The Wonder Cabinet
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The Wonder Cabinet is a centuries old tradition in Europe and America; a fanciful piece of cabinetry or box containing items that spark the imagination. These could be rare fossils, ancient artifacts, objects from far-away cultures, puzzles, optical illusions, scientific instruments, or machines that inspire and entertain. Our cabinet has a religious/philosophical/spiritual theme. What would you put in your Wonder Cabinet? |
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The Most Beautiful Heart in Winter Holidays Monday, February 13, 2012POSTED BY JILL AT 3:40 PMlink
One day a young man standing in the town square, declared that he had the most beautiful heart in the valley.
A large crowd gathered and they all admired his heart, for it was indeed
perfect. There was not a mark or a flaw in it.
A large crowd gathered and they all admired his heart, for it was indeed
perfect. There was not a mark or a flaw in it.
Yes, they all agreed it truly was the most beautiful heart they had ever seen.
The young man was very proud, but as he boasted more loudly about his beautiful heart, an old man shouted out, "You are mistaken. Your heart is not nearly as beautiful as mine."
The crowd stepped back as the old man came forward. The young man looked at the old man's heart. It was beating strongly...but it was full of scars.
It had places where pieces had been removed and other pieces put in...but they didn't fit quite right...and they left jagged edges. In fact, in some places there were deep gouges where whole pieces were missing. The people stared. How could he say his heart was more beautiful?
The young man looked at the old man's heart and saw how worn and battered it was, and laughed. "You must be joking," he said. "Compare your heart to mine! Mine is perfect and yours is a mess of scars and tears.""Yes," said the old man, "Yours is perfect looking, but I would never trade with you. You see, every scar represents a person to whom I have given my love. I take a piece of my heart and give it to them, and often they give me a piece of their heart which fills the empty place in my heart. But as you can see, the pieces aren't exact, I have some rough edges, which I cherish, because they remind me of the love we have shared.
Sometimes I have given pieces of my heart away, without the other person returning a piece of his own to me. And you can see my heart has been left with empty places...giving love requires taking a chance.
The young man stood silently for a moment, then he reached into his perfect young and beautiful heart, and tore out a piece.
The old man took the offering, placed it in his heart and then took a piece from his own old heart and placed it in the emptiness of the young man's.
It fit...but not perfectly, the jagged edges refused to mesh.
The young man looked at his heart, not perfect anymore, but more beautiful than ever, They embraced and walked away, together, side by side.
The young man looked at his heart, not perfect anymore, but more beautiful than ever, They embraced and walked away, together, side by side.
Happy New Year! in Winter Holidays Saturday, January 7, 2012POSTED BY JILL AT 1:01 PMlink
Happy New Year! December was full of activity...Chanukah, Solstice, Christmas...parties, gift making and giving, an opera, a pageant. What a whirl!
It's time to settle into 2012, a New Year with a portentous number on the Long Count Mayan calendar. As you may know, the Mayans were excellent astronomers and mathematicians and devised 3 different calendars to mark time and the movement of the heavens. All of their calendars are cyclical...which means, like a circle, they have no end.
Yule log wrap up in Winter Holidays Thursday, December 15, 2011POSTED BY JILL AT 8:18 AMlink
Thanks to all who purchased a yule log this year! I have yet to calculate the exact expenses for materials, but we will have about $370 to send to the Heifer Foundation this year! It's a great deal of effort to get ready for this event and my thanks to Jim Wallis for, as always, organizing the kitchen, and to all the set up crew, the wax mixers, the pine and berry gatherers, the labelers, the suervisors, the artisans who made each lovely log, the sellers, and the terrific clean up crew. I should thank you all by name. but I am afraid I will leave someone out...so many people pitched in during the day. Good things happen because of you!
Yule Logs this Sunday! Dec 4 in Winter Holidays Monday, November 28, 2011POSTED BY JILL AT 1:11 PMlink
Here's your opportunity to purchase a beautiful winter decoration, handmade by the children of our congregation. and all the proceeds will be donated to Heifer International.
Cost? $10
What's it all about?
The tradition of cutting a
yule log And saving a bit of it to kindle the next
winter’s fire is an ancient pagan custom from Europe.
The children of the Unitarian Universalist church of Studio City will create a pretty Yule decoration for you.
We hope you’ll enjoy it for the holidays, and then, after the New Year, put it away…for a whole year!
Then next winter, in 2012, bring out this old log,
now dried and faded.
(Hopefully on the Winter Solstice,
the longest night of the year.)
It’s time to watch your log burn brilliantly,
say good bye to old hurts and regrets,
fondly remember the year’s blessings,
and smile at your accomplishments.
Pause in the light of the flame of a year consumed.
Enjoy the longest night, knowing that the morning will bring a new cycle of days, each longer than the last.
Winter into Spring.
Cost? $10
What's it all about?
The tradition of cutting a
yule log And saving a bit of it to kindle the next
winter’s fire is an ancient pagan custom from Europe.
The children of the Unitarian Universalist church of Studio City will create a pretty Yule decoration for you.
We hope you’ll enjoy it for the holidays, and then, after the New Year, put it away…for a whole year!
Then next winter, in 2012, bring out this old log,
now dried and faded.
(Hopefully on the Winter Solstice,
the longest night of the year.)
It’s time to watch your log burn brilliantly,
say good bye to old hurts and regrets,
fondly remember the year’s blessings,
and smile at your accomplishments.
Pause in the light of the flame of a year consumed.
Enjoy the longest night, knowing that the morning will bring a new cycle of days, each longer than the last.
Winter into Spring.
