Random CHRISTMAS thoughts

There are two Christmases  . the obvious first one is the celebration of Jesus birth.  The second being the more secular, yet traditional one. You know, Santa, Stockings,candy canes,  tree, glowing lights and such.  I enjoy and celebrate both.  Just so you know, doing so does not diminish or infringe on the other. They can and do coexist in many homes.  That said, this blog and other ones this month will focus on various aspects of the Christmases filled with facts (well known and odd) and opinions.

First I tackle the controversial   " Happy Holidays greeting. Personally. I have no problem with people who use it. After all, there are multiple holidays this time of year.. My issue arises when the word Christmas is banned.  Bottom Line, it's a matter of individual choice.  So, until next time,  MERRY CHRISTMAS!

TRY LOCAL's FIRST PLEASE

I  I would like to ask everyone to please consider doing your shopping with local businesses, especially those small ones.  Of course your personal budget must take priority, as well as item selection/availability, but please consider the local folks first.   What are the benefits you ask,  1. Help neighbors and friends keep their jobs, infuse money into the local economy.  You can also think "outside of the box" by looking at homemade items and or services to use as gifts or even personal use.  So please, at least consider local business before you  decide.  Your neighbor/friend will thank you!

SOUTHERN SAYINGS& MEANINGS

 A few southern based phrases or sayings followed by their meaning )in parenthesis). There are far too many to list here.  I would love to hear yours.

Barking up the wrong tree. (you are wrong)
Busy as a stump-tailed cow in fly time. (very busy)
Caught with your pants down. (surprised and unprepared)
Don't bite off more than you can chew. (attempt what you can accomplish)
Don't let your mouth overload your tail. (talking too much)
Either fish or cut bait. (work or make way for those who will)
Every dog has  a few feas. (no one is perfect)
Fly off the handle. (angry and lashing out)
Go hog wild. (have a good time)
Got your feathers ruffled. (upset and pouting)
In high cotton. (rising up in society)
Mend fences. (settle differences)
HOLD YOUR HORSES- (be patient)
Scarce as hen's teeth. (no such thing)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MAMA

Today, My mama is celebrating her 75th Birthday in Heaven.  You see, I lost her a few months ago. I miss her!    She was more than just a mother.  For much of my life, she was my best friend.  We had a lot of fun times, especially after my stroke when she came to Maryland to help me learn to live a different life, one with physical disabilities.  Things were not always perfect as we both were human.  However,  we always had one another's back.  I will make this short today because my heart is so heavy.

 HAPPY BIRTHDAY   MAMA!

FRAGILITY OF LIFE

 The passing of two old schoolmates and  friends have really hit home just how fragile and temporary our time on this earth really is.

   You see, I grew up with the paradigm that with the exception of accidents, people  didn't die before 60. Now there has now  been four (2 in two days) in the past  couple of weeks that I went to school with that have passed.  All under 60, most under 55.  All  for medical reasons.

With all of my medical challenges, past and present, these events have greatly reminded me of how fragile our time really is and how blessed I am to still be here.

 Honestly, it's very frightening at times because I have much unfinished business here on earth. I think maybe the lesson  to glean from these losses is that we need to live each minute as if it could be our last.
Make sure everyone we love,  KNOWS that and get " right with God" if you haven't already.
  I'm sure this is exactly what Jon, Tiny, Gale and John would tell us right now, if they could.

ENVY ... A POISON OF THE SOUL

"Aesop had a fable about two eagles, one envious of the other because the other could soar higher and more elegantly than he could. So the envious eagle would pluck his strongest feathers from his own body and shoot them as arrows, trying to wound or kill the other eagle. It was his own undoing, however. He could not hit the high flying eagle, and he was eventually grounded by his lack of feathers. Envy destroyed the eagle."²

Envy, greed, and jealousy are all related. They are not only destroyers of the soul, but also of our physical well-being. As Proverbs says, "A heart at peace gives life to the body, but envy rots the bones.

And wasn't envy the cause of Satan's downfall? He was envious of God and wanted to be God himself; and look at the unbelievable mess he has gotten us into—or rather, look at the incredible mess we've gotten ourselves into because we have followed his  ways  instead of the ways of God. And how many of the atrocities that are happening in today's world are caused by the envy and greed for control by certain men who claim themselves to be leaders when, in fact, they are destroyers!

Envy is a destroyer. It will destroy you and me, too, if we allow it to do so. Like all of God's instructions, it is not without good reason that the  Word tells us to get rid of all envy, malice, jealousy and hatred. 

So, what have you or will you do to erase envy from your life?

CLASS ENVY or ??

In our system we work very hard to make sure everyone is equal at the starting line. We can't guarantee it, we're dealing with  human beings, but that's where our efforts have traditionally been, and should still be, focused

There is never, however, equality at the finish line, nor should there be for one good reason: everyone runs at a different pace. And those who run faster and harder, with more dedication and diligence, those who make a greater sacrifice and therefore a greater contribution are rewarded for that success. And that's the way it works.
Life is hard and, I might add, life is not fair. That's a truth about life we would all do well to learn. It is a truth for everyone, cutting across all racial and economic lines.  This is a lesson that every adult must learn if he or she is to grow emotionally and socially out of adolescence, and the sooner we learn it the better. Unfortunately, a group of seriously misguided leaders is telling an entire, volatile class of people that life should be fair for them, and if it isn't, then they're entitled. They're entitled to pay-backs and restitution, which can understandably and "justly" be taken by force if it won't be given to them.
As a concluding thought, I think we should begin calling class envy what it is. This angry and self-indulgent class envy is nothing more than plain, old fashioned, unadulterated coveting, people earnestly desiring that which does not belong to them. And when covetousness is encouraged, it inevitably leads to the next step, theft, taking by either force or stealth that which does not belong to you. It is not coveting to want to rise above your circumstances. It is coveting to want to take that which is not yours, which other people earned and worked for and sacrificed for and made a contribution to get.

POSITIVE or NEGATIVE attitude

some people are going to complain about everything. Nothing goes right in their life. Other people keep an even keel and look on the bright side. They don't get down. Maybe there's something to that whole glass-is-half-empty thing after all.

I personally don't really enjoy being around the negative. I don't ignore the problems happening in my life or other's, but I don't dwell on them, either. That way lies misery and ruin. As I look at the people I choose to do things with--people I like spending time with--I see that most of them are really positive people. Not annoyingly so, but still. People who like to keep a good, but realistic, view of the world.

I do think it's a lifestyle choice. But maybe I'm just too darned positive. How about you? Do you think a positive attitude is a choice?

MUST READS BY AGE 25

The following list  are books that, in my opinion, are great reads for a variety of stated reasons.  in no particular order;

1.      1984 by George Orwell –  still holds chief significance nearly 60 years after it was written in 1949. It is widely acclaimed for its haunting vision of an all-knowing government which uses pervasive, 24/7 surveillance tactics to manipulate all citizens of the populace.

2.      To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee – The story surveys the controversial issues of race and economic class in the 1930’s Deep South via a court case of a black man charged with the rape and abuse of a young white girl. It’s a moving tale that delivers a profound message about fighting for justice and against prejudice.

3.      Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess – A nightmarish vision of insane youth culture that depicts heart wrenching insight into the life of a disturbed adolescent. This novel will blow you away… leaving you breathless, livid, thrilled, and concerned.

4.      For Whom The Bell Tolls  by Ernest Hemingway – A short, powerful contemplation on death, ideology and the incredible brutality of war.

5.      The Rights of Man by Tom Paine – Written during the era of the French Revolution, this book was one of the first to introduce the concept of human rights from the standpoint of democracy.

6.      The Art of War by Sun Tzu – One of the oldest books on military strategy in the world. It’s easily the most successful written work on the mechanics of general strategy and business tactics.

7.      The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien – One of the greatest fictional stories ever told, and by far one of the most popular and influential written works in 20th-century literature. Once you pick up the first book, you’ll read them all.

8.      David Copperfield Charles Dickens – This is a tale that lingers on the topic of attaining and maintaining a disciplined heart as it relates to one’s emotional and moral life. Dickens states that we must learn to go against “the first mistaken impulse of the undisciplined heart.”

9.      Catch -22 by Joseph Heller – This book coined the self-titled term “catch-22” that is widely used in modern-day dialogue. As for the story, its message is clear: What’s commonly held to be good, may be bad… what is sensible, is nonsense. Its one of the greatest literary works of the 20th century.

10.   The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald – Set in the Jazz Age of the roaring 20’s, this book unravels a cautionary tale of the American dream. Specifically, the reader learns that a few good friends are far more important that a zillion acquaintances, and the drive created from the desire to have something is more valuable than actually having it.

11.   The Catcher in the Rye  by J.D. Salinger – This novel firmly stands as an icon for accurately representing the ups and downs of teen angst, defiance and rebellion. If nothing else, it serves as a reminder of the unpredictable teenage mindset.

12.   Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoyevsky – A smooth-flowing, captivating novel of a young man living in poverty who criminally succumbs to the desire for money, and the hefty phsychological impact this has on him and the people closest to him.

13.   The Prince by Niccolo Machiavelli – This book does a great job at describing situations of power and statesmanship. From political and corporate power struggles to attaining advancement, influence and authority over others, Machiavelli’s observations apply.

14.   Lord of the Flies by William Golding – A powerful and alarming look at the possibilities for savagery in a lawless environment, where compassionate human reasoning is replaced by anarchistic, animal instinct.

SOME

Some - Consisting of a greater or less portion or sum; composed of a quantity or number which is not stated; -- used to express an indefinite


I thought I needed to remind folks of the existence and meaning of this simple, yet important word.  Why?   Well it seems that there are people that forget this word when they decide to stereotype groups of people.  I'll give a few examples followed by the truth.

•  Liberals are lazy.      WRONG      Some are, but not all.
• Conservatives only care about money.   WRONG    Some do  , but not all.
• Black males under 25 are thugs.    WRONG     Some are, but not all.
• Southerners are uneducated &/or ignorant.       WRONG   Some are, but not all.
• Divorced Dads are deadbeats.    WRONG    Someare, but not all.

  These are just a very few that I hear on a daily basis.   If folks would just place that little word in front of these statements, it would make it accurate and not be hurtful to those that get  stereotyped as something they are not!

RHONDA MY LOVE

On this date two years ago, the best thing to ever happen to me took place.  You see, at  2pm there was a knock at my front door.  I opened the inside door, leaving a tinted full glass outside door closed.  I could see out but no one could see in.  Standing there  was this vision of a woman I had only dreamed of before.  I looked into her beautiful green eyes and was  instantly mesmerized.  I recognized a look that had  to have caught my eye centuries ago, as there is no other  conclusion.   I stood there for a long time trying to catch my breath before I finally got my wits about me and invited her in.   We visited and chatted for an hour or so.  Later that evening we met up at a local eatery with many of our other friends.  While there, I could not take my eyes off of her.


    We continued to get to know one another, mostly long distance  until we were reunited physically in the fall of 2010 which then led to our reunion in Holy Matrimony in 2011.   Rhonda has made me happier than any one man deserves.  I praise God daily for bringing her back into my life.  I look forward to spending the rest of my life working to help her be happy as she surely  deserves that!  Below is a poem for my Sweetness.

A soft word like a spark of light,
Illuminates my soul
And as each sound goes deeper,
It's YOU that makes me whole

There is not one  corner, not one  dark place,
YOUR LOVE cannot fill
And if the world is causing waves,
It's your devotion that makes them still

And yes you always speak to me,
In sweet honesty and truth
Your caring heart keeps out the rain,
YOUR LOVE, the ultimate roof

So thank you my Love for being there,
For supporting me, my life
I'll do the same for you, you know,
My Beautiful, Darling Wife.

REFLECTIVE

Since I moved back  home to  Georgia  in October of 09,   10 of my friends have lost their mama's and three have lost their Dad.  My own mother was very ill in   December of 09.  On top of this, I've lost two of my high school class of 77 classmates in the past month.

All of this has really caused me to reflect on just how precious our loved ones are and just how little time we have with them.     I'm not sure if many of us actually realize this.

As a result, I invite,no, challenge you to join me in making  ALL of those we love and care about a priority in our life while we still have them here and available to  us.   This may mean  the swallowing of pride and putting petty  differences aside.  This does not mean it's an open invitation for them to hurt us,   I'm telling you though, if you ignore this opportunity because they've harmed you somehow and they move on, the hurt will be much greater.   Join me.   Please!

THOUGHTS on TEBOW

the Broncos QB appears to be THE  hot topic lately for a variety of reasons.  So I guess I'll throw in my two cents.   Folks are divided into 2 groups, those that love him  or dislike him.   Why?

• Dislike -    I've heard; too much attention, not really that good of a QB, wears his love of Christ "Loudly and some racial excuses.  There you have it.    There is a valid counterpoint for each of these "reasons, so they don't wash with me.
• Love -     His pride of being a Christian and/or actually living as one, he led a flopping team to the playoffs despite it being unconventional looking.

Synopsis   -   I think he is a great example for young people to look up to.  He works hard, openly cares about others, confident without being arrogant and is a perfect counter to other professional athletes in the news because, as example; dog fighting, woman beating, rape, drugs, shooting someone or themself or minor things like open arrogance and greed.   So to me, this should be a no-brainer to anyone that really thinks about it.   How about you?