Behold His Sign!

I got to wondering when Christians started formally "celebrating" Christmas, once again while caught in a frenzy at my local Target. I couldn't find just regular MINT flavored candy canes. Shouldn't be too hard should it? Apparently the sour patch candy canes are all the rage with the kids, choco mint and even cherry...no mint. But that puts a dampener on a certain candy cane recipe I have. The thing that prompted my thoughts about time and celebrations, history, culture, secularism, etc and all that ball of wax was believe it or not that dang lunar eclipse. No, I did not turn into some hot werewolf babe, and kicked it Twilight style with my hubby despite how unexplainably crazy my family seems to get on full moon days. However it does get my brain going, maybe it's the gravitational pull. So of course I began my little googlie eye search and found some interesting stuff. In fact, the last total lunar eclipse that fell on the winter solstice was in 1638AD so of course this got my excitement up all the more. I am a sucker for trying to wake up at 3am on a frigid winter's morning and try to see this thing just so I can say.."I saw the total lunar eclipse of 2010! I was there!" to my grandkids. Same with Haley's comet when I was a kid, meteor showers and other rare phenomenon that you just can't see on your HD TV. It was too cloudy, and sadly I missed it and so I have to wait until 2458AD or something like that.

Now stay with me here and think about what was happening under that total lunar eclipse of 1638AD and how far we've come in technology, knowledge and culture. I am not talking about any lunar eclipse I am talking about a significant TOTAL lunar eclipse on the winter's solstice that means the earth and it's alignment haven't been the same for hundreds of years. Total lunar eclipses actually have been part to play in grand experiments, they have been a large part to play in proving things scientifically. The Greeks used it to prove how far the moon was from us to the 10%. In fact, the Dir. of the Hayden Planetarium says we can tell from this last one, what status our pollution level is in the atmosphere...kind of an atmospheric report card if you will. I wonder how we did don't you?

Some of my closer friends know that I have been interested in these eclipses for several months now and when or where they fall. Why? Well, it has occurred to me that things like this come and go and no one ponders about the significance of their happening. We sleep through most of these events, we get swept out into the economic and celebration pressures of our cultures and countries, we try to get comfortable in our cold dark world and pull the covers up over our head. I have pondered this verse for years and every year, every time I read it is rings out loud for me...LOOK UP!

And God said, "Let there be lights in the expanse of the heavens to separate the day from the night. And let them be for SIGNS and for SEASONS,and for days and years,and let them be lights in the expanse of the heavens to give light upon the earth." And it was so. (GEN 14)

Several foundational things we should know about time, calendering and increments of measure. One is that the Roman calender is Roman (pagan), set to the sun and all the celebrations set to that calender are...well....pagan. The Jewish calender is Jewish and set to the sun AND the moon and the calendering system was written into the Torah and this is why Passover and all Jewish holidays change year to year. The Islamic calender is set to only the moon and is synced up to the Gregorian calender it is called Hijri. So with that foundational knowledge transport yourself into a different "time" and imagine it is 1638AD and you are in North America. You'd be all snuggled up in your tee pee with your papoose, or smoking a good tobacco pipe...or maybe you lived in Puritan New England half freezing, and/or starving to death. Imagine what the Natives of North America thought with such a rare occasion of a blood red moon. Omen? Well, depending on how you look at it. You are here and they are not. Look what has happened in our history since 1638 AD and only then can we even grasp the

how fast we have increased our knowledge in such a short amount of time on all calenders. In my area, in the 1600s, New England puritans it was forbidden and outlawed to celebrate Christmas because they associated it with the Roman pagan festival Saturnalia. We've come a long way baby! Now we just have Santa, Buddy the elf and sour patch candy canes at Target.

So what does this have to do with Christmas, faith and all that you may ask. I asked myself the same question and mind you I am not suggesting to go back to Puritan ways or Puritan theology. But I will ask, do you think that God wants us to stop driving all over the place to get that last mint candy cane at the Walmart or take the time to open our eyes in the heart of the darkest time in man's history since 1638AD? "Hey there Lucy2Shoes, it ain't dark...I can see fine with these light up LED lights I got on special at the dollar store what are you talking about the darkest time in history?" If you can't acknowledge growing darkness in the world then you have too many LED Christmas lights shining in your face.

When we say Jesus or how about a more politically correct term "The Christ Child" is the light to the world what do you think it means? A cheap plug in lamp? We are are so lit up in our culture that we can't see the stars let alone the significance of a total blood red moon.

In New York City seeing a star is a rare occurrence and if you do see one it's time to celebrate...either that or you basically are in a black out. So what does this have to do with the lunar eclipse? It's called light pollution. Can we unplug ourselves for a while and sit in the dark, look up and witness a sign from the heavens? Can we stop searching for candy canes and soak in the actual significance of being on this planet and know that we are dwelling in just as much darkness and struggle as the natives or Puritans of North America in 1638AD?

Well in order to get our attention, maybe God is sending a little message on our time zone because we just are too blind sighted by our Christmas trees to care.

Look up (and know that your redemption is near)! Pay attention (do not be deceived for there are many who come in my name)! Watch (be alert, live unto God at all times)! Wake up (do not slumber, know one knows the hour or the day)! Arise (Get ready for the coming of the Lord)!

The Star of Bethlehem is one component to the prophesies leading up to the birth of Christ. This is why the Magi came and how they knew where to go. They were looking up and turning their brains on for directions. Calender, star alignment, prophesy and getting on that camel and going to greet the King. That's what I call action. The fact is that again I say Dec 25th really has no significance to the Christ child, we've made it on this day because of the Roman calender. But let's turn off the lights, unplug our man made lights and choose to see the signs of Messiah's coming once again. Rejoice!

Lucy2Shoes

Here is a fascinating video on the Star of Bethlehem.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=venqYheEqic

It's Christmas time....or is it?

Christmas makes people go crazy. It makes people really quite literally go insane.

I have a little insight into why with my three kids but I have to tell you we all fall into this trap.

Take the economy for one. It pretty well sucks right now. We are not sure of what happened,

but we are slow to get out of the slump we are in. Retailers are claiming a “strong November”

and of course the lure of BLACK FRIDAY hangs over our head. News shows and advertising all

sucker us in on what the HOT toy or technology is this year. In case you haven’t heard, Barbie with the camera is very hot....so apparently are Zoobles. Last year it was Zhu Zhu pets. Now back with a vengeance for round two...they battle each other with armor. Who needs a real hamster that stinks up a cage? Toy manufacturers are smart...take it from me, I’ve spent 16 years enjoying the art and talent of merchandising. It’s the goal of the manufacterer make it so we simply can’t live without that second piece, it matches or how about the whole idea of “collecting”? Buy a 7 dollar Zhu Zhu pet and they won’t work without the seven mile trailing hampster trail and battleground and hampster wheel. Even Christmas ornaments are getting insanely expensive at 8.00 a pop when really it took about 20 cents to make in China.

The reason that our economy goes up and down is largely based on how we think. Are we optimistic? Pessimistic? Are we confident about the market? It all based on Dec 25, limited products and the thought that people are confident in the consumer market. Deep discounts have accounted for the strong numbers that retailers claim early success. Once this deep discounting has started, really it will never end. Haven’t you watched how Halloween products come out earlier and earlier? The standard has been set for timing.

I walked into a store that had something cute. It was a Star Wars apron. It’s very popular.

The sales lady said, “We only have a couple left, they are flying out of the store! Super popular and....blah, blah, blah....we could put on on hold for you!” She really had me there for minute.

I imagined making my son’s day by cooking Star Wars pancakes in my Star Wars apron, for my favorite Star Wars fan. But wait....do I even WANT a Star Wars apron? How often will I really use it? In fact in Australia my sister in law has a apron with a push up bra built right inside it...I want that one!

People get persnikity too about what Christmas is, why we have it, what we should do with it, even how we should celebrate it. Merry Christmas or Happy Holidays. Grinch...don’t be a grinch! Don’t forget what happened to the Grinch by the way when he realized Christmas came anyway. He couldn’t stop it. His heart grew three times bigger! The sun will come up and the sun will go down on Christmas day. What if the whole idea of buying anything, or decorating anything simply vanishes. What would happen to the whole economy? Retailers are counting on you for their profit margin, they are counting on you to NOT find the item you want they purposely stock LOW so they don’t have to really get rid of it after Christmas. Then they have to sell it at a big time loss, bad for them good for you....if you only didn’t have that darn Dec 25th deadline.

Have you ever gone post Christmas shopping and saw how deep the discounts get and how junky the stuff gets? If you have any money left this is where the real discounts get started.

Time and economy go hand in hand. What are we counting down to? Is it real? Is the deadline real? If we apply Einstein’s theory of relativity to the whole equation...relative to TIME.

Time with family is a limited thing. Time while our children are small is a limited thing. If you are sick with cancer, time on earth is a limited thing. We try so hard to not get suckered into this deadline of Dec 25 go out and get the Zhu Zhu pet insanity, but why do we often see how our mind goes swimming upstream regardless of our views of Christmas. At the end of our life..we simply will not be able to buy more time and yet that is what is fulling our economy. Knowing we have limited quantity and a finite deadline that only God Himself has set before each one of us.

What we do with our time even how short it is what the true value in God’s economy.

Why I let my kids believe in Santa

Last night while driving my three kids plus carpooling another child as any Mom tends to do with a minivan, the big question or rather statement popped out. "Santa's not real..." "He's just a person dressed up in clothes." and the best one "Christmas is all about Jesus' birthday." 

My kids in the shock and horror of it all, told this dear friend that they had just been to Yankee Candle the other day and SEEN Santa with their own eyes! 

"We looked at his beard and it was REAL and not only that but my Mom has a picture of us with him on her phone!"

The Lucy inside me wanted to burst this child's bubble wide open and tell him that Jesus simply was not born on Dec 25, that lots of people think Jesus is like Santa and that he's not real. After all, you've never seen Jesus in person or better yet at Yankee Candle have you? But what's the use in crushing one child's faith in order to prove my point to save the faith in my own children's magic Santa man.

I loved Christmas growing up. I had packages addressed "from Santa" with my Mom's handwriting by the fireplace. We celebrated with stockings and every year "Santa" defied my request to put more CANDY and less oranges in my stocking. I wanted a Baby Alive, and an Easy Bake Oven....never got it. Why Santa, why?! Oh and my neighbor used to get heaps more loot, and she was mean to me most times. I smelled something was up with "Santa" when year after year this mean person, certainly on his naughty list got absolutely everything on her list....every year? My final crushing blow to my Santa believing days was under the wonderful advice from a friend.  Sneak around the house looking for the presents to confirm that Santa wasn't real. Turns out that "Santa" hides presents under the bed...a not so difficult place to hide them. And not that creative either. Sorry Mom.

The reason I let my kids believe in Santa? I even go out of my way to build the smoke and mirrors is simply this. The emotional "feeling" of even having faith for me started with believing that Santa was real. I mean when you are a kid, you'll believe anything that grown ups tell you right? Tooth Fairy, Easter bunny, aliens... Maybe I was more gullible than the average.

I truly believed at age 8 that Jesus was born on Dec. 25th. The story of the nativity to me was awesome and sweet. I also thought that the three "wise men" appeared that same night...just like the Christmas specials (thank you claymation). The little drummer boy, camels in snow and don't forget the animals and the stable all cozy with hay and who wouldn't love the whole scene? But it was in the breaking of my ideas and imaginations of what really is and was the truth that I have found my faith. Because the world would tell you that Jesus was not real or at least that he was not the Son of God, or a coming King or the Messiah. That just like Santa, Jesus was just like a person with clothes on. If Christmas is all about His birthday and that is why we have evergreens in our home, and we exchange presents because of the magi bringing gifts and we harold our voices and sing about the Light of the world then why do we keep telling our children fanciful stories about Santa? Why do we tell the story of Christ's birth and set up our children to believe that Jesus was born on Dec 25th?

One day my children will find out the truth, or at least doubt it because I left a hint by accident or they will begin to have a logic to them and figure out that Santa shops at Target and wraps their presents with the same wrapping paper as Mom....that's just sloppy. Or some kid will just blurt out "Santa's not real!" They will go looking for every trace of proof. They one day will go searching for truth in their own faith when people plant seeds of doubt. Evolution,Philosophies, different ways of interpreting the scriptures...you name it, will come hurling at them in a history class or even in 2nd grade holiday party. 

Santa never fulfilled prophesy, neither did the Easter bunny. Jesus did.  

He's not the reason for the season. The reason for the season is a melding pot of pagan traditions and Roman festivals pretty much sums it up. Gasp...not Christmas! Yes, Christmas. For me, this girl has looked under the bed once again....and found what I was looking for. The Truth. It kind of spoils the fun of having a magic fat man that would give me that Easy Bake oven some day I'll admit.

We need to be careful what we teach our kids as truth... feed their faith! 

http://www.hebrew4christians.com/Articles/Christmas/christmas.html

Lucy2Shoes

 

Why am I doing a blog?

Well, good question. Upon the changes in my life and many friends telling me I'd be good at it. Here goes nothing. This blog will basically be my musings on my interests and please understand I will probably offend some people...but it's my blog and I can do what I want here in cyberspace.

Then again maybe these musing will never be read by anyone and these musings will be like the echoes on the edge of the Grand Canyon. So that being said the reason I chose Lucy2Shoes is because my Mom saw me more like Lucy from the old cartoon Peanuts and frankly I like her style. She's philosophical and all she wants is a nickel for her psychological advice that she most generously offers to Charlie Brown. She's in love with an artist who loves Mozart and gets her jollies by pulling the football out right at the last minute for poor old dear Charles. Yep. I like her style. Lucy in all her pride and spunk is still one of my favorite characters and I still chuckle when she yanks that ball... Lucy needs grace like I need grace. Don't you just wish ONCE she would let poor Charles kick that football? Nope...missed again.