Third day of Advent: Christmas Letters

Twas the third day of advent and my advent calender said to me ... write Christmas letters!

This year, for Christmas I am writing letters as gifts.  I would encourage all of you to do the same :)  . Write a letter to someone you care about and tell them:
- why you love them
- your memory of meeting them
- what you love about them (yes, this is different from why you love them)
- your wishes for them
- your thoughts on something you are passionate about

Really anything would do. Share your thoughts and your love through a letter this Christmas. 

Here is a song for you to listen to as you write:

Mary Did You Know

Love you, and happy letter writing :D

.

What’s in a Name?

Hello dear ones.

Jess and I have decided to divide the newsletter and write up our portions separately.  I have also decided to turn my newletter into a blog.  This way we can both send out instalments when we have the time and when we are ready, rather than having to wait for the other or hurry to get something written.  Also I can send out a story here and there rather than waiting to have an entire newletters worth.  

The only problem was, what do we call our separate Publications???  Common Mercies was a name Jess thought of through mutual discussion.  We both love the name and what it represents dearly.  God is so good. Evidence of his love for each of us individually – common mercies – are everywhere if we will only look for them.  This is what I love to look for and find and share.  Life is sweet when can see God’s love for us, and it is bleak and dark when we can’t.  By sharing these experiences with you I see more of them and my life is brighter.  We tend to find what we look for .

So, what am I to call my newsletter now?

Jess has been tossing around all sorts of ideas, but none that express the same purpose or idea.  In exasperation she even suggested we chop the old name in half!  Mine could be called Common, and hers would be Mercies.  Hmmmp.  Asking around, one of my friends suggested (among others) the name Blessed Stumble.  I rather like this one!  It is an apt description of how I travel through life.  Lacking grace and foresight, I look around fling myself at the best point in view.  Then I raise my head and do it again.  (kinda like the donkey and the carrot)  Like a little child who is learning to walk, I set my sights on the goal and go for it.  I crash into, trip over, and fall onto things.  Sometimes it hurts, but much of the time the stumble adds to the joy – like the feeling of flying and the discovery of new things within my reach!  Either way, the struggle makes me stronger so I can run farther, climb higher, and experience more next time. 

Seeing life as a blessed stumble is an acceptance that a life full of the pursuit of learning and of seeking new experiences and of self improvement is one filled with hazards and joys.  Finding joy in the journey, let us all stumble along together.

Advent

I love creating, developing, and practicing holiday traditions.  I find these traditions help build a sense of expectation and excitement.  They can help you focus on why you do what you do, reminding you that the day or the season is special and set apart for one reason or another.  

Christmas means so many things to so many people.  It is a time to spend with family; to think of and support the less fortunate; to reconnect with those you care about (or feel you should care about); and it is also a time where we remember Christ's birth and mission (but mostly his birth).   

Unfortunately, along side with those things I love about Christmas are things I do not love.  Of Gary Chapman's 5 love languages my predominant love language is quality time.  This means I love spending time with those I care about and almost resent it when the amount of time I have to do so is limited by other obligations.  Also, my least predominant love language is gifts.  They just aren't important to me to make me feel loved.  I like them - but they rarely carry significance.  This also mean gift giving is difficult for me.  If I know what you want, and can get it for you I will.  But if I don't know what you want (as in you haven't told me bluntly several times) I won't know what to get and it is sooooo incredibly stressful for me to try and figure out what you'd really like.  This poses a problem at Christmas time where there is such a focus on gift giving. (Incidentally, if anyone is wondering what to give me for Christmas, I'd absolutely love a letter :) - really really).

Another thing I don't like about Christmas is how the different purposes are prioritized. I know everyone's priorities differ, however, the last few years Christmas has seemed a little fragmented.   

Because of this I have been trying to adopt, create traditions so the pieces of what makes Christmas for me, become more unified - like so :

Note: family includs those I was blessed to be born to and those I have adopted

Last year I adopted the tradition of Advent. Here is a description of some  Advent symbolisim and tradition from the Eric and Elaine Huntsman Family :

The term “advent” comes from the Latin adventus, meaning “coming” or “appearance.” Advent is the season marking the four Sundays before Christmas and developed as a way of helping Christians prepare not only to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ in his First Coming but also to help them look forward to his glorious Second Coming. Although Advent customs may be foreign to many Latter-day Saints, we have found that, like so many seasonal traditions, they are a wonderful way to turn our attention more fully to the true meaning of Christmas Elements of Advent liturgy existed by the time of Gregory the Great (Roman pope, A.D. 590-604), and much of the celebration was formalized during his papal reign. Many familiar Advent traditions, however, originated in Germany, where Martin Luther encouraged its continued observance as a way
of teaching children and families more about the significance of the coming of Jesus Christ. It is still widely celebrated by Roman Catholics, Anglicans,
and Lutherans and has become a common celebration in many Christian faith communities throughout the world.

One of the best known Advent customs is the lighting of the candles in an Advent wreath, a simple or decorated evergreen wreath with four candles placed in the circle and a single white candle in the center. The wreath itself represents the never-ending circle of God’s love, that he is the same and forever in his love towards his people. The green of the wreath, as in the Christmas tree, represents the hope of eternal life that comes through Christ and serves a reminder of the freshness of God’s love and promises. The light of the candles reminds us that Jesus is the Light of the World, that his birth represented the coming of the light into darkness, and that we are called to reflect that light in our lives. The outer candles are purple, the color of royalty, although customarily the third one is rose or pink. Traditions differ regarding the symbolism of the candles. One is that they represent the hope, love, joy, and peace that come through Jesus Christ. Each Sunday before Christmas an
additional candle is lit, creating a beautiful stepped-effect as the previous weeks’ candles burn down further. Scriptures can be read and carols sung as part of the lighting, which we do before family prayer. The four candles can also represent the different Old Testament covenants that God made with his servants, beginning with Noah and continuing through Abraham, Moses, and David. The central white candle is known as the Christ candle. It is lit on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day and represents the new covenant made possible through Christ.

For Advent this year I have daily scriptures, songs, stories, activities, and snacks.  I will try and keep you posted about how it goes.

I still don't have Christmas where I want it, but I like to think I am getting closer.

Note: Check out the on-line quizes to see which are you and your friends primary love languages are and how knowing this can help you care for each other better: http://www.5lovelanguages.com/assessments/love/