The Light of Christ and a neighborhood filled with luminaries

Christmas.

It is a special time of year for many, and yet, a difficult time for others. While some are immersed in the joy of Christ’s birth, others find themselves stuck in the mire of the crucifixion.

During this year of mercy, we are asked to live and breathe the gospel message. What does that mean for us? It necessitates that we walk the walk of our faith, but that we meet others where they are. It means speaking with gentleness and giving with a servant’s heart. It means embracing the Light of Christ and illuminating the path toward Heaven for others as well as for ourselves.

During Mass on Christmas Eve, the lights were dimmed in our church and we sang Silent Night while the nativity was illuminated. Sometimes the world seems so dark and painful, but the Christ Child has brought with Him the light.

 

The Nativity at our church

On the way back from Mass, we stumbled upon an entire neighborhood alight with luminaries lining every street and every driveway. The parkway was filled with thousands of tea lights in paper bags. It was breathtaking. It was peaceful. It was the embodiment of Silent Night.

Thousands of luminaries filled the streets
of one local neighborhood!

I asked my husband to stop the car and I asked a man standing on the street how the neighborhood had organized such an undertaking. He said that he had no idea how the candles had gotten there, but that it was such a wonderful and beautiful blessing to him.

Whoever planned this remarkable gift clearly had the Light of Christ in their hearts. Those luminaries were seeking me, pulling me, begging me to come to the manger that night. They calmed my weary soul. They renewed my spirit. They engaged my heart and brought me to my knees ~ for such a simple light, when multiplied, illuminated the entire neighborhood. How much more can we illuminate the path for others when we do as Mother Theresa said, “small things with great love?"

This Christmas, do something small. Say hello on the street, drop off brand-new mittens and a hat to the homeless shelter, buy someone a cup of coffee, offer a hug to someone who looks like they may need one, let someone go in front of you in line, smile at the weary cashier. Be the Light of Christ as we remember the infant Jesus.

Wishing you peace this Christmas!

The nativity at my parents' house.

Taking Photos for Photos With Santa

I was asked to be the Photos With Santa photographer at Talk About Curing Autism Illinois Chapter’s Holiday Party.

Word of mouth lead me there (thanks, Susie), but a piece of my heart always will be left there.

Talk About Curing Autism Illinois Chapter is a center in McHenry County, Illinois devoted to educating, supporting and informing parents whose children have been diagnosed with autism.  What was clear to me after setting foot in the building was that TACA is much more than that – it is a family.

Written on the wall is a sign that reads: Faith makes all things possible, not easy.

 

How true that is for all families, but in a special way, for these families.

Each of the children I met came with amazing parents. The smiles on the children’s faces mirrored the smiles on their parents’ faces, which tells me that these parents know exactly what they are doing – loving their children and walking the walk with their children, each and every day.

If you are in Illinois or Southern Wisconsin, you can visit the TACA Illinois Chapter here to find out more about their services or how you can volunteer.

Also notable was Santa Mark.  He was enthusiastic and compassionate. Santa, along with his wife, brought kind words, an understanding smile and the wisdom that only the gentlest of Santas can bring. Whether he smiled unnoticed by the child on the stairs in front of him or stepped off the set to kneel beside a wheelchair, Santa made sure each child was comfortable and acknowledged. He knew just what to say and when to say it. It was wonderful just watching him interact with the families.

I am grateful for the opportunity to have worked with the owners and staff at Talk About Curing Autism Illinois Chapter, and I truly feel blessed to have met some of the amazing children who have walked through their doors.

Here are a few of those special moments:

Santa Mark made room for everyone!

Santa Mark was content to stand in the shadows while this young lady took her photo front-and-center on the steps.

Santa Mark graciously indulged the children in some friendly "beard-pulling!"

This little guy visited Santa for the first time ever! Way to go, buddy!

One of the staff members pictured with her daughter.

Another staff member with her husband and daughter ~ enjoying these special moments with Santa.

Advent: Week One

This Advent I am spending a lot of time focusing on patient anticipation.

Does that sound oddly juxtaposed? It should.

I have little ones. My youngest, who just turned five, has anticipation all wrapped up. She has very little patience. My oldest, nine, understands the idea of patience and waiting. 

But what about us? Do we have a handle on patient anticipation?

Each week of Advent, our family eagerly anticipates the lighting of a new candle. We have to be patient. This week, we only can light one candle – all week long. The countdown to Christ’s birth lies in front of us each evening – it is so close, but are we ready?

I choose to focus on readying my heart. In the midst of the anticipation, we must ask ourselves how we best can use these four weeks – weeks we can fill with quiet reflection and gratefulness.

A friend of mine suggested focusing on one specific type of prayer during each of the four weeks of Advent. It was brilliant. She generously allowed me to share here.

This week, our focus is on adoration. It fits perfectly with the Advent study I have chosen this year: Truth in the Tinsel.  It is a wonderful scriptural tour of the people and events that lead up to Christmas and includes very easy crafts that are centered around the Bible reading for that day.

The last two days we have focused on Isaiah 9:1-7, which fits in well with our focus on prayers of adoration – God is Wonder-Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

The same God who gave his Son to be born in a stable and placed in a feeding trough comes to us and seeks us without rest. The same God who is the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, longs for us to come on bended knee.

So, I am patient – I am going before my God in adoration this week. And I am anticipating – the coming of the Christ-child.

One more idea is to read one of these books. We have all three and rotate them every year.

In Thanksgiving for ...

Every year as Thanksgiving approaches, the season of fall makes me a little bit hungrier for family and friends and for the comforts of home.

I am thankful that my family lives relatively close by. My kids have grown up knowing their grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins.

I am thankful for good friends who help us celebrate the season of thankfulness as well. This week we will gather with some dear home school friends and make candles, learn more about the pilgrims and create felt leaf garland that I hope will become a treasured heirloom.

Again, we are hosting Thanksgiving and I am spending this week preparing: making lists, baking bread, making pie crusts for pumpkin pie, cutting up ingredients for sausage ~ pear stuffing, baking sweet potatoes and making cranberry sauce.

This year I am focusing on putting my recipes on recipe cards! I know. It is the 21^st century and I could easily store them on the computer.

I have done that in the past.

But my husband has this blue plastic box of wonderful, slightly-stained recipe cards given to him by his mother when he left for college. It is so much fun to look through the cards – dinners that my husband loved, cookies he baked, and casseroles he maybe didn’t really like. I love thinking about how his mother wrote with love all these recipes that he would take with him over 14 hours away and then back again. I want my children to one day open a treasured recipe box filled with memories and love. So this year I am making a Thanksgiving slot in my box filled with all of our traditional Thanksgiving family favorites so that one day my girls can reminisce about the memories that we are making today.

Now for that other list: washing the floors, dusting, setting the table, making “thank-you” cards, etc.

Wishing you and your family and friends a love-filled Thanksgiving.

My youngest had a birthday this weekend.

My beautiful new baby holding my hand

Yes, my youngest just celebrated her birthday. It is exciting and sad all at the same time. My baby is growing up.

It doesn’t seem like that long ago that we brought home this new little addition to our family. She was a good sleeper. Content. Smiley.

Now, she is writing letters, counting and teaching us about compassion and love.

But there is a unique story to her birth – one I hadn’t planned on.

I had planned to have my baby with just my husband, my doctor, the nurse and me. It seemed reasonable for a sort of private person.

Well, while my husband had lunch my mother-in-law came in to chat. She always has had a rather calming effect on me, so I welcomed the distraction.

But then, baby was coming. In the rush of trying to get my husband to the room (he made it, just barely), she asked (well, sort begged) to stay.

There wasn’t time. She stayed. It wasn’t in my birth plan.

She watched me during probably one of my most difficult moments; that was humbling.

It was my mother-in-law who announced to me that we had a baby girl. She saw my baby before I did. She told me I had done a good job. She cried tears of joy.

My husband cradling our newborn's sweet little feet

At the time, I don’t think I appreciated having someone there, seeing me perhaps at my worst. But, when I think about my mother-in-law sitting with my daughter during church and whispering, “I saw you be born,” I realize just what a beautiful bond that created for the two of them.

So, five years on, I am incredibly blessed. Happy birthday, sweet child!