The Real Meaning of Christmas

I'm still in the far away land. Tonight I went to wal-mart to get my oil changed, and have to pictures developed at around 5:30PM. As I was just cruising around the story around 6:00pm I saw this lady with her cart, her children, a clip board, and pen. I thought that lady is so organized! Well, a minute later I saw another person this time a man with a cart, his children, a clip board, and a pen... I don't know of any man who 1) Can really go shopping with all his kids and 2) USES A CLIP BOARD! So at this point I knew that something was happening. With in a few minutes this wal-mart was packed with people with clip boards looking for certain things. There was a different feel about these people NONE of them were pushy or rude. However at this point 6:15PM the store is as packed as the day after Thanksgiving. I did not see a single person (other than myself) without a clip board looking for things.

So I finally asked someone what they were doing she replied that each year the community comes together and each family buys something for a person in need. Wal-mart has lists of what is needed and the people pick up a clip board and shop for another person who would not have a Christmas without another's kindness. As I walked outside I was surprised to see three big u-haul trucks being filled with the items the families had purchased.

The thing that really hit me as amazing was that the store was stuffed with people who took a day off from the normal Christmas shopping to help out someone who was less fortunate. Although there were carts and people EVERYWHERE people were smiling and showing the real meaning of Christmas. It was very touching to see people really coming together.

But after all I can say Linus says it best...

We Are The Reason

I love this song. Every time I really think about it I am just amazed at how much God loves me.

I'm so tired

By the way only 9 days 7 hours and 58 min until Christmas!!!
Or 813596 seconds!

Graduation

Graduation was wonderful, to say the least! It seemed to go by so fast. I got two, count 'em TWO bouquets of flowers. They are so beautiful. They are in the center of my table and I keep looking at them. Thanks to everyone that came. After the ceremony I hung around and took pictures with family and friends. And then I took my limo over to Roadhouse for dinner. It was so much fun, we had a blast in the limo. After dinner we dropped a few people back off at there cars and the rest of us drove around the rest of the night just goofing off and having fun.

The following morning came so earlier, I don't know if you can really call it the following I had only slept for about 3 hours when it "was time to get up, we are going to disneyland!". The early wake up call was from my little sister. So with my family we went down to disneyland and played around some more. I got a annual pass, so I will be going more this year... yay! One of the best parts was hearing the piano man play Christmas songs while we were sitting outside drinking hot cocoa.

Yesterday evening two of my sisters and I went to the crystal cathedral and saw the glory of Christmas. It was a great show, if you have time go see it. By the way Thursdays are discount days. The show had really animals, amazing flying angles, and great music. My only complaint was that our seats had a bad view of the left side of the stage. So try to NOT get seats on the left side of the church. We got back to our motel room again kinda late and this morning we again got up too early and went to disneyland "really quick" to ride a few rides and came home. I love spending time with my family. And the getting up earlier and staying up late makes for a lot of fun memories (and grumpy little girls!) :-)

Now tonight I was planning on going to bed and getting a good nights sleep but I was just invited to go party with some friends, but the party does not start till 10pm! Man, this is going to be another late night...fun...but still late!

Christmas is the best!

I love Christmas! It is one of my favorite holidays. I love setting up a Christmas tree, spending time with family, attempting to cook goodies. I love to sit by the fireplace at my parents home and just hang out/sing Christmas songs/ talk about things that happened when we were kids that my parents never found out about! I love to window shop-- I like for two reasons 1) I have no money so I couldn't buy anything even if I wanted to and 2) I don't have to stand in line to buy something! Another thing I love to go look at Christmas lights, right now there are still more that need to be put up in my neighborhood but the few that are finished are really cool. I love that my heart is softened I and have more compassion for those who have less then I. I love getting Christmas cards. I love to say "Merry Christmas". I love listing to Christmas music. I love reading about the birth of Jesus.

Christmas time is such a wonderful time mainly because it's the time that I seem to remember what Jesus did for me. How He alone loved me so much that he suffered and died for me. And I get this time of year to celebrate His birth and remember Him. Many times in my life I have questioned His existence and I'm sure again I'll question whether or not He's really there. I've come to believe that is the purpose of life. In other words to keep convincing OURSELVES that God is really there, cares about us, and knows what's best for us and that is why we should follow Him. Go see Even Almighty, it's a great movie that really tells how God will give us things that we don't understand to help us and our families.

Last night I got sooooo excited about Christmas and I was all alone in my apartment-- so I surprised my parents by going to their house and spending the night and to today with them. My mother can play the piano so amazingly (if thats the right way to spell it!) I love to hear her play. Well I asked her to play some Christmas songs, just for the fun of it. As she was playing one of the songs I think it's called, Mary's boy child, me and little D started singing along. My other sisters who were around must of heard us singing so off key and were attempting to save my poor mother from the off tuned voices joined in singing with us. It was amazing to say the least... all six of us girls were singing songs as my mother played. Man, I think everyone it that room felt the Spirit of Christmas. I loved it. I'm looking forward to singing Christmas songs with my brothers and sisters and their children.

The Candy Cane

I've heard this before... I like the story A LOT, but I'm not sure it's true. I think many times people make things up so they will sound "cool". But none the less, I love to story and it can remind all Christians the real reason for the season.

Candy Cane

The True Meaning of Christmas

The development of the candy cane took a few hundred years. Before the invention of the modern pacifier, parents used to give their babies unflavored white sugar sticks to suck on. During the 1670's a German choirmaster had the sugar sticks bent into a shepherd's staff and passed out to children attending the Christmas services. This holiday custom spread throughout Europe and fancy canes, decorated with roses, were used as Christmas decorations in many homes. About 1900 the white candy cane received its traditional red stripes and peppermint flavoring. At the same time the legend of the candy cane came into being. According to this legend, a candy maker in Indiana designed the candy cane to tell the true story of Christmas - a story about a virgin giving birth to a shepherd who would give up His life for the sheep.

The most obvious symbolism used in the candy cane is its shape. Turned one way, it looks like a "J" for Jesus. The newborn Lamb of God was named Jesus, meaning Savior, because He was destined to "save His people from their sins" (Mt 1:21). Turned the other way, candy canes remind us of the shepherd's staff. The first people to hear of Christ's birth were shepherds guarding their flocks at night (Lk 2:8-20). Jesus called Himself the Good Shepherd and the Bible frequently compares the actions of the Messiah to those of a shepherd searching for his lost sheep, feeding them, gently leading them, and carrying them in his bosom (Ps 23; Jn 10:1-18; Is 40:11; Jer 31:10; Micah 5:4; Heb 13:20). The sweetness of the candy reminds us that we are fed on the sweet milk of the Gospel of our salvation and peace (Eph 1:13; 6:15).

The hardness of the candy reminds us that Jesus is our rock of refuge (Deu 32:4, 15, 18; 1 Sam 2:2; 2 Sam 22:32, 47; 23:3; Psa 18:2, 31; 28:1; 92:15; 94:22; 95:1; Is 44:8). In rocky lands like Israel, people often sought shelter from their enemies in the caves or rocky crags of cliffs. Rocks also remind us of the solidness of the promises of Christ who is a precious cornerstone and sure foundation to those who follow Him, but a "stone of stumbling and a rock of offense" to those who reject His gift of peace (1 Pet 2:6-8).

The whiteness of the candy brings to mind the Virgin Birth and the sinless life of Christ (Mt 1:23; Lk 1:34-35). We also are made as pure as the snow through the cleansing action of His blood (Rev 7:9, 14; Is 1:18).

The traditional candy cane has 3 small red stripes to remind us of the soldiers' stripes by which we are healed and a larger stripe which represents the blood shed by Christ on Calvary's tree (Is 53:5; Mt 27:32-50). Some people say that the 3 small stripes honor the Holy Trinity while the larger stripe reminds us of the one true God. Others claim that the small stripes represent our mini-passions or sufferings and the great stripe symbolizes Christ's Passion. A green stripe is sometimes placed on candy canes to remind us that Jesus is God's gift to us. (Green is the color of giving.)

The peppermint flavor of modern candy canes is said to be similar to hyssop. In Old Testament times, hyssop was associated with purification and sacrifice. During the first Passover celebrations, a bundle of hyssop was used to smear the blood of Passover lambs upon the doorposts of houses so that the Angel of Death would pass over their occupants (Ex 12:22). Bundles of hyssop were also used to sprinkle blood on worshipers and objects during Mosaic purification rituals (Ex 24:6-8; Lev 14:4, 49-52). After his affair with Bathsheba, King David appealed to God's mercy crying, "Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me and I shall be whiter than snow" (Ps 51:7). Peppermint reminds us that Jesus is our Passover Lamb (1 Cor 5:7). His blood cleanses us from sin and destroys the power of death (Hosea 13:14; 1 Cor 15:54-57; Heb 2:14-15; Rev 20:6).

Except where otherwise indicated all scripture quotes are from the NKJV.

The other news...

I was at a new grad luncheon today for a hospital about 45 mins from my home. Most of the hospitals in the area host a new grad luncheon in hopes to recruit people to their hospitals. And just a side note the food has been great at everyone of them and they give away really cool prizes (but I didn't win anything!).

Well, back to my story, this hospital I applied for several weeks back, but it really was not my first choice heck it's not even my 4th choice! But today, I had the feeling that this hospital is the place I need to start my career at. I got the job on the spot, I'm just going to be waiting for the state to file and sent out my paperwork then I can start. I'm kinda hoping that the state does not send me back anything until after the Holidays are over! This job as a lot of good things and a few not so good, but for some reason I feel really strongly that this is where I'm supposed to be. It's a smaller one compared to the ones near my home, and I worked there a few years back for about a 1 1/2 years. So I guess I'll see what the future holds. And it also helps that they have a really big sign on bonus! But just so you know I didn't know what the sign on bonus was when I decided to become part of their organization.



CHRISTMAS PLANS...

For this Christmas I'm going to be spending it at parents house for a couple of days. The week before I will be going to see my grandparents who live a few states over. I can't help but remember the last time I went to visit them... I kinda broken into their house at 3am! Some friends was going to through where they lived that night; I was going to take the bus there the following morning and because they are so cool they said they would give me a ride, so it just made since to hitch a ride from them. I didn't wake them up but at 5:30am my grandpa woke up and he just about had a heart attack seeing me sleeping on his couch! The real hard part was getting back home... but thats another story for another day.

Only 22 more days till Christmas!

Christmas!!

Christmas Has Been Canceled



It's all YOUR fault!

You told Santa that you were GOOD this year...


AND HE DIED LAUGHING!!!

Holiday Eating Tips

I hate aspects of this time of year. Not for its crass commercialism and forced frivolity, but because it's the season when the food police come out with their wagging fingers and annual tips on how to get through the holidays without gaining 10 pounds.

1. About those carrot sticks. Avoid them. Anyone who puts carrots on a holiday buffet table knows nothing of the Christmas spirit. In fact if you see carrots, leave immediately. Go next door, where they're serving rum balls.

2. Drink as much eggnog as you can. And quickly. Like fine single-malt scotch, it's rare. In fact, it's even rarer than single-malt scotch. You can't find it any other time of year but now. So drink up! Who cares that it has 10,000 calories in every sip? It's not as if you're going to turn into an eggnogaholic or something. It's a treat. Enjoy it. Have one for me. Have two. It's later then you think. It's Christmas!

3. If something comes with gravy, use it. That's the whole point of gravy. Gravy does not stand alone. Pour it on. Make a volcano out of your mashed potatoes. Fill it with gravy. Eat the volcano. Repeat.

4. As for mashed potatoes, always ask if they're made with skim milk or whole milk. If it's skim, pass. Why bother? It's like buying a sports car with an automatic transmission.

5. Do not have a snack before going to a party in an effort to control your eating. The whole point of going to a Christmas party is to eat other peoples food for free. Lots of it. Hello? Remember college?

6. Under no circumstances should you exercise between now and New Years, You can do that in January when you have nothing else to do. This is the time for long naps, which you'll need after circling the buffet table while carrying a 10-pound plate of food and that vat of eggnog.

7. If you come across something really good at a buffet table, like frosted Christmas cookies in the shape and size of Santa. Position yourself near them, and don't budge. Have as many as you can before becoming the center of attention. They're like a beautiful pair of shoes. You can't leave them behind. You're not going to see them again.

8. Same for pies. Apple. Pumpkin. Mincemeat. Have a slice of each. Or, if you don't like mincemeat, have two apples and one pumpkin. Always have three. When else do you get to have more than one dessert? Labor Day ?

9. Did someone mention fruitcake? Granted, it's loaded with the mandatory celebratory calories, but avoid it at all cost. I mean have some standards, mate.

10. And one final tip: If you don't feel terrible when you leave the party or get up from the table, you haven't been paying attention. Reread tips. Start over. But hurry! Cookieless January is just around the corner. (from http://www.basicjokes.com/djoke.php?id=1057)