Wednesday, December 23, 2009

I was looking at my blog entry for this date last year. I had high hopes of a serene, tranquil, and perfectly organized Christmas for this year. Guess what. I am who I am. LOL!

There is a big ice storm predicted for Christmas eve into Christmas day. I am praying that it doesn't happen. We had a snowstorm last Christmas and I was afraid of the drive home after 10:00 pm mass. When weather hits like that we are reminded of the fact that we are not in charge of anything and we would do well to talk to the Person who is.

Yesterday was a long day. I was at church most of the day with the decorating crew. It was nice that a lot of people showed up to help. I think if they know that we don't expect them to stay from start to finish they are more willing to help. If many people can spare 30 to 45 minutes, it really makes our job less taxing. Our church is huge so it takes a lot of decor to really make a difference. A few of the kids from the youth group were there - Thanks to Nick Mellinger, Elizabeth Shaw, Megan Shaw, Elizabeth Martin, Nathan Martin, Andrea Martin. It was nice not just for the extra help, but the young people help make a hard job a lot of fun.

Today I have many errands again, chief among them is paying a visit to the family of Brandi Hoffman. It is going to be a sad Christmas for so many people this year. A lady at church told me that they put her husband in a nursing home this week, a teacher at Shepherd High School lost his 22-year old son, another family I know is stressed to the max, an area family lost their home to a fire, I have a brother who has been kicked in the teeth by life and lives from day to day, and then there are those who struggle financially and with health issues. I would do well to remember this when I am tempted to get bent out of shape about things that really don't matter.

In my dotage I am finding that nothing brings me out of a bad mood faster than doing something to make someone else's life a little better. And it doesn't have to be a grandiose something. It can be a small thing. A customer wrote the other day thanking me for a little glass snowman that I had included in her order. Someone had stolen her ornaments (long story) and they had sentimental value. The little inexpensive snowman brightened her day. It took me all of 1 minute to put it in the box, but it made a difference in her life. The kindness of others is a constant inspiration to me these days. The phrase "it is better to give than to receive" is used so often that we tend to say it without really thinking about it." It can take one mean word to crumble a person, but one small kindness to make a person's day. Same amount of energy to do either. It's those small choices we make each day that can help make our world a better place.

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Word of the day:
The Great O Antiphons: "O Emmanuel"
Today the Church celebrates : St. John of Kanty, Priest (1390-1473), St. Servulus (c. 590)
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Luke 1:57-66.

When the time arrived for Elizabeth to have her child she gave birth to a son. Her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown his great mercy toward her, and they rejoiced with her. When they came on the eighth day to circumcise the child, they were going to call him Zechariah after his father, but his mother said in reply, "No. He will be called John." But they answered her, "There is no one among your relatives who has this name." So they made signs, asking his father what he wished him to be called. He asked for a tablet and wrote, "John is his name," and all were amazed. Immediately his mouth was opened, his tongue freed, and he spoke blessing God. Then fear came upon all their neighbors, and all these matters were discussed throughout the hill country of Judea. All who heard these things took them to heart, saying, "What, then, will this child be?" For surely the hand of the Lord was with him.

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