Readings and thoughts on Christmas 2015

Part 1. 

"How many observe Christ's birthday! How few, his precepts! O! 'tis easier to keep Holidays than Commandments." - Benjamin Franklin

I, for one, have had a hard time keeping to the Commandments. I understand we must try to keep close to the Word. I have not done my best. As the years have went by I've observed that tradition gets old and people get used to the cyclic pattern of the Holidays. How quickly we forget after Christmas what the reason of celebrating all meant in the first place. A non-believer? Ok, just remember what you love and why you celebrated what that meant to you. Why only keep this joyful attitude for a season? How quickly we forget.

Part 2.

“Three things go by the name of Christmas. One is a religious festival... The second…is a popular holiday, an occasion for merry-making and hospitality… But the third thing called Christmas is unfortunately everyone’s business. I mean of course the commercial racket. The interchange of presents was a very small ingredient... but the idea that not only all friends but even all acquaintances should give one another presents, or at least send one another cards, is quite modern and has been forced upon us by the shopkeepers." - C.S. Lewis

I know some people are wealthy and can afford anything they wish. I have recognized some people are not wealthy but like to pretend they can afford many things. I understand the poor outweigh the rich and many of these poor made and supplied our ‘gifts.’ I would like to think what we all buy during the Holidays does well to support these poorer individuals. True or not, I believe our work is shown through our gift giving.

Now regarding what C.S. Lewis wrote on his 3 descriptions of Christmas. If you wish to know more about these I would suggest reading God in The Dock. I have chosen the ending of the 3rd description to be most aware of. This is because I believe we have been programmed to 'buy' things because we 'love' people. I understand we as humans want to show affection, kindness, and that we care. I believe we have become skewed (more like how society has skewed us) in how and what showing 'love' actually means. This can be argued. I stopped buying into the 'buying into' the Holidays many years ago. Part 3 explains more.

Part 3.

"For the great and powerful of this world, there are only two places in which their courage fails them, of which they are afraid deep down in their souls, from which they shy away. These are the manger and the cross of Jesus Christ. No powerful person dares to approach the manger, and this even includes King Herod." - Dietrich Bonhoeffer

           

            Maybe Bonhoeffer was describing the great and powerful people that run the world. The people that make the world turn. The persons that finance and try to control what we do, what we buy, and even try to tell us how to think or feel. Maybe he was talking about you because you do believe that you are great and powerful. Don’t you? Here the great and powerful can be both you and them. What is their hope, what is yours? What will be their judgment, what will be yours? I cannot tell you. All I can do is lead you to the Love in the manger and to the Love of the cross.

Part 4. 

"Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow." - James 1:17

Merry Christmas.

End. 

I'll never forget...

I'll never forget waiting for the back of that C-130 to open. I'll never forget the faces of those dozen or so men that were sitting inside, bloody and torn. I'll never forget stepping into that war plane and walking through them to carry out their fallen brother. I'll never forget taking him so he could be sent to his family and friends back in the states. I'll never forget each of those men touching him for the last time. I'll never forget the faces of those men having to fly back out to the front lines. I'll never forget that door closing and seeing that war plane back in the skies. 

The Path.

I stopped making New Years resolutions a long time ago. I just hope to be better and improve what I have done these past 12 months. “If we hope to go anywhere or develop ourselves in any way, we can only step from where we are standing. If we don't really know where we are standing... We may only go in circles...” - Jon Kabat-Zinn. Stick to the path once you find it. See you on the other side.

Goodbye Mark...

Mark gave me this book GEORGE MACDONALD, an anthology by C.S. Lewis for Christmas in 2010. I go to this book and write out one of the readings as my spirit tells him goodbye from this world wishing him exciting travels into the next... 

[365] The Last Resource

"Lilith," said Mara, "you will not sleep, if you lie there a thousand years, until you have opened your hand, and yielded that which is not yours...."

"I cannot," she answered. "I would if I could, and gladly, for I am weary, and the shadows of death are gathering about me."

"They will gather and gather, but they cannot infold you while yet your hand remains unopened. You may think you are dead, but it will be only a dream.... Open your hand, and you will sleep indeed--then wake indeed." 

"There was a sword I once saw in your husband's hands," [Lilith] murmured. "I fled when I saw it. I heard him who bore it say it would divide whatever was not one and indivisible!"

"I have the sword," said Adam. "The angel gave it me when he left the gate."

"Bring it, Adam," pleaded Lilith, "and cut me off this hand that I may sleep."

"I will," he answered.

To My Brother

As a brother, I curse the sky as to why my sister has to go through this. She may not have known it, but she was my strength at my time of weakness. I hope I can be the same for her in the coming days. I know deep down these are the roles we must play in life. We are very blessed to have experienced our time with Mark. I am not sad, nor am I regretful on anything I should have said or done between our personal lives. In the end each part plays out exactly the way it should. I ask and pray to the heavens, the sky, and the winds of the spirit realm that his body relinquishes this pain so that his soul may find peace. He now gets to go ride those heavenly-cosmic waves! Brother, I'll see you soon out there.

Spinning

It's late at night that when I think of her

I can't sleep

My life is so black & white

It's late at night that when I dream her

These feelings creep

My love is so black & white

This object never stops spinning

This object is close to tipping

My heart... This object wreaks

How free is he...

"How free he is who has already accepted death and is simply enjoying the rest of their time inhabiting a body in this world." - Rohan 

I usually go to sleep thinking about my eternal sleep. It reminds me that I either failed myself or succeeded with the ending day. This is my reality, this is my state of mind. I know what awaits. I try to live fully because I know my eyes one day will not open... Whatever way it will come, I accept my destiny.