{"id":164,"date":"2014-12-14T21:20:43","date_gmt":"2014-12-15T03:20:43","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/canoe.stephencoleman.net\/?p=164"},"modified":"2015-01-05T19:27:43","modified_gmt":"2015-01-06T01:27:43","slug":"will-the-circle-be-unbroken-memories-of-christmases-past","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/canoe.stephencoleman.net\/?p=164","title":{"rendered":"Will the Circle Be Unbroken…Memories of Christmases Past"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0Each year as Autumn slowly creeps towards the middle of November, I begin to eagerly anticipate the Christmas songs that will be soon blasting across the airwaves everywhere.\u00a0 It seems that I can hardly go anyplace without hearing their joyful tunes in some form or fashion.\u00a0 From sentimental medleys to lively numbers, these songs of the season have the ability to captivate us, transcend us, and usher us into this magical time called Christmas.\u00a0 Recently, there\u2019s been a song that I\u2019ve heard played over and over.\u00a0 It seems that no matter where I am, I\u2019m constantly hearing this song.\u00a0 From the grocery store, to the car radio, to the film scores of Hallmark movies\u2026I\u2019ve heard this song repeated more than any other since mid-November.\u00a0 It is a song that talks about Christmas being the most wonderful and happiest time of all. \u00a0Yeah.\u00a0 That song.\u00a0 In many ways, Christmas is the most wonderful time of the year.\u00a0 It\u2019s a time that brings together believers in the celebration of our dear Savior\u2019s birth.\u00a0 It\u2019s a time that invites perfect strangers to unite in a sense of merriment with feelings of\u00a0 peace and goodwill.\u00a0 It\u2019s a time that encourages communities, neighbors, friends and families to come together in a renewed sense of love and togetherness.\u00a0 And it\u2019s a time that invites intimate and personal reflection on the past year and on the years past.\u00a0 Deep personal reflection.\u00a0 For some, Christmas can be a very hard time.\u00a0 Maybe they\u2019ve experienced a personal loss\u2026perhaps the loss of a job, a spouse, or a loved one.\u00a0 Maybe they feel lonely.\u00a0 Whatever the reason may be, Christmas for them is most definitely not<\/em><\/strong> the most wonderful time of the year.\u00a0 It\u2019s the hardest<\/em><\/strong> time of the year.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0My late grandmother was a lady who loved Christmas very much.\u00a0 She had a favorite red suit that she liked to wear, and she would often put on her Santa hat to give everyone a chuckle as her way of spreading Christmas cheer.\u00a0 I fondly remember the warm and inviting smell that would permeate her house as she baked many pies to give to others as Christmas gifts.\u00a0 And I have wonderful memories of being at her house as a child when Christmas carolers would stop by on the cold winter\u2019s evening, singing songs as Jack Frost nipped at their noses.\u00a0 I remember going to Christmas musicals at church with her to listen to the sounds of the season\u2026oh how she loved her Christmas music.\u00a0 Yes, my sweet Maw-Maw loved Christmas and everything that it encompasses.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Maw

My dear grandmother, Jennie Bryant – Christmas 2006<\/p><\/div>\n

\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0Recently, I had to travel down south to the town where she lived and check on something at her old house.\u00a0 The house is still in the family so I do go back from time to time, though not very often.\u00a0 As I drove up to #517 with its long and inviting front porch, a wave of nostalgia and sadness hit me.\u00a0 Each time I drive up and see the old blue house, my subconscious tricks my mind into thinking that I\u2019ll somehow walk up the stairs, open the front door, and smell the wonderful aroma of pecan pie baking.\u00a0 Memory is funny in that way.\u00a0 But alas, it is no more to be.\u00a0 This Christmas marks the 5th<\/sup> year that we\u2019ve had Christmas without her.\u00a0 But it\u2019s not just the loss of my grandmother I think of during this time of year.\u00a0 It\u2019s the loss of my family and other loved ones who have moved on.<\/span><\/p>\n

There are loved ones in the glory
\nWhose dear forms you often miss
\nWhen you close your earthly story
\nWill you join them in their bliss?<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"

#517 Lee Avenue – My grandparent’s house for many many years<\/p><\/div>\n

Will the circle be unbroken
\nBy and by, by and by?
\nIs a better home awaiting
\nIn the sky, in the sky?<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0Many Christmases were spent in that old blue house.\u00a0 Even though it is by no means a large house, we still managed to gather the entire family under one roof and celebrate Christmas together.\u00a0 When we were younger, my grandmother would bake a special cake, place a candle in it, and invite the grandchildren to sing happy birthday to Jesus.\u00a0 That was always a special time for me as a child.\u00a0 My family has not been together since 2007.\u00a0 Nearly ten years now.\u00a0 After my grandmother\u2019s passing in 2010, things began to fall apart in a number of ways.\u00a0 Nothing will ever be the same.\u00a0 Some time ago, I was faced with a home repair project that required a strong adhesive.\u00a0 I tried an ordinary glue at first, and it failed but a mere few days later.\u00a0 I sent my wife to the store to get some Gorilla\u00ae brand superglue.\u00a0 Not just any glue, but Gorilla superglue!\u00a0 My repair was a huge success thanks to the amazing strength of that Gorilla glue.\u00a0 I would like to think that if my grandmother were here, that things would be different.\u00a0 She was the Gorilla<\/em><\/strong> glue that held our family together, and I can\u2019t help but wonder if she could magically mend the shattered pieces back together if she were still here.\u00a0 But I have my doubts.\u00a0 You see, there is much hatred and animosity in my family.\u00a0 And where there is hatred and animosity, the spirit of Christmas and the love which forms its very core cannot prevail.<\/span><\/p>\n

You can picture happy gath’rings
\nRound the fireside long ago
\nAnd you think of tearful partings
\nWhen they left you here below<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

\"House<\/p>\n

Will the circle be unbroken
\nBy and by, by and by?
\nIs a better home awaiting
\nIn the sky, in the sky?<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0Memory is a strange thing.\u00a0 I could almost say that it\u2019s like a curtain in wind; it flutters in and out with a life force of its own as it triggers our recollections of the past at the most random\u00a0 and inopportune times.\u00a0 In my own life, these recollections are oftentimes triggered by hearing a song, smelling a scent, or travelling to a familiar place.\u00a0 For me, travelling back to my grandmother\u2019s house always triggers memories of the past.\u00a0 My grandmother always loved wind chimes. \u00a0As I sat down on the porch that day and listened to the wind chimes softly tinkling in the wind, my mind was transported back to another time many years ago.\u00a0 I heard the voices of children as they played in the backyard.\u00a0 I smelled the pecan pies baking, and I heard my grandmother\u2019s voice as she talked to everyone who was visiting.\u00a0 I sat there for a short while just reminiscing with my memories, listening to the ghosts of my past as they moved all around me, their voices swirling around like the dead brown leaves in the wind.<\/span><\/p>\n

One by one their seats were emptied
\nOne by one they went away
\nNow the family is parted
\nWill it be complete one day?<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"

Through this door, I have entered many times.<\/p><\/div>\n

Will the circle be unbroken
\nBy and by, by and by?
\nIs a better home awaiting
\nIn the sky, in the sky?<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0The old saying that time marches on and waits for no one certainly holds true.\u00a0 The sound of the traffic travelling up and down the street eventually brought me back to the present day in December 2014, and I regretfully stood up and prepared to leave my silent reverie.\u00a0 As I slowly walked into the house, I bid the ghosts of my past goodbye once more, locking the door of that memory for safekeeping until the next time I would have the opportunity to visit the past.\u00a0 This Christmas, we have much to be thankful for.\u00a0 We really do.\u00a0 You see, over 2,000 years ago a baby was born.\u00a0 He would one day become a man who would die to give us the gift of eternal life and to make us new creations.\u00a0 And that, my friends, is the best gift of all; the gift of hope that we have through the reassurance that better days are yet to come. Our hope is in the eternal, and not the temporal.\u00a0 There\u2019s an old hymn that I was recently reminded of.\u00a0 The chorus goes something like this:<\/span><\/p>\n

Will <\/em><\/strong>the circle be unbroken
\nBy and by, by and by?
\nIs a better home awaiting
\nIn the sky, in the sky?<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

As you\u00a0 can see, the original writer of the hymn worded the chorus as a interrogative sentence.\u00a0 My reference to the sentence type is merely the English teacher in me coming out.\u00a0 For those of you who may not be familiar with English \/ grammar terminology, an interrogative sentence is simply one that asks a question.\u00a0 A declarative sentence is one that asserts an argument or makes a statement.\u00a0 Several artists who later recorded the same hymn took the liberty of transforming the chorus to into a declarative sentence:<\/span><\/p>\n

Will <\/em><\/strong>the circle be unbroken
\nBy and by, Lord, by and by?
\nThere\u2019s a better home awaiting
\nIn the sky, Lord, in the sky.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Because of the hope that we have through the birth of Jesus Christ and the miracle that is Christmas, we can joyfully sing this song as a loud declaration! \u00a0Yes, the circle will one day be unbroken, and yes, there IS<\/em><\/strong> a better home awaiting for us some day if we only cling to our hope in the eternal and believe that there are better days yet to come.\u00a0 One day our circle will be held together with a love that cannot be broken \u2013 it will have been glued together with the Gorilla Glue of Jesus Christ!<\/span><\/p>\n

One of the annual traditions that my family looks forward to at the beginning of each Christmas season is attending a touching Christmas service known as the Festival of Lights. This very touching service is performed by the Mississippi College Singers and incorporates staff and faculty members who serve as scripture readers.\u00a0 This year, I had the privilege of being one of the readers in the program, held each year in the historic Provine Chapel on Mississippi College\u2019s campus.\u00a0 Each year, the service concludes with the singers singing a beautiful old hymn called Still Still Still<\/em>.\u00a0 As they sing the song, the chapel is illuminated only by the flickering candles held by the singers.\u00a0 It really is a very inspirational sight.\u00a0 The last verse of the song goes like this:<\/span><\/p>\n

Dream, Dream, Dream,<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Of the joyous days to come.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

While guardian angels without number,<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Watch you as you sweetly slumber.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Dream, Dream, Dream.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Of the joyous days to come.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

This Christmas season, no matter where you are in your journey down the river of life, I challenge you to spread the love.\u00a0 Call someone that you haven\u2019t talked to in a long time.\u00a0 Bake a pie and share the gift of your time with\u00a0an elderly or lonely person that you know.\u00a0 Give a hug to someone who may be struggling.\u00a0 Make amends with those you may have had a falling out with, and let your hearts be light!\u00a0 This Christmas season, may you hold fast to your memories.\u00a0 May you cling to the eternal hope and joy you have through Jesus Christ.\u00a0 And may your dreams be filled with visions of the joyous days yet to come!\u00a0 One day, my circle will be unbroken, and yours will be too!<\/span><\/p>\n

From my heart to yours,<\/span><\/p>\n

Merry Christmas!<\/p>\n

\"Stephen's<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"\"

Wiley turned 15 this December, and this is our 14th Christmas together!<\/p><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0Each year as Autumn slowly creeps towards the middle of November, I begin to eagerly anticipate the Christmas songs that will be soon blasting across the airwaves everywhere.\u00a0 It seems that I can hardly go anyplace without hearing … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[12,5,6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-164","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-inspirational","category-random-thoughts","category-stories"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/canoe.stephencoleman.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/164"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/canoe.stephencoleman.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/canoe.stephencoleman.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/canoe.stephencoleman.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/canoe.stephencoleman.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=164"}],"version-history":[{"count":19,"href":"http:\/\/canoe.stephencoleman.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/164\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":253,"href":"http:\/\/canoe.stephencoleman.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/164\/revisions\/253"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/canoe.stephencoleman.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=164"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/canoe.stephencoleman.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=164"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/canoe.stephencoleman.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=164"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}