Tis the Season... (Part 2)

Every time I watch a Charlie Brown Christmas, I cannot help but get choked up when Linus talks about the meaning of Christmas. And this is really interesting because I haven’t been to church regularly in about 2 years. My faith is still very much alive inside, though, and at Christmas, it reminds me of Jesus and who He became to the world. For me, I’d say most of my thinking happens when I’m cooking.  

Luke 2:40

And the child grew, and waxed strong in spirit, filled with wisdom: and the grace of God was upon him.

Regardless of how you or I feel about religion, Christmas really has nothing to do with you or me. It has nothing to do with gifts ands lights and decorations (though I still love them)… it’s all about HIM…about Jesus and what his birth and his life meant to the world, and thus, what we can become to the world. Christ was a beacon of hope for helping the needy, feeding the hungry, and loving the world. He was and is an icon of GRACE.

No one can deny the inspiration Christ has brought to so many of us to love with abandon and continue to hope. Who of us can’t celebrate that? It is so hard to think of Christmas as more of an internal rather than external celebration, but if I could do that, Christmas truly becomes amazing. I would feel honored to be a fraction of the person Jesus was.

This Christmas season, as you might have guessed, I have done a lot of cooking. It is a way I can serve others and is very therapeutic for me. With a roller coaster of a year behind me, I truly want to use this season as a way to energize and get excited for the year ahead and the changes I want to make within myself. As much as Christmas is about loving others, I have realized how vital it is to show yourself as much, if not more, love.

Though it is easy to think of our pains and loneliness, Christmas would be transformational if we used it as a time of encouragement, reflection, and introspection. It is my prayer for us all that we could find a way to relax and regroup, whether it be over a cup of tea, or in cooking or baking something delicious for loved ones. 

  I hope you are encouraged this December in knowing that it doesn’t have to be so exhausting, but if we can slow down and recharge, some wonderful things could happen. For me, cooking forces me to slow down and think about the process rather than the end result. I am beginning to understand that the result would be nothing without the process, and that applies to every aspect of our lives.

As it is Christmas Eve, I wish you a day full of love and hope and serenity.

"There is more to life than increasing its speed." Gandhi

 

~Linbrooke

Tis' the Season... (Part 1)

Remember

This December,

That love weighs more than gold!

~Josephine Dodge Daskam Bacon

It’s that time of year again. A time of laughter, joy, glitter and gold. Or…rather, that is what the Christmas season is meant to be- but is it really? I have finally admitted…Christmas is a disaster. Now, before you roll your eyes and label me a cynic, hear me out.

After a month of endless parties, gift-exchanges, and family get togethers, frankly, I’d like to crawl in a hole and hibernate the rest of winter. I stumble through the season declaring “good tidings of great joy which shall be to all people!” But…I don’t feel very joyful. How unfortunate that we look forward to this season all year only to meet it with frustration, anxiety and loneliness.

I know I am not alone in this due to the numerous conversations I have had with people who tell me Christmas is the saddest time of the year for them. It just doesn’t seem right. In all honesty, the expectations we have for Christmas are verging on the ridiculous side. I'm not sure we feel up to capacity on most other days of the year, much less an entire MONTH of shopping, parties, over-eating, smiling and more smiling, emotions, and loneliness. Can't we just admit… it is hard? Lonely? It’s more of an expectation than anything else. And I, like so many others, find myself lonely and overextended during a season where comfort and joy should be in abundance.

Our inspiration and encouragement behind Christmas can transform our lives…if only we will choose to see the wonders of God’s love and grace. It’s also been an essential reminder to me that the wonders of Christmas can extend throughout the year if I will let them.

 A director of the Food Pantry stated the other day that people are not just hungry at Christmas, but unfortunately the warehouses are mostly empty outside of the holidays. This applies across the board to our emotional, spiritual, physical and professional lives. We focus small pockets of time in hopes that it will carry us through the rest of the year. 

In the days approaching Christmas, I’d like to tell you a little about my journey through Christmas this year, and why I am thankful it has been so difficult. Though I am sure that sounds odd, I feel I have learned some wonderful lessons this year that will help me to love both myself and others better throughout the following year.And don't worry...there will obviously be some good recipes! My mom, sister and I are hard at work in the kitchen this week, so you know it's going to be good uber yummy.

 Be blessed this week, and remember to show grace and love to those that need it most…you have no idea what burdens we are all carrying. I’d like to end this first part with a verse that provides me incredible encouragement, and perhaps you as well:

Matthew 11:28

Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

~Linbrooke