Tradition!

This week on the American Christian Fiction E-loop, writers are talking about their Christmas traditions and where they originated. This idea has prompted me to blog about some of my own Christmas traditions; old and new.

Each year at Christmastime my family participates in a variety of conventional and even a few unconventional celebrations. Our first Christmas tradition we’ll call Chinese Light Night! This is the night, usually a Friday or Saturday night just before Christmas when our family eats Chinese food (the restaurant must have dumplings) and then travels around town to one or more of the beautifully decorated neighborhoods around Houston. This is followed by Starbucks! Why Chinese food? It’s in honor of what the family had to eat in the movie, A Christmas Story after the Bumpus Hounds ate their Christmas turkey. I know, it’s silly, but it’s meaningful to us. Oh, as an added bonus, this year we all wore our footie pajamas in the car…and in Starbucks.

Our second Christmas tradition (in the past) has always been a silent communion service the Sunday evening before Christmas Day. This was a beautiful celebration of the partaking of the body and blood of Christ performed in complete silence. This year was different. Not in a bad way, just different. The service took place on Christmas Eve, officiated by our new minister. He preached on “God’s Indescribable Gift.” The sermon was followed by the second-most interesting communion service I’ve ever attended. The customary cup of juice and cracker was replaced with a self-serve, disposable juice and wafer cups. These were amazing, but difficult to open. Note: When casually asking ex-military named Bubba for help opening something, be prepared to have a knife pulled on you…in church! I would elaborate on my first, most interesting communion, but that would require another blog entry.

Our third and newest Christmas tradition was our celebration of Advent for the first time. This beautiful time of preparation of the Second Coming of Christ was a wonderful way to begin the Christmas season.

Of course we have many more traditions, but just like Christmas, this blog must come to an end. Until next year, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Greatest Find of The Year

Attention people of the northern hemisphere! I’m going to need everyone’s help in order to get the word out about the latest discovery I happened upon…Peppermint White Chocolate Mocha.
It’s the most incredible thing I’ve ever tasted. I know what you’re thinking. I want a delicious Peppermint White Chocolate Mocha. Where can I get myself a delectable white chocolaty indulgence? This is the great part; you can get your very own Peppermint White Chocolate Mocha from a place called Starbucks®. And they’re everywhere! Having been a lifelong Diet Coke® drinker, I’d never even been in a Starbucks® before. I don’t know how I’ve lived this long without it. I want to tell the world about this virtual treasure trove of caffeinated goodness I’ve stumbled across.

Seriously, Starbucks® does make a great cup of joe, but I’m kidding about wanting to tell the whole world about it. I used this illustration to make a point of how excited we can become over the least little mundane thing that we find to be good or new or exciting. I admit it; I’m as bad as the next person when it comes to jumping on the ol’ bandwagon. After all, I have been back to Starbucks® more than once since my first visit. I have to ask myself though, when is the last time that I’ve been this excited telling people about my Lord and Savior? I wonder what it would have been like on that holy night so long ago if the very first witnesses were as lackadaisical as we are today. And yet I wonder…doo, doo, doo…doo, doo, doo…doo, doo, doo. (Flashback music)

“And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.’ Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, ‘Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests.’ When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, ‘Let's go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.’ So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. When they had seen him…they went into town to spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child. As they traveled through the town they noticed that one from their own tribe had recently opened Achmed’s New Wine and Sheep Wash. Suddenly they forgot all about spreading the good news of the newborn king, and decided to stop in for a spot of new wine and to run the sheep through the wash before the upcoming Passover.

Fortunately for us, the shepherds took a pass on stopping at Achmed’s and instead did what God called them to do. Perhaps we should take a queue from the shepherds and remember the very last thing Jesus told us to do in Matthew 28, on his parting over 2,000 years ago…"go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

As for me, I’m going to go see if there is anyone at Starbucks® that I can share the Good News with. While I’m there I’m going to see if they can make a Peppermint White Chocolate Mocha…FRAPPUCINO!