Peace On Earth, Good Will Toward Men...

The fruit of silence is prayer
The fruit of prayer is faith
The fruit of faith is love
The fruit of love is service
The fruit of service is peace


-Mother Teresa

I was listening to some cds on Advent and Christmas today. This quote from Mother Teresa on silence really struck me. How wise was she? This was a great lesson for me to hear today! Actually for sometime now, I have been feeling like I need to shut up and listen! I'm really tired of hearing my own voice! It is so true that there are so many distractions all around us, and it's very easy to surround ourselves in all the hustle of everyday life, especially around Christmas time. We live in a very noisy world... It's so easy to get caught up in all the business of everyday living that I forget to take the time to be quiet and pray.

I have had the song, O Little Town of Bethlehem in my head for several weeks now, thinking about the words. They are really beautiful... they embody the stillness of that night, how it must have been and bring it into the imagination! I learned in the cd series today that this song was written by a Priest, Anglican I believe, named Phillips Brooks in 1865. He was visiting Bethlehem on a pilgrimage and went and sat on this hill overlooking the city and outcame the hymn! I've never been to this part of the world, but I can imagine the inspiration of the place... the quietness and peacefulness of the night with the stars shining overhead... This song really reminds me of how beautiful the whole Christmas story really is and how Christmas isn't merely about giving gifts and being with family... Christmas is a FEELING of longing for hope, fulfillment, and joy that everybody has because God made us all and put it there. It is what makes this time of year seem more holy and magical and sets it apart from other times of the year. It made me think about how shallow this holiday would seem without that Wondrous Gift that was given on that night!

O little town of Bethlehem,

How still we see thee lie!

Above thy deep and dreamless sleep

The silent stars go by;

Yet in thy dark streets shineth

The everlasting Light;The hopes and fears of all the years

Are met in thee tonight.

For Christ is born of Mary,

And gathered all above,

While mortals sleep, the angels keep

Their watch of wondering love.

O morning stars, together Proclaim the holy birth!

And praises sing to God the King,

And peace to men on earth.

How silently, how silently,

The wondrous gift is given!

So God imparts to human hearts

The blessings of his heaven.

No ear may hear his coming,

But in this world of sin,

Where meek souls will receive him, still

The dear Christ enters in.

Mt. Rubidoux

Went for a hike up to Mt. Rubidoux yesterday... Had to do a post because I love this picture with the cross! Was happy to see that Serra has his own plaque up on the top of the hill!

The Babies

My kittens are turning into cats really quickly now. They seem to grow a little more each day!

Loyalty

Tahoe turned 2 a couple of weeks ago!
Since he and my dad have the same birthday, me and my mom took them both to Whitewater Preserve for a picnic. They both had fun looking at the fish!
To celebrate Tahoe's birthday, I bought myself this present! As soon as I saw it, I knew I had to hang this in my house! Tahoe is MY dog, and he takes his job VERY seriously! His ad on Petfinder.com said "He is shy but playful, and will warm up to someone quickly." And boy did he warm up! So much so that not only will he not go anywhere without me, he is very aware of WHO is even holding his leash. He gets very upset when someone else takes it, even if I am walking right beside him. It is funny. Pessimists will call this separation anxiety. I call it loyalty! All dogs are born with this virtue, but Tahoe takes it to the extreme! "Where you go, I will go and where you stay, I will stay." - Ruth 1:16

Two Thumbs Up!

If anyone is looking for a good Christmas time movie... This is the one! I saw it last night, and it was really good! Again, I wish people would make more inspirational movies like this! It reminded me to remember that we never know what type of postitive influence we can have on other people's lives. This family did it in a hugh way, but I know even small acts of kindness can go a long way!

Mr. Coffee

My mom and dad bought me an early Christmas present today! A brand new Mr. Coffee! They said it was time for me to chuck the old one and start over. I feel kind of sad for old Mr. Coffee though because it still works and has been so faithful the past 6 years! I use it just about every morning, so I calculated it must have made me well over 2000 cups of coffee! It has been such a hard worker that I wish I could send it to some type of Mr. Coffee refurbishing/recycling program... Kind of like a Mr. Coffee purgatory that would remake him into a new model! Yes... I think I do have that disorder that gives life to inanimate objects because I'm havin' trouble throwing this item in the garbage!