It is Saturday. A day to celebrate heroes on this, the first day of December.

This is a month of celebration. Looking at religious and holy feasts this month, there are many significant ones on the calendar:

December 2 – First Sunday of Advent (Christian, Catholic)

December 8 – Bodhi Day/Rohatsu (Buddhist)

December 8 –  Feast of the Immaculate Conception (Catholic)

December 9 –  Hannukkah (through 16th) (Jewish)

December 23 – Gita Jayanti (Hindu)

December 25 – Christmas (Christian, Catholic)

December 26 – Kwanzaa (through Jan 1^st) (Interfaith)  

(source:  http://www.princeton.edu/religiouslife/find-a-religious-home/holy-days-and-holidays/ )

Those who pause and take time to keep their faith, to acknowledge the holy days of their spiritual life are heroes.

Relando Thompkins blog and website is called: Notes from an Aspiring Humanitarian (N.A.H.) It is filled with wonderful stories of human beings at their best, with those striving to make a difference in the world, and with Relando’s own ideas and thoughts on what it takes to make a difference. Last Saturday, he shared about his work in a highschool around bullying. In his blog, he included a video created by a teen from India who was part of a group of 26 teens from around the world invited to participate in the IRMAS International Youth Media Summit in July 2006. Do go watch the video (2:36 min) and read Relando’s ideas on how to identify our own responsibility/ participation/complicity/capacity to stop bullying.

Relando Thompkins, Nikhil and all those working to stop bullying in our schools are heroes.

Last Saturday, Glynn Young at his wonderful blog, Faith. Fiction. Friends. posted about a new book on what a dying father wants his sons to know. I haven’t read, Tell My Sons (though it is on my Christmas WishList once it gets into print copy sometime this month) but in his article, Glynn shares a video of book co-author, Lt. Col. Mark M. Weber singing a Civil War song, Tell My Father, with his teenage son. At the end of the video, the two hug and the tears flow. There is also an invitation to go and watch the full 20 minute speech Mark Weber gave in which the singing took place. Go. Watch it. It is stunning. Poignant. Moving. Inspiring. Go. Watch it.

Lt. Col Mark M Weber, co-author David Murray, Lt. Col Weber’s son and the young men and woman standing with him and all the men and women who have heeded the call of their country are heroes.

And now… for the video portion of my post.

This is not my usual kind of video — first off, I’ve created the following video, secondly, it is an invitation.

It is December. Outside, the world remains dark as silent as long winter nights linger. The frosty air hangs suspended beneath the halo of street lights, snow blankets the ground. Inside, I am warm and toasty, an advent chant plays softly in the background, steam rises from my coffee mug.

This Advent I am inviting you to join me in meditations and reflections of the month. Every Monday between Dec 3 and Dec 25 I shall be sharing an 8 – 10 minute audio recording of my musings on this time of waiting. This time of sitting quietly in the dark reflecting on the spiritual nature of my being human. Mine is not a ‘faith-based’ reflection as much as a spiritual journey into this time of expectancy, this time of waiting for the light to return, the seasons to shift, the night to ease its path into the light. Of waiting for the birth of a child whose birth reminds us of our human capacity for Hope. Peace. Love and Joy.

To encourage you, I’ve prepared a short video about my Make Time for the Sacred Advent reflections. To sign-up, simply click HERE, submit your email through the form and your first audio reflection will arrive in your inbox on Monday. I hope you join me. I hope you choose to share a few moments sitting in the quiet of the season reflecting on all that is miraculous in our world.

Namaste.