Christmas songs during Advent

Is it OK to listen to Christmas songs during Advent? This is something that has been an issue since my husband became a priest about 13 years ago. Before he went to seminary, we listened to lots of Christmas music throughout Advent. Somehow, over the past 10 years, it became an issue; it wasn't Christmas so no Christmas Carols until Christmas. We also celebrate the 12 days of Christmas where Christmas Carols are allowed. These end on Epiphany, the Three Kings Day which we celebrate at the church.

So here's an article by Dennis Bratcher who, like my husband until today, prefers to put off Christmas caroling until Christmas. For Dennis, it's a matter of hope, a period of hope before the birth of Jesus and the real celebration is Christmas day, the day we glorify the birth of our Savior.

For me it's about hope that the world needs to continue. Hope that our lives will improve with the blessings of God. Hope that we can do God's will today and everyday. Hope that we live one day at a time and in the now, not in the past or in the future so we miss out on today. Hope that we learn to treat each other with kindness, compassion and as equals because God loves each of us the same. The grace of God falls on each of us.

Part of my discipline is to treat each person as a person God loves. I have various people to whom I give alms. However, there's one guy who is always asking for alms, and I just want to run away from him. There was always something that truly bothered me about him. Knowing that I am to treat each person with dignity and give alms to those who ask, I decided to give him his quarter. That's what we usually give hear in Panama. Once I became willing, I didn't see him where I usually do. The other day, there he was. I reminded myself that I would give him alms and as usual, he came up to me. I gave him his quarter and he was genuinely surprised and grateful. I smiled and said "Vaya con Dios" and in that instant I could see his humanity, I could feel love and compassion for him.

So what does this have to do with Christmas music? Well, I know no one reads these posts, so I figure I can write anything I want as a diary and know they will be secret. I brought up the Christmas music because much to my surprise, my husband is listening to our iTunes' Christmas play list. We have another week until Christmas and we're listening to The Bob's "Too Many Santas," James Brown Christmas, The Bells of Dublin, and "Carols from a New and Old World." I love those songs and I hope to listen to them until Epiphany even though we will be living in the States where they don't celebrate it like they do here.

I pray that everyone has a wonderful Christmas and a Happy New Year.  If for any reason someone other than me actually comes to my site and reads this, I hope you drop me a line and let me know.

May you have many blessings throughout the rest of our life and all future lives.

Human Planet Audio show

A friend of mine just sent me this link of a 7 minute slide show about people around the world. They are from the depths of the world we don't normally see. What I loved about it is the perfection of the photography, the colors, the beauty of the various places, the way people painted up their faces, the way they dressed, how the water stops in mid-air, that what was daily routine for them is what we would never think of.

As the photographer says in his narration, every one of them is just looking for shelter, love, community, food, safety, sharing. These are the needs of each one of us. By connecting to these needs, we can have compassion toward them and each other; we can be reminded that everyone is connected, everything on the planet is connected. We are all part of the same greater spirit living inside us, wanting to take care of all our needs, comforting our feelings, being heard, being taken seriously, being taken care of, taking care of others. All these actions affect others, and the connection of our actions live on in the actions and thoughts of others.

Hope you enjoy the show.

You Are

I got this from a friend on FB. I don't who wrote it. It's on several inspirational web sites listed as 'Author Unknown.' So, as it is free for all, here it is.

 You are strong ..
when you take your grief and teach it to smile.

You are brave ..
when you overcome your fear and help others
to do the same.

You are happy ..
when you see a flower and are thankful
for the blessing.

You are loving ..
when your own pain does not blind you to the
pain of others.

You are wise ..
when you know the limits of your wisdom.

You are true ..
when you admit there are times you
fool yourself.

You are alive ..
when tomorrow's hope means more to you than
yesterday's mistake.

You are growing ..
when you know what you are but not what you
will become.

You are free ..
when you are in control of yourself and do not wish
to control others.

You are honorable ..
when you find your honor is to honor others.

You are generous ..
when you can take as sweetly as you can give.

You are humble ..
when you do not know how humble you are.

You are thoughtful ..
when you see me just as I am and treat me
just as you are.

You are merciful ..
when you forgive in others the faults you condemn
in yourself.

You are beautiful ..
when you don't need a mirror to tell you.

You are rich ..
when you never need more than what you have.

You are you ..
when you are at peace with who you are not.

Raw Peanuts

I'm going through my shelves to finish eating all the food before I move. One of the things I have is raw peanuts. I've been throwing a handful on my salads every night and really enjoying it. I decided to look up raw peanuts on line to see what they have to offer nutritionally.

What I found is that they are high in protein, have lots of good fats, and great for ones health.   They are good for the heart, the colon, and help those with anemia.

My salads have a really nice taste with the peanuts in them. I like the subtle flavor and the extra crunch. They seem to be good with any kind of dressing that I've used so far. Enjoy adding peanuts to your salad and help your heart.

Peace and serenity are only unimaginable to those without the wings of faith.

oil cleanse

I have not tried this because I just found out about it. According to the article The Oil Cleansing Method, you mix castor oil and sunflower oil for cleansing your face and your skin. This replaces using soaps which dry skin out. I have the dryist skin in the world. It hurts most of the time due to the dryness. I tried putting olive oil on it after bathing, I'm back to using whatever lotions I can get to make it feel better. I am willing to try this method for a few weeks to see what happens. 

I may be better able to do it once I'm back in the States which will be in 2 weeks. One reason is I don't have hot running water unless I'm in the shower. Even then, it's not always hot. This method is mostly for the face, but with my dry skin, I am willing to try it on my whole body.

If you find this interesting, please try it and let me know. I would love to hear from you.


The distance is nothing; it is only the first step toward it that is difficult.

Guided by Spirit

For the last year I've been reading "The Journey," a daily Bible reading program which was given to me by one of the members in the congregation at the church. I have found it very interesting and have even taken on some of the practices brought up in it. At the end of each reading is a question for reflections. Today's reading was titled "The Baptism of the Holy Spirit" which discusses John the Baptist's prophecy regarding the coming of Jesus.

Today's question is, "Have you experienced the fullness of God's Spirit working in and through you? Explain." I find this question wonderful. I have felt the Holy Spirit working in me, guiding me, and helping me. There has been no doubt that there is something that helps me move forward in my life, that gives me faith. The most recent was back in October when I received an email from a friend of mine. Here is the first part of the email:

This is my favorite Bible Verse. ...I think some times I have seen "to give you peace".

11 For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. 
 ...
Dear Woman of God
Be still for a while and praise God for His favor, His grace and His awesomeness
God is able to do the impossible and is always near
He loves us unconditionally.

I though that is was a nice Bible verse and moved on with my day. Well, that afternoon I went to my Bible Study group. We were given handouts and started to read them aloud. My turn came and as I read, there it was, Jer. 29:11. Now I have never read Jeremiah before and to get the same verse twice in one day told me the Holy Spirit was giving me a message. Indeed that turned out to be the case. I found out at the end of October that my husband and I are moving to California, no job, just faith. I'm am so excited I can hardly stand it. There are so many possibilities for us. We have a place to stay and I have faith that my Higher Power will guide me through this time. My heart is filled with excitement and hope. I know this message was sent to let me know that God has a purpose for us in the next journey in this life. God has plans for us to prosper. We are blessed with hope and a future. I believe God blesses all of with hope and a future.

Regrets of Dying

I didn't get permission to copy this so I'm giving you the link, too. I don't know who T Kelly is and I hope she doesn't mind me passing this piece of wisdom on. Personally, I cried when I read this. That is because over the last 7 years, I've been breaking out of decades of depression. Although there's still some work to be done,  I'm happier now than I ever have been in my life.

I choose happiness and serenity. When I made that continuous choice 7 years ago, my life slowly began to change. When I realize I still have some major changes to make, I feel overwhelmed. But then I work toward that goal one day at a time, doing my part for the moment. That is all I can do for now. Things in my life are changing rapidly. I am moving to California in two weeks which has been my dream for the last 4 years. I'm spending Christmas with my family for the first time in almost 15  years.

What I see in the article below is all the regrets I have had and were depressed about. That is the nerve it touched when I cried while reading it. I know there are more changes to make. I pray I will have the courage to make them so I don't regret them on my dying bed. I will make these changes one day at a time, following the will of my Higher Power, the Holy Spirit who guides me through each day, every moment of the day. These five points happen to be how I now live my life to the best of my ability, with the help of the Holy Spirit.

Top Five Regrets of The Dying
December 1, 2011 By T Kelly

For many years I worked in palliative care.
My patients were those who had gone home to die. Some incredibly special times were shared.
I was with them for the last three to twelve weeks of their lives.
People grow a lot when they are faced with their own mortality. I learnt never to underestimate someone’s capacity for growth. Some changes were phenomenal. Each experienced a variety of emotions, as expected, denial, fear, anger, remorse, more denial and eventually acceptance. Every single patient found their peace before they departed though, every one of them.

When questioned about any regrets they had or anything they would do differently, common themes surfaced again and again. Here are the most common five:

1. I wish I’d had the courage to live a life true to myself, not the life others expected of me.
This was the most common regret of all. When people realise that their life is almost over and look back clearly on it,
it is easy to see how many dreams have gone unfulfilled. Most people had not honoured even a half of their dreams and had to die knowing that it was due to choices they had made, or not made.
It is very important to try and honour at least some of your dreams along the way. From the moment that you lose your health, it is too late.
Health brings a freedom very few realise, until they no longer have it.

2. I wish I didn’t work so hard.
This came from every male patient that I nursed. They missed their children’s youth and their partner’s companionship. Women also spoke of this regret. But as most were from an older generation, many of the female patients had not been breadwinners. All of the men I nursed deeply regretted spending so much of their lives on the treadmill of a work existence.
By simplifying your lifestyle and making conscious choices along the way, it is possible to not need the income that you think you do. And by creating more space in your life, you become happier and more open to new opportunities, ones more suited to your new lifestyle.

3. I wish I’d had the courage to express my feelings.
Many people suppressed their feelings in order to keep peace with others. As a result, they settled for a mediocre existence and never became who they were truly capable of becoming. Many developed illnesses relating to the bitterness and resentment they carried as a result.
We cannot control the reactions of others. However, although people may initially react when you change the way you are by speaking honestly, in the end it raises the relationship to a whole new and healthier level. Either that or it releases the unhealthy relationship from your life. Either way, you win.

4. I wish I had stayed in touch with my friends.
Often they would not truly realise the full benefits of old friends until their dying weeks and it was not always possible to track them down. Many had become so caught up in their own lives that they had let golden friendships slip by over the years. There were many deep regrets about not giving friendships the time and effort that they deserved. Everyone misses their friends when they are dying.
It is common for anyone in a busy lifestyle to let friendships slip. But when you are faced with your approaching death, the physical details of life fall away. People do want to get their financial affairs in order if possible. But it is not money or status that holds the true importance for them. They want to get things in order more for the benefit of those they love. Usually though, they are too ill and weary to ever manage this task. It is all comes down to love and relationships in the end. That is all that remains in the final weeks, love and relationships.

5. I wish that I had let myself be happier.
This is a surprisingly common one. Many did not realize until the end that happiness is a choice. They had stayed stuck in old patterns and habits. The so-called ‘comfort’ of familiarity overflowed into their emotions, as well as their physical lives. Fear of change had them pretending to others, and to their selves, that they were content. When deep within, they longed to laugh properly and have silliness in their life again.
When you are on your deathbed, what others think of you is a long way from your mind. How wonderful to be able to let go and smile again, long before you are dying.

Life is a choice. It is YOUR life. Choose consciously, choose wisely, choose honestly. Choose happiness.

Source: http://www.activistpost.com/2011/11/top-5-regrets-of-dying.html