"A 10 minute vacation for the soul."
“I can enjoy this season without wearing myself out.”
“Joy does not simply happen to us. We have to choose joy and keep choosing it every day.” — Henri Nouwen
Our word angel comes from the Greek ἄγγελος. It means messenger. I will always think of this with a smile remembering a fellow seminary student in Greek class who happened to be named Angel beaming and exchanging laughter with the professor about the appropriateness of his name.
I do believe in God’s holy angels who are sent to be messengers of God’s love, care and sometimes judgement. I have had personal encounters with angels.
But I do also believe that we are also called to be messengers of Gods light, love and care to each other. This is not reserved for pastors or those studying to become pastors. We all do this by the way we live and care for others.
Especially during this season be sure you reflect God’s love and light and spread it around. I love angel crafts and have included a few links below if you want to share God’s love and light by giving handmade angels. If you are interested in Greek I have a reference for that too.
Resource:
Blue Letter Bible — referring to Strong’s Concordance
All Free Christmas Crafts — Angels
Do you ever feel world weary? That is what I call that sense of sadness and overwhelm from dealing with this imperfect world we live in. This year it has become almost unbearable at times for me. How about you? I always begin celebrating Christmas in November — this year it was November 1.
We can still celebrate the light in a world that appears dark. In fact it is our calling. There will always be corrupt leaders and suffering in this world, but the light still shines, even if we do not always see it. And it shines in through and as us. Shine on.
“We are better throughout the year for having, in spirit, become a child again at Christmastime.” – Laura Ingalls Wilder
“Kindness is like snow. It beautifies everything it covers.” –Kahlil Gibran
“The Joy of brightening other lives, bearing each others’ burdens, easing each other’s loads and supplanting empty hearts and lives with generous gifts becomes for us the magic of the holidays.” –W. C. Jones
When I become stressed, I will step away. I will take a break, take a nap or find a creative outlet.
Genie’s Note: During the holiday season I will be reposting some of my favorite holiday posts. Please take a minute to enjoy this post from December 25, 2017
Merry Christmas! But let’s stop for just a minute and think about what would happen if we actually lived Christmas.
What if instead of having a wild party every December full of over spending and over indulging, we actually lived what we say the season really means to us? What if family really were the most important thing in our lives, every day? What if peace, hope, love and light were the reality we walked in? What if we welcomed the Christ Presence into the world and into our lives every minute of every day, instead of just once a year? How would the world change if we could recognize the Christ in others?
This year let us dedicate ourselves to letting there be Christmas everywhere, every day, every hour and every minute by keeping that Christ light shining in, through and as us. This is how we change the world folks. Peace and blessings to you.
Genie’s Note: This is an oldie but goodie from 2017. Enjoy and take a minute to think of ways you can spread joy through random acts of Christmas or whatever holiday you may be celebrating.
One thing I like to do for the holidays is give a small (very small) token gift to people at random. One year I hung handmade angel ornaments anonymously on neighbor’s door knobs. Other years I have given candy canes or tea bags from a display on our door (we spent a lot of years in apartments).
One year I grabbed a handful of holiday stick pins from our Christmas box (when Bob worked for a toy, novelty and gift company) as we were leaving for church and pinned them on people who were very special to me. And of course, I have given away more plates of holiday goodies than I can count.
Several years ago, I gave a kid’s party for grownups. We sang carols, talked about our favorite holiday memories, made crafts and of course we ate goodies. Reindeer antlers were given out at the door and I handed out the leftovers on my daily walk. Remember I live in a senior community. I’ve never seen so many women over fifty smile and giggle.
What I remember most about all the things I have given out over the holidays is the reaction of the people receiving them. Most have reacted like instead of a mere token I gave them gold. People like to be remembered and appreciated, especially in a way that does not make them feel obligated in any way.
This year more than ever we truly “need a little Christmas.” I hope you will think about Random Acts of Christmas, Hannukah, Solstice, or whatever else you may celebrate. This isn’t about spending a lot of money or any money for that matter. The thought really does count.
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