FIX YOU

      

It’s Christmas Eve. This year it is a very different Christmas. I’ve been around a long time (don’t ask, trust me), and I’ve never experienced a pandemic Christmas. I don’t recommend it to anyone.

Around here, I’m known as Mr. Slow Wrench (to be more accurate, Mr. Good and Slow). I’m good at fixing things and I get a lot of projects because the people I work for, my wife, granddaughter, etc., don’t pay me. Maybe I should be called Mr. Poor Wrench. It’s true, I can fix many things. By the time you get it back you will have grown older, sometimes much older, but eventually you get it back fixed. You may not recognize it, but it will work, probably. One of my favorite TV characters is Canadian Red Green, who fixes everything with duct tape. Sometimes he comes up with some pretty good inventions that probably can’t be mass produced.

I HAVE SOME BREAKING NEWS, there are some things in life that cannot be fixed because we live in a broken world. Relationships break, things break, people get sick, and some die. Nations go to war, parents battle each other, abuse and family estrangement happens. If you want to see other examples, turn on the news.

I don’t know what you have faced during 2020, but we all have two common experiences, the pandemic, and we are broken.

The Bible is referred to as the Good News—the Gospel. Because we have too many things we can’t fix, God came down as a human baby, born in Bethlehem. It was as if God were saying, “I’ve got this covered,” and in fact Jesus does have it covered. He has covered our brokenness, and if we let Him, he will fix us.

(c) Wally Johnston 2020

The following are the lyrics to a song. The author says, “I’ll try to fix you.” Jesus says, “I’ll fix you.”

Click here to listen to the song on YouTube.

FIX YOU.

When you try your best, but you don't succeed
When you get what you want but not what you need
When you feel so tired, but you can't sleep
Stuck in reverse

And the tears come streaming down your face
When you lose something, you can't replace
When you love someone, but it goes to waste
Could it be worse?

Lights will guide you home
And ignite your bones
And I will try to fix you

And high up above or down below
When you're too in love to let it go
But if you never try, you'll never know
Just what you're worth

Lights will guide you home
And ignite your bones
And I will try to fix you

Tears stream down your face
When you lose something, you cannot replace
Tears stream down your face and I
Tears stream down your face
I promise you, I will learn from my mistakes
Tears stream down your face and I

Lights will guide you home
And ignite your bones
And I will try to fix you

Songwriters: Christopher Anthony John Martin / Guy Rupert Berryman / William Champion / Jonathan Mark Buckland

Fix You lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Mgb Ltd.

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!

CHRISTMAS MEMORIES

 

https://www.facebook.com/dianereighardphotography/

You probably remember at least one gift you got for Christmas as a child. Santa brought me a toy service station (for the younger crowd, a service station actually provided service instead of just gas. They always washed your windows, checked the air in your tires, and checked your oil and it had a full car repair garage), with a ramp to a parking loft above the business. It worked great with my matchbox cars. I don’t remember what other gifts I got that year because it didn’t matter, I had MY garage.

That night I placed it by my bed before I went to sleep. The first thing I looked for in the morning was the station. Overnight it sank! Did I mention, my brother and I had bunk beds and he was on the bottom? Yep, during the night he rolled off his bed and my garage broke his fall, and in the process, my beautiful new, shiny service station! Want to know how I felt? Don’t ask!

Let’s move on to something more pleasant. The last few months of my mother’s life were spent at our house. Because she was bound to a wheelchair she remained home while we went to church (it was an old church with a gazillion stairs). When we got home and entered the living room, we found our Christmas tree horizontal on the floor. My Mom sat there and smiled from her wheelchair. We blamed her for speeding in her wheelchair and knocking it over! She just LAUGHED!

My most memorable Christmas was the time my mother got to come home for Christmas. She had been hospitalized for some time and we weren’t sure she would be released in time to join us. My dad worked different shifts at the steel mill so I was left to care for my younger brother. I really missed her! I can’t remember if it was Christmas Eve or Day, but as I looked out the living room window, I saw our pastor’s car pull into our driveway. From the passenger side, my mother stepped out of the car! She was home for Christmas. It was the best gift I ever received.

I can go on-and-on about my memories, but I want to hear about YOUR MEMORIES. Are you willing to share them with us? I look forward to reading your replies below.

ANNOUNCEMENT...I hope to have a special Christmas post for you next Thursday or Friday. Come back to see it!

(c) Wally Johnston 2020

“There are two kinds of people in this world, those who like Dr. Pepper, and those who don’t”

ROUND PANCAKES AND OTHER CHRISTMAS TRADITIONS

 

Today we are looking at family Christmas traditions. Every family is unique. They all have their ways to celebrate and remember. For example, a teenaged girl was observing her mother preparing a roast for dinner. Before putting the roast in the pan, she cut off a little bit on both ends.

“Why do you do that?” she asked her mother.

“Do what?” Mom replied.

“Why do you cut off each end of the roast?” she wondered.

“Well, I guess I never thought about it before. That’s the way my mother always did it,” was her answer.

She called her grandmother on the phone and inquired about this strange way of meal preparation. “Why dear," her grandma replied, “I cut the ends off so I could fit the roast into the pan.” They both had a good laugh and she reported her finding to her mother. That event became an accidental family tradition. 

Importance of Traditions

Here is a good definition of traditions:

There is a reason we intentionally maintain and create traditions – it's because they bring meaning to our celebrations and help bond us to those we love. They lend a certain spirit that nurtures the family connection, giving us a sense of belonging and helping us celebrate generations of the family..(I would add, they are part of our family story.)

www.childhelp.org › blog › traditions

The family roast story may seem odd, but there are other families who have some really unusual Christmas traditions:

• One family made a creche using items from all the places they visited or lived. It reminded them of those memories.

• Pop in a Can – On Christmas morning, after the gifts are opened, the family brings their coffee or egg nog and watch grandpa as he steps into the recycle can to compress the wrapping. They then offer him a toast then go back inside!

• Santa’s Lap – When you think about it, how weird that we take our young children to a bearded stranger to sit on his lap and ask for toys?! No wonder so many kids cry! As a child my dad would take me to see the santa in town. All I wanted to do is get away from him because he had terrible breath.

• Here are some Weird Christmas Traditions Around the World Buckle your seatbelt. Some of these are way out there!

One of my family’s favorite Christmas tradions is serving a Chrismas breakfast of aebleskivers. These are Danish pancakes (see photo above). You fix up the batter  and is cooked in a special pan in butter. They come out marble shaped and you can add syrup, powdered sugar, or both.  They are often served with lingonberry. See the recipe at the bottom of the article.

YOUR TURN...What is a Christmas tradition your family participates in each year? Please “reply” and share it with the rest of us.

NEXT WEEK...we will share a favorite Christmas memory. Be prepared to share yours!

Aebleskiver Recipe

(c) Wally Johnston 2020

“There are two kinds of people in this world, those who like Dr. Pepper and those who don’t”

SHARED CHRISTMAS

LET'S JOIN TOGETHER IS A SHARED CHRISTMAS! From now until Christmas we'll share elements of the Holiday together.  We are talking on December 10, 17, and 24 (Thursdays).

This Thursday we will discuss family Christmas traditions.  I'll be sharing my own and would love for you to share some of your traditions.  This should be fun! Please share this with others so they can participate. Here is a link you can send them: 

https://www.journeyintostory.com/2020/12/shared-christmas.html

SIMPLY REPLY AT THE BOTTOM OF THE POST AND SHARE A CHRISTMAS TRADITION WITH THE REST OF OF US.  Your tradition will be shared on December 10th. Think of something your family does each year to celebrate.

I look forward to your responses!

Wally @ Journey Into Story

WHY THANKSGIVING IS SO SPECIAL

Here is a great article from USA Today to help us celebrate Thanksgiving by reminding us of the things we can be thankful for.

Enjoy your thanksgiving.

 https://www.thanksgiving.com/all-holidays/thanksgiving/heres-why-thanksgiving-is-the-best-of-all-the-holidays

MY FAVORITE HOLIDAY

 When I was a teenager back in Indiana, we would plan our Thanksgiving dinner around a meal of pheasant. I know, most people did turkey, but we would like to do things differently (because my family WAS different). Actually, everyone is different, it’s just that some folks are MORE different than others! I think we were in the “more different” category.

I would get up early on Thanksgiving morning and head out on the crusted snow. The night before I told my mom to have a turkey ready as a backup in case I came back cold and empty handed. I loved the early mornings back home. It’s like I was the only one on the planet and had all of nature to enjoy. I would return home and was glad my Mom always had a turkey in the oven. We ate backup every year. Turns out I liked the idea of hunting but not actually shooting something.

(Disclaimer: My family thinks I’m a scrooge). My favorite holiday is Thanksgiving, it’s NOT Christmas. Let me explain. Christmas is out-of-control. Gifts have gotten so out of control that if we didn’t have Christmas shopping, our economy would tank. That’s insane, that’s crazy. People have gotten into the habit of gift giving as the purpose of the holiday. How often have you heard, “It’s not going to be much of a Christmas this year.  We don’t have much to spend on gifts.” If American’s would be more modest in their spending, they would have an abundance to help those in need who are just trying to survive. Let’s be honest, Americans would not go into debt to give to charity but Christmas gifts, that is a different story!

Now do you know why my family thinks I’m a scrooge? Hang with me a minute before you change the channel. I invite you to TAKE A LOOK AT THIS VIDEO and then come back here for a talk.

Here is why Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday:

The only gift we give each other is the gift of togetherness.

It saves money.

Thanks to the carbs we eat, not triptifane in turkey, there is usually a healthy nap after unhealthy eating.

It gives us time to think of our blessings.

May your Thanksgiving be a blessed time for you and your family. And if you are eating pheasant, please don't tell me!

(c) 2020 Wally Johnston

"Remember, there are two kinds of people in this world, those who like Dr. Pepper and those who don't."

BARS OR STARS?

 “Two men looked out from prison bars,

One saw the mud, the other saw stars.”

― Dale Carnegie, How to Stop Worrying and Start Living

Have you ever run into an author? I don’t mean literally run your car into one, I mean someone recommended, or something you see on the Internet social media. Well, I’ve done that recently. I listen to podcasts and I came across a John O’Leary. He’s a motivational speaker who as a child of nine, was burned on 100% of his body.  I was attracted to that because as a young boy I got second and third-degree burns on my foot. It was one of those freak accidents. I went outside and saw a bunch of my friends all huddled around a brick grill. As I approached the group I couldn’t see what they were doing. Suddenly the group split in two, like Moses parting the Red Sea. They were putting plastic army men in fire and watching the army guys melt. Someone had a piece of that molten plastic on a stick and flipped it. As it came by the boys, they quickly moved out of the way so that I could catch the blob of hot plastic in my boot. I had cowboy boots on with no socks and I am telling you it really, really hurt. I started jumping around like a wild steer. I don’t know how many hops it took me to get home but I moved as fast as I could with tears running down my face. Unfortunately, when I kicked my boot off it took my skin and flesh with it. For months I had to have my wound cleaned and dressed every time they pulled off the gauze it hurt like crazy. It would take off part of the scab. I can identify with someone like John O’Leary. If you get a chance come by and I’ll show you my scar. (Full disclosure, I do charge $.50 to have a look. 😄

John's first book, ON FIRE, tells us about his experience. His new book is entitled IN AWE.  I thought about how we have lost our childlikeness. Kids have elements in their lives that helped them explore and try new things and look at things in different ways. On the other hand, we adults get crusty and live in the ruts we have created over time. I want to take this opportunity to share a small review of John’s book and recommend it. You'll see how timely it is.

Here is the Table of Contents:

Sense #1: Wonder: Asking Questions to Achieve the Impossible - "By wonder, I mean something we do. I’m talking about our ability to be curious, to inquire, to probe, challenge, and even doubt."

Sense # 2: Expectancy: Returning to the Powerful State of First-Time Living - "Children are connected to their sense of expectancy, and that sense is tuned to expect excitement and adventure."

Sense #3: Immersion: Cultivating Your Attention to Be Fully Engaged in Every Moment - "We were not made to be in a thousand places at once. We were made to be here, in this moment, right now. No one exemplifies this the way children do."

Sense #4: Belonging: Opening the Gift of Truly Letting People In - "In no other area can we learn more from our children than through their acceptance of others, and most important, of themselves."

Sense #5: Freedom: Stepping Off the Sideline and Getting Back in the Game - "Inherent within each of us is the ability to get back to that state: to dare greatly, go big, and run forward unhindered by expectations, judgment, and fear."

Do yourself a favor and get this book.  Enjoy the ride!

There are two types of people in this world, those who like Dr. Pepper and those who don't.

(c) Wally Johnston 2020