I am exceptionally proud of myself this Christmas season. I did not once venture out amongst the sea of people and fight for my life in a loud, warm, Cinnabon, pumpkin spice latte smelling shopping mall. No driving around aimlessly for hours trying to find the perfect parking space. No standing in line listening to rude children berate their mothers for not getting them an Ipad or a smart phone. And best of all, no getting sprayed in the face by an overly ambitious perfume sales girl. I guess that's one of the benefits of being an empty nester. You're free to plan things out more thoroughly without over sugared little children running around in a constant state of euphoria and excitement. Yeah, ok so I miss that! That will come back to us as grandparents when we can totally spoil them rotten then leave after a weekend to complain to their mom and dad why they can't be more like grandma and grandpa! Anyway, you can shop online or in my case have a very organized wife who handles everything for our brood every year. Now this is not to say I have been sitting around drinking copious amounts of eggnog in my ugliest Christmas sweater and jammies either watching the Hallmark channel 24 hours a day. Instead I have been very busy in my annual yuletide bake fest. Alone in my kitchen lab with my trusty laptop and archived top secret cookie recipes, I whip, stir, fold, incorporate, mix and bake until I have enough cookies and cheesecakes to cause an outright epidemic of sugar comas.
But enough about me already. As my wife is downstairs putting all the trays together for our annual delivery route to family and friends, I want to wish you all a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year and pray God blesses each and every one of you this season and upcoming new year! Now, I wouldn't be me if I didn't remind you to make sure to take the time to slow down and worship the true meaning of the season, the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ. I know in the midst of all the headlines recently especially in Newtown CT, the fiscal cliff, the insanity in the middle east, the endless attacks on this Holiest of Seasons and all of your life issues each day that it's so easy to lose sight of Hope. But believe me folks, He's there! He grieves when we grieve, He smiles when we are happy, He loves us more when we are struggling and picks us up when we fall. How do I know? Because He does it for me and you everyday and you may not even realize it. For every calamitous and tragic event there is always an outpouring of love and support afterwards that is more than human based. It is divinely infused into the situation to bring calm and peace in the midst of anguish. How else do you explain the massive outpouring of relief, love and sympathy in each of these occurrences? He alone stands watch over and gives charge to His angels and us, His earthly children to mend and heal the brokenhearted. We do so time and time again which reinforces in our hearts a greater love than we are capable on our own of giving. So get away, pray, go to church, sing joyous carols to His glory and give honor to the King of Kings this season. For that little manger in a dirty lowly stable over two thousand years ago is more than the centerpiece of a nice nativity scene on your lawn or in front of your church. For placed in that manger by His heavenly father is the reason hope is still alive! He is the King of Kings and His kingdom will have no end and He is coming very soon. So from our family to yours may God keep you and make His face to shine down upon you and your family this joyous holy season! Peace to you all!
Luke 2 9-14
An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone
around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, "Do
not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all
the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you;
he is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby
wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger." Suddenly a great company of
the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and
saying, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom
his favor rests."
Saturday, December 22, 2012
Thursday, December 6, 2012
Keep Your Hands Off My Nativity Scene!
At first I was mad, I mean hopping mad at that. These ungodly people and their annual war waged on Christmas and it's truly Christian and American tradition! Who do they think they are? The illustrious "Freedom From Religion" organization, the "Free Thinkers" or the usual suspect the "American Atheists Society." All groups whose sole mission is to disrupt, redefine and all but remove anything associated with our beliefs and the singular most joyous and spiritual season of the year. They not only want to separate and purify us all from the goodwill and renewed hopefulness of celebrating the birth of our Holy Savior but in doing so they believe they are doing us a favor. What boils my blood more than anything is they are winning some battles and in doing so, we like sheep are not putting up much of a protest. We need to be careful here people. In this case our silence is deafening to the Ears of Heaven. Using in many cases activist judges and their own self serving interpretation of the constitution, they harass and bully people by a well orchestrated campaign of shock and awe. They are rude, crass and often times disruptive as well as gratuitously inviting themselves into communities where they don't personally live or raise there own children to overtly destroy decades of tradition. What's most disturbing is the influence they have in the rapidly deteriorating and progressively evolving public education system by bypassing parental taxpayer influence and bulldozing all too eager and cowardly school administration officials into removing almost all references, programs, music and activities for Christmas. Right now they are concentrating on public property issues i.e. schools, city parks, state and local government buildings, public monuments etc. But wait, and mark my words it's only a matter of time before they start badgering private land owners about their outside displays of nativity scenes, lighted crosses and openly Christian symbolism because it offends them as they're driving by their house and totally disrupts their already sad and lost day.
If you don't believe this will happen then just look around at all the American flags that have been forced to be removed from houses in neighborhoods because they were either to offensive to certain local immigrant and ethnic groups or in one case "in excessive prominent display." Let me tell you what we are removing here and you tell me what's wrong, okay? We are removing the only true symbol of hope and salvation man has ever known, Jesus Christ. Here is all He did to deserve this.
He raised the dead to life, healed the sick, fed the poor, forgave people of their faults and behavior, loved unconditionally, gave us tried and true wisdom and purpose for life, ordained the sanctity of the family unit, set forth fair and just laws for us to live and govern by and never, ever, ever once turned anybody away. For this He was and in many ways is still being crucified. Even if Jesus could ever be disproved, and He can't and won't be, you need to find the bones first gang. We won't because He is completely alive and sovereign and will soon come again to judge and reign forever! Those are facts and frankly we should be thankful God is so patient with us giving us more chances to change our hardened hearts. But mankind is now more hellbent than ever to shake it's collective fist at God. We here on earth are just fabulous without Him or His merry, goofy and sadly lost band of believer's who still worship, go to church, give time and hope to others, pray earnestly and have lives that are fulfilled and full of deep spiritual meaning. Hah! The jokes on you atheists and look around you as soon a cruel one it will be. We are rapidly collapsing under our blasphemous, atheistic and progressive freedoms in this world. Our rush to self govern with no moral restraint and absolution is sending us headlong into the abyss. I for one, will stay focused on He who saved a wretch like me. I will love more, appreciate more and give more this year than last. I will give Him all the credit because my life is better because of His love for me. So stand up be proud to call God your father and honor Him this season of joy. Celebrate Him who lives, came and died for you! Don't be politically correct be spiritually pure! Now if you'll excuse me I have to bake some Christmas cookies and go work on my "Freedom From Atheists" website! ;)
John 3:18
He that believes on him is not condemned: but he that believes not is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
If you don't believe this will happen then just look around at all the American flags that have been forced to be removed from houses in neighborhoods because they were either to offensive to certain local immigrant and ethnic groups or in one case "in excessive prominent display." Let me tell you what we are removing here and you tell me what's wrong, okay? We are removing the only true symbol of hope and salvation man has ever known, Jesus Christ. Here is all He did to deserve this.
He raised the dead to life, healed the sick, fed the poor, forgave people of their faults and behavior, loved unconditionally, gave us tried and true wisdom and purpose for life, ordained the sanctity of the family unit, set forth fair and just laws for us to live and govern by and never, ever, ever once turned anybody away. For this He was and in many ways is still being crucified. Even if Jesus could ever be disproved, and He can't and won't be, you need to find the bones first gang. We won't because He is completely alive and sovereign and will soon come again to judge and reign forever! Those are facts and frankly we should be thankful God is so patient with us giving us more chances to change our hardened hearts. But mankind is now more hellbent than ever to shake it's collective fist at God. We here on earth are just fabulous without Him or His merry, goofy and sadly lost band of believer's who still worship, go to church, give time and hope to others, pray earnestly and have lives that are fulfilled and full of deep spiritual meaning. Hah! The jokes on you atheists and look around you as soon a cruel one it will be. We are rapidly collapsing under our blasphemous, atheistic and progressive freedoms in this world. Our rush to self govern with no moral restraint and absolution is sending us headlong into the abyss. I for one, will stay focused on He who saved a wretch like me. I will love more, appreciate more and give more this year than last. I will give Him all the credit because my life is better because of His love for me. So stand up be proud to call God your father and honor Him this season of joy. Celebrate Him who lives, came and died for you! Don't be politically correct be spiritually pure! Now if you'll excuse me I have to bake some Christmas cookies and go work on my "Freedom From Atheists" website! ;)
John 3:18
He that believes on him is not condemned: but he that believes not is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
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