was just trying to give a small taste of the difference between the kids version and the adults version of the Christmas story.
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