A Christmas Message

It's Christmas Eve and I can recall last year's. Every year I watch the Pope's Mass at Midnight in Rome on TV. It's so special to watch from the other side of the world and reflect upon the Christmas message. One year even my dear sister was present there while she was living in Rome during Christmas time and I remember we were trying to see if we could find her in the vast crowd.

Last year, the Pope's message was about accepting the stranger, the immigrant. With our refugee crisis in our world Pope Francis related it back to how there was no room for Jesus to come into the world, only a small and lonely stable that was hidden and left over. The Pope's inspiring message was related to welcoming others, welcoming the stranger.

I was inspired to hear this message, and have it be related back to our current day. I was thinking of ways to help those in need and welcome the stranger, the refugee. I did some research and found an organization that welcomes those who are fleeing persecution and seeking asylum. In the beginning of the year, I wrote some cards to refugees writing them that they are welcome here and to know of my support, thoughts and prayers for them.

Last year on Christmas Eve, I made a video of how to say Merry Christmas in Arabic. I was inspired to learn and teach this phrase as the birthplace of Jesus was in Bethlehem or somewhere nearby where Arabic is also a spoken and known language. Tomorrow, I will be making an appetizer that is from my Jerusalem cookbook. It's a mackerel dish with orange and sweet salsa flavors to go over the salty fish. I've made it a couple times before and thought it would be appropriate and nice to make it for a pre-Christmas meal.

I just finished watching 'It's a Wonderful Life'. The movie never gets old as it's relevant, meaningful and special each year. Life and the beauty and sacredness of it is the main message. This is also the message of Christmas, Jesus' life is given to us and received into the world.  His beauty and sacredness as a baby makes us draw closer to him, and our hearts fond over him. I am still growing and learning every Christmas of how to grow closer to Christ and revel over his gentleness, his humility and his love.

The Present is Fresh

While on my walk yesterday I noticed the freshness in the air from all the rain the night and day before. The ground was nice and damp and the leaves were being cleansed with water droplets. I couldn't help but notice and see the profound meaning with the nature and this time of year in Advent.

These leaves immediately reminded me of this time of Advent and preparing for Christmas. The freshness, the green is the ever new that Christ brings us, not only during this time of preparing for his coming but always and throughout the rest of the year. There is joy, there is new beginnings, it is fresh because Jesus has made it so. The water droplets on these leaves will fade away and dry out in the sun and soon come again with more rain in the forecast. Just the same, Jesus has blessed us with his coming and will continue to do so the rest of this preparation time in Advent and upcoming Christmas season. He will shine his holy light on us and make us fresh and ever new in his presence.

His grace is sufficient for us. As I saw water strewing from trees and leaves touched by the large quantities of water, I was reminded that his grace is being poured out onto us leaving us filled and redeemed. As I make way to prepare last things for Christmas and the coming of Jesus in the world, I want to be reminded of his grace being poured out onto us, and our needs. It's naturally a busy time of year with shopping and gift wrapping, card sending and cookie baking and preparing food and place for guests. But it's also preparing spiritually for Jesus and knowing his beginning in this world and how we can be ready and prepare for it. He is the true present of Christmas and his presence is in the present, and it is always fresh and new.

Swedish Fish

I have shared my favorite chef's story with various people. With my former students, I became passionate telling them his story. Telling about his background and how he became a chef and his journey. I could tell they were interested enough, their 5th grade minds processing things and trying to stay afloat before their attention spans withered. 'Swedish fish!' One of my boys called out, and his group of friends joined in the laughter. Their love for candy and the Swedish fish candy in particular made them relate my favorite chef, Marcus Samuelsson's story to their sweet tooth imagination.

Samuelsson was raised in Sweden but he wasn't born there and isn't Swedish by blood. He is Ethiopian, but his sister and him caught tuberculosis along with their mom who died because of it, but Marcus and his sister survived and were able to treated at the hospital. They were later adopted by Swedish parents. His upbringing, language and world is Scandinavian and not until much later did he go back and visit his home village in Ethiopia and meet his birth dad, siblings and step-siblings.

The point being for why I brought up a man named Marcus Samuelsson to my tutoring students, my class of 5th grade students and even some friends is because I find his story inspiring, motivating and despite all of the challenges and views people had of him because of his skin color- rewarding and energizing. I really love his passion and drive to become a chef despite some of the hard moments and situations he endured and despite that he waned to become a soccer star but didn't make it. That energy to get back up again when you fail and don't succeed made Marcus even more aggressive and passionate in his interest and love for cooking and combining flavors and cultures together.

 I wanted to give my students a taste of his journey to the kitchen and eventually owning his own restaurant. All of the hard work, determination and perseverance and finally he achieved his dream, his calling of becoming a chef. It wasn't just for my students to hear a little bit about a man they never heard of who grew up in Europe but was African, it was also for me to continue to stay inspired and strong in my endeavors and dreams. This isn't the first time that I've written about Marcus Samuelsson on here. http://samakti.blogspot.com/2016/09/the-summer-when-it-all-began.html 

I just finished reading his memoir 'Yes, chef' for the second time and it really is a page turner. I am excited to cook one of his recipes from his restaurant cookbook tonight. I admire his enthusiasm, energy, eclectic taste and optimism. Even the challenges and the very long and hard work ethic a chef has to put in, and opportunities that he didn't always receive after fighting for it but didn't give up on his dream. I really like his quote, "Sometimes the worst thing that happens to you, could actually be the best thing that happens to you."