Thin mints, peace on earth and light.

These are NOT the kind my grandfather bought but I have searched for days to no avail, these will do.

         I wrote a Christmas letter about traditions and mentioned how it was a tradition to have thin mints after dinner at my grandparent’s house.  I confessed in the letter that I don’t really like thin mints but they make my heart full when I see them on a table as my family gathers for holidays.

         My grandfather would get the box of mints out after the meal was cleared away, my siblings and I would wait anxiously for this moment, and he would take one mint and hand it out like gold. That’s right one mint.  Of course there were times we would sneak for another or begged for two-- but you know..the second one never tasted as good as the first.

          I don’t remember a lot about my grandfather, my last memories of him are when I was only 10. I have a child’s memory of him, a grandchild’s memory at that.  The beauty of this is that there is only good to remember. He was quiet, like my dad.  He was silly like most of us and he was double jointed like me! He was a man I wanted to be like, I would put whatever he ate on my plate as well..though I drew the line one night at brussel sprouts. 

          Holidays are the times when we have the gift of memories some we conjure up as we relive tradition and others catch us by surprise.  We cry, laugh, love a little more than usual and we are blessed most of the time by remembering the way a 10 year old does, the best of times ,even though many have lived through the worst of times.

         When I celebrate Christmas my heart is full of the best of memories: a baby born in the manger with singing,light and love, in spite of the violence that surrounded this babe.  How we live today can be the memory of light in a time of dark as well—what can be born in us this Christmas?

                There seems to be so much fighting about people looking for Christmas, somebody stole the word Christmas and has replaced it with Holiday!  I promise you—if you are looking for Christ the path is much clearer than it was for the shepherd and magi.  

If you want to represent Christ to the world “Be the light and peace that transcends all understanding.” Philippians 4:7

My Christmas pray this year is the same one I prayed with my 10 year old heart full from the love of Christ.

—Peace on Earth, peace on earth, peace on earth, peace on earth.