The Night the Animals Talk

Sea Breeze
Dear Henley, Lander, Paisley, Kennedy, Whit,

I want to tell you a story. A magical story. Long, long ago, in the city of David, called Bethlehem, a baby was born. This baby boy was born in a stable, a building where animals spend the night and eat their meals. This baby boy's mother placed him in a manger, which is like a big basket that holds hay for the horses, and sheep, and camels and goats to eat. Mary, the baby's mother, placed him on the sweet hay in the manger so he could sleep. Being born is hard work, so the baby boy was tired. His mother was tired too, and his daddy, Joseph, was tired as he had walked all the way from a city called Nazareth to be counted, but that is another story. Joseph and Mary were so tired from traveling and baby having, that they too lay down in the soft hay and went to sleep.

This is where our story picks up. The baby, whom they had named Jesus, was sleeping, Mary and Joseph were sleeping, the shepards who had showed up to see the baby were sleeping, the three wise men who had traveled on camels for days and days, were camel sore and they were sleeping. Who was awake in this stable then? Well, I'll tell you who was awake, all the animals were awake. The camels, goats, sheep, horses, donkeys, pigs, chickens, turkeys, mice, dogs and cats, they were all awake. For you see, this was a special night for the animals. This special baby had been born in their home, and the baby brought with him special powers like saving the world from sin, but that is another story.

Anyway, back to our animal story. Exactly at midnight on this first Christmas Eve, God was so filled with joy about His only son being born, that he let the angels talk and all the animals. So the animals spoke in voices to each other and spent the next hour praising God and oohing and ahing over baby Jesus. They laughed and laughed and hugged each other and licked each other in joy. They were so happy to be able to talk to each other.]

Well, these barn animals had so much fun talking, laughing and praising God, that God decided to let them do it again the next year.

So, a tradition was born. Each Christmas Eve, at exactly the stroke of midnight, animals all over the world speak to each other for one hour in human voices. Before the hour is up, they kneel down and give thanks to God for the gift of the baby Jesus. God loves this hour each year as his creation praises Him. Even the angels get in on the celebration.

So, grand babies, this Christmas Eve, at exactly midnight, if you listen, you may be able to hear the animals talking. MeMe has heard them. One Christmas Eve when I was a girl, I went out to barn where I kept my horse, Clipper. It was a cold, clear Christmas Eve night in Tennessee, and I was bundled up against the cold. As I got close to Clipper's stall, I stopped and listened. I heard him whinnie, horses make a whinnie type noise, and then the horse talk turned into people talk. He was talking to the horse in the next stall. Clipper was kneeling and I heard him say, "Merry Christmas God."

I looked at my watch and it was exactly 59 minutes after midnight. My horse was kneeling, just like I had heard the animals do and he was talking in a human voice. So grand babies, the story is true. MeMe saw and heard it with her own eyes and ears.

Tonight, this Christmas Eve, the animals wait, The whole world waits. The Christ Child is born again, in our lives and our hearts. The people worship and celebrate and sleep. The animals, for one brief hour, speak in people voices and kneel in reverence to the baby Jesus.

Merry, Merry Christmas to you all.

Christmas love.

MeMe

Come Let Us Adore Him

Sea BreezesChildren in my world are eagerly awaiting the coming of Christmas. Little Kennedy got up this morning and announced to her mommy, "It's Christmas today!" She is so excited. Children in my world and all around the world are awaiting the coming of Christmas with the expectation and excitement that only children have. The excitement is truly contagious. I haven't forgotten those long ago Christmas Eve's where I impatiently awaited the folds of sleep to lay over me so Christmas morning would arrive faster. I still anticipate Christmas with an excitement and a longing. I am older, well, much older than that child who couldn't wait. Now I await with a longing and an understanding of the Christmas miracle. Christmas Eve we will dress in our holiday best and drive to church for the late Christmas service. When the children were smaller, we went to the earlier family service. As they got older, we all went to the later service, always my favorite. To be in His house at midnight when Christmas day begins, is to me, always thrilling. The service shines with lights, and music, and candles glowing. We sing the familiar hymns that welcome the Christ Child. The liturgy celebrates The Nativity of Our Lord, and we are ever reminded that Love came down to live among us. We, an ordinary, imperfect, past middle aged couple in a little shrimping village on the coast in a little white clapboard church, celebrate a King. Join us this Christmas Eve in prayer and praise and thanksgiving for such Love. Friends and family, even if we don't see you often or talk with you often, know that we love you all.
Oh come, let us adore Him.
Christ, the Lord.
Have a holy and happy Christmas.

Born a Child and yet a King

Sea Breezes This morning at church was lovely and joyful. The rain from the previous days hung heavy in the air, the Spanish moss hung dark and wet from the trees as if hungover with the previous evening's rain. The quick brush with winter was stopped, at least for the morning, as a warmth took over the air. Pictured is my beloved St. Andrew's Episcopal church here in Darien where we worship. We went deeper into our Advent season this morning. Father Ted spoke of joy during this season of personal penitence and preparation. The joy is the redemption and forgiveness of Christ that is constant, even while we prepare our hearts and our homes for the coming of The Christ Child. Our Advent music is full of promise and preparation. We sang one of my favorite Advent hymns, "Come Thou Long Expected Jesus".

Come thou long expected Jesus, born to set thy people free.
From our fears and sins release us;
Let us find our rest in thee.

Born they people to deliver;
Born a child and yet a king,
Born to raise in us forever
Ever more our praises ring.

We are waiting for the birth of a baby, who was also born a king. He frees us from our fears and our sins. I don't know about you, but my fears and my sins can just paralyze me sometimes. I start worrying and next thing I know, I am on this worry train to nowhere, when I could have been traveling those same moments filled with rest and joy. Praise seems to be a wonderful substitute for worry and sin. I am really going to try to praise Him when these worry and sin moments creep in. During this Advent season, I have a lot to do. Jesus is coming and I have to get my heart ready. My home is all decorated. That was fun. This self cleaning is not as easy as my self cleaning oven. I have lots of dusty worry and sins I have gathered over the year in all the rooms of my heart that need cleaning. Born a Child and yet a King. Only God would think of that. I can't wait until Christmas.

Thank You God, For Everything

Sea Breezes
Thank you for the world so sweet;
Thank you for the food we eat.
Thank you for the birds that sing;
Thank you God, for everything.

That was my favorite blessing to say as a child. Now that I am no longer a child, I still cherish that little blessing. This past Thanksgiving brought all ten children to our home, again. What have we done to deserve ten children? What have we given to the world to deserve ten children? What have the two of us in our ordinary lives, full of mistakes and sin, ever done to deserve ten children? All we did was fall in love and get married. Life has brought much joy to us and also heartache at times. We haven't always appreciated the joy and haven't always done so great with the heartaches. We probably have hurt some of the ten children in many ways. What in this world have we done to deserve ten children? The answer is nothing. Not one thing. That is why I am most thankful for the little people in the picture and all the people who produced them, and the one who isn't married yet. You see, our ten children are gifts from our Lord who loves us beyond our understanding. We have done nothing to deserve our ten children, but yet He gives us these gifts. We have done nothing to deserve His grace and love, yet He gives us these gifts. Perhaps that is the meaning of thankfulness. To be thankful is to be undeserving of a precious gift. A gift is an expression of love. Advent means preparation. This Advent, we are getting ready in our family to celebrate The Nativity of Our Lord. I am thankful for our ten children. I am thankful for the Christ Child who is coming again soon, in our hearts and in our lives. May you and yours have a Blessed Advent.
Thank you God, for everything.

What Is Wrong With Me?

Sea Breezes What is wrong with me? I am addicted to free stuff and that includes nature. Here I am driving along Highway 17 this evening after a hard swim at the Y, wet hair and all. I was tired and anxious to get home. I haven't been home since seven this morning and, well, it's Monday. Anyways, I look over eastward and somebody has hung this huge, white, round moon smack dab over the salt marsh, painted the sky indigo and messed with the lights in pinks and purples. I almost had a wreck craning my neck to see a sight that I really couldn't afford to buy. The next thing I know, I pull my car over to the entrance to Two Way Fish Camp (for another post), I grab the camera and take a couple of pictures. My lens does not do justice to this beauty, but just try to imagine. I got out of the car, and the marsh grass danced in the cool evening sea breeze, I could hear the grasses rustling. When you get this close to marsh grass, you know you are at or below sea level, as the grass is higher than you are standing. Looking out over the salt marsh, in the horizon, is the Atlantic Ocean in the picture. Why doesn't God just let me go about my day? Why does He throw such beauty at me? He knows I can't afford to buy anything. I have promised myself to keep my camera handy. I hope He doesn't mind if I take a picture of His riches. He is so awesome. He knows I can't afford His stuff. Maybe that is what grace is all about.....a free gift of the best stuff.

Down In The Dumps

Sea BreezesSunday morning I was ALMOST down in the dumps. My spirit was actually down in the dumps.....er....dump, that is. We drive by the county dump on the way to church. We don't live in the dumps, but we live near the dump. Now, our dump is a nice, pretty clean dump, right off the highway. Actually, it is the county refuse drop off point. We live in the county and have to haul our own garbage. We dump household trash there, and then the county takes it away to The Dump. I haven't been there, but back to the story. We locals call where we take our garbage, the dump. It even has a sign that says dump. We were driving by the dump to church and lo, there sat a piano and a rocking chair. I couldn't breathe for shock. Fortunately for Harold, he was driving. I would have turned into that dump in a second to check out that piano and that rocking chair. Let me admit to being a thrift store, other people's old stuff junkie. I love to poke. I really don't like garage sales, I like free, or almost free stuff. I am a junk junkie. My husband does not understand this obsession. I will tell you I have furnished my entire front porch from great stuff from the Salvation Army that I hauled home in the back of my little convertible. Needless to say, someone else got to check out or take home that rocking chair and that piano. Harold had to admit, the other day, that he actually did try to go dumpster diving. He was taking the garbage to the dump, when along comes a truck loaded with outdoor kid equipment. Nice equipment, he said. Good stuff to put outside for grand babies to play on...and free. He almost got there in time. A guy ahead of him in a truck got to the stuff before Harold could. The other guy asked the owner of the kids' stuff if he could have it, and he did get it. Harold missed out on a load of good quality, free kid stuff. So are we both down in the dumps? I have one child who has inherited this gene for reusing stuff. Blake, instead of getting in trouble during his high school years, spent a lot of his time at the city dump and the junked car dump gleaning parts for his cars. He enjoys working on his cars and his home and yard with other folks' discards. He has found some amazing things such as brand new French doors for his home and an almost new barbecue grill in his local city refuse place. A lot of people in his area, he says, put great stuff out at the street for the city to pick up, and he drives by to pick up, for free, some great deals. So in this bum economy, you might want to consider "gently worn" or "heavily distressed". You too, might get down in the dumps and have fun to boot! Let me know about some of your finds!

Ashantilly Through My Lens

Sea BreezesThe trip to Ashantilly plantation was well worth the time on a lovely October Sunday afternoon. On the grounds of the historic plantation, local historian, Buddy Sullivan presented a talk about the beginnings of The Lower Altamaha Historical Society and its efforts to preserve the pristine loveliness of our river system. A marker was dedicated to mark the plantation and its history. We got to tour the plantation home, and I stayed and poked until I could poke no more. Only the first floor is open to the public. The home has much restoration to be done, but as a lover of old things, I was in heaven. Please enjoy my pictures that I hope will speak for themselves.