Christmas Skies, Perfect

I gave the last hug and hopped into the rental. it was a dreary cold day and I was headed to the airport to go home. For as much as I enjoyed the Christmas holiday, I was ready to unpack, retreat and sleep under my own covers.

The weekend felt complete. Driving to the airport, I caught a glimpse of the clouded sky. The sun was trying to peek out, as if to finally say hello on the dark Christmas day. It was beautiful.

After I raced to get the car back, trollied to the ticket counter and stripped for security: i boarded the aircraft with readiness and anticipation. Watching the sunset above the clouds was fascinating. Just seeing it made my insides smile.

*taken from my mobile phone*

And Also With You...

It's been some time since I last went to a Mass. And every time, I enjoy the sheer reverence and simplicity of the hour long ceremony. This year, on Christmas eve, several family members and I joined my Grandmother for Mass and I have to say, it was beautiful.

As I walked into the stained-glass room, the lights were dim and there was a sense of Holy that hung in the air. Six Gallaghers filled half of the pew and a gentleman up front sat on a stool with his guitar. He opened the evening with quiet Christmas carols. O Holy Night, The First Noel gently assured the crowd that this was what Christmas was all about.

Following the angelic and sheppard dressed children came the Priest's procession. After a reading, Father Dave Ross told a story of a family who bought a nativity set that had two baby Jesus' in the set. The family held onto it thinking someone would buy the set w/ the missing baby Jesus. as it turned out, they stumbled on a family that had no nativity at all, nor any blankets or new warm clothes. the family gave away their milk, blankets and extra baby Jesus, so that the family may have a taste of Christmas joy in their home. What a perfect story to remind us about the giving the season brings, ever so much more than the getting.

In all of the standing and kneeling; a man in the crowd had collapsed. Father Dave stopped for a moment to ask for doctors and nurses to help. We all hoped he'd be alright and I said a special prayer.

Of the carols sung that night, the most beautiful came near the end when the Priest deeply bellowed Ave Maria in Latin. It was lovely and his voice carried in that sacred moment.

The recognition of the reverent child that began Christmas made the holiday sweet and bright. The humility of the story made me stand in upright awe of that beautiful deliverance.

young forever...this christmas

i love the remix, it's inspiring:

Everyone Has a Best Of....

Why should I exempt myself? It's a fun game of picking my favorites and you think I'm either right on, or way off. Either way, I get the chance to display some of my Favorites from the year 2009. Are you ready to jump for joy because my picks are groovy? Or perhaps you are ready to burst into tears at my terrible taste? Here I go!

**Top 5 Commercials of 2009:
(5) Playstation 3 makes me laugh. Coming in at number five is their newest commercial for the PS3, which advertises the blue-ray capability. It starts with a young teen complaining that his Grandmother can't stop watching movies while he's waiting to play. A representative of the company comes on screen to brag about the cool feature and remind the kid that his Grandmother used to push a hoop with a stick. A stick...a stick. Laugh out loud quality commercial.

(4) Number four: Victoria Secret's latest Christmas commercial. Producer Michael Bay (Transformers, Pearl Harbor, The Island and Friday the 13th), was asked to be involved with newest promotion of gorgeous lingerie. And he shows us that Charlie's Angels doesn't have to be cheesy! Between scenes of beautiful women in the rough and delicate feminine stages, Bay creates a sensory image for the customer that wants to make sexy a statement. The music choice - "Merchant of Death" from the Iron Man soundtrack. It's as if the intent is to make these models heroic. I'm a fan of the product anyhow, as are most women, and now I feel like I'm in charge. A solid vote from me.

(3) Next up: I nominate Stand by Me by Playing for Change. It was more than an incredible idea for a music video; it promoted unity across the globe. It called attention to the homeless on the street, an issue I certainly connect with, and the non-profit organization made a name for itself, raising money using the music of many street performers to grab the public's attention. Playing for Change has since made other amazing videos with similar themes and voices and they were given a top 10 spot on best album list for the year by the Associated Press.Beautiful!

(2) Running 2nd is a Viral commercial. A small ad agency in North Carolina, called Boone Oakley created a cartoon parody of what other agencies do and what they do. What's funny about it is the level of comic honesty the stick-figures express (and I'm putting that lightly). I'm not joking. I couldn't help but laugh out loud watching this and it was more of a "what-on-earth-that's-hilarious" sort of laugh. Ironically, at then end of the commercial, when they rolled their demo reel, I immediately recognized a Ruby Tuesday commercial that had circled the web and even TV. Despite their low-key status and not residing in a big city, they seemed have made a name for themselves just by being creative. Fantastic.

(1) Finally: Levi Jeans' "Go Forth" campaign has impressed me the most this year. It is a campaign that brings the old and the new together. Levi's campaign created a retro feel and went bounding through America seeking the identity of rising generations...soliciting that under it's name-brand jeans. Not only do the commercials recite century old poems, but the cinematography expresses the beauty and the depth of youth at the same time. The colors fade tainting to black and white, flashing between simple and sexy images that are as profound as everyday people. They've posted short documentary spots on their Facebook page that target communities around the country. They allow the public to post creative writing samples and photography on their website. They even donated $100,000 dollars to Charity: Water. And after all that: I want to buy a pair of Levi jeans an be part of it all too. Brilliant!

**Top 5 Music Videos of 2009
(5) In November Rihanna released her album, "Rated R," along with single and video Russian Roulette. I have never been a huge fan of Rihanna, as I felt, previously that the young star's voiced sounded forced more often than not. But this year, she has matured in a unique way. After her frightful incident with former boyfriend, Chris Brown, earlier this year, she took her pain and emotions and put them into incredible music. Russian Roulette is a tell tale of an abusive relationship and the video itself shows a woman's inner battle - her inner battle in getting out of the relationship. It also show split second scenes that seemed to replay her struggle. Her voice as well drenched with passion and ease.

(5) Tied at number 5, just because I couldn't make up my mind- is Beyonce's Sweet Dreams. Beyonce's videos from "I am Sasha Fierce" have been truly dynamic. They have showcased her vocal ability as well as her dance ability, and I'm loving it. Sweet Dreams not only is a great dance video, but just as in a dream, the colors and effects are rather surreal, from the her outfits to the floating glass after she busts through a mirror. It's an extremely sexy and visually appealing video.

(4) Weezer makes the chart for me this year. Recently released I Want You Too video and featuring Sara Bareilles. While the album does not contain this version, I found it impressive that Weezer pulled in Bareilles' talent to duet the song in a laid back recording video. The casual session resonates with the indie rock/pop sound despite the fact the Weezer is under a major label. It's simple and gives the song a fun image of two people falling in love, and enjoying life together. Fan-tas-tic.

(3) From late 2008 and all 2009 year long, Lady Gaga has made and HUGE impression among audiences of all types. I have a great appreciation for the talent that Lady Gaga has and uses in every avenue of her music. From her voice, to piano to her dance ability, she really has what it takes to draw a crowd and rise to the top of the charts. She is the first ever to have 4-Number-1 singles of of any album. With a re-release and some new tunes to follow-up of The Fame, Gaga rolls out a resounding new video to accompany "The Fame Monster": Bad Romance. The song itself carries ode to Alfred Hitchcock in the lyrics, and combines dance with a colorful Russian-Mafia type story. Her voice bellows through longer notes and her changing appearance throughout the video sheds Gaga's faces - both beautiful and, well, interesting to say the least. Amazing video.

(2) Coming in half-way, I pick Jordin Sparks, Battlefield. The song itself is a bit "anthem-y" and the video gives a very simplistic view of that. But it's important to note why this video really sticks out to me. Watch Jordin's face at about 2 minutes and 43 seconds in: the moment is a split second but it shows the determination of the song~ the sadness of struggle but the drive to move forward and conquer the challenge of a difficult relationship.

(1) U2's "No Line On The Horizon" has been a dynamic album this year. Complete with a 360 world tour, the band has once again shaken it's audience into excitement. One of the most incredible songs on the album, Magnificent, comes in as the number one video. It opens with the sun shining bright and the mystery of a glorious city covered under sheets as if it is being prepared to unveil significant beauty. From scenes of Bono's worshipful state to the revelation of unique people and the emasculate stone city, the song lifts the listener to think higher. Even the lyrics are truly compelling: "I was born/I was born to sing to You/I didn't have a choice but to life you up." Simple, beautiful, praiseworthy, Magnificent.

Honorable Mention: 2009 has been one of the most interesting years for the world of Music. The world lost one of the greatest inovators of pop music: Michael Jackson. Stepping beyond the Jackson 5 and growing up in front of our eyes, Jackson entered the 80s with a few dance moves no one could imagine to try. His album, Thriller, one of the most successful albums of all time. So in honor I will list on of my favorite dance videos of the Jackson era: Smooth Criminal.

So now the question is: what do you think?

Perfect Silence

"Prayer is sitting in the silence until it silences us, choosing gratitude until we are grateful, praising God until we ourselves are a constant act of praise"
~Richard Rohr

What silences you this Christmas? What stills your mind? What forces you attention so much so, that you are rendered speechless?

The season is at hand and in the last 24 hours, any sign of restless has ceased to exist. Oh, sure, it's the season to be busy...but what is busy but the insane commercial promotion of a beautiful holiday?

It doesn't need to be filled with gifts, but rather people- those that you love the most and perhaps even those you don't. It doesn't need to be overwhelming, instead, let it be a time to slip away from the daily stresses that grab our attention so much more easily than silence.

Yes, the noise of our work places, our phones, our challenges can seem so loud. But maybe just perhaps....instead, think on things, or go out and do the things that bring joy to life: hug your child, give the poor, smile once more in the day, keep in mind that the beauty of this holiday, is more about how we give ourselves than what we receive from others. The very meaning of this holiday is of course, that we were given- the greatest gift of all from One that loves us most, LIFE.

Let silence be a way of life. End this year, start the next in a life of gratifying rest-- that your life may display all that it was created to be.

Nation

I have been reading yet another book by Terry Pratchett, and this time a book he wrote geared for young adults.

The book tackles and exciting tale of a young tribal boy, anticipating his manhood, and a lost young woman from developing world, both landing on the same island. Each is a mystery to the other, each speaks in a different language. And the two, together, must find away to build a society from a destroyed nation.

But there is one aspect that has caught my attention and here, I will elaborate:

"Where is your chief?"
"I'm here," said Mau firmly.
The young man started at Mau. "You are the Chief? But you're just a boy!"
"Not just. Not even. Not only. Who knows?" said Mau, "The wave came. These are new days.Who knows what we are? We survived, that's all." He paused and thought: and became what we have to be.

The most exciting parts of this grand story is that the young Mau went off to seek his manhood, and in coming upon his own island after a storm, he proved that he could become that, not by accomplishing the assigned tasks of elders or filling the expectations of his people~ but by taking upon himself the responsibility of building from nothing, and without the "right-know how" from his people. Mau had to discover, on his own- how to properly bury the dead, find food, water or milk, and had to face his fears...of the spirits he thought were tormenting him. He had to learn how to treat a strange girl and welcome her and work with her to build a new nation.

We are more resilient than we give ourselves credit for. When we feel the weakest, it often means we are at our strongest to survive, to pull forward, and to build again. Nothing is truly impossible, even when building a Nation.

Living Beyond Thinking

"We do not think ourselves into a new way of living. We live ourselves into new way of thinking. Without action and lifestyle decisions, without concrete practices, words are dangerous and largely illusory" ~Richard Rohr

We dream of what we will be, we waste away thinking into existence without ever taking one step forward.

It seems to me that so many people believe that life is supposed to fall into their lap, and that includes Christian people. "The Lord's Will" is a common mystical phrase when needing an excuse for their not going after life to the fullest! Others use the idea that God will change their mind when referring to their current miserable job. How unfortunate!

I am firm believer, not only in personal choices and responsibility, but in the very idea that God has planted gifts, talents, abilities and more importantly: goals and dreams in our hearts and minds to seek out, to accomplish!

No, I'm not saying that we shouldn't trust Him in our difficulty or that we won't be led in a direction that challenges us or we that we should throw away our livelihood. BUT, I AM saying that I see no harm, in seeking to be all that we are created to be and to the greatest capacity. And that requires: action.

It goes against Rene Decartes' philosophy "I think therefore I am." We must live out who are because waiting around for a life-changing audible voice isn't going to get us anywhere.

"If you don't have a clear sense of your passion, dream or calling, then try everything. Be daring, try new adventures, broaden your worldview and build relationships" ~Cara Davis (Relevant Magazine)

I recently read an article in the mentioned online magazine about a generation of 20-somethings going after what they believe they are meant to do. While many of the responses to the article were encouraging, there were a couple, however, that just could not see fit to find that pursuing or discovering one's passion as a Godly thing to do. And frankly, I find that odd. There were even a couple of people older than their 20s and thought that it didn't pertain to them because it didn't call on the 30s+ for examples.

Again, I reiterate: having a dream is amazing thing. But we have to be willing to take it one step further and go after it- it may require hard work, sacrifice, but it will be the one thing we love, the one thing that drives us and it will take us far from having an average state of being.

Of course, too, I think it goes beyond the 20-somethings. I think there are 30, 40 & 50-somethings who may find their lives not what they expected to be, and feel they've never gone after the one thing they're passionate about. And they should do it. You never to old and you're never to young start. Stop thinking about it. Go for it.

Change your thinking into living. Get out of that emotional rut by making choices that will take you to the next level of all that you're meant to be and do. Be the greatest creation on Earth. It's worth it.

Black Equals Laugh

We approached the mall, pulling slowly in to the parking lot as we noticed the line of people waiting out in front of the door. It was slightly below 40 degrees and I couldn't help but smirk at the crazy people willing to wait for the mid-night black-Friday opening. We drove all the way around the mall and found one other door with another line and security guards checking their watches. What was more was the juggler on stilts entertaining the crowd. We decided to just sit patiently in the warm truck and figured we'd mozy on in when the line of people had made their way into the mall.

As 12AM hit the clock and the sliding doors open, people RAN into the mall as if door buster deals were gone yesterday! We laughed, walked up and made a beeline for the restrooms. Not a single department store was open, but almost all of the mall-shops were. Starbucks sat at the center ready to take on the nut-jobs who needed their coffee. And the stilts guy was joined by two buddies for more amateur juggling.

Ironically, as suspected, none of the stores had limited supply of their big-black-Friday sales. From 12AM to 10AM would be buy one, get one frees, 50% to 70% off and perky high school- college kids ready to take on the next 12 hours.

We took our time, went to all the stores without any dramatic gift in mind. We picked out Wall-E figurines, a few stocking stuffers and even a couple t-shirts for ourselves, drank a cup of coffee, cheered for the stilts guy and left a couple hours later when frankly, we were over it.

On our way home, we drove by Best Buy and I got a good laugh. Why? Oh, you can imagine: tents, lawn chairs, blankets, and insane people waiting for the big opening of Black Friday in all it's glory. What was the item this year? HA. Cyber Monday came soon enough for me.

It's Christmas Time!

~MotoBlur Picture~