Thursday, December 20, 2018

Holiday Greetings


Before I begin telling you how I feel about Christmas I want you to know that I am behind on Journey of Honor because of illness and a divorce in my family. Chaos, in other words, has taken my ability to focus.
I hope you will understand and continue visiting my site and waiting for Journey of Honor to reach the Oregon Territory.

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As the Christmas season rolls around my first thoughts are of the birth of Jesus. I love the Christmas hymns. I love the Christmas story. My favorite person who is often overlooked in the birth of Jesus is Simeon. Simeon was a very old man, God told him that he wouldn’t let him die until he held the newborn king. So, Simeon spent day after day near the temple waiting for families with new babies to come and pay taxes. He watched carefully realizing the parents of the Christ child would be poor. One day a young couple entered the temple with their baby and a scrawny bird as an offering. Simeon’s heart leapt—this baby was The King . He boldly approached Mary and Joseph and asked to hold the baby. He then told them their son was the Messiah, something they thought was only known to them. He told them he was able to die and enter the kingdom of Heaven because he had fulfilled the prophecy. He was going to Heaven with glory because he had fulfilled the prophecy of the Lord. This story is from “The Indescribable Gift” by Richard Exley. Simeon’s story be found in Luke 2:21-38



My next set of thoughts becomes a reflection of the hustle and bustle of commercialized holidays. I have always loved the beauty of Christmas—the decorated trees, colored lights, brisk weather, music, and the promise of some little something in a nicely wrapped box.
These days the joy is diminished, but I still believe in magic. I love the idea of someone making wishes come true. We can all “pretend” to be elves by visiting school classrooms with stories, hugs, and offerings of love. We can drop gifts off in designated places. I love to see children interacting with Santa. Their innocence is contagious. My granddaughters keep me smiling and believing. As they get older, it will fall to me to make sure they carry the love and magic of Christmas in their hearts.  I will always believe in the spirit and magic and love of Christmas.
 


Wishing each of you the blessings of the season.


Until next time....Journey onward to a new year,
Love, Nona