The goose is getting fat!

and me along with it!

I'm stuffed to the max with wonderful food after tonight's round of story telling with the Buller family. We had a great time gathering together to hear stories, courtesy of Pauline and Calvin; and of course we always enjoy getting together to just eat and be merry. The Christmas season has started, and with it come the many obligations that also somehow include food. Tonight is not the first gathering, nor will it be the last! Thinking about Christmas food and gatherings gets me to thinking about the other things that go along with Christmas as well.

This past week I've been playing Christmas music in my classroom, and one of the CDs that has been played the most has been John Denver and the Muppets. This was (and most likely still is) one of my favorite Christmas albums, especially the song that Miss Piggy sings "Christmas is coming, the goose is getting fat! Won't you put a penny in the old man's hat. If you haven't got a penny, a half-penny will do...." I remember sitting in our home in Marion on Cedar street singing along to this song when I was little, and I remember having such a vivid image of Miss Piggy singing it to me. Now I'm sitting in a home, not far from Cedar street, listening to the same song. Sometimes life doesn't take you very far from where you began!

Christmas is one of my favorite times of the year, but it is also a time that I find very sad. I know that many people consider me a "Scrooge" because of my views on Santa Clause, and I also know that I've used this blog in the past to air those views, so I won't put you all through that again! Instead, I'll just say that I urge you all to remember the real reason we celebrate this season.

This season should be about celebration, celebrating the birth of a small baby that was born to save us. Luke writes a story that could be (and has at this point) made into a movie. Luke doesn't write of Jesus' family tree---line after line of names (an especially long version of the Mennonite game!), instead the chapters read more like a script for a musical complete with lots of catchy songs and dance. I know I'm probably interpreting things differently because of the many church Christmas plays I've been in, not to mention the 6+ singings of the Messiah and the many rounds of Christmas carols I've sung. Music is a vital part of my personal Christmas celebration, but if you look to the story in Luke, I think that it also fits with Luke's version as well. If you look at the story, you will read of angel visits, a barren woman who is with child, a mute who can suddenly speak, a virgin birth, and shepherds visiting after being serenaded by angel song. All of these could be captivating reads entirely on their own, but when put together it should be a showstopper! With Luke's words, we should feel the spirit of "great joy" the angel predicted and certainly a spirit of CELEBRATION!

But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people." Luke 2:10