Ring the Bells!

Ring the bells!

Joy to the world!

Hark! the herald angels sing! Glory to the newborn King!

I hear a lot of people asking when it's okay to listen to Christmas music. I agree that it's just fine to listen all year if you like, but I don't choose to. I listen to worship music constantly. I drive a lot for work, and I have 4 local Christian music radio stations programmed on the car radio. That way I can switch if someone starts talking. The music encourages me, reminds me of what's important, recharges me, and often pulls me out of a negative mental spiral. If I can't sleep, I have a Christian music stream on my phone to play softly and lull me back to sleep.

So, when my favorite radio stations start playing Christmas music after Thanksgiving, I'm not completely happy. Holly Jolly Christmas and Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer don't have any power over my mood. For the first 3 weeks of December, though, I can usually find a station playing something I like. The last few days before Christmas though, it gets harder.

Yesterday I had a rough day. Things were busy. Lots of people needed me for lots of things. I wasn't getting my alone time, and I felt like I was under a lot of pressure. I behaved badly. I raised my voice, stormed around, cried a lot, even threw a few things. To be honest, I had a 5 year old tantrum. 

So today I was really happy to go to work. I get drive time to myself, and I even had a short day. Our old dog Maya hasn't been doing very well, and she's been riding along with me. I finished all my patient visits and charting, finished my Christmas errands, went to the butcher and got bones for the dogs. I stopped by the lake to look for birds and give the dog a walk.

As I turned the car toward home, a song came on the radio: Ring the Bells. Suddenly, I wanted to raise my arms and shout, 

"Yes! Ring the Bells! RING THE BELLS!" 

Christmas may have started with Jesus' first breath in the manger in Bethlehem, but the story really begins when Jesus took his first breath after the crucifixion and rose from the tomb. That was the breath that changed everything. That breath changed the world. So ring the bells, because the world has been given joy. Jesus gave us redemption, a gift that we should never stop celebrating.

I may be kind of Grinchy about some of the Christmas hoopla. I confess that I wrapped my family's presents in that brown paper that comes in the big Chewy box with the dog food. I still haven't made the gingerbread houses. I didn't put a wreath on the door. But Jesus is in my heart, God calls me His own, the Holy Spirit speaks to me. What priceless treasures I have because of Christmas.

Let's play some Christmas music, and ring the bells to celebrate!

Begin the Holidays

I attended a recital of Handel's Messiah with Ki'il at the local community college yesterday. It was a nice enough performance of music that is always beautiful, but I was very surprised to see the choir filled with mostly white-haired women. There were only a few college students and very few men at all. In addition, the hall was more than half empty for the free performance. I guess they come out en masse if a professional wrestler comes to town.

.

Rose

Shuffled Plans

Alsea Falls closeup (photo credit: jc)

We spent the day in Eugene yesterday. I walked the bikepaths (in flip-flops) until I wore the skin off my feet. We picked up sushi and walked to the concert, which was outdoors. It was a lovely walk through the park. At the concert, we sat on a quilt on the grass. Chris Botti and his excellent band played for an hour to open. He plays a wonderful bluesy jazz trumpet. Then Diana Krall played and sang numbers from Nat King Cole and Irving Berlin down to Elvis Costello. By the time the show was over it was dark and we walked back to the hotel under the stars.

This morning I found out that my job in Eugene was canceled and they sent me to Florence. We took the scenic route on the way over. After I checked into the hotel (on the company) and took a nap, they canceled me here too. So we took a walk and now I'll call it an early night. It's just as well. I forgot not to schedule around my period, so today wasn't a great day to work. All things considered, me and Thermacare wraps and ibuprofen are doing just fine.

Rose

At Long Last

My Specialized Expedition came on Friday and we took it to the bike shop to be put together. He was too busy to get it done on Saturday and was closed Sunday and Monday, so I finally got my bike today.


My first bike had a yellow banana seat and one wheel bigger than the other. I paid something like ten bucks to a guy who worked on bikes in his garage up Runville for it. One tire was bigger than the other.


When I got out of college, a friend gave me her old Schwinn ten speed, that she had been going to throw away. It traveled from Pennsylvania to Utah on top of the cap of the blue Chevy truck. Every time I went for a ride, I got a flat. There are lots of thorns in Utah. Poor thing didn't make the trip when I moved back east.


Now jc has gotten me this beautiful bike on eBay. I hate to bend over to reach the handlebars, and this bike rides just like a cruiser.


We're headed to Eugene tomorrow for a Diana Krall concert and a few days of work. I'm off now to make a huge batch of hummus.


Rose


Addendum: Just back from an 8 mile ride after making a gallon of spicy, garlickey hummus.

rc

Saints and Angels

This song talks about real love and true religion. I don't believe either one is what we commonly think of them as. Love isn't perfect, but it is powerful. I've learned that it has more power for me than a God that I can't see. So that makes j. a saint and an angel to me. I've loved this song for a long time; hearing it again tonight brought a warm feeling to my heart.

Saints and Angels
by Victoria Banks
(recorded by Sara Evans)

We're only human, baby
We walk on broken ground
We lose our way,
We come unwound

We're turnin' circles baby
We're never satisfied
We fall from grace, forget we can fly
But through all of the tears that we cry
We'll survive

Cause when we're torn apart
Shattered and scarred
Love has the grace to save us
We're just two tarnished hearts,
But in each other's arms
We become saints and angels

I love your imperfections
I love your everything
Your broken heart, your broken wings
I love you when you hold me
And when you turn away,
I love you still, and I'm not afraid
Cause I know you feel the same way
And you'll stay

Cause when we're torn apart
Shattered and scarred
Love has the grace to save us
We're just two tarnished hearts,
But in each other's arms
We become saints and angels

These feet of clay
They will not stray

Cause when we're torn apart
Shattered and scarred
Love has the grace to save us
We're just two tarnished hearts,
But in each other's arms
We become saints and angels

Listen to the recording here.

Rose