How are your relationships?

November is here and there are less than 60 days in 2014. Traditionally and culturally we simply celebrate for the rest of the year. 

Consider just some of your celebration opportunities.  (By the way, these are straight from Wikipedia)

November 1^st was All Saints Day^t, a day to honor all Saints, known or unknown. Thanksgiving is always the fourth Thursday of November in the United States and the second Monday of October in Canada.

Veterans Day is November 11^th.  A day set aside here in the US to honor our service men and women.Bodhi Day: December 8^th — Day of Enlightenment, celebrating the day that the historical Buddha (Shakyamuni or Siddhartha Gautama) experienced enlightenment.

There’s also:

• Advent: fourth Sunday preceding December 25^th
• Saint Nicholas'  and Krampusnacht Day: December 6^th:The Feast of St. Nicholas is celebrated in parts of Europe on 6 December. In Alpine countries, Saint Nicholas has a devilish companion named Krampus
• Our Lady of Guadalupe: December 12^th — An important honor of Mexico's Patron Saint before Christmas officially begins on December 16^[4]
• Saint Lucia's Day: December 13^th — Church Feast Day. Saint Lucia comes as a young woman with lights and sweets.
• Christmas Eve: December 24^th -- it is widely observed as a full or partial holiday in anticipation of Christmas Day.
• Christmas Day: December 25^th — one of the most celebrated holidays around the world, increasingly celebrated by Christians and non-Christians alike.
• Anastasia of Sirmium feast day: December 25^th -- venerated as a healer and exorcist
• Twelve Days of Christmas: December 25^th – January 6^th :a distinct period focused on commemorating the Nativity of Christ. Different traditions follow slightly different days and traditions  
• Las Posadas: December 16^th – 24^th — procession to various family lodgings for celebration & prayer and to re-enact Mary & Joseph's journey to Bethlehem
• Saint Stephen's Day: December 26^th : Patron saint of stonemasons. He is considered the first martyr in Christianity.
• Saint John the Evangelist's Day: December 27^th : John (also known as the “Beloved Disciple” is credited with the authorship of three epistles, one Gospel, and is supposed by many to be the author of the book of Revelation
• Holy Innocents' Day: December 28^th : commemorating the massacre of the children by King Herod in his attempt to kill the infant Jesus 
• Saint Sylvester's Day: December 31^st : St. Sylvester was Pope for twenty-four years and eleven months
• Pancha Ganapati: December 21^st – 25^th  — modern five-day festival in honor of Lord Ganesha, celebrated by Hindus in USA.

Historical, all occur on December 25^th :

• Malkh: a festival dedicated to the Deela-Malkh in Vainakh mythology
• Mōdraniht: or Mothers' Night, the Saxon winter solstice festival.
• Saturnalia: the Roman winter solstice festival
• Dies Natalis Solis Invicti (Day of the birth of the Unconquered Sun): late Roman Empire

My point is that life is all about relationships and celebrating.  We were designed for relationship. 

The next couple of weeks we’re going to consider how we behave and balance our relationships.

Ruminate on the words from the 1960’s song, “No Man is an Island”, by The Lettermen

“No man is an island, no man stands alone, 

Each man`s joy is joy to me, 

Each man`s grief is my own, 

We need one another, so I will defend, 

Each man as my brother, 

Each man as my friend”

I have said it often, “Use things, and love people”.  This being said - finish 2014 by celebrating your relationships.