Long about the first week of November, Todd realized that it's no use, Christmas is imminent and it's darned near impossible to forestall the inevitable. There is no way he can possibly keep it from coming . . . it's on it's way.
I don't think it's that he dislikes Christmas . . . so much as it is the fact that he abhors the commercialization of it. A lot of people do, but me . . . I'm the original Christmas kid and I love LOVE every aspect of it!!
I make lists of what I want to get and for who, and lists of food to buy . . . schedules of what to bake and when, Christmas Diner planning lists, Christmas Card Lists, etc. and then I ignore them all, flying as it were by the seat of my pants instead. It's much more fun that way!
I drag out all of the Christmas DVD's and put them at the top of the pile, hoping against all hope that we will be able to watch each one of them before the end of the year. I have my favourites of course, and they don't really include The Dirty Dozen or The Good, The Bad and The Ugly, much to Todd's disappointment!
It all starts with Charlie Brown's Christmas and goes on from there. It just would not be Christmas without Charlie Brown, The Grinch and . . . dare I say it . . . Frosty the Snowman. Yes, I love the old Christmas Cartoons of my childhood. They just don't make them like that anymore.
I am also a big lover of the old black and whites, like White Christmas and Miracle on 34th Street, The Bishops Wife and It's a Wonderful Life. I would watch a Christmas film every evening if Todd would tolerate it, but alas . . . he won't.
He's not really a Scrooge per se . . . he just doesn't want to begin the Christmas Season until just prior to Christmas. I, on the other hand . . . like to prolong it as much as I can. It is always over far too quickly as it is. I just like to enjoy all the baubles and lights and music and happy feelings for as long as I reasonably can. I don't like to rush the season and get it over with . . . I want to wallow in every mince pie encrusted, mistletoe drenched and garland wrapped moment, and squeeze as much out of them as I possibly can.
That is not to say however that I skip over the spiritual side of things . . . you can enjoy all the tinsel without ignoring the manger. I have collected Jim Shore Angels for years . . . they are so beautiful and I just adore them. I drag them out every Christmas and place them all over the house . . . I like the ones depicting the Nativity . . .
And whilst he is not strictly an Angel per se . . . I love my Santa one most of all because it embraces all that I love about Christmas, the traditions and wonder of childhood, combined with the beauty and spirit of the Saviours Birth. In fact each of my Jim Shore Angels have some aspect of the nativity included. To me that is THE message of Christmas . . . the birth of the Saviour . . . and whilst I enjoy all of the other trappings, there isn't one of them that can take it's place, and at the end of the day, while I could quite easily give up or forget all of the others, that is the one thing I could never be without . . .
(art by Liz Lemon Swindell)
For I know it's true. I cannot deny it. The Saviour was born and did and said all that the Scriptures tell us He did and said. He came to show us the way, and to show us how . . . and to give us hope and comfort and peace . . . not as the world says or gives, but peace to the soul, the peace that passeth all understanding. And yes, I may want to rock around the Christmas Tree with Mistletoe hanging from my ears . . . but more than that I want to celebrate and give thanks for the greatest gift we have ever been given, and to celebrate a love that is beyond that which we can ever hope to comprehend.
Because love is at the root of all that we celebrate at Christmas and it will ever be so . . . .
A thought to carry with you through today . . .
"Only God can turn a mess into a message,
a test into a testimony,
a trial into a triumph
and a victim into a victory."
~unknown
Baking in The English Kitchen today . . . Glazed Oatmeal Cookies.
Have a wonderful sabbath!
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