I don't Get it, you Guys. My Hit Count has Not Dropped to the Extent that I would Expect Over the Holidays and so many of you are Still Posting Somewhat Regularly. I don't Know How you Guys do it. I Feel Guilty when I Realize that a lot of you are Still Visiting my Blog, Even though I haven't given you much more to Read. Isn't anyone Else Busy?
I Procrastinate Every Year and Suffer the Consequences and yet I Never Learn. Next Year, I am Highly Likely to do it again, because it's just the way I am. Oh well.
I don't have Time to Talk Much on the Blogs. I just don't. Whatever. If you are Still Visiting my Blog, here's a Little Something to Read. I May or may not Respond Much to the Comments, but I'll Tell you What. I'll Post them and you guys can just Talk to Each Other.
Sunday, December 19, 2010
Saturday, December 11, 2010
Christmas Stresses & Joys
BB-Idaho Just Wrote a Comment on the Next Post Down about Christmas Trees and Tinsel and for some Reason this Comment Reminded me that it is time to Post Again and I Guess I'm Still Focused on Christmas. The Part of BB's Comment that I want to Respond to in this Post is...
"Christmas is a time of year when people cheer up and mellow out. Something we should probably do much more often."
As Odd as it may Seem to some of you, I'm not Really as much of a Christmas Fan as some. I Really Struggle with a Little Bit of a Buh Humbug Attitude throughout a lot of the Holiday. To me, Christmas is more a Time of Expectation, than of Genuine Cheer, for those who do Genuinely Enjoy the Holiday Expect that same Mood from those who are Less Cheery.
To Me, Christmas is a Time of Extreme Business in which Everything that has nothing to do with Christmas Needs to be Put on Hold while we Send Out Cards, Decorate our Houses, Go Shopping, Wrap Gifts, Bake, Clean House and Prepare for the Coming of Company. I've Tired so Hard to Get Past my Horrible Attitude about the Holidays and yet Every Single Year I go into that Same Trance, in which I just sort of Hold my Breath Until it's Over With.
So if I was to Respond to the Idea of "Cheering Up" and "Mellowing Out", my Response would be I Feel the Way I am Expected to and Do that which I am Expected to do and I "Mellow Out" because I'm too Busy to do Otherwise.
That was Probably more Negative than what you were Expecting, huh?
Well, I'll Tell you what I do Enjoy and that is the Christmas Programs and the Joy of the Day itself when it Finally Gets Here. Here is something that really Moved me this Year, even though it is just a Video and I did not Actually Experience it in Person. Apparently a Group of Unsuspecting Shoppers Got a Really Pleasant Surprise one Day in the Food Court at a Shopping Mall. These are the Type of Experiences that Actually Bring Tears to the Eyes.
"Christmas is a time of year when people cheer up and mellow out. Something we should probably do much more often."
As Odd as it may Seem to some of you, I'm not Really as much of a Christmas Fan as some. I Really Struggle with a Little Bit of a Buh Humbug Attitude throughout a lot of the Holiday. To me, Christmas is more a Time of Expectation, than of Genuine Cheer, for those who do Genuinely Enjoy the Holiday Expect that same Mood from those who are Less Cheery.
To Me, Christmas is a Time of Extreme Business in which Everything that has nothing to do with Christmas Needs to be Put on Hold while we Send Out Cards, Decorate our Houses, Go Shopping, Wrap Gifts, Bake, Clean House and Prepare for the Coming of Company. I've Tired so Hard to Get Past my Horrible Attitude about the Holidays and yet Every Single Year I go into that Same Trance, in which I just sort of Hold my Breath Until it's Over With.
So if I was to Respond to the Idea of "Cheering Up" and "Mellowing Out", my Response would be I Feel the Way I am Expected to and Do that which I am Expected to do and I "Mellow Out" because I'm too Busy to do Otherwise.
That was Probably more Negative than what you were Expecting, huh?
Well, I'll Tell you what I do Enjoy and that is the Christmas Programs and the Joy of the Day itself when it Finally Gets Here. Here is something that really Moved me this Year, even though it is just a Video and I did not Actually Experience it in Person. Apparently a Group of Unsuspecting Shoppers Got a Really Pleasant Surprise one Day in the Food Court at a Shopping Mall. These are the Type of Experiences that Actually Bring Tears to the Eyes.
Sunday, December 5, 2010
The Perfect Christmas Gift, Down Romans Road.
You Know, it is the Strangest Thing. I had all these Thoughts of Posts that I was going to do and yet as I Sit here and the Christmas Music Plays in the Background, I Realize that Politics and Christmas are Two Entirely Different Moods and I just Can't Keep Throwing Christmas Off and Focusing on the Political. It Just Doesn't Feel Right to do so.
Even the Links that I was Going to give you Relating to Extremism just don't Feel Right to me Right Now. You can Find these Links on Dave's Blog at The War on Extremism. One is in the Post itself and the Other is in the Comment Section; a Link Left by BB-Idaho. At Least one of the Themes Mentioned is how Extremism can Even be Present in the Churches and this Prevents us from Really Hearing and Responding Lovingly Towards those who have Differing Opinions than Our Own. I was Going to Comment even Further on these Two Links, yet the Mood of it is Confrontational and though I do not Believe that Confrontations are Wrong, Christmas is more a Time of Unity, rather than Confrontation, so I Find Myself Putting all Sorts of Things Off During the Holidays.
Perhaps the Entire Christmas Season is a Time For Celebration and Peace. Perhaps it is a Good Time for Peace and not Conflict, Truce and not Argument. And as to the Church, Perhaps it is a time to Focus in on what we Agree on, rather than what Brings Conflict Between us.
The Pastor Gave a Rather Interesting Message Today. He was Suggesting that we Find 7 People that we Know to not be Christians and Write the Following Words in the Card.
"This Year I would Like you to Walk with me down the Romans Road to Receive the Perfect Gift of the Season."
"Romans 3:23, Romans 6:23, Romans 10:9-10, Revelation 3:20, John 3:16"
That's it. That's the Entire Message. He Suggested not Even Quoting the Verses, but just Allowing those who Receive the Cards to Go Get a Bible and Look these Verses Up and so that is all I'm Going to do here as well. I guess if Questions Come Up, I Will Answer them in the Comment Section and may Even Type Out the Quotes Eventually. I'll just See how the Lord Leads.
All I Want to say for Now, though, about these Verses is that they not Only Describe the Perfect Gift of the Season, but also the Central Theme of Christianity and that which We Agree on. So my Message for Today is Let's Focus on what we Agree on and if any of you Feel so Inspired, you Might Even Consider doing that which My Pastor has Suggested.
Perhaps I should Add that There is One Other Message that the Pastor Gave that was Interesting. He Does a Short Spontaneous Sermon for the Kids in Response to an Object that they give him. The Object today was a Frog and here is what he Said about it.
Apparently, when you Shine a Light on Frogs then Freeze and do not Jump, yet when the Light is Turned Off or Removed, the Frogs will Jump Right Up into your Face. This is a Good Illustration of how it is with God. If we Keep Our Eyes Focused on the Lord (The Light), we will be more Calm and will not Offend, yet when we Get Our Eyes Off of the Him, that is when we Jump Up into People's Faces and this does not Accomplish much Other then Offense.
So Let's Try to Focus on Love and Peace this Season and may you all have a Very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
Even the Links that I was Going to give you Relating to Extremism just don't Feel Right to me Right Now. You can Find these Links on Dave's Blog at The War on Extremism. One is in the Post itself and the Other is in the Comment Section; a Link Left by BB-Idaho. At Least one of the Themes Mentioned is how Extremism can Even be Present in the Churches and this Prevents us from Really Hearing and Responding Lovingly Towards those who have Differing Opinions than Our Own. I was Going to Comment even Further on these Two Links, yet the Mood of it is Confrontational and though I do not Believe that Confrontations are Wrong, Christmas is more a Time of Unity, rather than Confrontation, so I Find Myself Putting all Sorts of Things Off During the Holidays.
Perhaps the Entire Christmas Season is a Time For Celebration and Peace. Perhaps it is a Good Time for Peace and not Conflict, Truce and not Argument. And as to the Church, Perhaps it is a time to Focus in on what we Agree on, rather than what Brings Conflict Between us.
The Pastor Gave a Rather Interesting Message Today. He was Suggesting that we Find 7 People that we Know to not be Christians and Write the Following Words in the Card.
"This Year I would Like you to Walk with me down the Romans Road to Receive the Perfect Gift of the Season."
"Romans 3:23, Romans 6:23, Romans 10:9-10, Revelation 3:20, John 3:16"
That's it. That's the Entire Message. He Suggested not Even Quoting the Verses, but just Allowing those who Receive the Cards to Go Get a Bible and Look these Verses Up and so that is all I'm Going to do here as well. I guess if Questions Come Up, I Will Answer them in the Comment Section and may Even Type Out the Quotes Eventually. I'll just See how the Lord Leads.
All I Want to say for Now, though, about these Verses is that they not Only Describe the Perfect Gift of the Season, but also the Central Theme of Christianity and that which We Agree on. So my Message for Today is Let's Focus on what we Agree on and if any of you Feel so Inspired, you Might Even Consider doing that which My Pastor has Suggested.
Perhaps I should Add that There is One Other Message that the Pastor Gave that was Interesting. He Does a Short Spontaneous Sermon for the Kids in Response to an Object that they give him. The Object today was a Frog and here is what he Said about it.
Apparently, when you Shine a Light on Frogs then Freeze and do not Jump, yet when the Light is Turned Off or Removed, the Frogs will Jump Right Up into your Face. This is a Good Illustration of how it is with God. If we Keep Our Eyes Focused on the Lord (The Light), we will be more Calm and will not Offend, yet when we Get Our Eyes Off of the Him, that is when we Jump Up into People's Faces and this does not Accomplish much Other then Offense.
So Let's Try to Focus on Love and Peace this Season and may you all have a Very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
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