![\"\"](\"http:\/\/www.littleraz.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/12\/Mayas-Wreath.png\" "\\"Mayas")
<\/a><\/p>\nI wrote this to our pastors – Jim and Mary – this morning. Thought I’d share it with you when you’re older.<\/p>\n
Good morning Jim and Mary – <\/p>\n
My Mom sent this email yesterday \u2013 the 11 days before Christmas poem below. It’s beautifully, beautifully written \u2013 and I thought it might help you and those you love\/nurture. <\/p>\n
The focus of the advent wreath candle this week, as per Maya’s religious ed class, is “joy.”<\/p>\n
Each week I have been really spending my “stop lights” including coffee and candle time being with God with respect to the focus for that week: hope, love, and now joy. Hope and love seemed much easier than joy\u2026 especially this week. Joy \u2013 when was Jesus joyful? Joy \u2013 when there are broken hearts that need to be loved. Joy. But I don’t feel joyful. I feel very very sad for the joy that left the earth last Friday. I’ve been wrestling.<\/p>\n
This poem helped.<\/p>\n
Let the little children come to me – the little children who, left to their own will, never walk in straight lines \u2013 the little children who skip, jump, run, roll wherever they go (Jim and I watched children attentively as we traveled to and around Taiwan and then Austria \u2013 this is an international trait of children) – for the Kingdom of God is theirs.<\/p>\n
Called to be joyful. Called to sometimes put the weight down and skip. And dance. And belly laugh. To be “WOWED” by the reflections Christmas lights make off glass table on the ceiling. Because that joy is God’s design \u2013 beautiful, good, healthy, loving, holy.<\/p>\n
I love you both dearly \u2013 I wanted to share these thoughts with you.<\/p>\n
Grateful for joy,
\nApril<\/p>\n
April Lynn Luehmann, Ph.D.
\nAssociate Professor, Science Education
\nWarner Graduate School of Education
\nUniversity of Rochester
\nph 585.275.3010
\napril.luehmann@rochester.edu<\/p>\n
From: Mom and Dad Hi….You all probably have received comments (via Facebook, etc) about Newtown, CT. The newscasts just break our hearts. Tears have welled up in our eyes often as we listen to the TV with the funerals beginning today. I’d like to share something with you sent to us by a friend from church:<\/p>\n Twas’ 11 days before Christmas, around 9:38 Written by Cameo Smith, Mt. Wolf, PA <\/p>\n I love you very much, <\/w><\/stark_17><\/rachonpamela><\/mgstark1><\/mfriedrich><\/lfromm><\/klongland><\/jnmussell><\/jim_white><\/jandastark><\/hsylviahall><\/car><\/eunicelow><\/clfromm><\/bjturock><\/bettydiersen><\/bafpierce><\/awkratzke><\/alkac><\/shellyrohe><\/bruce><\/april><\/gusf><\/amy_luehmann><\/aluehmann><\/ranaerohe2><\/rmcrohe><\/toomanybz><\/mark><\/bmvillac><\/chameleon_03><\/lloydmiriamluehmann><\/greenfingersfarm><\/jonnastark><\/jfalkers><\/js_1923><\/luehmann><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Joy – At a time when it’s difficult to be joyful… You made this gumdrop wreath and the reminders for which each candle is challenging us to think about. We have lit it every day of Advent – totally treasured time. I wrote this to our pastors – Jim and Mary – this morning. Thought […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[1],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.littleraz.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2633"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.littleraz.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.littleraz.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.littleraz.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.littleraz.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2633"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.littleraz.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2633\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2636,"href":"https:\/\/www.littleraz.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2633\/revisions\/2636"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.littleraz.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2633"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.littleraz.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2633"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.littleraz.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2633"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\nDate: Mon, 17 Dec 2012 18:20:26 -0600
\nTo: Jolene Stark
\nCc: Julie Falkers
\nSubject: Newtown, CT<\/p>\n
\nWhen 20 beautiful children stormed through heaven’s gate.
\nTheir smiles were contagious, their laughter filled the air.
\nThey could hardly believe all the beauty they saw there.
\nThey were filled with such joy, they didn’t know what to say.
\nThey remembered nothing of what had happened earlier that day.
\n“Where are we?” asked a little girl, as quiet as a mouse.
\n“This is heaven.” declared a small boy. “we’re spending Christmas at God’s house.”
\nWhen what to their wondering eyes did appear,
\nBut Jesus, their Savior, the children gathered near.
\nHe looked at them and smiled, and they smiled just the same.
\nThen He opened His arms and He called them by name.
\nAnd in that moment was joy, that only heaven can bring
\nThose children all flew into the arms of their King
\nAnd as they lingered in the warmth of His embrace,
\nOne small girl turned and looked at Jesus’ face.
\nAnd as if He could read all the questions she had
\nHe gently whispered to her, “I’ll take care of mom and dad.”
\nThen He looked down on earth, the world far below
\nHe saw all of the hurt, the sorrow, and woe
\nThen He closed His eyes and He outstretched His hand,
\n“Let My power and presence re-enter this land!”
\n“May this country be delivered from the hands of fools”
\n“I’m taking back my nation. I’m taking back my schools!”
\nThen He and the children stood up without a sound.
\n“Come now my children, let me show you around.”
\nExcitement filled the space, some skipped and some ran.
\nAll displaying enthusiasm that only a small child can.
\nAnd I heard Him proclaim as He walked out of sight,
\n“In the midst of this darkness, I AM STILL THE LIGHT.”<\/strong><\/p>\n
\nMiriam<\/p>\n