Developing Family Traditions: An Introduction

Greeting Humble Readers...

I have been thinking a lot lately about the traditions that we celebrate and carry on in our family, and about how I want to develop some new traditions for our little family.  Coincidentally, the lovely ladies over at PAIL Bloggers have chosen this topic as the November theme posts.  Talk about great minds thinking alike!

tra·di·tion

noun \trə-ˈdi-shən\

Definition of TRADITION

1. a: an inherited, established, or customary pattern of thought, action, or behavior (as a religious practice or a social custom)  b: a belief or story or a body of beliefs or stories relating to the past that are commonly accepted as historical though not verifiable
2. the handing down of information, beliefs, and customs by word of mouth or by example from one generation to another without written instruction
3. cultural continuity in social attitudes, customs, and institutions
4. characteristic manner, method, or style tradition

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Definition courtesy of http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tradition

 

I feel that I need to start with a few pieces of information.  First of all, I'm coming at this whole topic from the framework of my Christian faith, and how we commemorate holidays, holy days, and the every day celebrations are all informed and shaped, in large and small ways, by what we believe.  Second, I'm not one to follow a tradition just because 'we always have'.  Traditions should have meaning and purpose, even if that purpose is simply something fun.  But if the sole purpose of a tradition is because it's fun, and over the years it becomes un-fun, well then why the heck are you doing it? 

 

I think, when most people think of traditions, they think of the biggies... the things they do around the big holidays, like Christmas, Thanksgiving, and Easter.  And those are good starting places.  But when I look at my family, I want to have celebrations throughout the year, marking the wonders of the everyday as well. 

 

And I think, for my family, an important part of our future traditions, whatever shape they take, service to others will play a role.  At least I hope it will. 

 

So, in the weeks to come, I will be writing about the things we do now as traditions, and things that I am hoping to incorporate in the future.  Some will be frivolous and silly, others, I hope, will be more thoughtful. 

 

Next week... Everyday celebrations.  How do we take the the ordinary happenings and make them memorable and extraordinary? 

 

Memorable Moment Monday: A 'Holy Day' Holiday Weekend

Hey Humble Readers...

Here I sit, watching the nail-biter of a soccer game between the Canadian and US ladies in the Olympic semi-final.  Extra time here we come...

It's a nice way to spend a holiday Monday.  Here in Alberta, we celebrate Heritage Day on the first Monday in August, but really it's just another opportunity to spend some time together with my Beloved. 

But for us, the big action of the weekend was yesterday. 

Yesterday morning our wee little mister was baptized.  My Beloved and I stood before our congregation and made many promises on his behalf...

"to live with him among God's faithful people,

bring him to the word of God and the holy supper,

teach him the Lord's Prayer, the Creed, and the Ten Commandments,

place in his hands the holy scriptures,

and nurture him in faith and prayer,

so that he may learn to trust God,

proclaim Christ through word and deed,

care for others and the world God made,

and work for justice and peace."

When he's older (about 13 or so), and goes through confirmation, he will choose whether or not he wants to take those promises on as his own.  But for now, the onus is on us as his parents. 

Pippin was a real trooper through the whole service, wearing that heavy and hot christening gown*, and only letting out a bit of a squawk when our pastor poured the water over Pip's head. 

I always get teary at moments like this in the life of our congregation, but it was especially moving for me yesterday. 

*The christening gown that Pippin is wearing was made from my wedding dress and veil.  Ginny wore it for her baptism as well.  Now it will be drycleaned and boxed away carefully, so that hopefully some day in the future my grandchildren will wear it. 

*****

This was posted as a part of PAIL Bloggers' Memorable Moment Mondays.  Click over and see what others are sharing and to share your own memorable moments



Honesty, Faith & Confusion

Hey Humble Readers...

I have struggled with this post for a long time.  I've started writing it many times over the past couple of years, and I know that in writing it now, I may lose followers and will most likely get flamed. 

The crazy thing is, the whole impetus behind this post was a stupid Jac.k in the B.ox commercial.  That 'Marry Bacon' commercial.  Have you seen it?  Basically it's a guy who is planning a wedding with, and eventually marrying a piece of bacon. 

And it pisses me off.  And when I thought about why it pissed me off, I confess I was surprised. 

I haven't written about where I stand on gay marraige, for many reasons, but primarily because I still struggle with where I actually stand on it.  In the simplest terms, my heart says one thing and my faith says another.  And from my experience, and in reading other bloggers who have discussed this subject, there doesn't seem to be room for those of us who are caught in the grey area. 

Earlier this week, I caught a news story on a Seattle tv news program that was talking about how Washington state is one step closer to allowing same sex marraiges, and I was very happy for several college friends who I know will be celebrating this step for very personal reasons. 

Should anyone be told who they should and shouldn't love?  Absolutely not.  Should someone's sexual orientation determine whether or not they are allowed to build their family?  No. 

Everyone has the right to determine who their family is... not the government, not the church, not the loudest voice screaming on the streetcorner. 

What I struggle with is how I rectify my faith with what I feel is right.  If you've been around here for even a little while, I think you know that my faith in God is a large part of who I am.  To my understanding, the Bible is pretty clear on the issue.  Marraige is between a man and a woman.  At the same time, the Bible also tells us that sin is anything that separates us from the love of God, and hate & judgement are sinful.  And no sin is greater than another.  Sin is sin is sin.

Which is right?  Which is wrong?  Does it have to be an either/or situation? 

This is where I sit...

So why did that burger joint commercial piss me off so much?  Simple... it makes light of a subject that is in no way trivial, it doesn't matter where you are in your understanding of it.  I can see both sides, and that commercial just pokes fun at the whole situation.  And that's just not right.

Not Your Regularly Scheduled Hobbit-ish Ramblings

Hey Humble Readers...

I thought long and hard about posting this here, as I may be opening a huge can of worms, but ulitmately I decided that this is my blog, and if I can't vent my spleen here, then where can I?  I apologize in advance for the preachy-soap-boxy nature of this post.

I tend to get most of my news online.  I would rather read something once and process the information than listen to a news anchor on tv use every homonym for catastrophe over and over and over.  The problem with reading my news online comes at the end of the articles... when you get to the comments.  The general lack of intelligence displayed in the comment section on your average news story makes my skin crawl.  I appreciate the right to speak your mind.  I wouldn't bother to blog otherwise.  But out and out ignorance just makes me mad.  (and don't even get me started on the bad grammar and spelling... lol)

Since last week, I have been watching, along with the rest of the world, the news of the tragedy unfolding in Japan with a heavy heart. So many people lost and displaced by the earthquake and tsunami, and now the increasing danger asscoiated with the damage done to the nuclear reactors... it's heartbreaking.

What really gets under my skin are comments on news stories about the situation in Japan that quote Scripture to show that events like these are punishments on our world from an angry God, or that they are signs of the impending end of the world. 

I am a believer.  My faith is an integral part of who I am.  And as a believer, I am seriously offended by comments that say things like "this is a sign of God's anger at our greedy culture" or "this is a sign of the end of days".  And I find it especially offensive when people use the pain and suffering of other human beings as a pulpit for their hellfire-and-brimstone theology.

Yes, there are places in Scripture where it talks about the end times and how "Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places" (Matt 24:6, NIV).  And there are verses that talk about God's anger at the sins of man.   

But more pervasive, throughout all of Scripture, is the idea that we are to love our fellow man, and help our neighbours.  Luke 10:25-28 sums up Jesus' views on this pretty succinctly: 

25 On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. "Teacher," he asked, "what must I do to inherit eternal life?" 26 "What is written in the Law?" he replied. "How do you read it?" 27 [The expert in the law] answered: " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind'; and, 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' " 28 "You have answered correctly," Jesus replied. "Do this and you will live."  NIV

Pretty straight forward if you ask me.

And what is a truer expression of  faith?  To stand in a safe place and shout at the injured about the sins of mankind, or to climb into the mess that has been inflicted to help pull them from the rubble? 

Okay... sermon over.

Is There A Patron Saint of Infertiles?

Good Evening Humble Readers...

So, that title... Enquiring minds want to know. I'm sure there is, but because I was raised Lutheran rather than Roman Catholic, I have little knowledge of the Saints.

But if there is, then of the entire church year, today, this Sunday would have to be their feast day.

Today is the first Sunday of the Christian church year, the first Sunday of the season of Advent. Advent is a time of preparation, both for the celebration of Christmas commemorating the coming of Christ as a baby into our world, and also for his awaited return. A lot of language heard in church during this season is about waiting, hoping, expecting.... sound familiar?

On the first Sunday of Advent, we light the Hope candle on the advent wreath.

Hope is something we talk about a lot in the ALI community. Hope, or the lack thereof, colours much of our discussion. Hope is our life preserver during the tww, while we are waiting for the next round of tests, and when we are making the big decisions about building our families.

And yet, I know it's easy for me to get so distracted by all these things (and more), and to let go of that very hope that gets me through. Today at church, the Gospel lesson was from Luke 22 and included "Be careful or your hearts will be weighed down with ... the anxieties of life." Again I ask... sound familiar?

Living life in the present, not stressing out about what tomorrow will bring, is a tough thing to do. But, I think if we truly cling to hope, let it soak into every corner of our lives, it might just be a little easier. Hopefully.

So Many Things To Ponder

The last couple of days have been eventful, to say the least... Some things are still percolating, so be prepared for some (what I hope are) interesting posts over the next few days. I don't want this to be a Potpurri post... but I think I need to get some of it out of my head so that there's room to process the rest. While alone, none of these things are really that are mind-blowing, but taken together they are distracting.

So, my weekend in a nutshell:

• Friday afternoon: did my first Wii Ac.tive workout, almost died!


• Saturday morning: went to the farmer's market, ran into a staff member who told me a fabulous customer story. I will tell more about it later, but it involves Mel's book!


• Saturday morning: hung around downtown taking pictures, mostly to get some practice with the camera. Went for lunch at a Fijian restaurant.


• Saturday afternoon: came home and died after walking all morning with super sore legs (from Friday workout). Made a lazy supper and went to the movie theater to see "Up".


• Saturday evening: got to the theater, but the line was stupidly long so we bought tickets for the late showing. Decided to go look for a new computer monitor, but got distracted by the mini laptops. Got terrible service at two different (national chainselectronics stores, and ended up leaving both without purchasing. Went and saw the movie, cried my eyes out.


• Sundsay morning: went to church, heard an excellent sermon that I am going to have to post about at some point soon. Pastor J had no clue that she was speaking straight to my heart. On our way out, I was approached to consider heading up Sunday School in the fall.


• Sunday afternoon: went for lunch (just subs). Next door to the sub place was a laptop clearance place, so we popped in just to look and ended up leaving with this lovely new mini laptop and wireless router. Played with my new 'puter, did a workout (again almost died), made dinner and did some writing (a new story line has been haunting me).

Like I said, not very exciting at face value, but there are possibly changes coming for me as a result of this weekend. Who knows?

Good Friday

Most of you by now have figured out that my faith is an important part of my life. I just wanted to take a moment and mention how thankful I am for Christ's sacrifice.

I know that it's generally not considered politically correct to talk about the crucifixion, about the pain and the shame of it all. But it is impossible for me to truly revel in the joy of Easter Sunday, unless we experience the darkness and void of Good Friday. Today our pastor talked about the events of that day, more than two thousand years ago, when our world changed... and when Jesus said "It is finished", it wasn't a concession speech admitting defeat... it was a cry of victory.

It's only when you are immersed in darkness that you truly learn to appreciate the light.

Blessed Easter weekend to you all!

Fool's Hope

Take a look over to the right. It's ok, really... I want you to take a look at those two quotes over there. They are probably two of the most powerful quotes that I have ever read, and they have had an incredible impact on my life. I thought I would take a moment or two and share why.

The first quote, from Return of the King, is something that has resonated in my soul since the first time I read it many years ago. Yes, I am one of those people... the people who could easily lapse into daydreams of living in Middle Earth. Everyone who reads Tolkien's epic tale tends to identify with one race of Middle Earth beings. One of my very good friends is certain that she has an inner elf. The dwarves, the men of the west, the wizards, the ents, and even little twisted Gollum, all have their followers.

As for me... of course I identify with the hobbits of the Shire. If you are as yet unfamiliar with my distant cousins (three or four times removed, of course), I defer to the prologue of Fellowship of the Ring and Master Tolkien's very thorough description. For those who just need a refresher, let me remind you that hobbits are very mellow creatures who love peace and quiet, and 'good-tilled earth'. They derive great pleasure out of the simple things in life like good books, good food and wine, and good friends. They are short of stature, rotund, and have large hairy feet. Most abhor adventure and never stray much further than the end of their own lane. Sound like anyone you know? ;) (minus the hairy feet... I think it's a recessive gene)

At the point in the story where you would encounter the quote to the right you would find four young hobbits on a quest to do that which would seem impossible, to destroy the source of all evil. Two are making their way closer to the center of Mordor, the land of darkness and despair. One is preparing to ride into battle with the men of the Rohirim. And the last, Pippin, is watching the dark armies mass outside the gates of Minas Tirith, the great white city. It is that moment when all seems lost, when it would take a miracle for any of them to survive let alone succeed, that Pippin seeks comfort from his wise friend Gandalf.

But instead of providing reassurance that all will be well, Gandalf lets Pippin know that not all things end well in our world. To be cliche, bad things happen to good people. We can rail against it, hang onto our dreams of peace, be dragged from our hobbit-holes kicking and screaming, but we will all have to face the battle someday.

The second quote, from 1 Corinthians, is something I didn't come across until I was in college. Somehow I had always skimmed past it.

"For the message of the cross is foolishness..."

Sometimes we are so deep in our personal darkness, so caught up in worrying about the approaching armies of monsters, that when we are offered a ray hope we laugh at it. It's a fool's hope... only a complete idiot would believe that there is any way out of this mess.

Only a fool would believe that a creature as humble as a hobbit could destroy the ring of power. Only a fool would believe that a man who died on a cross two thousand years ago can save us from death.

Some of you, humble readers, if you have read this far, are cringing now. You weren't prepared for a mini-sermon. If it has come across that way, I apologize. It is not my place to preach, only to share where my hope comes from in the midst of the battles I face.

This fool will continue to hope...