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Under the Tree – What Gifts Will You Find?

December 15, 2011 - Posted by Ellie

Will there be the gift of play?

It might be easy to run away to a monastery, away from the commercialization, the hectic hustle, the demanding family responsibilities of Christmas-time. Then we would have a holy Christmas. But we would forget the lesson that we who are followers of Jesus do not run from the secular; rather we try to transform it. It is our mission to make holy the secular aspects of Christmas just as the early Christians baptized the Christmas tree. And we do this by being holy people — kind, patient, generous, loving, laughing people — no matter how maddening is the Christmas rush…

— Fr. Andrew Greeley
Woman’s Day 12-22-81

Despite my reluctance to join the ranks of those who have merchandized the spirit right out of Christmas I am raising my voice in praise of toys. Yes, TOYS! I am of the not-so-humble opinion that toys are a secular aspect of Christmas that we should run toward… and, in childlike fascination, we should revel in the creativity and imaginative play that toys engender.

Surely all God’s people like to play…

— John Muir

BTW – you Facebook-ers – have you helped assure that one more needy child will receive a very special Christmas gift because of your daily efforts? ABC7 reports 50,000 clicks to their Spark of Love Toy Drive but their goal is 70,000! Help them get there by December 23 – every day your click contributes $1 and helps buy one more playful toy for a needy child:

LIKE IT!

“Like” ABC7 on Facebook and a $1 donation goes to the Spark of Love Toy Drive, thanks to our partners! (From now to Dec. 23)

See – there are some good things you can do even if YOU are one of the harried and hurried.

Ok, back to toys and transformation… In keeping with today’s techno-savvy world, a very playful social media maven created a clever telling of the Nativity Story – click on the link and then HOLD ON TIGHT for a Digital telling of the Christmas story – brought to you via the techno-toys of today’s generation: Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Google, Wikipedia, Google Maps, GMail, Foursquare, Amazon… and by reader Xelliott123’s 11 year old, techno-savvy granddaughter! Continue reading » Under the Tree – What Gifts Will You Find?

Put the Sparkle Back in Your Holidays!

December 13, 2011 - Posted by Ellie

Photo credit: BriYYZ

Take some time to enjoy the sparkle of the holidays!

It is good to be children sometimes, and never better than at Christmas when its mighty Founder was a child Himself.

— Charles Dickens

As we get closer to Christmas some of us – me included – are beginning to feel the pressure of the impending date and everything that must be done by the 25^th. And, before we morph into Star Trek “grumps”, I say it’s time to Continue reading » Put the Sparkle Back in Your Holidays!

Joy Everywhere!

August 16, 2011 - Posted by PattiAnn

Photo credit: Rennett Stowe

The question is not what you look at, but what you see.

— Henry David Thoreau

It’s been a week since the last big stock market crash. How was your week? The one thing you can say for these big galumping moves is that after a while they’re almost boring. If you haven’t figured it out by now, I can give it to you on great authority that the best thing for your peace of mind is to not watch. Watching the market on these days is sure to put you on the funny farm.

There’s no rhyme or reason to it. You see, it’s all done with Continue reading » Joy Everywhere!

Life Lessons From a Farmer on a Tractor

February 24, 2011 - Posted by Ellie

Photo credit: Cushing Memorial Library and Archives, Texas A&M

Where do you find your life lessons?

Play acts as a forward feed mechanism into courageous, creative, rigorous thinking…

— Tina Bruce

Sometimes life lessons are learned the hard way… and afterwards, we pick ourselves up and ask: Ok, what did I learn? And then we carry on.

Sometimes life lessons are learned the easy way… they’re delivered by other people who have learned and shared.

And sometimes life lessons are learned in Continue reading » Life Lessons From a Farmer on a Tractor

Stukkk in Resolutions

January 20, 2011 - Posted by Ellie

Photo credit: faungg

Life’s been all work and no play lately, you say?

I try to take one day at a time, but sometimes several days attack me at once.

— Jennifer Yane

Geez, three, count ’em THREE posts already from me about New Year’s resolutions – you’d think I was stukkk in resolution mode! But more than likely I’m stuck in feeling that, no matter how busy I am, no matter how much I do, “it’s just not enough”. I get to the end of the day and I make a list of what I did because, without it, I’m feeln’ like Continue reading » Stukkk in Resolutions