Epiphany reframes it

Cartoon from blog " Of course i could be all wrong"
e·piph·a·ny [ih-pif-uh-nee] noun, plural -nies.
1. (Initial capital letter ) a Christian festival, observed on January 6, commemorating the manifestation of Christ to the gentiles in the persons of the Magi; Twelfth-day.

Epiphany is on it way. In addition to being the cap on the Advent season and 12 days of Christmas, it also happens to be my birthday. Normally, I love the fact that my birthday is connected to this time of celebration - but this year I already find myself a little melancholy over the fact that the big wrap up is on it's way.

It's been a great Advent and Christmas season so far. Both my husband and I work in youth ministry and we've spent many days during Advent working with youth on service projects in order to help them to give back. We've make Christmas cards, delivered them to a nursing home, visited a youth home, helped sort and organize gifts for kids and families and as Christmas day approached our group rang the bell and stood at the red kettle for the Salvation Army.

My work also includes working at an individual church where Advent and Christmas tend to be the busiest time of the Church year. There are festivals, special events, Sunday school pageants, mitten trees and special worship services to prepare and participate in. Needless to say when looking at this list of things I love, it's a busy time of year. As the Christmas worship services drew near, I was so excited for the upcoming holiday to be with friends and family and to enjoy all the baking and gift giving to come.

In the week between Christmas and New years, my family and I have had many home-made dinners, my husband and I have been on a few dates, we have spent time with good friends, I've read a good book and started another and I even finished a painting I'd been working on for months. This week of rest, fun and celebration moved so quickly, that it makes me long for just a little more time to soak it all in. I think moving towards Epiphany and my birthday are a reminder that this rich and joyous time is coming to a close. If I'm honest, I'm not quite ready to move past Advent and the 12 days of Christmas. I'd really like a little more time to ponder and celebrate. Wouldn't you?

Another definition of epiphany is: a sudden, intuitive perception of or insight into the reality or essential meaning of something, usually initiated by some simple, homely, or commonplace occurrence or experience.

In the predawn hours of this morning, I woke up to a foot of new snow outside my window. I got myself dressed in lots of layers and took my dog out for a jaunt in the untouched terrain. The night before, there was no snow. We've had an untypical snow free winter so far in Western NY up to today. I was impressed by the transformation of my outside world. Every single thing - including me and my dog - was covered and encased in a thick, clean layer of white. The whole world was reframed and looked brand new in the almost light of dawn.

This time - according to the calendar on the wall - for Christmas celebration is coming to a close by the end of this week. I'm even planning on going to an Epiphany party to have one last HURRAH for the holiday season. While it may be time to take down the tree, I don't think it's time to take the spirit of celebration away completely.

Just as my world was reframed by a foot ( and more to come) of snow falling, my daily life can be reframed by joy, hope and love all year long; if only I get out there to witness and take part in it. My melancholy comes from a place insisting that I pack up all the things I love about the holiday season.

While the way of celebrating life and love may change with the seasons, the acts of: taking time for rest, going on a date with my husband,doing service projects that make a difference and taking time for laughter with family and friends
are practices that should be a regular part of year long celebration in 2012.

May my snow inspired epiphany be one that lasts long after it melts away. May this epiphany be one that lasts 365 day long to fill a year with joy, hope and love in my life and those around me.

Happy New Year!
Tara

Sunny and rainy day friends

There are two kinds of friends in the world: Sunny day friends and rainy day friends. This is a statement that my Mom used to remind me of when I was in the midst of drama or conflict with one school friend of another. There are lots of people that we define as friends, but they are really acquaintances. Two men were out hunting in the northern U.S. Suddenly one yelled and the other looked up to see a grizzly charging them. The first started to frantically put on his tennis shoes and his friend anxiously asked, "What are you doing? Don't you know you can't outrun a grizzly bear?" "I don't have to outrun a grizzly. I just have to outrun you!" This story is funny, but it does help define the distinct difference between a rainy day friend and a sunny day friend. The sunny-day-friend is more concerned with watching out for their own health and wellness, than their friends' wellbeing. On the other hand, a rainy day friend is willing to take risks, work fo

FCE - Dog stroke in spine

Kahlúa is our 15 year old dog that we adopted from the Humane Society when she was four. She joined our family and has been with us for eleven years so far. This morning we found her laying on the carpet in the dining room and was unable to get up and go outside. After letting her rest for a few hours, I gave her some bread to eat and she got up. She was wobbly so I scooped her up and took her outside to go to the bathroom. She managed to remain standing for a few minutes, but was back down quickly. Her back legs did not want to support her even though she was trying to walk. By this point, she had begin to cry so I called the vet and they said to bring her in for an evaluation. My kids and I tearfully wrapped her up in a blanket and drove to the vet. It seemed as if we were sitting in the waiting room forever. The vet told me that her heart, eye function, and lungs were great - also taking into consideration her age of 15! The problem seemed to be FCE - firocartilanginous embolism: w

Gifts we have to give

So often people will think of the areas of life that they fall short or what may need some improvement. I think there is some wisdom in knowing where we need some work as humans, but I also feel it is equally important to learn, foster and use the gifts each one of us are instilled with. So here is the challenge or question that I'd like to present: "What gift(s) has God given to you that can be used in the care and ministry of loving others?" How have you seen that gift used in the past? How would you like to use it? If you dream big and I dream big together - how could God work in that big pool of gifts in the lives of others??? Let's share our gifts today and dream of what they can accomplish for God's purpose! 1 Peter 4:8-10 (New International Version) 8 Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. 9 Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. 10 Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others,

Uphill idealist

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