Notes by Cassie

Celebrating Easter More than Once

Are you ready to celebrate Easter this Sunday?

Yes, this is a trick question.

If you’re Protestant or Roman Catholic the answer is no. Easter 2020 is already in the past. But…

For thousands of Christians in the Eastern Orthodox Church, Easter will be observed and honored this coming Sunday, April 19th.

I grew up in the (Syrian) Eastern Orthodox Church and every year my family celebrated Holy Week and Easter Sunday a week later than everyone else.  There is a fascinating history worth researching on this, but let me quickly say, the difference is between those who use the traditional Julian calendar (as in Julius Caesar), and those who use the modern Gregorian calendar.

Whichever Sunday you celebrate Easter, it’s still identified as an official one-day holiday, but it is far more than a one-day celebration.

Easter deserves to be celebrated every day!

Without Easter there would be no Christmas.

Christmas day we celebrate the birth of a baby, but not just any baby, the birth of the baby Jesus…Emmanuel…God to earth come down.   But if this baby had not lived a sinless life, if He had not died on the cross for our sins, freeing us from death by His resurrection, then Christmas would be a day just like any other and the birth of baby Jesus would not be an international holiday.

When you were growing up, which bible story was read to you year after year and celebrated the most in your home or church?

I would “bet the farm” that Christmas is the answer, and with good reason.  The Christmas story is glorious and appealing to all.  Even those who do not put their faith in Jesus Christ enjoy hearing about the birth of a baby surrounded by animals and angels, or the tale of a shining star that led humble shepherds and royal kings to a child born in a manger.

But what about the Easter Story?  How truthfully do we celebrate it? How often do we tell it, especially to our children?

When told with sensitivity and joy, even children can embrace this meaningful story of love and sacrifice.

Easter is the ultimate love story where the “good guy” is victorious over evil.  It’s the story of heroic sacrifice with a leading man named Angus Dei, meaning Lamb of God.  It’s the story of a compassionate father who never gives up on his children, and of  “God (who) so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life”.  – John 3:16

The story of Christ has been identified as the greatest story ever told, and Easter is ultimately the happiest “ending” ever written. 

So while it’s fun for all of us, especially our children, to look forward to celebrating Christmas Day each year, it’s the story of Easter that you and your family can celebrate today and every day, for eternity.

Super Love on Super Tuesday

Today, March 3, 2020, is the Super Bowl of Primary voting in America known as Super Tuesday. As we “March” forward into the battleground of politics, we leave behind the month of February, kissing goodbye the romantic symbols and aspects of Valentine’s Day. However, the one aspect we will never kiss goodbye, is the priceless aspect of love.

Love is the common denominator in life that none of us can live without or can ever forget. 

The hit song, “What I Did For Love”, from the Broadway Musical, A Chorus Line, says it well:

Love is never gone
As we travel on
Love’s what we’ll remember

In a recent talk I gave to a group of millennial aged parents, I asked this question.

“How does love show up in your family life?”

Here are the top three answers I received in no particular order: Family Photos, Family Meals and Family Vacations – so I took the time to expand on those three answers.

Family Photos
Family photos displayed in the home or used as cover pictures for phones, computers and tablets give family members a sense of significance. A beautiful gallery of favorite photos serves as a daily reminder of how much each person matters. Children are especially touched when photos are used to signify how special they are. It tells them they are important and they are loved.

Family Meals
Given the right atmosphere, family mealtime can become family story time. Gathering together around a table over good food is a great way to keep up with family members, especially your children. Making sure it’s a safe place is the key. If a tone is set at mealtime for joyous sharing without judgment, you’ll be surprised how much your kids will open up to you. Your children really do want you to know what’s happening in their lives. They want to tell you of the new friends they’ve made or about the mean kid on the playground, and so much more. Your kids want you to know their fears, their sorrows, their ups and their downs. Every child wants to be known and heard. Go ahead and tell your stories too, but always remember that mealtime is a primetime to stop and listen.  Soon you’ll find when it’s time to sit down to eat, your kids won’t just be hungry for food, they’ll be hungry for your loving input.

Family Vacations
Family vacations are the ultimate go to for creating wonderful childhood memories. There is nothing that says “we love each other” more than quality time spent together at a favorite location filled with over nights, quiet times, and fun activities on a regular basis. These times create memories your children will cherish forever.  They may even pass the tradition down to their own families. It’s also a great opportunity to snap those family photos! 

So, whether we are battling it out at the voting polls or saying goodbye to Valentine’s Day, let’s never say goodbye to love.

“And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.”  1 Corinthians 13:13

Mamas and The Oscars 2020

At the Academy Awards this year, what grabbed my attention were the moments that held the most importance for us here at Mamala Media. Those moments were the many wonderful dedications to Moms that were expressed through out the show. 

Several celebrities, including Keanu Reeves and Charlize Theron, walked the red carpet with their Mom’s by their side.  Many of the award winner’s speeches were filled with appreciation for their Mamas.  All of this stirred my senses and got me listening in a whole new way to what the biggest award show in Hollywood was saying about being a parent.

One of the first acceptance speeches of the evening for Best Short Film (live action) called “The Neighbors Window”, went like this…

“I want to dedicate this to my Mom… who was the best story teller I ever knew.  I learned from watching her that a well told story is a powerful thing.  It can change the way we see the world.  It can help us to notice other people, to care about those other people, and maybe, love each other a little bit more.”  Marshall Curry

Chrissy Metz from the TV series “This is Us” ended her song “I’m Standing with You” with the passionate shout out, “I love you Mom.”

Laura Dern, who won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress, shared that her mom Diane Ladd, who was Laura’s date that night, and her Dad, well know actor Bruce Dern, were her heroes.   

“Some say you may never meet your heroes,” she said. “I say if you’re really blessed, you get them as your parents.”

It was a good night for Mamalas!

How enjoyable it was to watch and listen to the brilliant story makers of our day, tell how grateful they are to their Moms for writing on the tablets of their hearts during their most formative years.

The way we live out our lives in front of our children can be the best story we ever tell. 

So, to all you Mamalas and Daddylas ~ we salute you, we celebrate you and we ask you ~

What story will you invest in your children and how will it help your children see and change the world?

The Gift Of Music

The three essentials of education are well known as “the three R’s”, reading, writing and arithmetic. But did you know there are three additional R’s that are just as beneficial to your child’s development? These “other three R’s” are rhythm, rhyme, and repetition and are all found in one of the greatest gifts of all, the gift of music.

Research in early childhood development has found that listening to music contributes to cognitive development and prepares the brain for learning. It’s exciting to know that something as enjoyable as music can increase your child’s brain function when it comes to memorization and retrieval of information. But how does this happen? What explains why words set to music that we listen to during early childhood is information we can so easily recall years later? It’s called Structure.

No doubt you’ve heard the saying “wrap your head around it”. The fact is, your child’s brain is wired to literally embrace structure. This is where the “other three R’s”, rhythm, rhyme and repetition come into play. They are three of your child’s best friends when it comes to storage and retrieval of information and are the building blocks to the structure of music.

 Rhythm, rhyme and repetition found in songs are like a secret sauce for the brain and are the easiest way to memorize anything.

Creatives and early educators have known this since ancient times. These three R’s found not only in music, but also in poetry, rap, and spoken word, have been used to pass down stories, family history and other information for generations. Most recently, a lot of us learned and practically memorized the life story of Alexander Hamilton because it was put to song in the smash hit musical “Hamilton”, which many of us put on repeat. The story was filled with details, but it was easy to learn because of the power of the three R’s!

Enjoyable music with a healthy message is worth putting on repeat.

At Mamala Media we recognize the magical ingredients of rhythm, rhyme and repetition as tools for parents and educators. Introducing the gift of music with a biblical over-lay of God’s word early in your child’s life is a wonderful way to establish true meaning and purpose as the foundation for your child’s rapid development. As your children form their sense of self and what they will value, the messages of lyrics are vitally important. That’s why our passion is to provide resources through music, books and animation that give your family options in media with an emphasis on scripture and the wonderful ways of God.

We believe it’s never too early for a child to know the love of God.

Starting at the lullaby stage, your child will absorb the sights and sounds around them. Therefore, choose wisely the kinds of songs you play at home and in the car. Words set to music imbed themselves deep in the brain establishing memories that influence a child’s thoughts into adulthood. The rhythm, rhyme, and repetition of God’s word bathed in great music will provide more than entertainment. It will provide values to live by for a lifetime. Now that’s a gift worth putting on repeat!

For the perfect Christmas gifts go to mamalamedia.com

Mindful Music

Have you ever wondered why memorization of information is so much easier when it’s put to music?  For most of us, the words and melodies to at least one or two songs can float to the surface even if we learned them as far back as preschool and haven’t sung them since, thus proving that music is a powerful instrument (pun intended) that increases memory.

 With trillions of connecting and combining neurons, the human mind is capable of holding a mind-blowing (again, pun intended) amount of memories.  Our brains could be considered the largest storage units on earth.    

 Debates of how the brain functions as it relates to memory continue among neuroscientists, but they all agree that information set to music is the easiest to remember.

 According to expert Henry L Roediger, professor of psychology at the Memory Lab at Washington University in St. Louis, getting information into the brain’s memory processing areas, (the hippocampus and the frontal cortex) is relatively easy, it’s retrieving the data that’s difficult.

 This begs the question, why is retrieval easier when we have learned something set to music?

 The answer is structure.

 If someone asked you to share the words to a particular song, you would probably have to start singing the song to retrieve them.  The song’s structure is what allows you to recall those words.

 The structure of music acts as a trigger to unlocking information stored in the brain.

 In our next letter we’ll be examining the structure of song and it’s keys (last pun, I promise!) to unlocking data.  We’ll also reveal the secret of the other three R’s!

 In the meantime, it’s important to understand what a powerful device music is and how impactful it can be for planting positive messages in your child’s heart and mind that will stay with them into adulthood.  It’s equally important that we guard our children against the opposite messages that will rob them of joy and destroy their self-image.

 Many of us are careful about the visual content our kids are watching, but tend to be far less thoughtful about the aural content they are exposed to. 

 The responsibility is ours as long as we are the choice-makers in our children’s lives.  But know this; the window of time is shorter than you expect.  Take the time and energy now to guide your kids when it comes to what they’re listening to.  It will bless them today, and serve them for a lifetime.

Are you mindful as to what your children are listening to? 

Breathe In

There’s a healthy reason to everything God wants us to do.

Recently Pastor Robert Morris of Gateway Church in Dallas, Texas spoke about the example God gave us in honoring the Sabbath. “For all the days God was birthing creation there was constant out-put. By speaking creation into being God was breathing out, then on the seventh day he rested in order to breathe in.”

If our lives are nothing but out-put, if we never stop to breathe in, we will not survive.

Although Pastor Morris’s teaching was on observing the Sabbath and keeping it Holy, this extraordinary insight can also be applied to our practices of time management and self-care, especially as parents.

When it comes to raising a family, it may feel like we never get a day off, but we can stop to take a breath.  If our God Almighty stopped to rest and take in all He created and all that was good, how much more should we?

Aside from the physical act of taking in air, here are a few suggestions of what “breathing in” may look like:

Start by making a list of your local favorite places or activities you can count on to lift your spirit.

Favorite restaurants, galleries, art houses, movie theaters, gardens, museums, book stores, beaches, hiking trails, bike paths, spas, antique stores, etc.

Also, create a second list of local places you’ve never been to but want to explore along with new activities you would like to try.  Consider cooking classes, dance lessons, water biking, new restaurants, different museums, parks, or old historical sites in your area.

Keep these lists handy for easy access and quick decisions.  That way, when a window of time opens up for an opportunity to fill the tank, you’re not wasting your time or making yourself crazy (and stressed) figuring out where to go or what to do. 

 Finally, create one more list that includes destinations outside your area. This list would include new places you want to visit for the first time as well as places you’ve loved in the past and want to return to.  After all, you may need to catch your breath for a few days or better yet, a few weeks! 

 Oh ya, don’t forget to have that list of trusted babysitters on hand as well!  Now, stop, rest and Breathe In.

Communion on the Moon

This Saturday, fifty years ago, three American astronauts made history by landing and walking on the moon.  One of them was Edwin “Buzz” Aldrin, a devout Christian.  His first actions were to thank God, quote scripture, then take communion.

During a pivotal moment of one of the most significant human achievements the world would ever see, Aldrin’s focus was on what he valued most, to lift up the real hope of mankind.

Within significant events in history, there is always opportunity in how the event will affect society and how it will be remembered.  Ultimately, it’s dependent on the people involved. 

News articles reported that “on July 20, 1969, after the Eagle lunar lander touched down on the surface of the moon, Aldrin pulled out the wafer that was in a plastic packet and the wine, along with a small silver cup provided by his church, which he kept in his “personal-preference kit.”

The fact that these were the items that Aldrin would choose to carry in his “personal preference kit” speaks volumes about his priorities.

Before taking the sacraments Aldrin said “I would like to take this opportunity to ask every person listening in, whoever and wherever they may be, to pause for a moment and contemplate the events of the past few hours and to give thanks in his or her own way.”  He then read the bible verse he had written on a 3 X 5 note card.

“As Jesus said: I am the vine, you are the branches. Whoever remains in me, and I in Him, will bear much fruit; for you can do nothing without me.”  John 15:5

His use of the word opportunity is something to pay attention too.  Opportunity is something we are all given, not only during momentous occasions, but also on a daily basis along with talents and a sphere of influence that is uniquely ours.  It is up to us as to how we use them. 

Buzz Aldrin used his to honor God.

Here are his words from an interview after the mission:

“I wondered if it might be possible to take communion on the moon, symbolizing the thought that God was revealing Himself there, too, as man reached out into the universe.”

This beautiful thought, that wherever man is, God will reveal Himself there too, was shared with the world and is forever tied to this event because of one man’s priority of commitment to God and His ways. 

What we value will affect the cultural legacy we leave.

Buzz Aldrin could have used this historical moment for self-promotion and celebrity status, but instead, his thoughts were on higher things…even higher than the moon.

Meaningful Memories

When I first began to date my husband, Amick Byram, I was immediately impressed by how many songs, poems and sayings he had memorized. This was, of course, after first being impressed with his good looks and talent!

As time went on and we became more comfortable with each other, he would frequently burst into song or recite a lyric for me that he had learned from his childhood. You see, he had learned them early in his young life and would never forget them. They had become meaningful to him and he wanted to share them.

After getting used to the fact that dating Amick was like being in The Sound of Music, I became more familiar with the memories that had informed his life, and I began to see a pattern. These songs, scriptures or sayings all had a delightful sense of happiness and a celebration of life. They made me feel good or hopeful when I heard them. Some were even mysterious, quirky or thoughtful, but there was still a sense of joy and wonder to them.

My husband is a great example of the importance of the memories we create for our children. What we sow into the youngest of children and the messages we send them will affect them for a lifetime.  It will influence their attitudes, their choices and even their outlook on life.

My husband is one of the most positive people I have ever met. His take on any situation or challenge in life is always a hopeful one. He was very fortunate that the input of his young life helped him to build the foundation for that kind of healthy personality.  Unfortunately many children grow up without this kind of healthy input. 

A well known Bible verse, Proverbs 22:6 tells us to “Train up a child in the way he should go and when he is grown, he will not depart from it.”  The assurance is that when sound investment is made early in a child’s life, it will make a positive, healthy difference in the later years.

Consider how you can make a difference in the lives of children.  Invest in them by providing resources with life-giving messages that they will carry into adulthood.

As parents, grandparents, teachers, mentors, aunts, uncles, and so on, we have a glorious opportunity and responsibility to create lifetime memories in the lives of children…meaningful memories that will help shape their future, and by doing so, shape the future of the world. 

Foot note: My husband Amick is unusual. Bursting out in song is not normal dating etiquette…in case you were wondering!