@GodOnTheTrain
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TITLED THE CRYSTAL PATH - QUEST FOR A POSITIVE,
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THAT’S CHRISTMASTIDE TO ME
CHRISTMASTIDE – 1. the festival season
from Christmas to after New Year’s Day.
2. the period from Christmas Eve to
Epiphany, especially in England.
I have been so caught up in the celebration
of Christmastide, I have just not had
the time to sit down and write a holiday
post. No hurry, since, thanks to my
mother, my Christmas observance is
fully extended to the maximum length.
My mother would have never permitted
a decoration to be touched until after
January 6– Epiphany – the day set
aside to celebrate the appearance of
the infant Jesus to the Magi – those
wise men from the East, sent by Herod,
who brought gifts (Matt 2:1): later
clarified and expanded upon to be
kings named Casper, Melchior,
and Balthasar offering gifts of gold,
frankincense, and myrrh.
My absolute favorite holiday CD,
the Pentatonix’s wonderful contribution
to Christmas titled, That’s Christmas
To Me - the highest-charted holiday
album by any musical group since 1962,
the fourth best-selling album in the US
for 2014. A major achievement of this
a cappella group of vocalists from
Arlington, Texas.
I might stop here, but I need to
address in this post what Christmas
means to me. I would have to
say it represents a time of peace.
Let me explain. For my family,
as a child growing up, my embattled
mother, my often frightened siblings,
and for a boy like me, living with
an abusive father who ranted and ragged
much of the time, it was a sort of family
armistice, where peace actually prevailed.
Frankly, no greater gift could I have
received, then to have a season each year
where I could live as other children lived,
in peace. I guess, down deep, this is
why I never want Christmas to end.
Let us make peace on earth a priority.
There is no better place for us to start
then in our own consciousness. If we
all could live as outlined in the note
below, as if Christmastide lasted all
year-long, at least in our minds, it would
be a giant step forward towards
accomplishing this goal on earth.
A PEACEFUL EMBER
Let us cultivate a perspective of peace,
incubating this initial intentional thought,
or imagining the warmth of peace,
knowing even a spark from a solitary
peaceful ember will ignite the full
fire of possibility.
Turning quickly away from confusion
or conflict, dispute, or distress, allow
each breath to assume a peaceful cadence,
as our thoughts and actions follow suit,
delivering us from the static of our often
hectic existence, to the tranquil, the serene,
the placid.
Realizing it is in this place of peace,
our souls are nourished, our bodies
refreshed, our regrets and misgivings
washed away, as we find firm ground
for our forward progress – clear
sailing for our becoming, a fresh
canvas our creation.
Happy Holidays.
WITH LOVE, G.
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