I stumbled across this website today.  I'm so happy!  There's blogs and articles from EVERY religion... oooo pumped!

http://www.patheos.com/

Christmas time is buzzing in my skull  
Will it let me be? I cannot tell  
There are so many things I cannot grasp  
When I think I've got it, and then at last  
Through my bony fingers it does slip  
Like a snowflake in a fiery grip  
Something's here I'm not quite getting  
Though I try, I keep forgetting  
Like a memory long since past
Here in an instant, gone in a flash  
What does it mean? What does it mean?  

In these little bric-a-brac a secret's waiting to be cracked  
These dolls and toys confuse me so  
Confound it all, I love it though  
Simple objects, nothing more  
But something's hidden through a door  
Though I do not have the key  
Something's here I cannot see  
What does it mean? What does it mean?  

I've read these Christmas books so many times
I know the stories and I know the rhymes
I know the Christmas carols all by heart  
My skull's so full, it's tearing me apart
As often as I've read them, something's wrong  
So hard to put my bony finger on  
Or perhaps it's really not as deep  
As I've been led to think  
Am I trying much too hard?  

Of course! I've been too close to see  
The answer's right in front of me
Right in front of me
It's simple really, very clear  
Like music drifting in the air
Invisible, but everywhere
just because I cannot see it  
Doesn't mean I can't believe it
You know, I think this Christmas thing It's not as tricky as it seems  
And why should they have all the fun? lt should belong to anyone
Not anyone, in fact, but me  
Why, I could make a Christmas tree
And there's no reason I can find I couldn't have a Christmas time
I bet I could improve it too  
And that's exactly what l'II do  
eureka! I've got it

Native American named a saint

How interesting is that?  The Catholics named Kateri Tekakwitha a saint. 
I suppose any understanding I have of Christianity has a Catholic overtone to it, my hometown was basically entirely Catholic.  I think some variety has sprung up in the past couple years, but when I was young if you weren't Catholic you were strange.  If that's the level of comparison I was VERY strange! It wasn't until later in life I learned that a lot of Christians don't follow the whole saint concept.  I had no idea.  I can't say I understand the concept of saint, it's like they're demi gods.  It's more than recognition of a good person, it's like a demi god.  Overall I just don't understand it.  Apparently to be a saint there has to be proof of two miracles, whether the saint is alive or dead at that point I don't quite understand.  Apparently the second miracle in this case is the recovery and healing of a young boy with a deadly flesh eating bacteria.  It's wonderful that he's better, but how do the Catholics distinguish between modern medicine and prayer? 

I just think it's interesting that they named a Native American a saint.  Sounds great! but the track record of the Catholic and Native American encounters have been a little scary.  I'm uncomfortable with the idea of conversion in general, and I can't help but think to convert Native Americans has contributed to the loss of culture, and the historical destruction of many many people.  Also known as genocide.  So, in terms of Native American Catholics this is amazing for them!  I find the whole thing confusing.

To be honest I think the Catholic ritual is interesting and has some level of beauty....but the pope terrifies me.  I'd have to be dragged kicking and screaming should I ever have to meet that man. 

Words of Wisdom

“The glass is half empty but the fact is, I can always get another drink.”

- Ville Valo

Yuletide

I love December.  I love the decoration, the people, the wining and dining, the intense and often irrational religious debates! Fox's "war on christmas" is a personal favorite of mine.  The debate over holiday or christmas trees.  I'm amused by the idea of a large conspiracy to destroy christmas, specifically christmas.  Of course I don't take this crap seriously! It's just way fun to watch people throw fits over.  I think it's fairly well documented that a christmas tree would have been considered satanic to said founding settlers that Fox deems so righteous.  I love this kind of stuff.

Regardless most things that are a part of our modern version of christmas has very little to do with what I would think christmas is supposed to be to christians.  The intense pressure to buy buy buy, CONSUME! I'm not christian, but it seems most of the things I see about christmas in December are based mostly on capitalism and not christianity.  Personally, I'd rather have a long drawn out dinner and hours of discussion over wine with friends than swap gifts, but that is impossible when you're only in town for a couple days and three families demand your attention. 

By my understanding of Christmas, which I've basically picked up through culture alone, is Jesus was born of a supposed virgin on December 25th.  That's about all I know.  I believe that it is also fairly well documented that a Jesus was NOT born in December.  The virgin concept alone is enough to confuse me, and I find unbelievable, not in a good way.  To me it demonstrates the start of deeming sex evil, and I highly disagree, but that's an entire discussion in itself. It drives me crazy that this family is almost always depicted as Caucasian, and if this story happened where they say it did....they are most likely not Caucasian.
 So anyway, if Jesus is not born in December as many scholars say, what the hell is all this Christmas crap about?  A popular theory is that a lot of christian holidays are based around earlier Pagan holidays.  There is not sufficient proof of this for me, probably never will be, it's just a theory.  The idea is that it is easier to convert the country folk if the religious holy days fall closely to their own.

The contemporary Pagan Yule I don't think is very similar to pre christian Yule.  I don't think a pre christian pagan would recognize what paganism is today.  To me, Yule is the longest night of the year, which is interesting and has a bit different energy than other "normal" days.  That's as far as I personally go.  Some Pagan theology says that on Yule the goddess gives birth to next years god.  Born on the darkest night of the year, as he grows the light/sun becomes more prominent, you get the idea.  It's an interesting story, but I'm not one to jump on this bandwagon, but it does provide a theory as to where christmas derived from.

I also think the flip side could be true as well, and the christian holiday was changed into a Pagan holiday to suite modern Paganism (starting around 1930s) recruitment.  I certainly don't know the answer, I'm just throwing out topics I've read about for years.  Whatever the answer, it's all remarkably similar.  It comes down to does it really matter what came first? What suites the modern era more? 

Strange Dreams

I have strange dreams all the time, some turn out quite fun.  The other night I had a dream that, for some god forsaken reason, I was at a bible study class.  It appears that a friend asked me to come along, in said dream. 
Even with that premise, you know the dream had to be entertaining. 

In said dream I functioned about as well as one would expect of me in a bible class, poorly.  I just ended up pissing people off and being yelled at by raging Christians.  So yeah, it went about as one would expect.  Apparently, I have a sense of humor even in dreams and for some reason I started dancing around, playing the violin, singing "When you're evil" by Voltaire.  Taunting their idea of me being an evil being lol I woke up laughing, and I've been amused since.  In said dream my friend understood and was entertained by my taunting behavior as well.  I call the dream a Win. 

Wedding Scrapbook Part 1

I thought that on top of strange religious ramblings I would add the things I make to this blog as well.  Drawings, scrapbooks, etc.  I started my wedding scrapbook today, since I got all my photos in. 
Keep in mind I took these with my phone, in terrible lighting...so forgive me since they are a bit blurry, light streaked, skewed coloring, and all around not good photos.  My scanner isn't big enough lol

Wedding Scrapbook Part 1

 

Kathy made this page, but since I never got a bridal shower invite, I had to borrow it from the scrapbook she made me

 

 

You realize that Christmas aint the only holiday