Christmas Traditions: Christmas Village

The miniature Christmas village looks like something out of another world, depicting scenes of time gone by that I never experienced. Numerous companies offer varying sizes of these houses (Lemax, Department 56, Thomas Kincade, Hummel, David Winter and other licensed brands), some lit from within by candles, as mine are, while other collections are lit with electric lights. Accessories can become very elaborate, along the lines of model railway collections. This tradition is shared by many collectors and is something which can be passed down through the generations.

The beauty of collecting individual houses, people, trees and other decor is that, each year is an adventure. You can set it up in a different way or different location. I began my collection of houses years ago, entranced by the beauty of those offered by PartyLite, a candle company. My friend Pamela was a distributor. I bought most of my buildings over a few years and have continued adding accessories ever since.

I enjoy the process of unpacking these treasure each year and adding additional pieces by shopping after Christmas on the deeply discounted sale days. I did have a few years when I didn't have the heart to bring out this collection, either because we didn't have room or our Christmas season was so busy that decorating became a chore instead of a delight, but that's another story all together.

So for today, I'd love to share my village with you. Here is a little closer peek at my town:

The sign and lampost welcomes you when you first arrive in town. The fiddlers moved to town last year after Christmas from The Christmas Store. Join in with the carollers to sing a glad noel! Once your voice is warmed up, head over to the bakery, straight ahead, and chat with the baker before you grab a sweet snack to take home for dessert!

The Candle Shop (left) was PartyLite's tribute to their own origins in a small building. Beside it is the Plum Tree Orchard (right), where the shop keeper is sweeping the doorstep. Visiting with her is the guy on the Harley Davidson motorcycle, my tribute to my own motorcycle guy - with whom I love to visit!

In the center of town is the landmark church and steeple. Out front, a miniature nativity, minus the shepherds. Beside the church entrance, a dog in a santa hat patiently awaits his master's return, perched in the sidecar of his motorbike.

Beside the church is the school house, with the schoolmarm being courted by the town's eligible bachelor. Sleds are propped up beside the school and the sledding hill is just to the right. Behind both, a small cottage sports a rotund Santa trying to sneak undetected into the chimney.

The sledding hill, with snowmen builder and other children patiently waiting their turn.

Adjacent to the children's sledding hill is the Toy Shop, busy with activity, the last one I can light with a tealight inside. The water pump stands beside, the carollers sing at the lampost and dad with son on his shoulder, goes for a walk over to the hockey rink.

The centerpiece of any young boy's town, a pick up game of shinny hockey. Only one net, dads watching nearby, broken stick on the ice. A great afternoon so nice even the dog likes to watch.

Finally, behind it all, the stone wall lines the road where the romantic couple glide along on the blades of a swan sleigh, approaching the romantic covered bridge. A lovely day for a ride in the countryside behind the village.

Thanks for coming to visit! Do you have a Christmas Village tradition?

Baptism in the Bow River

Four years ago I felt the urging of the Spirit to invite my next door neighbor, Kim, to attend "Ten Smart Things Women Can Do to Build a Better Life" at our church. I took the invitation home from church and asked my family to pray with me about finding an opportunity to invite her. So we prayed.

Three days later, my husband and I were to attend an NHL hockey game together. He never misses a Flames game. But this time he was too sick to go. When he asked who I might invite in his place, the first name that came to mind was Kim. But I set the idea aside and picked up the phone to look at recent caller IDs - who of our friends should I ask? Lo and behold, the first name on the caller ID was Kim.

"Okay, Lord," I smiled, "I get the hint." I prayed for an opportunity and when it presents itself, I almost miss it. I don't know why I hesitated. Or perhaps I do. She knows my life. She knows I sometimes yell at my kid, get impatient with my husband, and drive in less than stellar ways. How could I invite her to a church event if I wasn't living the way I should?

I called anyway and asked her if she liked hockey. Absolutely crazy about it. She'd be excited to go. As we drove to the Saddledome, we weren't in the car five minutes before she started talking about her spiritual search. Yet it was well into the middle of the second period before I pulled out the invitation. As she read the list of topics to be covered, she looked at me and said "These are all the things I've been trying to figure out."

Kim agreed to come and she said it was the hardest thing she'd ever done, walking through those doors alone but she continued, "Once inside, however, I realized I would never be alone again." She found a circle of supportive friends. She loved the class and when it ended, she enrolled for Alpha. "During Alpha," she said, "I accepted Jesus as my Lord and Saviour."

Life has been up and down for Kim. She had a near death experience but God brought her back. Things may well get more difficult in the next few months due to a number of circumstances. But she took hold of these verses from Psalm 31:

In you Lord I have taken refuge; let me never be put to shame. Deliver me in your righteousness. Turn your ear to me, come quickly to my rescue. Be my rock of refuge, a strong fortress to serve me. Since you are my rock and my fortress for the sake of your Name, lead and guide me.

And then she ended her testimony: "I'm here because of Jesus."

I'm so glad I could be his voice in one small way to make that first gut-wrenching invitation. God took care of the rest of the journey, I just needed to be obedient in order to share in the joy of watching another beloved daughter run into the arms of her Abba Father.

Pastor Terry Young and Grant Sylvester baptize Kim in the Bow River

The Marriage Hike

Twenty-eight years ago today, we promised "for better or worse." Marriage has been far better and far worse than the 23-year-old anticipated, but a great deal of that was solely dependent on what perspective I brought to the situation.

Looking back today, I see that I am far better for Brent loving me. And far more mature for the choice to love him. Love is a verb. A choice. A lifestyle. An action. Many actions. Any fool can say they love someone, that's about how the fool feels. Love chooses to live it out every day by acts of kindness, words of affirmation, physical touch, quality time and giving/receiving gifts (material and personal).*

Not that I've attained this, some days I've rebelled. Somedays I've acted in very unloving ways. But as one friend reminded me today, it's a good thing God chooses to love us, even in our unloveliness. That is the only way I can love others - through Him.

I think marriage is similar to hiking. A good hike includes companions. It's not safe to hike alone. A good hike involves perseverance, a lot of long and sometimes grueling effort, occasional trip-ups over tree roots and the odd scramble over boulders, sometimes even danger; yet along the way there are lovely vistas, refreshing streams, amazing waterfalls and, hopefully, a breathtaking summit with spectacular views. A marriage has perseverance, trip-ups, detours, obstacles to overcome, and yes... sometimes even danger; but it also has vistas, refreshment, amazing treasures and occasional high points that take your breath away.

The point of both a hike and marriage is that we can't stay on the summit. We have to enjoy each other along the way. When we get home, we don't treasure pictures of the tree-roots, we frame and revisit the pictures of the summit and the beauty. I need to remember this when I trip up with my spouse today. Choose to love. Give, touch, affirm, spend time, act kindly.

I think it's a pretty rewarding hike.

*Learn more about love languages here: The Five Love Languages

Cinco de Mayo

Tonight, at the invitation of neighborhood friends, we attended a lovely "Cinco de Mayo" party. It was really just an excuse to have a themed party and get to know some more neighbors.

Mexican music, food and drink, sombreros, piñatas... need I go on?

A lovely evening. Good food, good company, great time.

Happy Birthday

I turned 49 last Thursday, December 21. Yes, that is my true age. I don't believe in discounting my life. I live life at full price.

Besides, God told everyone's age in the Bible, so you know He's not the one who wants us to be embarrassed about our age.

I think age reflects wisdom, growth, maturity (hopefully) and experience. These are valuable assets in our life and no one need rob us of them by saying we shouldn't look the age we are. Life is to be lived to the fullest. I want mine to count for everything I've put into it!