Dear Reader:

I had such lovely responses to yesterday’s post and I want to thank you for your comments. It is  wonderful to receive positive affirmations about certain topics…particularly thoughts about ourselves and our place in this shrinking world.

Questions we ask ourselves…like Why now? Is there a reason I was meant to be here during this particular historical time period…and if so …what?

Jo Dufford made a comment that made me pause and re-think a term…blog. In this excerpt from Jo yesterday she mentioned….

(“Somehow, message is better than the word, blog, which I just don’t care for the way it sounds… This entire message was so thought-provoking. I believe everyone who reads this will be blessed by the part of it that speaks to him or her.”)

Jo…you are right…the term blog sounds like something big, or heavy…some strange obstacle with no shape or form… that is just in the way….nothing special…just “BLAH!”

I never set out intentionally to “preach” or send some direct “message” …but as I have said on earlier occasions…sometimes my fingers start typing and I just ‘hang on for the ride.‘

In my mind…this “post” is simply about sharing daily thoughts that pop into my head…mostly randomly…an overheard conversational comment, a script line from a show…even a commercial…a lyric from a song or a passage from a book. I never plan something far ahead for the simple reason that life is so much more fun…if we just daily ‘go with the flow.’

Three thoughts buzzed around my head yesterday…like a bee looking for nectar.

*

By last evening…all my decorations in my “happy room” were down and packed away for another year…except… for the Christmas tree. I began taking all the ornaments off… but at the last minute…I left the lights on and one ornament…the star my pastor, Jeff Kackley, gave me this year. Why? Well that leads to my second thought.

**

Today is the Christian celebration known as the Epiphany. It is celebrated on January 6th and commemorates the blessings of the three wise men bestowed upon the Holy Child… who will change the world through pure love, kindness, compassion and self-sacrifice .

Today my prayers are that only wise men are present as we bring conclusion to a long waiting period in our country’s history…It is time to unite and celebrate the greatness of our country…our democracy. In God we trust.

***

Ann Graves called and said she had a gift for me…and was going to drop it off Monday ….that didn’t pan out but I stopped by her home yesterday. When she showed me the “surcie” she wanted to get to me (before I packed up all the Christmas memorabilia)… I had to laugh at the God Wink.

Ann has had a Christmas book she loves… that was published almost twenty-five years ago, 1996…it is called “A North Carolina Christmas.” She told she has savored reading and re-reading every page for its traditions, ceremonies, and cultural history. This year when she pulled it out at Christmas time…it was like the cover revealed itself for the first time.

See for yourself! 🙂 My St. Jude’s Chapel of Hope is on the cover…my post title chapel… that changed my life. Unbelievable!

Ann also marked references to my departed friend and author of The Year of the Perfect Christmas Tree...Gloria Houston…that really touched me. ( the page was referencing famous North Carolina Christmas story authors…Houston and O. Henry…The Gift of the Magi in the right photo) 

Ann had also tabbed written remarks by Gloria Houston in the book such as….

“Since 1988, having time to trim a tree is a special event for me! When I do, my tree has only white lights and angels-gifts from more than two hundred readers.” Gloria Houston

These days Gloria is now an angel surrounded by white lights in her heavenly home. Merry Christmas Gloria…Ruthie the rag doll angel and heroine of your adorable Christmas story still looks down from the top of my Christmas tree…and I feel sure she can see you.

“Today is my favorite day”  Winnie the Pooh

“Ruthie” appears relieved to just be a rag doll again and no longer an angel on the tip top of the Christmas Tree…Welcome down Ruthie! 🙂

I love this poem written during WWII…one of my favorites for the day of Epiphany!

KID STUFF  

The wise guys

tell me

that Christmas

is Kid Stuff…

Maybe they’ve got

something there.

Two thousand years ago

three wise guys

chased a star

across a continent

to bring

frankincense and myrrh

to a Kid

born in a manger 

with an idea in his head.

And as the bombs

crash

all over the world

today

the real wise guys

know

that we’ve all

got to go chasing stars

again

in the hope

that we can get back

some of that

Kid Stuff

born two thousand years ago—-

Frank Horne (December 1942)