It grates to admit that Carolyn is right, but here we are on the seventh day of Christmas, with Jesus packed away in too many attics before the wise men have even arrived, no sign of leaping lords on the horizon, and I have to admit that she has a point.
Every year, in response to my November newsletter, Carolyn sends a rant about Advent: "You need to tell people that it is NOT Christmas yet, it is Advent!" I nod in agreement and carry on. This year, however, two things happened that have stirred me to action: First, a woman at an ecumenical gathering told a long joke about the 12-days of Christmas. The joke was funny enough, a series of letters from Agnes to her true love who kept sending her all those birds. However, the letters were dated from December 14th through Christmas Day. I was amazed that a long-time member of the church wouldn't know that the 12-days of Christmas started on Christmas Day and carried on through Twelfth Night (check your Shakespeare), followed immediately by Epiphany.
Then at our Toastmaster's Holiday Speech-a-thon, someone voiced the expectation that we were supposed to be full of joy and good cheer in this time when everyone was hyper busy getting ready for the big event. It reminded me of reading those how-to-be-a-good-mommy books full of exhortations to enjoy taking care of your children: not only do you have to pick play-dough out of the shag rug, you have to enjoy doing it. Having birthed 3 sons, I can tell you that labor has some fun, loving and goof-ball moments, but it is not generally a time of joy and good will. Similarly Advent is a time of preparation for the coming of the Lord, the labor before Christmas. The joy is in the child born.
Christmas is NOW: Twelve full days of feasting and merriment. The wise men still wander along the window sills of my house, battling ants for the half chewed candy canes, enroute to Jesus lying in the manger. I am enjoying the treats heaped about, refusing to weigh myself, and each night I ponder the gifts received that day.
"This is the message of Christmas: We are never alone." — Taylor Caldwell
The Divine Conspiracy by Dallas Willard was the best book I read in 2001. He wove a wondrous path between the excesses on the right and left, steering a course that led into the heart of God. Consequently, when a copy of his Hearing God floated by, I scooped it up. A philosophy teacher at USC, Dallas Willard provides a thorough, reasoned look at developing a conversational relationship with God. He begins by examining the questions of whether God would, could or should communicate with us and finishes by calling us into the way of the burning heart. Originally published as In Search of Guidance this book moves beyond guidance into friendship, beyond friendship into communion.
"If God didn't exist, the atheist wouldn't have something to not believe in" -Ray Comfort
Another book that arrived in the same batch was Elizabeth Sherrill's All the Way to Heaven; A Surprising Faith Journey. Elizabeth Sherrill was a ghost writer who co-authored many popular Christian books like Corrie Ten Boom's The Hiding Place, David Wilkerson's The Cross and the Switchblade, and Brother Andrew's God's Smuggler. This story of her own journey is full of personal insights, along with quotes and comments from Christian luminaries. What I found particularly interesting was that Elizabeth Sherrill wasn't yet a Christian when she wrote many of those books. God brought her to himself in his own particular way. The overriding theme of All the Way to Heaven is that Christ is the Way; heaven is the journey as well as the destination.
"I am ready to meet my Maker. Whether my Maker is prepared for the great ordeal of meeting me is another matter." - Sir Winston Churchill
I'd bumped into multiple references to The Liar's Club by Mary Karr, so when it floated into the store, I nabbed it. This is a memoir about growing up in alcoholic soup--which is getting to be an uncomfortably common theme. The writing, however, is so good that it is mesmerizing. You keep turning pages even though obviously things are rapidly going from bad to worse. Then you're suddenly three quarters of the way though, so you read on hoping for some kind of redemption at the end. Running along side all of this is the niggling thought that the novel you thought you were writing is utterly vacuous by comparison and clearly you are not now, nor ever will be a writer. I guess you could say the book is depressing.
Now that I've read it, I want to re-read Mary Karr's chapter in Inventing the Truth; The Art and Craft of Memoir, compiled by William Zinsser. Unfortunately that book is currently floating around Nevada--Tisa had it last I knew. Seems silly to buy it again, just to re-read Karr's section for the third time. Maybe someone will bring it to family camp. Meanwhile, if you've read further along in Mary Karr's life, let me know if things get better. According to Amazon, she eventually became a Christian.
"We are all faced with magnificent opportunities brilliantly disguised as impossible situations." - Charles R. Swindell
LITERARY LIST: Participants at the December Literary Party presented a wild variety of How-to books: Clarinet, Joining, Cartooning, Cooking, Organizing. This created a great finale to the eclectic list of the books we've talked about over the last year. For January we're going to read something from the 2009 Literary Parties List. Hit reply and write words if you want to check out the list. I even added some of the writing books people brought to First Tuesday Writers. I'll email you a copy. (I'd post it on-line, but quail before the thought of putting it all into html.) Choose a book from the list and join us the fourth Friday: January 29th at 1:30.
"Slow down and everything you are chasing will come around and catch you." — John De Paola
JUST ONE THING: A drop of water is very small, but overtime it can wear a hole in a rock or become chinese water torture. Similarly, changing Just One Thing in your regular habits can have a huge effect on your life. Did a small habit ever become a Fulcrum for Change in your life? If so, JOT it down and send it to me. I'm collecting stories and ideas for a new project.
"Just living is not enough. One must have sunshine, freedom and a little flower." - Hans Christian Anderson
Merry Christmas,
Alliee +