Being a grown-up means setting your own rules. I’ll spot him this year if I have to stay awake all night! MERRY CHRISTMAS TO PLANET EARTH!
Author: lloydslensphotographyllc
I am a West Virginia native who has always loved photography. I have studied it for many years. I recently turned my hobby into a business. I do event photography, senior and family portraits. I also have several home décor prints and items available for purchase. Some of my photos have been used for book covers. I hope to soon have an on line store at this site.
The Angel Story
By this time tomorrow most of the United States will be covered by a blanket of wrapping paper. I can picture in my mind that the responsible member of house is standing by with a snow shovel ready to plow through a brightly colored avalanch of Christmas joy. Great care must be taken during this task lest small chilchildren be lost within an embankment paper and empty boxes. It’s easy to be swept up in the trappings of the celebration when you are only two feet tall. As an adult, it’s easy to to get lost in the excitement and preperation of the season. We have a tendency to focus on the doings and overlook the beings. I imagine that when the angel visited the shepherds that they may not have noticed at first. Tending livestock requires multitasking. Hedges must be maintained, animals are constantly wandering off, adequate food and water needs to be available and sibling rivalry has to quelled. Its very much like managing a family gathering. The Herald Angel would have needed to use that trumpet to get everyone’s attention. “HEY, OVER HERE! EVERYONE FOLLOW ME! WE’RE HEADING INTO TOWN TO SEE THE BABY JESUS!”
When they arrive there is more chaos. The sheep are still wondering off, the wisemen’s camel train has taken over the parking and now the cattle are lowing. Mary would have been a nervous wreck without the grace of God. Everybody is there to see the precious gift laying in a manger. The noise and clamor of the inn fade away into the night as the baby opens his eyes and the true gift is realized.
It’s easy to get lost in the excitement. There are plenty of distractions. Everything from twenty-four hour T.V. specials to making dinner and enjoying the surprises under the tree. Take a little time to stop and let all these things fade into the background and appreciate the true gift of Christ.
The Orange Story
One of Christmas traditions that my family practices is peppermint candy and oranges. Every year my grandfather would buy a crate of oranges and bag them up with peppermint candy to hand out to friends and family. This was the thing he looked the most forward to every year. The story behind this gifting tradition goes back to the Great Depression. He came from a large family and during those times almost nothing was bought from the store. They played with hand carved wooden toys. They wore handmade clothes. The food was raised and harvested at home. An exotic fruit like the orange was a luxury. But his father would splurge at Christmas and there was enough money for each child to have one orange and a large piece of peppermint candy. One year one of his sisters had just finished peeling her orange and dropped it into the dirt. My grandfather couldn’t allow her to go without Christmas and gave her his orange. The simple act of sacrifice became an expression of love every year. The true meaning of Christmas is sacrificial love. The original gift that was given was the child in manger who grew up to hang on a cross and restore to us that which was lost.
Forest Dweller
Mankind is a wild animal. We hide it with technology, office buildings and fashionable clothes but in our hearts we instinctively know we must be free to roam. We crave the fresh air and sunshine. We need to find that special spot where we can center our thoughts and breathe. There’s something refreshing about the the smell of the stones and the trees along some fern covered forest floor. If you can sit still enough for long enough nature begins to welcome you home. More than once I’ve had small birds get curious enough to land just out of reach. Sometimes I have fallen asleep only to wake up at the sound of footsteps creeping ever closer. I open one eye and slowly turn my head to see a deer nervously trying to figure out who is on the path.
We live in a age and wonder. The technology in my phone was only science fiction when I got my first job. It has allowed me to share my perspective with the world. Even the pictures taken by the camera can be instantly sent across the planet. Yet with all this access there’s still a drive to be free from it all and just quietly exist.
December 21st
December 21st is the date I look forward to every winter. I probably enjoy the Winter Solstice more than Christmas. It’s the longest night of the year and the halfway point to Spring. I love my mountains and all the beauty that surrounds us here but Winter here is long and dark. After tonight the light returns to my world.
LLOYD'S LENS PHOTOGRAPHY LLC 