Angels and Dreams

Do you remember the scripture " The angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream" from Matthew 1:20? Dreams can be powerful conduits for God's voice. So often we forget them and lose a powerful insight to ourselves and spiritual lives. Keeping a dream journal is a lovely way to keep track of our dreams. Later I like to reflect on the meanings...some literal, but often very symbolic. Start the new year with a journal and record your dreams. Notice when God speaks to you. Here's to 2009!

Global Warming

Picture courtesy of:
From: The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition | Date: 2008 | The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition. Copyright 2008 Columbia University Press.
In 1985 a geological team discovered an ancient fossil forest. The trees were from the Eocene period about 45 million years ago.The large mummified stumps were discovered to be the Dawn Redwood (Metasequioa glyptostroboides) a tree now only found naturally in China.Scientists estimated the climate was sub-tropical somewhat like Florida today. On a nearby island they found the fossilized remains of alligators and rodents. The climate was much warmer 45 million years ago in the Arctic Archipelago and leads me to wonder? Have we caused the climate to change by our actions here on earth, are we in a warming cycle that occurs naturally, and why not call this Climate Change instead of the ominous Global Warming. What do you think about this issue? Is global warming a climate change that occurs naturally in the big picture of our earth's evolution. What do you think?

Advent Wreath and our special blessing- Tankene the Norwegian Forest kitten

Advent wreaths are easy to make and a great way to celebrate this spiritual season. Gather some evergreens or other native plants common in your area and shape them in a circle. Place the candles around the wreath, evenly distributed. There should be three purple and one rose. The first Sunday of Lent, light one of the purple candles.This is to symbolize prayer and penance and remind us to prepare for the coming of Christ. On the second Sunday, light another purple candle and reflect on the hope Christians find in Jesus. The third Sunday, light the rose candle and rejoice that our savoir's birth is near. I think of this as the candle symbolizing the joy we find in Christ. Another purple candle is lit on the last Sunday of Advent reminding us that Jesus is King. On Christmas Eve, a white candle is set in the center of the wreath to remind us that Jesus is the light of the world! Merry Christmas.
Our home is again filled with a special light with the new addition of Tankene Ice Mist- our new Norwegian Forest kitten. Mr.Chub already is his best friend and the Princess Sinatra is hissing less and less. More about him next post.

Advent Season

Advent
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(Latin ad-venio, to come to).
From the Catholic Encyclopedia:
According to present [1907] usage, Advent is a period beginning with the Sunday nearest to the feast of St. Andrew the Apostle (30 November) and embracing four Sundays. The first Sunday may be as early as 27 November, and then Advent has twenty-eight days, or as late as 3 December, giving the season only twenty-one days.
With Advent the ecclesiastical year begins in the Western churches. During this time the faithful are admonished to prepare themselves worthily to celebrate the anniversary of the Lord's coming into the world as the incarnate God of love,
thus to make their souls fitting abodes for the Redeemer coming in Holy Communion and through grace, and
thereby to make themselves ready for His final coming as judge, at death and at the end of the world.