The Perfect Hallmark Christmas

I'm a big movie person.  Sadly, with two small children, this often entails TV movies rather than the actual theater.  1 1/2 hours, if I forward through the commercials, seems to be just about as long as I can stay awake before I start to nod off in my chair.

The kids are in bed, so I make my tea or hot chocolate and settle in for another movie with a guaranteed happy ending.  This year, Hallmark has taken over my viewing while the couple of shows I normally watch are on hiatus for the holidays.  I have watched most of the 2016 Hallmark movies and I have to say that I've noticed a trend.

This year's favorite plot line seems to entail a youngish woman who works too much and focuses solely on her career.  She starts out on a journey and gets sidetracked or has an accident, landing her in "Christmas Town" or some version of the sort.  At first she is annoyed.  How will she continue to work in such a middle of nowhere place?  But as she notices the decorations, the holiday traditions and the handsome man she bumps into while looking at Christmas trees, things start to get interesting.  She more than likely will fall in love and realize that the spirit of Christmas is family, traditions and love. She'll ultimately decide to move to "Christmas Town," and the movie will end with a kiss!

I love it. I eat it up, because I love Christmas, I love romantic comedies, and some days I just want to experience a happy ending, even if it's just on TV.  Of course, after watching so many and figuring out the plot line, I do get a little bored at times.  A friend said she had to take a break from them and go back to her crime series.  My husband began questioning why I watch them and why I need to see such "perfect" Christmases play out?  He has started to wonder whether he needs to dress more like the Christmas Town hunk.

It's a fun holiday tradition, but I know that real life is not a Hallmark movie.  Real life is messy and exhausting and doesn't always end up the way we wish it would.  To be honest, Christmas is a lot of extra work.  Especially for a mom with two kids under five, equaling approximately seven loads of laundry each week, daily dishwasher emptying, cleaning and much more.  Buying, wrapping, decorating, finding the perfect Christmas photo.  (See past posts!)  It all takes time and has really prevented me from taking time to think about the reason for the season.

I'm realizing that I'm ok with messy.  I'm ok with a Christmas that isn't perfect.  But what I will take away from my Hallmark binge watching is that the spirit of Christmas is what's important.  God's son Jesus brings us love, peace, joy and hope for the future.  He reminds us that love and family and a future with him are what is most important at Christmas and throughout the year.

Blessings to you this Christmas.  May Christ meet you in the mess and lead you to peace abundant.

The Quest for the Perfect Santa Photo

I admit it. I'm a bit of a perfectionist.  Especially when it comes to Christmas and photos.  I want to have the perfect photo of my kids to send out with Christmas cards or post on Facebook.  This year it led to a crazy journey!  Santa loves our new town very much, so we had the opportunity to see him four times.  Each time we tried for the perfect photo and failed.  The last one, however, everyone agreed is a classic.  Enjoy!

Santa Quest #1

    Santa is very surprised by something.

Santa Quest #2

            "This candy isn't real!!!!"

Santa Quest #3

    "It's the big man in the red suit, nooo!!!"

Santa Quest #4

     Santa is very tired from so many photos...

Santa Quest #5

    The expressions are priceless...

Pie is the reason for the season

A week ago I was enjoying a rare child-free lunch at a restaurant chain.  As I was breathing in the quiet and slowly savoring each bite, I looked at the dessert menu.  I snapped this photo because I couldn't stop laughing.  "Pie is the reason for the season"?  Really?  

Interesting how advertisers and even restaurants try to capture your heart during the holiday season, claiming that their product is the reason for the season.  I do like a slice of pie now and then, but can we really claim that pie is responsible for an entire season of love, joy and peace?  Gift-giving and receiving.  Time with family and friends, enjoying each other's company?

And then, in the same day, I saw the other extreme.  On this mattress store, they had painted the words "Happy Birthday, Jesus."  Now, that's a message I can get behind.    

The reason for the season is someone who came in quietly, born as a babe in a lowly manger.  

As Placide Cappeau so beautifully wrote in 1847:

Led by the light of faith

serenely beaming

With glowing hearts by his

cradle we stand.

So led by the light of a star

sweetly gleaming,

Here came the wise men 

from Orient land.

The King of kings lay thus

in lowly manger

In all our trials born to 

be our friend.

Amen.

Mary

                Photo by: Maxime Le Conte des Floris

Mary~

A quiet

scared

humble

teenager

willing to carry inside of her

Hope~

the quiet comfort

sustaining presence

soft

serene

embrace

that captures fears

with the silent wisdom

of a single star in the pitch black sky

Willing to carry inside of her

Peace~

the deep longing

for calm surrender of white flag waving—

angers distilled

hate stripped away

beauty pouring over

filling up the aching gray spaces inside

Willing to carry inside of her

Joy~

a coming out of the empty places

with laughter

filling

sustaining

leaping

twirling

glimmering

dancing

with arms wide open

Willing to carry inside of her

Love~

the indescribable,

glorious

heart of God

A quiet

scared

humble teenager

was

Willing.

~A.Laska 12/7/04

Monday Meditation: Peace

                            Photo by:  Ian Schneider                                     

Slowly, Peace Ascends

Flames dance on pools of color
Reflections in the eyes of a hurting people
Silence of a solace found,
awaiting with quiet
the hope which is to come.
Still with wonder,
uncovering the darkness,
of hearts left in silence.
Slowly, peace ascends
Hope,
etched in silver,
dances with the eternal flame.
Love comes,
resting in straw
crying as a babe.
Hearts open to infinite peace
of the Savior born as child.

A. Laska ‘99

Harder than it has to be.

Christmas cards...the bane of my existence....I mean, the things I love to create for my loving family and friends... 

Every year I love receiving Christmas cards.  I can't wait to come home each day and check the mailbox to see which ones have arrived.  I love the pictures cards with smiling faces on beach vacations.  I love the sparkly snow-fallen landscapes.  I love hearing from friends I haven't heard  from in a year.  It's a fun tradition that I enjoy.  

However, sending the cards is something I've come to dread.  Every year I seem to make it harder than it has to be.  I have to find the perfect photos from the past year or have a family Christmas photo taken.  This is easier than it sounds, since I take thousands of photos each year and it is pretty much impossible to get a Santa photo without someone crying.  (Santa post to come next week!)  

After picking the perfect photos, I spend hours looking through layouts and comparing prices from online retailers.  I usually end up with the same one, but I always check just in case.  As I'm uploading the pictures to the site, something usually goes wrong.  The site crashes, it doesn't save my card, it won't take my payment method, something.  I try to take a deep, cleansing breath and start over again.  Inside I want to throw the computer across the room and say "The heck with Christmas cards!" But I refrain.  

Christmas stamps are another thing.  I love all the different types that come out each year.  Of course, instead of buying one type, I decide to buy one of each.  Then, as I'm addressing and stamping approximately 80 cards, I decide it is a good idea to pick a stamp for each person.  So wrong.  So much harder than it has to be.  

And then there are the years when I decide to write little notes with the cards.  Don't even get me started...

Needless to say, I have recently finished my cards and needed a moment.  

Maybe the good news comes not in Christmas cards, but from the angel.

"The angel said to them, 'Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.  For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.'"  ~Luke 2:10-11

I need Jesus to save me.  For many reasons, but mostly to save me from myself.  I make many things so much harder than they have to be...

Baby Jesus

My son is in love with the baby Jesus.  

Since becoming a big brother 16 months ago, he has loved babies.  He loves to hold and hug his sister.  He loves making her laugh and shows her his toy cars.  He's also come to love other babies.  Whenever he sees one in a store or on a walk, he'll say, "Look Mom, a BABY!" with a huge grin on his face.  

I'm pretty sure his preschool has been talking and reading about the first Christmas story recently.  The other day, we were reading a book about it and he pointed to Jesus, and said with the same huge grin, "Look Mom, the BABY Jesus!"  On another occasion, he was looking at the book and put his hand on the manger and kissed the head of baby Jesus.  Beautiful. 

I look to my son's example and think about his precious, innocent view of the Savior's birth.  It reminds me that the God of the universe did in fact come to earth as a tiny baby.  One we could hold in our arms.  One who would cry at night and need a diaper change.  He became a tiny human so that we could find grace and love.  

Let us look to the King with wonder and awe as He comes to us as a babe.