I have always appreciated the beauty of stained glass windows. Every time I hear of stained glass windows being destroyed by bombs in a war, I am distraught. What is there about light streaming through their colored glass that touches one's soul? Even the simple squares of colored glass in the hospital corridors brings a sense of peace and comfort.
The church where I worked in Champaign, IL had a gorgeous rose window above the chancel area. One day I mentioned my desire for the window to be lighted at night for the world to see, for passersby to be reminded of all the beauty and wonder God built into his world. Suddenly, a project was underway, a light was installed outside so that when we were having evening services we would see the cobalt blues, the brilliant reds and warm yellows of the window rather than a black round nothing.
I was so touched I pulled together a RoseLight concert series. After all, beauty begets beauty, and what better coupling than music and stained glass? It was wonderful to listen to excellent sound while bathing in the joyous light.
For our Christmas cantata this year, I asked the music librarian if she would put together a powerpoint that would go along with our music. We are doing 4 vignettes of Christmas carols, and I had thought maybe she could find a picture of each carol's music to project as we sang. She looked for that, but couldn't find many. Instead, she decided to select pictures of stained glass windows that depicted the scene or story of each carol.
Tonight I got to preview the presentation. It was wonderful! I had no idea stained glass windows existed in so many different shapes and colors, not to mention portraying so many scenes, so many Biblical friezes! And each one matches the carol we are singing. In addition, during the narrations, she added pictures of the stained glass windows that used to be in their building! Local color if you will.
I am looking forward to putting the sights and sounds together. I hope people will be uplifted and blessed. She and I agree that someday we would like to see these windows up close and actual. Maybe next year!
Thursday, December 3, 2009
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
Christmas Tree Decor
Last year as I packed away the Christmas decorations, I sorted through the conglomeration of Christmas tree items. What a mess! Over the years I have accumulated a hodge podge of various things and there seems no connection between one item and the next. As each son has moved out, they have taken the decorations they wanted, little things that had significance for them. I am left with an strange assortment of stuff that no longer looks good thrown together on a tree.
So I selected everything that was cracked, broken, mismatched or ugly and found them a new home (some of them in the trash). Then I identified stuff that just wasn't my taste and passed them on to others. The bin seemed much lighter but more harmonious when I packed it away last January.
So much for the getting rid of stuff. For the last few months, I have been keeping my eyes peeled for ornaments that I like. At first, I thought to limit the tree ornaments to a few categories that fit a theme. So if all my ornaments have something to do with the nativity, I would have stars, sheep, animals, little nativity sets, angels and the like.
I have a nice collection of musical ornaments each with a perky red or Christmas plaid bow and sometimes a swatch of pinecones or holly berries. I like them a lot and I love music. Add that to my list.
Then there are the beautiful round glass ornaments in appropriate Christmas colors (purple and peach? really?). Many of them have glittery gold designs, very festive. And I have a handful of glass ornaments that are shaped like a bird or an old fashioned spire. Keepers.
Armed with a sense of what my tastes run, I have collected over the past months here and there some new stars and angels. Some are Jim Shore ornaments that were on ridiculous sale, others are bent silver angels made in third world countries, a few crosses that Kiel gave me of gold ceramic.
They now hang together with the old well-sorted ornaments. I stand back and admire the colors, the shimmer, the light. It almost recaptures for me the magic I felt as a child, waking on Christmas morning to the sparkle of a tree not only newly decorated, but packed with presents. Oh, joy!
I know my tree will not be packed with presents, but our house is packed with love and peace, rare commodities these days, and ones for which I am tremendously grateful.
So I selected everything that was cracked, broken, mismatched or ugly and found them a new home (some of them in the trash). Then I identified stuff that just wasn't my taste and passed them on to others. The bin seemed much lighter but more harmonious when I packed it away last January.
So much for the getting rid of stuff. For the last few months, I have been keeping my eyes peeled for ornaments that I like. At first, I thought to limit the tree ornaments to a few categories that fit a theme. So if all my ornaments have something to do with the nativity, I would have stars, sheep, animals, little nativity sets, angels and the like.
I have a nice collection of musical ornaments each with a perky red or Christmas plaid bow and sometimes a swatch of pinecones or holly berries. I like them a lot and I love music. Add that to my list.
Then there are the beautiful round glass ornaments in appropriate Christmas colors (purple and peach? really?). Many of them have glittery gold designs, very festive. And I have a handful of glass ornaments that are shaped like a bird or an old fashioned spire. Keepers.
Armed with a sense of what my tastes run, I have collected over the past months here and there some new stars and angels. Some are Jim Shore ornaments that were on ridiculous sale, others are bent silver angels made in third world countries, a few crosses that Kiel gave me of gold ceramic.
They now hang together with the old well-sorted ornaments. I stand back and admire the colors, the shimmer, the light. It almost recaptures for me the magic I felt as a child, waking on Christmas morning to the sparkle of a tree not only newly decorated, but packed with presents. Oh, joy!
I know my tree will not be packed with presents, but our house is packed with love and peace, rare commodities these days, and ones for which I am tremendously grateful.
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
Snow!
5:55. Drew's alarm radio has been going off for a good five minutes. Ugh. I plop my feet over the side of the bed and shuffle to his room. "Drew. Drew. Turn off your alarm." No sense lying down again. I have been awake for awhile anyway, praying for Dad, for Kiel, for Mark.
I wander to the kitchen to look outside and see if there is frost on the ground. Everything looks pale. I rub my eyes, thinking I am not fully awake, and peek out again. The ground is definitely white! The trees are coated and the cars are blanketed. Dark ruts in the roadway mark where the early risers have driven over the white coating.
How apropo. December 1st brings the first real snow of the season. Winter is upon us. Drew comes out, excited, wondering if school is cancelled. Fat chance - there is only an inch or two on the ground, and nothing in the air except the blobs that are falling off trees and wires. Drew wraps plastic bags around his sneakers, loathe to break out his boots yet. He is still waiting for me to get him the winter coat at Land's End that he wants - the one that zips into a small pouch that will fit into his tiny locker at school. He will have to wait awhile longer.
I can't wait to take Sugar out for her first experience with snow. She races excitedly out the door and is paw deep in fluffy white stuff before she realizes there is something different. She lifts one paw and shakes it, then another one. She sniffs frantically around - all the familiar smells are buried. She doesn't hesitate to take care of business, and then hops like a rabbit back to the safety of the sidewalk where the snow has already melted.
She discovers that when she hops, she stirs up little snowballs that roll ahead of her. She chases them by more hopping until she is leaping about joyously, licking the little snowballs and kicking up more. We stay outside longer than usual while I brush the snow off the car, and then off Kiel's car. Sugar loves the snow, racing around and snuffling about.
We head back inside, breathless and energized. It isn't even 7am. What a lovely start to a brand new day!
I wander to the kitchen to look outside and see if there is frost on the ground. Everything looks pale. I rub my eyes, thinking I am not fully awake, and peek out again. The ground is definitely white! The trees are coated and the cars are blanketed. Dark ruts in the roadway mark where the early risers have driven over the white coating.
How apropo. December 1st brings the first real snow of the season. Winter is upon us. Drew comes out, excited, wondering if school is cancelled. Fat chance - there is only an inch or two on the ground, and nothing in the air except the blobs that are falling off trees and wires. Drew wraps plastic bags around his sneakers, loathe to break out his boots yet. He is still waiting for me to get him the winter coat at Land's End that he wants - the one that zips into a small pouch that will fit into his tiny locker at school. He will have to wait awhile longer.
I can't wait to take Sugar out for her first experience with snow. She races excitedly out the door and is paw deep in fluffy white stuff before she realizes there is something different. She lifts one paw and shakes it, then another one. She sniffs frantically around - all the familiar smells are buried. She doesn't hesitate to take care of business, and then hops like a rabbit back to the safety of the sidewalk where the snow has already melted.
She discovers that when she hops, she stirs up little snowballs that roll ahead of her. She chases them by more hopping until she is leaping about joyously, licking the little snowballs and kicking up more. We stay outside longer than usual while I brush the snow off the car, and then off Kiel's car. Sugar loves the snow, racing around and snuffling about.
We head back inside, breathless and energized. It isn't even 7am. What a lovely start to a brand new day!
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