Christmas: Time to Feel the Spirit
Christmas is not [just] a time nor a season, but a state of mind. To cherish peace and goodwill, to be plenteous in mercy, is to have the real spirit of Christmas. – President Calvin Coolidge
I will honor Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year. – Dickens
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Time to be Aware
Time back tracking: Hezekiah prays for a longer life, and the sun moves backward 10 degrees, for a sign of that promise fulfilled.
Isaiah 38:8b So the sun returned ten degrees, by which degrees [on the dial thereon] it was gone down. KJV
Time standing still: Joshua asks God for the sun to stand still to ensure victory for Israel.
Joshua 10:13b So the sun stood still in the midst of heaven, and hasted not to go down a whole day. KJV
Fretting over time: “But at my back I always hear / Time’s winged chariot hurrying near. . . “ — Andrew Marvell “To His Coy Mistress”
According to a recent study cited by Jennie L. Phipps (top 20 weekday activities), many retirees spend most of their time sleeping and watching TV or movies.
Apparently, not everyone hears “Time’s winged chariot hurrying near!”
Time, in Balance:
To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven. Ecclesiastes 3:1 KJV
* * *
Holy Curiosity: Time to Stay Alive
The important thing is not to stop questioning. Curiosity has its own reason for existing. One cannot help but be in awe when he contemplates the mysteries of eternity, of life, of the marvelous structure of reality. It is enough if one tries merely to comprehend a little of this mystery every day. Never lose a holy curiosity. – Albert Einstein, German-born physicist
Life must be lived and curiosity kept alive. One must never, for whatever reason, turn his back on life. – Eleanor Roosevelt
Time for Blessing
GOD BLESS US, EVERYONE! Tiny Tim
Your turn: How does the passage of time affect you? What are you most curious about? How do you keep the spirit of Christmas (or Hanukkah) alive after the season passes?
Plain and Fancy 
A lot to think about, Marian! I enjoy looking back at time–obviously, since I’m a historian. I also try to enjoy the present, but think about the future, too. 🙂
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I’d say you have a well-balanced view of things, more so than the two-headed Roman god Janus, who looked only to the past and the future. Thanks for beginning your day with reading and commenting here, Merril.
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I love looking to the past to remember where I came from and the future to know where I’m going. Make sure to not to return to the past. Prepare everyday for the future for myself and my family. To always look to God for strength and guidance.
Gloria
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How interesting that just this morning I read from I Chronicles 16:11 “Seek the Lord and his strength, seek his face continually.” I always appreciate your down-to-earth comments, Gloria.
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absolutely lovely … thanks so much for your inspiring perspective!
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Mary, I know you like contemplative topics. I’m glad you enjoyed these.
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Marian — I really (really!) like the Albert Einstein quote you shared here.
As it relates to time, here’s another one of his that’s a favorite of mine: “The only reason for time is so that everything doesn’t happen at once.” — Albert Einstein
However, my all-time favorite quote about time is from Brian Andreas, creator of StoryPeople cards. “Everything changed the day she figured out there was exactly enough time for the important things in her life.”
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One (of many) things you are blessed with is a holy curiosity. That’s why your followers flock to your posts. Thanks for commenting on mine.
I had not heard of the Brian Andreas quote. Practicing its precept helps one separate the important from the urgent, which sometimes gets muddled in my life.
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Time moved so slowly when I was a child, wanting to grow up. Now I’m grown up and time is moving so quickly! What changed? I guess I did. You captured the passage of time so well in your post! Thanks for sharing! 🙂
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I have heard some theories on why time moves so quickly as you get older. But now I hear that even young folks think time is speeding by. Hmmm
Another theory? Thanks for offering your wisdom today, Anita.
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A lovely post and quotes Marian thank you! Ah to keep the spirit alive when Christmas is past. It can always be present though. A curiosity about this amazing world – and ourselves – goes a long way. Having a reverent attitude towards the gift of life no matter how difficult our circumstances is a holy attitude and leads to wholeness.
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Your last sentence struck me as a great summary of all the quotes in this post. Thanks for paying such close attention, Susan.
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A beautiful post, Marian, and a wonderful reminder about time. I remember our family driving from Kansas to Colorado one summer, long before I realized Colorado would become my home.
As we drove west on i-70, we passed the sign that said we were entering mountain time zone. My grandfather was with us, and he said that we had just turned back an hour…and what would we do differently if we could truly turn back our lives by one hour?
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Asking provocative questions runs in your DNA, Marylin. I remember posts in which your mother queries her students to bring out their best thoughts.
Are you familiar with Einstein’s Dreams, in which Einstein imagines worlds in which time can be circular, flow backwards, take other forms? Like you, the author (Alan Lightman) is a writing teacher, but he has also taught physics at MIT. A fascinating read.
Thanks again for passing on your grandfather’s question. Time moves relentlessly forward, so there are no do-overs, but thank goodness, there are second chances.
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I wish that the peace and love that is supposed to mark this season were truly felt by everyone. About the passage of time, I try not to focus on the past which I cannot change and look forward to making some positive changes in the future.
This quote from Ecclesiastes is one of my favorites: “To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven.” That does put things into perspective. 😉
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The quote from Ecclesiastes occurred to me at the last minute, but underscores the comfort that the repetition of seasons bring to our fast-paced lives. Thanks for pointing this out, Judy.
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The quote from Brian Andreas, that Laurie sent, sent shivers up my spine …it’s so brill.
I have a theory about time; it’s not scientific just me thinking too much. If we all lived till we were about 50 years ago, and now on the whole, we can live up to 100. Time in those 50 years was slow pace; now 100 years is fast paced…maybe they are both exactly the same time but 100 years have to be crammed into 50 years, so therefore time goes a whole lot faster? I told you there was no science needed just me and my mad ideas. Did your husband draw the Dickensian like character? So good.
Cherryx
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Cherry, your idea suggests a connection between time and space, which may be more scientific than you think. Interesting to speculate nonetheless. Yes, my husband Cliff did the drawing. I will pass the compliment on to him. Thanks!
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There never seems to be enough time in my day to do all I want. When I retire I can’t imagine I will sleep and watch movies though.
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As a retiree, you will be busy and purposeful just like now, but then you’ll get to choose what you’ll spend time on. Just think of it as your future wearing your rosy-tinted glasses.
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One of my church friends, Nancy, is very good about reminding me and all of her FB followers that Christmas is not at all over, and that Dec. 25 is only the first day of Christmas. 🙂 She savors each day (she and her husband, no kids) used to give each other very small mementos or gifts for each of the 12 days but now I think she focuses more on the gifts life–and God–gives us, and tries to spend the 12 days after Christmas in more of a reflective mode than the month long build up to Christmas allows. Good reminders for me–and I hope others, here.
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I questioned the wisdom of posting a Christmas-y theme two days after Christmas, but Nancy is right, December 25 is only the first day of Christmas in a sense. Mother used to say of December 26, “Well, this is the second Christmas,” extending the joy. I think we are subtly influenced by the marketing machine that pushes after-Christmas sales and stacks the shelves with Valentine cards before the last gift is opened.
Thanks for passing on this timely reminder, Melodie.
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Love that first quote!
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I’m so glad to see your mother’s wristwatch, Marian. And thank you for the journey down the river of time with your, as always, beautiful images. May 2015 be a year of love in action.
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Love in action – a good focus phrase for the new year. How invigorating and empowering!
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