More stress than sincerity: Should we reconsider the way we celebrate holidays

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We should absolutely reconsider the way we celebrate Holidays. I capitalize Holidays, because of where the word hails from: Holy Days. We should keep these days Holy, and celebrate with our family and friends with a pureness of spirit. Holidays are a great opportunity to celebrate and give thanks. We need not get bogged down with commercialism and stress.

From Thanksgiving to Valentines day and on to Easter, you should look at what the days really mean to you and decide if they are even worth celebrating at all. If you find that you want to pay tribute to these Holy Days, then lets get to it. Don't compare yourself to what you see on TV, read about, or see in those around you. Just put your heart into it, and play hard.

For the sake of this article, let's only look at Thanksgiving and Christmas. These are the Holidays that are imminently upon us. And believe me, for many, maybe even for you, the stress and anxiety have already begun.

Thanksgiving gives us an opportunity to count our blessings. We have food on our table, a roof over our heads, and friends to celebrate with. Even if the food comes from your local soup kitchen, the roof is the blue sky, and the friends are those around you at the soup kitchen, there IS a reason to celebrate. Life. God has given us a rich gift, and he meant us to revel in it. His Word says, in Philippians 4:4 "Rejoice in the Lord always, and again I say rejoice."

Christmas comes quickly after Thanksgiving for us adults. The children, who are excitedly counting down the days, may think the time seems to drag. For shoppers Christmas begins on black Friday. The day after Thanksgiving. The biggest shopping day of the year.

Since we are talking about avoiding stress and commercialism, and celebrating these Holy Days from our hearts and with our spirits; let me tell you this. You can enjoy a good black Friday without hurting your bank account. You can go, enjoy the crowds, get a bite to eat and an idea of what kinds of things you like, without even spending a dime on shopping. Believe me, it can be done. If that's what your budget requires, then do it. Enjoy the pleasure of being out and about, without the hassle of waiting in those long lines.

Christmas is the celebration of Jesus' birth. There are many ways to do it. Search your heart and decide how you would like to celebrate this Holiday. Whether you go to a party or two, a Christmas pageant, or sit around with a few friends and family talking and enjoying one another's company; there is much to celebrate and revel in. Jesus was born. God lived, breathed, and walked as a man.

And, think about this. In the Bible, Jesus said, "For even the Son of man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many." (Mark 10:45) So, when you go out and celebrate Jesus' birth, however you choose to do it, remember, He came to serve us. How can you emulate Him? Who can you serve?

Not All Who Wander Are Lost

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Not all who wander are lost. Although, I'm sure I often seemed lost to the people around me. I would cry, scream and bang loudly. I would jump, laugh and dance. From early fall 1995 until June 13, 2005 I did not stay in the same place for longer than five months. I was a gypsy and a vagabond. Most of the time I was in a different place every day.

What was I doing? I was pursuing my dream. I was an actor. I worked for the Hampstead Stage Company, the Georgia Shakespeare Festival, the Kentucky Shakespeare Festival, the Virginia Shakespeare Festival and the Baltimore Shakespeare Festival. Just to name a few.

I toured the South East, the East coast, New York and Pennsylvania, the Pacific North West and Texas and Louisiana; all these with just one company. It was a blast. Though the fast food really did catch up with me quickly, and PMS can be wicked bad on the road, I never did get tired of hotel rooms. They were my surrogate home, probably more comfortable to me than my mother's womb.

I remember times, when I was settled, temporarily, in Louisville, Charlotte, or DC, when I would pass a hotel in my car and get home sick. I'm serious, wanderlust for me is an illness. I have a gypsy's heart.

Was it worth it? Yes, it was worth it, every minute of it:

Louisiana in the height of spring, with all it's marshes, is the most lush and beautiful thing. It has so many depths of green, your eyes can barely stand it.

The Redwood Forrest is my favorite place in the world. I feel so diminutive among the forest's enormousness, and the color there, is like nowhere else.

The Shenandoah Valley in Spring, was absolutely glorious with all it's Dogwoods and color to beat the band.

The Shenandoah Valley in Fall, my partner and I were convinced that we missed a turn, and were somehow in Ireland.

Driving into Portland, Oregon with cliff's and waterfalls on my left, and a huge river on my right, and then boom, city in the distance. It was magical, like driving into Oz.

Being convinced, no one can be in a bad mood in the Pacific North West, you could try, but as soon as you walk out into the majestic beauty, all is wiped away.

Having a child ask me, after a performance, "Do you have a baby?" I replied, "Do I have a baby, is that what you said?" And, she grinned like a Cheshire cat, and responded, "That's what I said."

Taking mini-vacations in between jobs to NYC, the city of all cities, was a bit opulent or gluttonous. I don't know the right word, let's just say...it was all grand,

and yes, it was worth it.

I did finally decide to settle down. Why? I was desperate for a family. I had yet to find my life mate among the theatre tribe. I desperately wanted to be equally yoked with a man and bare his children. To be equally yoked, I would have to find a Christian man, with a bit of wanderlust. A tall order, I know.

Did I find him? Yes I did. We've almost hit our one year anniversary. It has been one hell of year. Much has been learned, and we've been renting the same house for twelve whole months. However, I don't think our wanderlust has been squashed.

We still dream of living in NYC or New Hampshire or Baltimore or Seattle. We still talk of traveling when we find our next money tree. And, we still pray about mission work in Burundi, Africa, or wherever our Lord might send us.

"Not all who wander are lost." This is a wonderful quote from the end of Julia Roberts' film, "Mona Lisa Smile." Kirsten Dunst's character spoke it, in voice over, while writing it into an article for the school paper. She finally came to terms with the teacher figure, Julia Roberts, and even learned something from her as a person. Just because the teacher was different from Kirsten's country club set, (I mean she was the Jones' of "Keeping up with the Jones'" fame, aren't we all different?) and even thought the teacher seemed to bounce around in relationships and life, did not mean she was lost. It meant she had a wonderful grip on her own life and a taste for discovery and freedom.

A STUDY OF KLIMT AND THE BIBLE (me so)

Song of Solomon 1:2-4
Let Him kiss me with the kisses of His mouth
For your love is better than wine.
Because of the fragrance of your good ointments,
Your name is ointment poured forth;
Therefore the virgins love you.
Draw me away!

Genisis 2:9
And out of the ground the Lord God made every tree grow that is pleasant to the sight and good for food. The Tree of Life was also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledgeof good and evil.

Genisis 3:22
Then the Lord God said, "Behold, the man has become like one of Us, to know good and evil. And now, lest he put out his hand and take also of the Tree of Life, and eat, and live forever."

John 16:21
A woman, when she is in labor, has sorrow because her hour has come; but as soon as she has given birth to the child, she no longer remembers the anguish, for joy that a human being has been born into the world.

I Samuel 1:20
So it came to pass in the process of time that Hannah conceived and bore a son, and called his name Samuel, saying, "Because I have asked for him from the Lord."

I Samuel 1:22
But Hannah did not go up, for she said to her husband, "Not until the child is weaned; then I will take him, that he may appear before the Lord and remain there forever."

NOW, THIS IS WHERE THE GAME COMES INTO PLAY. SEE IF YOU CAN GUESS WHICH QUOTE GOES WITH WICH PICTURE. Hint: some pictures have more than one quote.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY HELIUM

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Happy Birthday Helium! And, many happy returns.

You have been such a blessed gift to me. How can I even begin to sum up in words alone, what a God-send you are? I will delight in giving you a virtual hug and kiss on this, your very special day.

I discovered Helium, in the midst, or shall I say the ending of, a very horrible seven month depression. I was desperate for a way to drag myself out of it. One night, I thought it might be fun to take a creative writing class. I imagined such a class might be a necessary creative outlet for my starved soul, as well as a way to get out of the house, and meet new potential friends.

So, I Googled it. The first thing I fell upon was Helium, and I immediately joined. My first article was a poem for the title "Voices." It was a poem about suicide, though honest, it was very bleak and pathetic. The writing wasn't even very good. Next I wrote a slightly better article about "Weird Friends." Then came the grand slam. The article that made me remember who I am, the one that began to battle, with a vengeance, the voices with-in my head. It was a short story, for the title "Writing." It was about a young school aged boy, who wanted to be a writer when he grew up. I am proud to say, it has faired quite well in earnings and ratings.

My point is, in my depression, I wrote one bleak, depressing poem, and it was all up hill from there. My spirits lifted with each new word penned, with each day a world of possibilities opens before me. Because of Helium, I have also created a blog, and joined My Space, in order to market my work. Helium has cast a wide net of opportunities for me. Helium has given me a reason to get up in the morning and an outlet for my artistic personality. Helium has given me a voice and an audience.

Helium is such a supportive and positive environment. The staff are nothing short of miraculous. I have virtually met some people, and have found true friends. One lady in particular, has been a great mentor and confidant for me.

I will be forever grateful to you. May God bless you, Helium, as you have richly blessed me, on this your very first birthday.

VISUAL DIFFEENCE BETWEEN A SUNRISE AND A SUNSET

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How can you tell the difference between a sunset and a sunrise in a photograph or painting? If you were not there, or if you did not create the art yourself, how can you be sure which is which? Likewise, or, dare I say, more importantly, how can you tell the difference between a description of a sunrise and a sunset in someone's writing? Most importantly, how can you describe a sunrise or sunset in your own writing, with such specific attention to detail, you don't even have to tell the reader which is which?

SUNRISE

I was asleep. All I wanted was sleep, or so I thought. I was on vacation, and I needed some much sought after rest. For some reason, my eyes popped open. I had specifically taken all the clocks out of the room, before going to bed, to allow myself the leisure of sleeping in as long as possible.

Now that my eyes were open, they were beginning to adjust to the dark. It was dark! I should not be up, but then I noticed some semblance of light peeping through the blinds in my vacation rental.

I gave in and walked over to the window and pulled open the blinds. My senses were bombarded by sheer beauty. Just like me the world was beginning to wake up. Outside of my window was a large field with one tree, and then a lake. The tree was probably older than my great grandfather, who used to own this land. It was bare of leaves, and pale white light was peeping through its limbs, and dancing about, as if it was asking me to come out and play. I had to oblige.

I pulled on a sweater over my night gown and walked downstairs. I didn't even bother with coffee, for fear of missing a moment of this majestic gift the creator was bestowing upon me this morning. I walked outside and sat in one of the old rockers on the back porch.

The air was cool on my skin, the boards were a bit damp under my toes. The light was growing around me. In the midst of the tree, was a giant orb of light, expanding as it climbed up the tree. It reminded me of my youth, when the neighbor used to tell my mother I was in the tree again. My mom told me of this recently. She said she used to tell old Dot, "I know, but don't say anything to her, she doesn't know it's dangerous." My mom was sure I was safe, as long as I was sure as shootin' that I knew what I was doing, and I never broke a single bone.

The world around me smelled beautiful and new. I looked out over the lake, with the fog raising off of it. I saw a man in a kayak, who seemed to be rowing into the orb of light. Everything around me was at perfect peace. It was the hush before the day began.

Below the white orb, a line of yellow was forming. But it was not the growing or changing colors that alarmed me with their beauty. It was the newness of light all around me, as well as the knowledge that I had been awakened to see it, all alone, and beautiful. A gift from my maker.

SUNSET

I had dinner at an old friends house. It was situated on a little hill, on the other side of the lake from my great grandfather's old property. A small group of us ate outside, on the porch. We were facing the lake, and were content to sit and talk, long after the food had been eaten. Our conversations were expansive and hilarious.

Suddenly, a quiet hush fell over us, as we looked out over the lake. I can tell you, for me, it felt as if a large hand rested on my shoulder and a small still voice whispered in my ear, "Look, there is more to see." The light was disappearing. But, there was no fear as we faded into darkness. The water was four different shades of blue. I wanted to slip away into it, and live within it's beauty. The huge orb was orange, but you could barely see its outline in a swath or bright orange and yellow, it was as if the water was on fire, but again, no one was afraid.

We sat in peaceful silence, as our day disappeared into the water. For all we knew, the light would never return. But we were confident in the magnificence of the gift we had been given for this one day. As quietly as it began, darkness descended. The lightening bugs came out, our hostess got up to turn on a porch light and lit some candles, and the conversation and laughter returned. No one spoke of the sunset. The beauty was too big for words.

So you see, a sunrise and a sunset are very different, and the differences can even be put into words.

ROAD TRIP

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I am a traveler. I like to say, I do it for a living. When I was a child, I wanted to be a truck driver when I grew up, so that I could sleep in the cab. I thought those cabs were so cool. I'm not a truck driver. I'm an actress, a gypsy. In all my travels, I have never really gotten that "check the oil" thing. I mean I do check the oil...occasionally.

When I think of road trip horror stories, many eventful trips come to mind. However, there is one particular road trip that stands out above all the others. Let's call it: "The Day I Had To Sell My Traveling Home."

I was alone, traveling from Center Barnstead, NH to Silver Spring, MD. I was in my mini-van, which I inherited from my mom, upon graduation from college. For the sake of full disclosure, I must tell you, before this trying moment, I had already blown the engine in this van once. I also have to tell you, I have a fetish for driving I-95 South, straight through New York City. I love the skyline.

So, we begin.

I arrive in the good old Bronx, USA. It's hot as all get out, and I have no air conditioning. However, I'm listening to some pretty jamming music, so I'm okay. I sit in stop and go traffic for well over an hour. My car overheats, starts to smoke, and promptly dies. Somehow, I manage to pull over, crying my eyes out. I call home, crying my eyes out. I must get some sort of thrill out of stressing my mother out. What can she do for me? She's in NC, and I'm in NYC.
Well, she is the voice of reason. She calmly reminds me to call AAA.

The tow-truck finally comes, and takes me from the Bronx, USA to Jersey. I have the tow truck guy drop me off at a hotel, being that it is too late to find a mechanic. I'm still okay, I find a strange sense of serenity in hotel rooms, my home for many years.

The next day, the car of my travels, actually starts. So, I find a mechanic, only to discover that my only recourse is to sell my home on wheels to this man for one hundred measly bucks.

After I have accepted this tragedy,the mechanic gets me a cab to the airport. My goal is to obtain a rental car. No go. No one is going to lease a car to a woman under 25. This is when my true colors really begin to shine through. I'm a bit of a Drama Queen. I yell at the sales clerk. She yells back. Can she not see that I am crying? I am desperate. Whatever happened to the customer is always right? I'm crying, so I call my mom. It's, apparently, good for her stress levels, for me to call her every time I'm freaking out.

I do finally get a rental, somewhere else. I go back to the mechanic, to clean out my car, and am quickly back on the road to Silver Spring, MD. Drama over. Right? Wrong. I have not collected payment yet on my home on wheels. I have to retrieve the title and pass it on to the mechanic, before payment can be remitted. I'm a starving artist. I mail the Title the day I get home, and two months later, after a long wait and a frustrated phone call, I finally receive my check.

Could I have done anything to avoid this disaster? Of course. I could have checked the oil. I could have even sprung for an oil change. And, I could have bought a map, studied it, and circumvented the inevitable stop and go traffic that is the Bronx, USA.