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December 25, 2005

Documenting Christmas With A Pinhole Digital Camera

Round 1: Stockings
I woke up this morning to the galloping of five-year-old feet as they carried my nephew into the living room where he exclaimed “WOW!!!!” At this point the whole house knew that Christmas was on! In my family stockings are the big thing. Literally they are the big thing because they are approximately 2 feet wide AND 3 feet tall and they are mostly filled with smart-alecky gifts that are used as aids in our lovingly making fun of each other. Like I said, stockings are the big thing in our family and to illustrate this there was once a girlfriend who hoped to join the family but she seriously suggested that instead of the stockings we just give money so that the person could get what ever they wanted... Her suggestion was patiently listened to and then she was calmly informed that any hope she had of joining the family was now nonexistent! …:)
Any way, we just finished the stockings (we take turns puling out and opening gifts so that every one can enjoy them) and will begin Round 2: Presents after lunch… In the Jackson house we make Christmas morning last all day! :)

Round 2: Presents after a side of lunch and naps
It is finished and it is good! We all survived the chaos of the unwrapping of the gifts and had a wonderful time. There was lots of underwear, sox, games, books, tools, & dishes to be had by all. It has been nice being together as we celebrate Christ’s birthday and enjoy Mom’s World Famous in the Jackson Family Christmas Bread… It’s now time for another nap!

Round 3: Coffee and Conversation
And so the talking begins. :) I hope your Christmas has been merry one & God bless! :)

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December 24, 2005

The Best Traditional Christmas Brunch Ever!

About three and a half years ago some friends and I made a commitment to live in deliberate and authentic community together. It has been a wonderful experience that has consistently dispelled our naively romantic ideals of relationships, and forced us to live and love each other as authentically as possible. Obviously this is an ongoing process of learning, communication, and helping each other struggle through life. Any way, about three times a year we try to spend time together where it is just us and not some of our other close friends. One of these times is at Christmas so this past Saturday we had our Traditional Community Christmas Brunch and it was the best Traditional Christmas Brunch ever!… Then again, this was the only Traditional Christmas Brunch we have ever had. Usually we try to spend an evening together and, if possible, even celebrate Christmas day together too. It is a very relaxing time that incorporates most of our individual traditions and involves naps, food, stockings, and games.

This year, by necessity, was different though. This year, because of schedules with work, travel, buying houses, getting engaged, and being sick, we had to hunt for a time when we could all get together. It was a little hectic but glorious nonetheless. We met at my house at noon to cook and instead of an elaborate dinner we opted for an elaborate breakfast. The meal consisted of an egg casserole, bacon, sausage, bacon, potatoes, bacon, pancakes, bacon, mixed fruit, bacon, coffee, biscuits, bacon, cinnamon roles, and more bacon! Wow, talk about a feast! The pancakes even had each person's first initial baked into them.

The only people who were not able to join us were the ones who now live out of town. There absence was sad and we miss them terribly. They came up constantly in conversation though and we delighted in talking about their currant lives that now take place in far off cities and towns. Their moving does not mean that they are no longer part of community.

When the food was consumed we moved into the living room where we, napped, made fun of each other, and talked about everything from art to family Christmas traditions. The tree was lit and it made the room smell like pine while the fireplace candles added a slight hint of vanilla. It would have fit well as a Norman Rockwell painting.

Though folks had to leave after a couple of hours, it was still a wonderful time. I did miss being able to spend the day together and it was sad that it took so much effort for us all to get together but what was important was the time that we had. It is often hard not to focus so much on making an event special that we miss the significance of the event its self. Being able to be together is point, traditions simply accent the time, they do not make it. Any way, it was wonderful to celebrate Jesus’ birthday together and below are some pictures of the time.

Enjoy & Merry Christmas! :)

LJ

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December 18, 2005

Neil & And His Writing

My roommate Neil just sent me an email about an article he wrote entitled Confessions of a Fundamentalist Librarian Or How I Stopped Worrying and Learned to Love Postmodernism that has been published by Catapult Magazine. I think you may enjoy it. Click on his name to view his Blog.

Merry Christmas,

LJ

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December 13, 2005

Low End Living

My friend Ed recently got a gig as a regular contributor for the new online magazine Low End Living. He describes it as being “based on the idea that our culture is too focused on a consumerist mindset-- we spend too much, work too much, and focus on money too much. Low End Living wants to highlight ways that we can avoid the prevailing consumerism and regain focus on what is truly important.”

This sounded good so I surfed on over to peruse the sight. I found it to be both fun and informative. It basically offers articles that will challenge our cultural habits while providing practical and environmentally conscious advice on how to live within our means and make the most of time and life.

Ed’s article is a self explanatory two parter entitled Making Time for Your Family. I really could not think of a better person to write about this than Ed. He and his wife began seminary with me 4 ½ years ago and since then he has added to this a 50 + hour a week job, 2 kids, and photography gigs. Yet, he, his wife, and the kids share an extremely stable and nurturing home life that is both encouraging and exciting. From his real life experience, Ed addresses the problem busyness has on family relationships and offers practical advice that is grounded in reality rather than trying to motivate by guilt. Though the article is geared toward married folk, I think those of us who are single and live in communal relationships can find benefit in reading it too. Click on the link above to get the article and let me know what you think.

Merry Christmas,

LJ

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December 10, 2005

Feasting 1A

In a resent blog entry, my friend R told a story about a child eating an orange for the first time and the wonder that ensued from it. He then wrote, “The question I am wondering in this Christmas season of ‘peace on earth,’ ‘goodwill to men,’ and ‘the meaning of the season,’ is whether Christians (and I mean me here) have forgotten what it is like to bite into Jesus and taste him in his full glory.” This is something I have been thinking a lot about too! His statement made me realize that I am longing to be in wonder with our Lord.

As I question why I am not in wonder, I remembered an experience I had a few months ago at my friend L’s birthday party. The host had taken the heads of Gruber Daises and amazingly suspended them in the air just below the ceiling. The only light in the apartment was from the flickering of candles and as I sipped my glass of red wine I instantly began trying to figure out how this magical seen was accomplished.

As I started asking questions L asked me to stop and just enjoy the wonder of it all. I was a little offended that she would think that I would not enjoy magical floating flowers, but then I realized that she was right. My quest for knowing was not motivated by the desire to better appreciate or heighten the wonder of this sight, but to explain it away by making it knowable. I felt shame in this and wondered when in life did I learn to try to explain away wonder instead of seeking to enjoy it? I do not think I am alone in this. I think that culturally this is something we do a lot of.

Why do we tend to not appreciate and notice the wondrous and amazing? I think part of the problem lies in a grave misunderstanding. We often think that once something, or someone, becomes familiar or common to us they also become lackluster, boring, or drab. We thus lose appreciation of and for them because they are not new and thus intriguingly unknown.

I do not know about you but I do this to God all the time. Even now in this time of celebrating his birth. It is as if, because I know it already, God becoming man is commonplace. I do not know the solution to this but over the past two days I have been doing something that seems to help.

For the lack of a better way of describing it, I would say that I am trying to actively remember. I have been thinking through the Christmas Story and consciously reminding/telling myself, “Wow, that is wondrous and amazing!” I then force my self to think about why. I also did this while helping some friends decorate their house for the holiday and with the Christmas hymns that are played over and over and over again in the stores. (I did a little Christmas shopping today and it also helped keep me from going insane.) . It seems to help and even gets me excited bout celebrating. :)

I would love to hear what you think and any suggestion you may have. I would also encourage you to check our R’s blog. His address is http://simpatico.stlouisblogs.org/ and the entry I referred to above is titled Jesus as an Orange.

Merry Christmas,

LJ

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