Started a new Christmas tradition this morning. Went hiking up and down the bluffs on the east side of town. Started before the sun came up while there were still a few stars in the sky. Listened to the sound of water and birds chirping as I hiked along my merry way. Left my IPOD at home because I didn't want alot of noise this morning. Just wanted to hear the small still voice inside that is often drowned out by the hustle and bustle of day to day living. The highlight of the hike was when I reached the top of the bluff at the end of the hike. The crisp winter breeze was brushing against my face and beard. It felt good. As the wind blew and rustled the tops of the nearby palm trees I watched the sun that had just risen disappear in a shroud of fog. It was beautiful....it was peaceful....and I felt touched by the deep magic of Christmas.....Blast from the past....I don't really have very many fond memories of Christmas growing up as a child. Not sure all the reasons why. Suspect it had a lot to do with the fact that our family was very poor, particularly after my father died and left my mom with no financial security. It's difficult maintaining hope when you are living on the edge of life financially year after year. Don't remember getting into Christmas until after my two sons were born. Loved playing the role of Santa in the family. For years I bought almost all the Christmas gifts for the family and was the primary inititator of most of the other Christmas related activities. Some of my fondest memories of Christmas include taking my two sons and wife to see Christmas lights. Still remember the joy on the faces of my two sons as we saw Barney the Dinosaur wearing a Santa hat as he waved and passed out candy canes. My two sons were very reticent as we approached Santa's newest helper to get our candy canes but their fear melted away when Barney spoke those magic words... Merry Christmas.... I also remember how excited my two sons were the year they got their first bikes for Christmas. The bikes were covered with Gargoyle toys I had purchased from Burger King. My children loved the Disney cartoon so I helped to feed their developing imaginations by purchasing the entire gargoyle collection and placing them strategically on the bikes....As a Christian I also greatly appreciated the religious aspect of the holiday which included attending candle light services and hearing the Christmas story year after year but it was the role of Santa to my children that I think enjoyed the most about this special time of year.

Finding meaning in Christmas...People look and find meaning in Christmas in many places. Many people turn to the commercial aspects of Christmas and find joy and excitement in buying and receiving Christmas gifts. While I personally don't like going to shopping malls during this time of the year I do understand the adrenaline rush one may get from finding just the right gift for someone they love and I always appreciate getting thoughtful gifts from others. Many people find meaning in their religion and the Christmas story of the birth of Jesus. It is recorded in the Gospels that an angel told Joseph that the son that Mary was going to bear would "save his people from their sins". Alot of folks associate Christmas with God's forgiveness and the hope of eternal life. Jesus is the "reason for the season" and their display of nativity scenes in their houses point to this hope and faith....Some folks find their joy in what I call Christmas nostalgia.... Watching Rudolph the Reindeer for the umpteeth time......listening to oldie but goody Christmas music....decorating the tree with ornaments from their childhood....keeping family rituals, year after year....these are all signs of Christmas nostalgia.....No matter how or where we find our peace and joy at Christmas time we almost all enjoy the family aspect of Christmas. We all generally come together or at least call our loved ones on Christmas day and Christmas helps to remind us that family is important and potentially meaningful even though we may struggle at times in our relationships with those we love during the rest of the year.....I confess it has been difficult to find meaning and hope at times during the Christmas holiday season over the last couple of years. Since my divorce I have not been in the same place at Christmas time any two years in a row and I generally don't see my two sons until late in the afternoon on Christmas day....I also no longer associate with Christmas with the forgiveness of sins and eternal life. It's not that I no longer believe in eternal life or the love and forgiveness of God...because I do....It's just that I don't think it has anything to do with Jesus being born of a virgin or being crucified. These stories "point" to the hope of eternal life and the reality of God's love...and....for that they can be appreciated but from where I stand God has always been forgiving and loving long before the Christmas story became a popular belief and tradition of much of the Western world.....Although my life has become turned upside down in many respects over the past three or four years I am still touched by the "deep magic" of Christmas. I still enjoy playing Santa to my two sons even though they no longer live with me or believe in the pot belly, jolly fellow. I still greatly enjoy having my two sons help me decorate the Christmas tree during Thanksgiving week-end. I still go out and look at Christmas lights even though my two sons no longer are interested in going. I still love the Christmas story even though I no longer believe in it's historical literacy. It's the meaning behind the myth that counts....Yesterday my mom and I watched the Mormon Tabernacle Choir Christmas special. It was beautiful...I was touched. Later we watched various musicians perform a variety of different Christmas favorites from a 15th century church in Scotland. Again I was touched. This morning I was moved by the peace and quiet of watching the sun rise before the fogged rolled in and closed the door to sunshine until later this afternoon..... Right now my mom is listening to country music. Why?....I don't know, but it makes her feel happy and joyful and if there is anything I can do to make my soon to be 91 year old mom feel joyful on Christmas day than I am going to do it....even if it means listening to country music on Christmas morning...yikes....the Lord does work in mysterious ways and what touches us and moves us during this special time of the year varies from one person to another....and....it can only be explained as the "deep magic" of Christmas which gives hope, faith, and peace to all who have ears to hear and a heart open to the mysterious workings of the Spirit of God who moves to and fro amongst us all.....Merry Christmas to all......