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26
December 2006 |
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| Christmas is the season for
kindling the fire of hospitality in the hall, the genial flame of
charity in the heart.
Washington Irving
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Christmas
reminds us we are not alone. We are not unrelated atoms,
jouncing and ricocheting amid aliens, but are a part of something,
which holds and sustains us.
As we struggle with shopping lists and invitations,
compounded by December's bad weather, it is good to be reminded that
there are people in our lives who are worth this aggravation, and
people to whom we are worth the same. Christmas shows us the
ties that bind us together, threads of love and caring, woven in the
simplest and strongest way within the family.
Donald
E. Westlake |
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What is
Christmas? It is tenderness for the past,
courage for the present, hope for the future.
It is a fervent wish that every cup may overflow
with blessings rich and eternal, and that every
path may lead to peace.
Agnes M.
Pharo
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Eyes
Wide Open
tom walsh
A
Couple Thousand Years Ago
A
couple thousand years ago, give or take a few years,
something happened that had a profound effect on the
course of human history. Historians say that it
happened in the fall, though we celebrate its occurrence
in the first week of winter. Some say it didn't
really happen in a manger, that that was added on many
years later when the Gospels were written, but that
doesn't really matter. The important thing was
that a baby was born--a baby named Jesus who would soon
become a man who challenged people to look beyond their
everyday reality towards the source of their true
power--their relationship with the infinite, with God.
Jesus
taught empowerment, constantly telling people that their
true power was within themselves, not without; telling
people that they could move mountains with their faith
if they so desired; telling people that they could do
greater things than he did with his power, if they only
trusted themselves to do so.
Jesus
taught love--love of self, love of God, and love of one
another. He taught unconditional love, too, the
kind that doesn't depend on someone else acting in
certain ways or doing things the way we want them
to. It's the kind of love that is never taken
away, and the kind that another person can depend on,
during bad times as well as good.
Over
the years his message has been warped, mostly by people
who profess to "believe in" him. His
message--as related by many people--is one of
intolerance, judgment, discouragement, and
condemnation. I'm sure that he's sad about that as
he sees what goes on in our world. There are many
people who follow him who try to live out his message of
love, but many who use his name to bring down others,
simply because they're not living in ways that the
"believers" think is right. And this
simply is not how people who practice unconditional
love would act.
A
couple of thousand years ago a man was born who taught
us the true power of love and faith--as opposed to the
false power of riches and material success. We
still celebrate his birth with a holiday that has become
the biggest, most important holiday of our year.
During the season of his birth, we tend to show love and
compassion for others much more than we show it during
the rest of the year. If we truly believe that the
birth a couple of thousand years ago was a special one,
though, shouldn't we show those qualities all year long?
Let
us take these lessons that we teach each other during
these seasons and make them a true part of
ourselves. Let's live our lives in ways that
demonstrate the truth that we've made love, faith, and
compassion central parts of who we are--indeed, the most
dominant aspects of ourselves. In this way we can
honor the lives of the man who taught us about love, and
the men and women who came after to try to pass those
lessons on even further. Love will save the world
and humankind--only love, and nothing less than love.
There once lived a man who had the gift of power to overcome anything
the world could do to him; and through the years other people, through
contact with this man in spiritual communion, have found the same
power.
Wistfully, we remember that once he said: "Verily, I say
unto you, they
that believeth on me, the works that I do shall they do also; and
greater
works than these shall they do." Why are we not
"doing works" like that?
What is wrong? His was a way of living that made weakness and
trouble
drop away like withered leaves in the fall. Is it a lost art?
How shall we find it again?
If the art has been lost to many of us, what can we
do? The answer is,
go back and examine it at its source. And when we go back and
analyze
the life of Jesus, the source of his power, and of his Divine energy,
we are impressed by his faith in God. He believed God was near
to him,
using him. He believed in God with the faith of a child.
He kept in close
contact and communion with God and as a result he was
an open channel for Divine energy.
Norman
Vincent Peale |
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We've
been looking for a way to recommend many of the books
and movies that inspire us to live our lives more fully, and
Amazon
finally has provided it. Check out our new bookstore,
which is full
of inspirational and motivational material. We'd also
appreciate any
suggestions you might have of what to stock it with--please
visit
our feedback page
to make recommendations! |
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Christmas
Bells
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
I heard the
bells on Christmas Day
Their old familiar carols play,
And wild and sweet
The words repeat
Of peace on earth, goodwill to men!
And thought
how, as the day day had come,
The belfries of all Christendom
Had rolled along
The unbroken song
Of peace on earth, goodwill to men!
Till,
ringing, singing on its way,
The world revolved from night to day,
A voice, a chime,
A chant sublime
Of peace on earth, goodwill to men!
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Then
from each black, accursed mouth
The cannon thundered in the South,
And with the sound
The carols drowned
Of peace on earth, goodwill to men!
It was as if
an earthquake rent
The hearth-stones of a continent,
And made forlorn
The households born
Of peace on earth, goodwill to men!
And in
despair I bowed my head;
"There is no peace on earth," I said,
"For hate is strong
And mocks the song
Of peace on earth, goodwill to men."
Then pealed
the bells more loud and deep:
"God is not dead, nor doth He sleep;
The wrong shall fail,
The right prevail
With peace on earth, goodwill to men." |
| Originally
written during the American Civil War, this poem every year goes
through many transformations, mostly through omission. Many
versions that you'll see printed or hear as songs leave out the
middle three verses (in purple), an omission that makes little
sense poetically. The strength of Longfellow's poetry here
is that he presents the positive, loving side of Christmas, then
contrasts it with the horror and the noise and the awful side of
war, which seems to negate the love of Christmas. Without
the descent into the negative side of war, the hope of the last
two stanzas is little more than a sappy, insincere
declaration. Some publications change the title, too,
usually to the first line of the poem. |
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Living
Life Fully, the e-zine
exists to try to provide for visitors of the world wide web a
place
of growth, peace, inspiration, and encouragement. Our
articles
are presented as thoughts of the authors--by no means do
we
mean to present them as ways that anyone has to live
life. Take
from them what you will, and disagree with
whatever you disagree
with--just know that they'll be here for you
each week. |
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Our
Gifts to Our Children
author unknown
What do we
give to our children? First we give them the most precious
of all gifts: the principles of brotherly love and the love
of God, as taught so many years ago by Christ, whose birth we
celebrate.
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We give
them our attention, for one day it will be too late.
We give
them a sense of value. A place for the individual in the
scheme of things, with all that accrues to the individual:
self-reliance, courage, conviction, self-respect, and the respect
of others.
We give
them a sense of humor because laughter leavens life.
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We give
them the meaning of discipline. If we falter at discipline,
life will do it for us.
We give
them the will to work. Satisfying work is not the lasting
joy, but knowing that a job is well done.
We give
them the talent for sharing. That it's not so much that we
give, as to what we share.
We give
them the love of justice--the bulwark against violence and
oppression, and the repository of human dignity.
We give
them the passion for truth: founded on precept of example,
truth is the beginning of every good thing; the power and the
faith engendering mutual trust.
We give
them the beacon of hope which lights all darkness.
We give
them the knowledge of being loved. Beyond the demand for
reciprocity, praise or blame, for those loved are never lost.
What shall
we give the children? The open sky, the brown earth, the
leafy trees, the golden sand, the blue water, the stars in their
courses, and the awareness of these: birdsongs, butterflies,
clouds and rainbows, sunlight, moonlight, firelight; a large hand
reaching down for a small hand, impromptu praise, an unexpected
kiss, a straight answer, the glisten of enthusiasm and the sense
of wonder, long days to be merry in and nights without fear, and
the memory of a good home.
These
things we shall give the children.
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A
Little But Very True Christmas Story
Beth Burns
"If, as Herod, we fill our lives with things, and again with
things;
if we consider ourselves so unimportant that we must fill
every
moment of our lives with action, when will we have the time
to make the long, slow journey across the desert as did the
Magi?
Or sit and watch the stars as did the shepherds? Or
brood over the
coming of a child, as did Mary? For each
one of us, there is a
desert to travel. A star to discover.
And a being within ourselves
to bring to life."
Author Unknown
~~~~~
Once upon a time there was a little girl who grew up in a family
in which she was loved and taken care of. She wasn't rich in
the material sense, but she certainly had it better than many
other children her age. She was comfortable and well taken care of
in all the ways that children need to be taken care of. It was a
good life.
And she was happy. And she LOVED Christmas! She loved
decorating the house and the tree. She loved helping her Mom
bake and cook that special meal. She loved the Christmas secrets
and the anticipation that Santa was coming. She loved going to
church and seeing the live Nativity. She loved the carols and
hummed them all though the Holiday season. She loved having people
in the house and hearing the laughter that filled the air.
It was all so magical! And she had peace in her heart.
The little girl grew up, got married and had a family. She had a
nice home and many nice things. For several years things
were fine and Christmas remained a special time. Babies make for
such sweet Christmas memories.
As time went on, and the years passed, she began to realize that
something was missing. How it happened remains a
mystery, but suddenly there was no magic in the Christmas season.
December became a month of frantic emptiness.
The Holidays were filled with endless errands, finding the
biggest, best, newest toys. Nights were filled with
empty parties of people she didn't really care to know.
Days were filled running from one event to the next. Time was
spent writing piles of Christmas cards (with a picture enclosed of
the 'perfect family,' of course). Afterall, the more cards one
sends, the more friends she has, right?
She spent time cooking mountains of food and every type of cookie
known to mankind. The refrigerator overflowed with
food that could never be eaten before spoiling, even if a small
army was visiting. She went to bed late at night, falling into a
dead sleep -- nothing else to give. No time for gratitude,
prayers or a hug.
Because this is a true story, the truth must be told, and the
truth is that there was adversity and pain through the years.
There was the marriage that no longer worked and divorce followed.
The end of a long term relationship and friendship was hurtful.
And a child who became seriously and chronically ill was
devastating. There was simply no magic. How could there be
joy in such sorrowful times? There was no peace in the
woman's heart.
Time went on, as it always does, and things eventually began to
change. Healing took place as the woman took charge of her
life. She found that many, many answers are found in silence and
stillness. And the woman began to relearn what she knew as a
child.
She learned that it really doesn't matter WHAT is in your life as
much as WHO is in your life. She learned that 'illusions' are for
mirrors, but not for the real world. She learned that to
fully love others, you must love yourself too.
She learned the humming Christmas carols can brighten the spirits
on any day. She learned to say 'no!' to the things she didn't
really want, and 'yes!' to the things she did. She
learned that simple things like taking your kids to cut down a
Christmas tree can be the make the most wonderful memories of all.
She learned that Christmas isn't merely a season -- it's a
feeling.
She grew so much and she glowed with anticipation of all that
could be! She filled her time with meaningful and lasting things
like deep friendships, time to read a book, and sit by the fire
with a child. She learned that 'more' can be a burden and
bigger is not always better.
Sometimes it is the simplest of gifts in which the richness lies.
And giving is always wonderful, but receiving with grace is also a
gift to others. She learned that God is always here and He doesn't
give up on you even if you
want to give up on yourself. And she learned that peace in your
heart is the most precious gift of all.
Today, the little girl, who grew into a woman, allows herself to
become a little girl again. And Christmas is sacred once more.
The End.
Beth Burns is
a Professional Life Coach -- partnering with motivated people on
their personal and professional goals. Her mission is to
teach people to love themselves and to love the life they create.
She offers two free email newsletters and can be visited on the
web at www.BrightSideCoaching.com. She can also be reached by calling 678-938-0419 or by
email at Beth@BrightSideCoaching.com |
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We've
been looking for a way to recommend many of the books
and movies that inspire us to live our lives more fully, and
Amazon
finally has provided it. Check out our new bookstore,
which is full
of inspirational and motivational material. We'd also
appreciate any
suggestions you might have of what to stock it with--please
visit
our feedback page
to make recommendations!
|
|
| |
|
I
dreamed it was Christmas Eve, and while waiting for a green light
I noticed the manger scene on the church lawn.
It's all so overwhelming, this Christmas business, I thought.
The shopping and singing and partying and gift-wrapping and Santa
Claus and Jesus.
I feel wonderful then guilty then joyful
then confused. God help me, I thought.
And the light changed, and the baby in
the manger smiled.
Joe Hickman
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