Advent Calendar: 15 and 16 Dec 09-The Gift of The Christmas Spirit!

We apologize for faltering on placing a gift yesterday on the Advent calendar. The bears are still with us and we had to deal with a protest from one of our bee colonies. They have been making more than twice the quota outlined in their agreement for no extra pay! So I said to them but where is the Christmas cheer?

That was before the attack of the killer bees! That one was a real disaster as one of my visiting bears decided to steal their honey…when I asked him what was with that…after all wasn’t I as host providing enough? He said to me he forgot he was just a normal Canadian Black Bear and for a second had a vision that he was a modern day Winnie the Pooh….he quickly got over that notion when the actual Winnie the Pooh showed up and said…

“Oh bother…I think I have an impersonator out here!”

It’s how it is when you have a menagerie of animals as your house guests! But hey it’s all in keeping with the Christmas spirit.

So to make up for it hopefully today’s installation with be in double dose and cover well both days of the calendar! Today’s post will be as sometimes is… identical on all three blogs as this blog post in its entirety seems to cover aspects of life normally explored on each of them. So today I speak to cover both Tue 15 and Wed 16 Dec when I present the gift of:

The Christmas Spirit!

And explain what it is for me and how I feel connected to it in song through …The Cherry Tree Carol!

Do you have a favourite Christmas Carol or thing that connects you to the Christmas Spirit?

The purple elephant would like to know. Check the little Christmas poll we’ve launched to find out by looking to the top left side bar of the Meady’s Musings blog.

Now here’s what Meady’s Musings Production considers to be the Christmas spirit…

Now there is comfort…there is joy…and love…the sense of warmth…the sense of familiarity…the need to feel accepted and loved…and on and on and on…it goes! All of these are things most people feel from time to time a need for…or either feel all fulfilled because they have it if only momentarily. And when they don’t have it they have hope to one day find it and some then well they pray for it…

Some people look for it in its pure and natural state while others look for it cloaked as something else...food…sex…toys…money…cars…house…the next big thrill…an adrenaline rush…fame…who knows really…
For many ‘Christmas’ and ‘The Christmas Spirit’ is about searching and focusing a little bit more excitedly and steadfastly on fulfilling these needs…but these are needs we have not only all year through but all life through! However ‘Christmas’ for some is like a great big magnifying glass! So people go about buying, fixing, organizing, inviting…doing all the things they do on a mini scale all year long on a much grander scale to fulfill these needful longings whatever they may be…or as Stephen King once phrased it in a title of a book…we try to acquire the “Needful Things”.


So for us here at Meady’s Musings Production house (overflowing with our animal muses as we are) really ‘The Christmas Spirit’ if analyzed boils down to the need to find this something out there…ourselves…the One…the Universe…our connection…our life purpose even? Perhaps everything in life in the end can be boiled down to the need to find out a few key things:

Who are we?

How did we come to exist?

Do we ever cease to exist?

What are we here for?

Most of us however give up asking those questions when we realize the truth is we don’t know for sure…and either (or in some combination of it depending on our mood) give in to a search for pleasure or surrender to prayer…or lose ourselves in seva (the Hindu term for service to mankind) or this or that…no matter how good or bad any of it sounds…it’s no different in the sense that all of us are clueless in the end if we admit it to each other!

After all we are just this stream of energy flowing forward (or expanding perhaps) and we don’t even know where…but I feel most people eventually come to the realization we are ourselves just spirit and so indeed we are ‘The Christmas Spirit’ too! It flows through us…it is light…or perhaps love and its pure, clear light!

So every year I feel connected to ‘The Christmas Spirit’ or ‘Self’ based on my just explained definition by some Christmas carol or the other. This year I was reminded of ‘The Christmas Spirit’ by this carol the most…the Cherry Tree carol. Here is why…

-One of the centers of focus in the song is a Cherry Tree
Trees…they ground me…I always feel centered in the Universe to be under the shade of their love…and just looking at their great, steady buttresses…well who wouldn’t feel centered? I also feel further centered when I walk under their shade with my feet touching the soil…toes digging into it…

-A pregnant woman (with child in womb)
I think most will agree that we often wish we could return to the womb…the comfort and warmth of it and the love that many are filled with from the mother while in it. And on the whole after birth…the mother-child love bond…

-A universal spirit connection
From the womb a baby’s spirit reaches out and connects with that of a tree based on the request of another spirit…its mother…and lo and behold the great and mighty tree bends and into the hand of the mother she has cherries by command! WOW! Doesn’t get anymore profound than that…and in that moment as the cherries touch the mother’s hand…three great spirits connect! WOW! Awesome!

“Oh! Look thou Joseph...I have cherries by command!”

Now let’s listen to it sung by Joan Baez who just adds to ‘The Christmas Sprit’ of it for me as she sings it straight from her spirit to mines!

Advent Calendar:Mon 14 Dec-The Gift that are Bears!

The bears have finally arrived here on Meadys' Musings Production's Advent calendar. The purple elephant and little mouse did finish the house keeping on time but then fell asleep not awaking in time to pick the bears up from the airport! The host of bears were so diverse in their nature and temperaments it made for quite an array of tricks and treats at the airport. Unfortunately while some were 'with little brain' there were others who felt they were 'smarter than the average bear' and ended up re-boarding outbound flights etc. However we are pleased to say at the end of this very long day all the bears are finally with us! And hopefully here to stay for the holidays! With the purple elephant and the little mouse! OLE!

Now on to exploring their gifts...

-On Meady's Musings we will talk a bit about their nature as studied in science! And also talk about some close encounters with bears of amazing kind!

-On UCP we will explore the famous bear of Hindu fame...Jambavan-The King of Bears of the Ramayan! And take a look at the entire bear army along with one of monkeys and other animals and fish as they build the Ram Setu...Ram's Bridge.

-On Books and Films Corner it was so tough to choose one bear over another as so many fine bears have populated books and films...filling the imagination of children as they clutch their teddy bears looking on...but we hope you enjoy some of our fav bear moments!

Bears in Scripture-Jambhavan the King of Bears


Oh Great Bear King Jambhavan !

Many an ode have been written about your monkey counterpart Hanuman
But not many have sat and penned about your name
Yet many argue you should be of similar fame
I know you are more a bear of action
Not one to complain or ask for such acclaim and affirmation
However you’ve worked alongside three great kings of Hinduism
Indra, Ram and Krishna
You are a chiranjivin
Immortal just like Hanuman Baba
You chose to stay on earth although you could have attained liberation
Thank you for this consideration
A student Emmanuel Torres by name
He saw the need to salute your skills of leadership
Oh great bear I’d have to say during the Ramayan battle your skills were indeed fantastic!
I recall with delight how you steered your bear subjects
Who alongside many a monkey and other animals, birds and fish
Helped fulfil Shri Rama’s wish
To build the setu...oh that great trans-oceanic bridge
And indeed it was a task well accomplished!
Live long in our hearts oh great bear king!
Your love for Shri Ram will forever be remembered by us
As we love him too!
Jai Shri Ram!

Copyright Meady's Musings Production 2009.

Advent Calendar:Sat 12 and Sun 13 Dec-Christmas Fun and Games with a bit of Housekeeping!

It's another weekend on the Advent calendar but yep the Purple Elephant and the little mouse are hard at work helping the carpenter get the roof ready and on the whole cleaning up after all the mice and elephants that visited the house for the gift of Friendship last Mon. They are determined to have the house ready for the bears on this coming Monday morning! They are even putting up a Nativity scene!

However in between they are still running off to have some Christmas fun and games and have also cued some tunes to keep them merry while they are at work!:) So here is the fun they have compiled with some help from the carpenter even! :)

Alvin and the Chipmunks


How to Make a Nativity Scene


Free online games with Christmas themes...the Purple elephant likes to play the Arctic Antics one where penguins help Santas into a pool of water by use of a trampoline but you might have your own favourite...check the site out here!

Christmas Like a Lullaby by John Denver

ADVENT CALENDAR: THURS 10 and FRI 11 DEC-The Gift of Hope

Meady’s Musings Production apologizes for this late entry to the calendar for Thurs 10 Dec and it covers Fri too. The thing is the house still has not recovered from the mice and elephants that showed up for the friendship blog on Mon and the carpenter has definitely declared that we can’t have the bears over until the full repairs are completed. Something about the structure of the roof and works were delayed due to rains.

So in the interim for this retroactive installation for Thurs 10 Dec (and Fri 11 Dec) we are going down memory lane and retrieve from the archives of last year’s Advent calendar the gift of hope that we had given on all three blogs as well back then. And start the weekend Christmas fun early on Fri! The Purple elephant and little mouse are so apologetic about the damage that this weekend I'm getting the treatment while they help with the repairs. They have compiled a selection of Youtube music vids that we will put up shortly for your enjoyment all weekend long! We will return fully on Mon with the Bears and more exciting gifts!

Hope you enjoy it!

On Meady’s Musings-The Gift of Hope in Words and Song!

On UCP-The Gift of Hope Through Prayer!

On Books and Films Corner-The Gift of Hope in Film!

Advent Calendar:Wed 9 Dec-The Gift of Miracles!

Now it's a bit presumptious of our calendar to think we can give such a gift...the gift of miracles that is...because of course miracles are really gifts from the Universe or God or outer worldy beings or celestial beings or metaphysical ones or angels! So just see us as the channel or the messenger on the internet tonight!

As customary the calendar is going to celebrate this gift from the perspective of the three different Meady's Musings Production's blogs:

*On Meady's Musings-Miracles: Science Vs. Faith?
*On UCP- Miracles as defined in Catholicism
*On Books and Films Corner- Miracles on Film!

And the Bears are coming soon! However the carpenter advised that I should reinforce the roof of my house and do some other finishing touches to re-cover from the fall out of Mon night's blog on my house first! You know...like replace a few wooden beams here or window pane there...it's not easy when a few hundred mice were watching Youtube in your living room...who knows what they could have been gnawing on...Oh dear!

MIRACLES AS DEFINED IN CATHOLICISM

Taken from the Catholic Encyclopedia- New Advent

"The gift of miracles is one of those mentioned by St. Paul in his First Epistle to the Corinthians (12:9-10), among the extraordinary graces of the Holy Ghost. These have to be distinguished from the seven gifts of the Holy Ghost enumerated by the Prophet Isaias (11:2 sq.) and from the fruits of the Spirit given by St. Paul in his Epistle to the Galatians (5:22). The seven gifts and the twelve fruits of the Holy Ghost are always infused with sanctifying grace into the souls of the just. They belong to ordinary sanctity and are within the reach of every Christian. The gifts mentioned in the Epistle to the Corinthians are not necessarily connected with sanctity of life. They are special and extraordinary powers vouchsafed by God only to a few, and primarily for the spiritual good of others rather than of the recipient. In Greek they are called charismata, which name has been adopted by Latin authors- they are also designated in theological technical language as gratiae gratis datae (graces gratuitously given) to distinguish them from gratiae gratum facientes, which means sanctifying grace or any actual grace granted for the salvation of the recipient.

The gift of miracles, as one of these charismata, was expressly promised by Christ to His disciples (John 14:12; Mark 16:17-18), and St. Paul mentions it as abiding in the Church. "To another [is given] the grace of healing . . . To another, the working of miracles "- (1 Corinthians 12:9-10). Christ imparts this gift to chosen servants as He did to the Apostles and disciples, that His doctrine may become credible and that Christians may be confirmed in their faith, and this the Vatican Council has declared in chapter iii "De Fide". This gift is not given to any created being as a permanent habit or quality of the soul. The power of effecting supernatural works such as miracles is the Divine Omnipotence, which cannot be communicated to either men or angels. The greatest thaumaturgus that ever appeared in this world could not work miracles at will, neither had he any permanent gift of the kind abiding in his soul. The Apostles once asked concerning a cure of demoniacal possession: "Why could we not cast him out? Christ replied, this kind is not cast out but by prayer and fasting (Matthew 17:18 sqq.). Eliseus could not raise to life the son of the Sunamitess with his staff.

The grace of miracles is therefore only a transient gift by which God moves a person to do something which issues in a wonderful work. Sometimes God makes use instrumentally of contact with the relics of the saints, or visits to sacred shrines for this purpose. The miraculous work is always the effect of Omnipotence, nevertheless, men and angels may be said to work miracles in a threefold way

* by their prayers invoking a miraculous effect;
* by disposing or accommodating the materials, as it is said of the angels that they will in the resurrection collect the dust of the dead bodies that these may be re-animated by the Divine power,
* by performing some other act in co-operation with the Divine agency, as in the case of the application of relics, or of visits to holy places which God has marked out for special and extraordinary favours of this kind.

To Christ even as man, or to His humanity, was granted a perpetual and constant power of miracles. He was able of His free will to work them as often as He judged it expedient For this He had the ever-ready concurrence of His Divinity, although there was in His Humanity no permanent quality which could be the physical cause of miracles.

Benedict XIV tells us sufficient with regard to miracles in their relation to sanctity of life when explaining their estimate in the cause of the beatification and canonization of the saints. He says: It is the common opinion of theologians that the grace of miracles is a grace gratis data, and therefore that it is given, not only to the just but also to sinners (though only rarely). Christ says that He knows not those who have done evil, though they may have prophesied in His name, cast out devils in His name, and done many wonderful works. And the Apostle said that without charity he was nothing, though he might have faith to remove mountains. On this passage of the Apostle, Estius remarks:

For as it offers no contradiction to the Apostle that a man should have the gift of tongues or prophecy, or knowledge of mysteries, and excel in knowledge, which are first spoken of; or be liberal to the poor, or give his body to be burned for the name of Christ, which are afterwards spoken of and yet not have charity, so also there is no contradiction in a man having faith to remove mountains, and being without charity (Treatise on Heroic Virtue, III, 130).

These graces manifest themselves in two ways. One way as dwelling in the Church, teaching and sanctifying her, as, for example, when even a sinner in whom the Holy Ghost does not abide works miracles to show that the faith of the Church which he preaches is true. Hence the Apostle writes: God also bearing them witness by signs, and wonders, and divers miracles, and distributions of the Holy Ghost, according to his own will (Hebrews 2:4). In another way, the manifestation is made by the graces of the Holy Ghost as belonging to him who performs the works. Hence in Acts it is said that St. Stephen, full of grace and fortitude, did great wonders and signs among the people (Acts 6:8). Here we have a distinction clearly drawn out as to the manner in which gratiae gratis datae may be to the advantage of the person receiving them as well as to the utility of others, and how it is that by these graces persons without sanctifying grace may perform signs and wonders for the good of others. But these are rare and exceptional cases and real miracles can never be performed by a sinner in proof of his own personal sanctity or in proof of error, because that would be a deception and derogatory to the sanctity of God Who alone can perform miracles."

Advent Calendar: Tue 8 Dec-The Gift of Christmas Cheer!

I have to tell ya...Meady's Musings Production's House was a real riot after the Friendship blog yesterday...the mouse invited all his family...and they all wanted to see the cartoon kahani (story) about their ancestral mice and the elephants. So I had a whole room of mice watching Youtube on one end of the house. And on the other end...well the purple elephant kept apologising to me and trying to ward off elephants from north, east, west and south...just all about! You see they too came...running up to one another in delight but the vibration it caused almost cracked the foundation of the house! I know it was all meant with friendship and love though...but the Purple Elephant I've never seen him so filled with glee but yet apologetic you see! :)Eventually trumpets died down and they all got the message that yes indeed they were loved but they simply couldn't converge on one small human house! LOL!

So this author is all tired out...knackered if you like! And she was preparing the customary three part blog...a main blog with a bit of different perspectives for each of her three blogs...and it was to be to talk about the gift that are bears! BUT...BUT...

The thought of the likes of Goldilocks and the Three Bears rummaging through her house...and perhaps Pooh tinkering in her kitchen looking for honey and heavens forbid getting stuck in a window or door after stuffing himself with fluff! OR OR...a grizzly at her door!??? Or other real liFe bears on her already shaken roof...well...it was enough for one day...so...that story was shelved for another day...more than likely tomorrow if all my readers promise...promise...NOT TO FEED THE BEARS! :)

So to fill my calendar with cheer today as I refuse to leave it bear...oops I mean bare! :) I salute Sesame Street as this is the year of its 40th anniversary and I've always loved their muppet cousins as well...and indeed you readers might know that John Denver and the Muppets singing together is some of my favourite Christmas music each year! And well no news to the whole blogosphere but we also lost MJ this year...gone too soon some say...say say! :) So he also forms part of the gift of cheer!

Advent Calendar: Mon 7 Dec 09- The Gift of Friendship

Today on the Advent calendar we will be celebrating the gift of Friendship! The same blog post on all three blogs today since like the Ghost of Christmases Past, Present and Future I believe on this particular posting all three of my blogs swirl into ONE!

I was inspired to give this gift here on the calendar because I’ve been touched by many great acts of friendship in the blogosphere this year. And I count myself lucky enough to have been on the receiving end so many a time! To be honest I’ve been giving too but to recall the cliché here… “Self praise is no praise”. So I won’t be recalling what I’ve done but what has been done for me! But of course all great friendships aren’t about keeping score anyway. All the same I have to single out some people who have been making my blog posts all the more decorative or more inspirational all year long! And also my followers (I don’t have the application up and I don’t keep score) but I know I have a handful of people. Those who if not always at least from time to time read my posts and even comment if not on the actual blogs, perhaps on Intent where I re-post or on Facebook where I might even get a thumbs up!

But first a drum roll please for these two who have contributed directly to the creativity and or spirituality of this blog this year! Ladies and Gentlemen…Elephants and Mice! :
A big round of applause for…ADRIANA OCHOA and Brother/Deacon GREG KIRK!

Adriana is the seamstress…Oh yes! Oh yes! She is the one who has clothed my animals if you didn’t notice they now have their Santa hats…we decided to let the animals remain more au naturel after all we are not trying to be the new Disney here! And the amount of cloth it was taking to cover the Purple Elephant we decided to use some for other draping which you will see about the sites and then give the rest of the cloth to that wonderful man from India the calendar celebrated last year when we learnt about him from the Global Oneness Project …you can reminded of his lovely work here! (NOTE: This donation is only in spirit for now but if I or you are ever in India or have a way to get cloth to this lovely drive…I would do so in the material world and perhaps you should consider doing so too…)

But back to the seamstress…she is more than that…she is the one who based on my ideas for these blogs and Meady’s Musings Production breathed new life into my old Meady’s Musings Production logo and also designed my UCP-Universal Collective Prayer banner. And yes all free of charge only paid for in friendship. This given that she is a professional at her job as you can perhaps see from the great work she does displayed here. She also did the poster for my Holi blog earlier this year. If you need to reach her to create something for you email us admin@meadysmusings.com

So in a sense she is the co-mother of the Purple Elephant and his little mouse friend. Although again the Purple Elephant and the little mouse well really they have a long line of ancestral friendship you know…you can check out this story to understand a bit more about their bond…but they have also daily been working together on their personal bond…and let this be said they would lay their lives down for each other as well as either one of their mothers! :


Now speaking of cloth we come to a man of the cloth…my brother in UCP-Universal Collective Prayer…Deacon Greg Kirk! Sometimes when I speak of him or communicate with him tears comes to my eyes…and I’m not ashamed to say this…after all we are both UCPers and so unashamedly surrender onto the divine in all! However I was so excited to work on this Advent calendar with both him and my soul sister Adriana that I was in excitement and Universe inspired tears daily! If you thought the Purple Elephant was excited well you can’t imagine how it was for his mother!
So over this weekend as both animals got their clothes and thanked the seamstress and the prayers by Bro Greg had already been said…I really felt moved to sing this song of friendship…when my nieces and nephew (as we listened to it) explained to me about it…it is from the 2009 Hindi film New York…Hai Junoon! The Youtube vid comes with translations and I hope you enjoy it!

I also dedicate it to all my friends from Intent…many of whom are now part of my experimental virtual book writing café on Facebook-The Deliciously Divine Café. Also some other friends who avidly read me like Maria and Neerupa and just all my other friends who have been there for me always even if they hate to read or won’t read my blog! And for those who come and read here and in your own way forge a bond with me by reading my words, thoughts and of my deeds without making our bond known…and others who for several reasons won’t be mentioned here but are dear to the Mother of the Purple Elephant’s heart.

OK so now I’m sounding like if I’m getting an Academy Award or something…(do I need to put the little copyright symbol when I write that?) LOL! But really I should also name some others dear to me…I know how it goes you name some and leave out others and then….TROUBLE even if your readership is not that large at all! But you know I love you all…after all one of these here blogs is UCP-Universal Collective Prayer so it encompasses the one in the all and the all in the one! But before I cue Hai Junoon! I must bow and then shout out too to some other marvelous Intenters and Deliciously Divine Café goers…

Ruch- You always seem like a partner in crime…perhaps we might be the real life purple elephant and mouse!

Grandpa Ed- Enough said…I mean you are my new Grandpa now since all my blood related grandparents are out of the material plane. Your wit and metaphysical talks…your walks in the English countryside…I hope you one day meet Winnie the Pooh!

Noreen- Your Irish accent so breath taking…you are a quiet listener…always the supporter…a deliciously divine tea drinker indeed!

Garima and Shweta- Like new found sisters…

Tim- The ever present and eternal supporter…thumbs up to you too my friend!

So many more…Yogi Rajesh, Vashi, Brother Dom, Mr. Phillip Zeuner, Danes and Raj Aurora. Glad to make your acquaintance Sirs!

Elspeth- not an Intenter nor in the virtual café but we have exchanged many a thought and gift and I’m delighted that in this international mix of Delicious Divinity there is at least one other Trini face! Of course I’m sure there are more to be found…but for sure you would have been one of those faces that made me see that also a Trini can blog like this you see! And thank you for the Freedom speech at the local candle4tibet event last year which as you will know was one of the events that led to the creation of the blog UCP!

And My Fairy Godmother was Sara now Kara we all so miss you!

And just like those Academy Award winning speeches I’m sure I’ve left out many…and of course as I said there are some that I’ve not mentioned here on purpose but the connection and thankfulness is understood…after all just like the three ghosts swirl into one…sometimes when one is so close they are not distinct from you when giving praise as to give praise to them would be the same as that tricky self praise business…so I’m sure you guys know who you are! ;)

Luckily unlike the Academy Awards I can cue my music whenever I like but let me cue it now…Ladies, Gentlemen, Elephants and Mice…Beings on the Material plane and those in the Spirit world too…here it is my Friendship song to you…Hai Junoon!