The Advent Conspiracy

Only a couple of days until the first Sunday of Advent.  I love this video and have not been able to stop thinking about it. Can you imagine the implications......

Want more info on how to get involved? Check out The Advent Conspiracy .

Not Big Santa Fans

Okay, so I have a confession to make.  The McGibbons are not big Santa fans.  This is the first year that Trinity has been willing to go to the local mall at this time of year, as up until this point she has been terrified that Santa would come (even in July) and get her.  This reaction does stem from a mall incident, in which a well intentioned Santa, tried to chase her down to give her a candy cane but she absolutely believes Santa is a bad man.  The strange part about this story is that Trinity has always loved strangers.  This fact has terrified me, as her mom because no matter how many talks we have had she never really gets the concept of stranger danger except when it comes to Santa.

My kids have never really believed in Santa and we have never put any gifts under the tree that were from Santa.  As a natural and adoption blended family, we took Santa off the table when Daniel and Caroline came to live with us over seven years ago.  Daniel was just about at the age when he might have heard at school that Santa was not real and so we didn't want to lose his trust over a fake guy in a red suit.   In order to prepare for this, we sat Liam (who was three at the time) down and told him that Santa was just like Buzz Lightyear from his favourite movie Toy Story.  We said,  Santa was a fictional character that someone made up.  Liam was devastated.  Not about Santa, he actually could not have cared about him but he was shattered from the news about Buzz.  My husband Jason posted about this experience a couple of years ago on his blog in a post called Santa Claus. 

Has it been difficult over the years to not make Santa a part of the festivities?  Not really.  We love the Christmas season.  We love decorating our house and tree together, we love seeing family and friends, we love our church's Christmas pageant in which anything can happen and we love reading the Christmas story while we put out our nativity scene.   It has been difficult at times to explain to our kids why other adults tell this little white lie every year and why they can't tell their friends the truth about Santa.   It has been frustrating when some adults have not realized the absolute terror that Santa brings about in our daughter.  In particular, telling her it is okay that we don't have a chimney, that Santa can still get in our house because now you can buy a special key at the store and leave it under you mat so he can get in.  As you can imagine this was not good news to small child who has nightmares about the bearded man in the red suit.  It has sometimes led to some awkward moments in public, as my not so quiet angels share their feelings about the whole subject.  It is has been enlightening over the years to hear their views on this weird custom of making crying children sit on the knee of a total stranger for a picture and how we tell kids with a smile on our face that Santa is going to break into our house while they are sleeping.  It has not impacted the heart of our Christmas festivities in the least because Santa really doesn't have anything to do with the heart of Christmas.

Santa wasn't there in the manger when God broke into our world and sent Jesus to dwell among us.  He wasn't there when for thirty-three years when Jesus lived on this earth and He wasn't there when Jesus laid down His life to save us.  For us that is and always will be the heart of Christmas.

Joyous Reaction - That's What I Want

The Christmas countdown is now at 35 days!

In keeping with the holiday spirit, my dad sent me a great video this week. Apparently, on October 30th of this year, the Philadelphia Opera company invited some other choir friends to help them out with a surprise concert at Macy's.  Macy's is now open on the site of what used to be the great Wanamaker Grand Court Organ company. They still do mini-concerts daily and weekly on the great pipe organ that is in the Grand Court.  I think the architecture and the beautifully restored organ would be a wonderful treat for any event but the video that my dad sent me is a of a very special event, an organized random act of culture.

The Joyous Reaction

I don't think the shoppers were prepared for the surprise concert that they received while they shopped on this particular busy Saturday.  As the worlds largest pipe organ began to play The Hallelujah Chorus from Handel's "Messiah",  over 650 choristers,  who were dispersed among the four floors of crowds began to sing.  What I love about this video is the shoppers that get caught up in moment.  All the choristers seem to be wearing a special button and they look like they are having a great time but it is the shoppers that were unprepared for this event, who I like to watch the most.  In particular, there is this woman who just throws her hands into the air and is fully immersed in joyful reaction to this wonderful surprise, as she too begins to sing with gusto.

I want to be like that woman this holiday season.  That despite all the business that surrounds Christmas that I don't forget to be joyful, to be fully immersed in remembering why I celebrate this particular day and to not be distracted by my to do lists or all the details that need to get done. I have no idea of the religious convictions of the woman in the video but for me she was definitely a beautiful light amongst hundreds of shoppers and choristers.  Her reaction to the moment and the words of the song made me want to sing and to praise the King of Kings.  And so I did. 

I wasn't able to make the video as small as I wanted. Here is the link to the video.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wp_RHnQ-jgU

Enjoy!


If you like art, music and creativity check out my husband Jason's blog for Free Art Fridays

The Christmas Countdown

Only 39 days left until Christmas!  Yep, it is true.  I knew it was coming up.  I mean the stores have all had lots of Christmas decor and merchandise since the day after Halloween but I thought I had more time.  Nope.

From here on out life will be crazy.  Not that I find it is ever really not crazy but it will be crazier than ever for the next month and a little bit.  So if you are like me and have not started your Christmas shopping or decorating and you have just woken up to the fact that time is ticking away, then today is the day to get started.

I have taken the first step.  I put on some Christmas music and changed the background on my blog.  So now I can say I have started!  Look for more posts in the nest few weeks on quickie appetizers and helpful hints.

If you feel overwhelmed by it all, may I suggest that you start with reading the Christmas story in Luke.  It is always good to start with what Christmas is truly all about.    If you need some checklists and a plan here is link to a great website that will help us get organized.

So grab yourself an eggnog; the season is upon us!

Luke 2

Jesus' Birth in Bethlehem

 Now in those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus, that a census be taken of all the inhabited earth.

 This was the first census taken while Quirinius was governor of Syria.

 And everyone was on his way to register for the census, each to his own city.

 Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the city of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and family of David,

 in order to register along with Mary, who was engaged to him, and was with child.

 While they were there, the days were completed for her to give birth.

 And she gave birth to her firstborn son; and she wrapped Him in cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

 In the same region there were some shepherds staying out in the fields and keeping watch over their flock by night.

 And an angel of the Lord suddenly stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them; and they were terribly frightened.

 But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people;

 for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.

 "This will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger."

 And suddenly there appeared with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying,
    "Glory to God in the highest,
         And on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased."

 When the angels had gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds began saying to one another, "Let us go straight to Bethlehem then, and see this thing that has happened which the Lord has made known to us."

 So they came in a hurry and found their way to Mary and Joseph, and the baby as He lay in the manger.

 When they had seen this, they made known the statement which had been told them about this Child.

 And all who heard it wondered at the things which were told them by the shepherds.

 But Mary treasured all these things, pondering them in her heart.

 The shepherds went back, glorifying and praising God for all that they had heard and seen, just as had been told them.

Reclaiming Christmas

The other night we decorated our Christmas Tree.  It is a tradition that we have.  We all gather together, I unwrap the ornaments and then pass them to the kids to put on the tree one at a time.  Our nativity ornaments go on first.  They always occupy front and centre on our tree to remind us of what we are actually suppose to be celebrating.  I love this time together.  The kids always get excited about seeing each of ornaments.  They tell each other stories about when it was received or how it was made.  For each ornament there is a story, a history, sweet memories and even though we know them by heart it is brings a closeness as the kids share them again and again.

As we sat listening to the stories I realized that this simple time together, hanging the ornaments and sharing our memories as a family, is one of my favourite traditions.  In a time where we are trying hard to turn off the "holiday machine" that Christmas has become I relish simplicity and moments to breath and ponder.  Near the end of the events of Christ birth as recorded by Luke in chapter 2,  verse 19 says, "But Mary treasured all these things, pondering them in her heart."  She was cherishing and mulling over all that God had done.

Reclaiming Christmas is not about simply putting a creche on our front lawn or going to church on Christmas Eve or providing hospitality to family and friends or even considering those less fortunate than ourselves.  It is about taking time to ponder the truth of all that God has done.  It is allowing oneself time to carefully consider, God, His Way, His Word and His will for our lives.  Reclaim Christmas by taking time to reflect on the birth of Jesus and what Christmas is rather than what you want it to be or what you would like to do.  May the light of Bethlehem shine in our hearts this Christmas and may we be like the shepherds and see for ourselves the thing that the Lord has made known to us.

"But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people;

 ¹¹for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.

 ¹²"This will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger."

 ¹³And suddenly there appeared with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying,
    ¹⁴"Glory to God in the highest,
         And on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased."

 ¹⁵When the angels had gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds began saying to one another, "Let us go straight to Bethlehem then, and see this thing that has happened which the Lord has made known to us."    ~Luke 2: 10-15