Rants - A Holiday Tadition

Hey there, Faithful Readers! Hoping that you and your family had a very blessed Thanksgiving.

If your family is anything like the vast majority of Americans, then life this past Thursday probably looked very similar to mine - Wake up, eat, watch Football, cheer (or cry depending on your team [Packers are 11-0... just saying! :D]), nap, eat more, laugh (or cry depending on your family), then sleep again for the night. 


I figure everyone has a similar experience on this day. Unless, of course, you are the Mom! Then your day begins at 5am prepping a kitchen with wonderful culinary confections of love-filled perfection intricately timed so that the mashed potatos, turkey, stuffing, assorted casseroles, fixings, and enough pies to fill a small bakery all coincide completion at the EXACT moment that the family is thinking about resorting to cannibalism. 


That said; THANK YOU, MOMS! And a very big THANK YOU to my Mom for her years of faithful food preparation. 


I have to beg the question, why do moms subject themselves to this Iron Chef caliber pressure. Often times huge family gatherings and the opinions of in-laws rest on the success of one holiday dinner. Family rarely appreciates the amound of concentration and precise care that goes into each dish; so why do mom's do this? 


The answer is - It's tradition. 


I love the Holidays. They are so rich with tradition. The Macy's parade ending with the advent of Santa Clause. The overindulgence on Turkey and stuffing throwing the mass populous into a tryptophan coma until New Year's. The clamor and frantic searching for the Christmas list items in understocked stores. In the Church, the weeks of advent and special services centered on the person of Jesus Christ. The TV specials. Apple Cider. Candy Canes. Egg Nog. Snow Flakes.


All of it is spectacular. 

But here's where the holiday rant takes a turn from the good feelings and drops into the bathos of the glooming reality. (This wouldn't be a rant without sharing some sincere thoughts.)


There are some traditions that happen around holidays that are regretable and, I wish, avoidable. 

One such tradition is this BLACK FRIDAY deal. Don't get me wrong. I understand the economical importance of the holiday and definitely don't want to deprive business with the opportunity to thrive. We need that nowadays. What sickens me though is what it's become to the shoppers. They have become SO consumed with the idea that getting this special deal is LIFE OR DEATH! My recent tradition has been to scour the news headlines and see the most horrific incident involving holiday shoppers. 


This year it's a toss-up between the various Walmart tramplings and the woman who pulled out pepper spray AND USED IT to get the drop on other shoppers. 

Ridiculous. What have we become? It used to be a touching sentiment. Mom and Dad love the family so much that they're willing to wake up uber early (fighting the effects of tryptophan induced comas) and stand in even longer lines just for the opportunity to get their family that ONE thing that might bring astounding joy and enrich their life. Certainly, I love my family enough that I would be more than willing to waste hours, days, even weeks to make them happy. 


But that's no longer the sentiment.

We used to create wish lists where we didn't expect the world and if we got even one thing that we asked for, we were grateful, appreciative and excited. Now when we create lists, we expect EACH AND EVERY thing there to be wrapped up under the tree. And when there's something missing, we're in a slump until Easter. And, of course, why wouldn't everything be under the tree? Our family loves us. We've created comsumer whores... We've become easily disappointed. We've missed the point of Thanksgiving. 


Personally, I think we need to move Thanksgiving to AFTER Christmas. (This would also let the department stores avoid the faux pas of setting decorations out TOO early... like before Halloween...) But it seems counterproductive to the holiday when we spend a day expressing how thankful we are for what God has blessed us with, an opportunity to be content, and turn around before the gravy has congealed and focus on our greed. We NEED that 45" flat screen TV and who cares who I need to step on to get it... We need Thanksgiving after Christmas so we can say "I know I didn't get what I wanted, but I am happy anyway. Life isn't about stuff."


Of course, the people who actually need to read this thought will probably never see it. But that's ok. Change begins at home. I've only put one thing on my wish list for this Christmas. It won't make or break my joy if I don't get it. It might even hurt the economy if no one's buying things for me. But I seriously think we have bigger problems than the economy right now. In fact, I still hold to the theory that the economy is a reflection of these greater problems; the symptom, not the root cause. I'm going to just be thankful for what I have, try to bring joy to others. Christmas is about Giving. If I don't get, that's ok. If I don't give... well, then there might be something wrong with me. 


If you could narrow your wish list down to just ONE item what would it be? Would you be destroyed if you didn't get it?

Maintain Radio Silence

Wow! It's already Saturday and I haven't thrown up a new blog post for you guys. I am SO sorry! The week just got away from me there...

What a week it's been! I got back from my sister's place Friday night around midnight. You know her if you read from last week's blog. She's amazing. Go check her out! Know what? I'm going to put a link at the end rather than the beginning. You might jump over there and never make it back here. :P

I might as well share something interesting before you skip to the bottom and look at her awesome words.

Have you ever noticed that there are some occasions where there are just NOT enough parking spaces at Starbucks? It's irritating! You want to get inside and grab a cup of coffee and chill out, enjoy some free WiFi and embrace the atmosphere but you're reduced to going through the drive through and heading home. Sorry, Laptop, our roadtrip was wasted... I know what you're thinking "Yes, of course we've all been there. But what does this have to do with life?" Well, lemme tell ya, this is how my life has felt the past little while.

This point in my life has felt like waiting for a parking spot at Starbucks. I anticipate that some AMAZING experience is on the horizon but there's no space for me at the moment. UGH! Nothing is more frustrating or detrimental to cogent thought or creative energy than to be denied the realization of something incredible.

Sometimes when we're waiting for that special opportunity, we're tempted to park in the lot next door or across the street to procure a resting spot so we can sneak in. I've often thought about doing that but can't bring myself to occupy someone else's spot and rob THEM of the opportunity they were looking forward to experiencing at that next door establishment. Just wouldn't be right!

No, the best answer to this situation (both literal and metaphorical) is to go through the drive though and hope, pray, wish, will through intense thought that while they're preparing the cup someone decides to leave and let a spot open up. It just so happens that was the exact thing that happened this very hour and why I'm typing this up from my comfy couch in Starbucks while sipping a venti iced coffee. YAY! Glorious circumstance! I did not drive home defeated but acted wisely. I just had to buy the coffee first before being graced with a parking spot and the opportunity to enjoy the atmosphere inside.

Now back to real life. (I know we ALL enjoy the extended Starbucks metaphore, it's magical. But application awaits!) What does it look like to buy the cup while waiting for the parking space? I don't think I can supply a standard example that relates to everyone. But I do know what it feels like. (Remember a few paragraphs up? This is how my life feels lately.) It's gut-wrenching. You're at the drive through window, the business transaction is almost complete. The moment of truth, the instant in time all of existence hinges on is approaching. Either something will open up and victory will be claimed OR crushing defeat is dealt and the consolation prize pacifies the bitter tears on the retreat trip home...

The stress is epic enough to send a person's heart into shock. Nevermind the caffeine.

This is why, on the precipice of cataclysmic doom or thrilling success, that most people tend to keep these "drivethrough" experiences to themselves. In the event of cataclysmic doom, there's no loss of face if people never know. No point of sharing unless it's a sure thing, right?

I can't live that way any longer. It may not be considered wise to share with people every possibility available to them. It may needlessly raise the hopes of the individual and people around them and, more often than not, end in disappointment. But to shed light on the adventure that is presented should enbolden and encourage all of us. I constantly remember the common colloquialism "No guts, no glory." Four simple words expressing a profound and difficult truth. If we cannot deal with the fear of failure, if we cannot cope with the possibility of falling flat on our faces, then there will NEVER be anything more in our lives than consolation prizes.

I can be content with second place if I was shooting for first. I can deal with the tears of losing. Someone has to lose. But if all I ever shot for was less than spectacular, less than excellent, that would be a pitiful existence. (Ok, MAYBE I did that when it came to school... but what does an A even mean???) Point is, success almost requires failure. To shy away from the pursuit out of fear will always leave you unfulfilled.

That said, I would appreciate many prayers or positive thoughts for this next week. I am thankful for the opportunities that God is bringing to light. This next week has the potential to be HUGE! This week could potentially determine a large part of my life for the next 5 years. This week could impact and shape my future. This week set me on a path that will impact the world in amazing ways. Or, this ext week could fizzle out and leave me deep in a cycle of despair akin to circling the parking lot dozens of times muttering "where can I park?..." Either way, I won't be able to share specifics. Hmmm secrets make for bad blogging.

I suppose I can at least share the outcome if you're interested. The principle still remains. Be bold. Embrace the adventure of the drivethrough. Don't give up on victory. Sometimes you need to buy your coffee before you park. That's life. It's not guaranteed.

Have you had a "drivethrough" experience? Life changing or literal, go ahead and share BELOW! Love to hear from you.

Enjoy the holiday! I am thankful someone reads what I ramble. I'm sure my sister would be thankful for some reads and comments on her blog as well. Here's the link! Go check out her holiday treats! http://becsface.wordpress.com/

Tumultuous Travels

Greetings, Faithful Followers!

I know that I am frightfully late in this blog entry. While I am retelling my most recent adventures, it will become very clear to you the reasons why.


This week I am on a much needed vacation to South Carolina to visit my sister! I have concluded that the universe and powers that be do not particularly care to let people have vacations. The world would like nothing more than to keep us confined to the stresses of ordinary life... My experience has not been exempt form this reality.


Why is it that the week or two prior to vacations prove to be the most strenuous and demanding? I'm all for hard work, but it's amazing to me how much extra gets thrown onto the already cumbersome work-load at the last minute. I had an extra 2 services to plan for and preach in the week before claiming 7 days of freedom. It felt as the last leg to a triatholon, the finish line in sight and then BAM the massive incline hits. Through tears and screams of agony, I toughed it out and made it to the goal...


But not without my share of last minute surprises...


Packing up seemed no big deal. My wonderfully inteligent cat, Boca, got the hint that I would be leaving for a while and became moody fairly quickly, but (I thought) was taking it like a trooper. I'd gotten the house fairly cleaned (ok, by my standards it's still a minor disaster area) and packed the car. I'd decided to start my 9 hour trek from FL to SC at Midnight so that I could miss all heavy pockets of traffic. Plus, I drive better at night and I could make it JUST in time for Chuch in the morning. Brilliant, I know.


I had turned the lights off in the house and was prepared to head out the door with my directions and final item or two that would accompany me in the front seat. I said "goodbye, Boca!" and proceeded to walk out the front door. That's when Boca did something predictable; he snuck out between my feet and enjoyed a breath of ultimate outside freedom. No big deal, I thought, he does this infrequently. I just say "NO!" and then he stops and I throw him back inside... Except for tonight...


No sooner do I say "Stop!" then Boca gets the bright idea to RUN! There is a tree right outside my front door where, from the windor, Boca has witnessed other outside cats climb up this tree and disappear onto the roof. Apparently, Boca decided that this night would be the night to immitate these cats... He jumped a clear 4 feet onto a branch and proceeded to climb. I dropped my belongings and also jumped about 4 feet, grabbing him before he could advance further on his daring, arborous adventure.


After I threw him to the ground, he ran around my car, trying to avoid a panicked me, before running back into the door held ajar from my bewhildered exclamation.


Not exactly how I like to begin long journeys; pumping adrenaline through my veins while chasing around cats with cabin fever.


The car ride was uneventful. Long and arduous, I made it to my destination on time and in one piece. I was looking forward to the opportunity to relax, catch up on some blogging, spend major time in self reflection and explore the newly discovered Spotify (MUSIC! YEAH!) on my computer.


It was only after I was welcomed by my sister at 8:30am Sunday morning and she was helping me carry things into her house that I anxiously asked the question, "Um... Bec, did you bring in my back-pack?" (As it was already absent from my vehicle) A curt and matter of fact "Nope." was the reply...


Instant despair. No water needed to be added. I was perplexed. After the daring escape attempt, I'd taken a final tour through the house to be 100% SURE that I had EVERYTHING. Nothing was left in the house that I intended to bring along with me. Despair quickly turned to horrored panic as the only other possibility came to my mind -"I LEFT THE BACKPACK (with my laptop, books, and phone charger) OUTSIDE!!!!"


In a flash, I was on my phone e-mailing my pastor (who, as grace would have it, lives next door to m) and kindly asked if he would just double check on my grave error. He did, and I indeed left my poor bookbag with my most precious belongings out in the carport. Thank God no one grabbed it and there was no adverse weather happening that night!


A sigh of relief. Then a sigh of regret. A whole week without a computer. A whole week without the intant ability to blog, post on facebook, listen to music... or play minecraft!?!? Then the optimist in me perked up. YES! A whole week without that stupid piece of technology! I can reconnect with myself and be freed from the constant distraction. Look, I'm not saying that was the best thing that's ever happened to me, but I do know that God knows what's best. And I'm thinking this will be most beneficial.


Now, I know what you're thinking, how am I telling you all this if my laptop was left 560 miles away? Well, I'm on a library computer where my sister works. We're having a fantastic time. This week will prove to yield some most excellent adventures.


My sister and I have already had major guitaring adventures, are 1.3 movies into a 4 part Alien marathon and will be embarking on a culinary craft the rest of this week. Yes, I'll be joining my sister and putting on my baking hat as we try making a decorative Fudge Cake and other confections.


If you haven't checked out her blog, YOU NEED TO! Seriously. Go to http://becsface.wordpress.com/ There, you have a link. No excuse.  You took the time to read my ramblings, you might as well appease the whole David family. Read, comment, order cookies! That's a sure way to make my sister's week! I promise you'll like her much more than you enjoy my musings.


Now that I've plugged an infomercial for my lovely sister, I must wrap this up and sign off. Moe adventures to come this week, FOR SURE! I just hope more of them are spectacularly better than the adventures that kicked off this vacation.


What's the most spectacular hindrance that's ever occured prior to YOUR get-away?