It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year

UPDATE - For the sake of expediency I have published these thoughts without having fully edited them to make it "flow" better. I'm still embarking on this whole Christmas/Advent thought process and with Christmas just days away, I wanted to make sure to get this fledged out. I apologize if this appears to be a jumbled mess of writing and preachiness, I tried really hard to not make it that. But as I wrote out my thoughts I started to make sense of some of it and make conclusions. I write this more for me and myself than to appear to being "preachy" to you. I hope you enjoy it and I pray that this will continue to make your days merry and bright as we celebrate the birth of the greatest man who ever lived, the Savior of Mankind. Merry Christmas!!!



Been thinking more about this Christmas story and the fact that Christmas is the most wonderful time of the year. Last time focused on the shepherds and their comparisons to us. The normal mundane human going about their day-to-day job and yet God brings down his glory to the shepherds, to us. And their response to it compared to what our response is. One comment left by a reader mentioned their “scrooge mood” response to Christmas and how it has changed somewhat as a result of the post. And I feel that is the best comment someone has ever left me. It bums me out that Evangelicals allow the world and its systems to “bum them out.” To let it seep into their very fabric and being and sap the glory of God from their lives. Don’t get me wrong, I’m guilty of it too. But at the expense of advocating CEO Christianity (Christmas and Easter Only) it is at Christmas and Easter that Christians should be at their peak of revelry and fun.

Both are doctrinal tenets of the faith but both are clouded in mystery and mysticism. Incarnate, Infinite God taking on the form of a helpless new born babe, being entrusted to the care and provision of humanity. The same humanity that if they have proven anything, it’s that we screw things up, actually, we screw everything up. Incarnate, Infinite God dying with the weight of the world on his shoulders, only to show His Incarnate and Infinite Godship by rising from the dead. All to rescue our screwed up humanity.

But Easter doesn’t carry the “scrooge” effect with Christians. There isn’t the commercialism and consumerism attached to Easter as there is with Christmas. Easter has been hijacked, but Christmas gets the negative connotation. I’d like to diffuse that. I had to start with myself and begin to embrace Christmas some years ago and everything around it. As well as put a renewd focus on the Christmas story and see where it applies nowadays.

So I have continued this thought with the story of the wise men.

First things first. I know people like to harp on the fact that in the nativity scenes around the world, there are 3 wise men represented for the 3 gifts brought to Jesus. More than likely, it wasn’t 3 individual wise men on their own. It was a massive caravan of hundreds and they probably met up with Jesus and the family as much as a year or two after his birth. These trivial issues behind us, let’s continue.

Most times the focus of the wise men is the gifts. Gold, frankincense, and myrrh. The King, the Priest, and the Sacrifice. Or the focus is on the mystical journey these wise men embarked on and how that applies to our life. The fact that there was this spiritual force in play put in action by God to turn the cosmos to get these wise men from afar to follow a moving star to the boondocks of Bethlehem. We feel this sometimes in our own lives. That there is a spiritual force at work and all things are linked together someway, somehow. It’s all been contrived and set in motion to arrive to this one moment. And we are left scratching our head sometimes when we realize it. How did that just happen? Sometimes God will move the whole universe for you to experience him.

But there’s another element to this story I’ve been contemplating.

It seems that everyone wants to talk about the story behind Christmas. To give life to all the central characters and share in the secret they were able to discover. All the big bookstores have displays setup to sell books that speak about Christmas. To give you the meaning behind Christmas. To maybe provide more depth and understanding to the cast of characters. Most of these books are conjecture on the part of the author. Sprinkling in real life with some historical perspective with some just good old fashioned writing. All to entertain you and warm your hearts. Well, I want to explore this secret. A secret that not a lot of people think literally about, but if you think literally about it, it will change your life so dramatically you’ll never be the same. And it’s all based around the story of the wise men. We can still see the bumper stickers that say “Wise men still seek Jesus.” Well, we still have to seek him and it’s interesting where we can find him. To give you a hint, I’d almost call this, “Why I stick with the Church 3” because if you can grasp this you’ll look at people and church differently.

The wise men blazed this path and discovered something about the way God works. They were lead somewhat mystically to “The King of the Jews” but stopped along the way to still ask “Where is the King of the Jews.” A lot of people are asking that even now a days, Where is Jesus? While we can’t discover it in the same way the wise men did we can still discover it and act on it.

Ever seen pictures of Jerusalem? Israel? Bethlehem maybe? How do those compare to Hawaii or Ireland, or Bermuda? Israel is chalky white and cold hard concrete. Not a pretty place. Not very “green.” Why in the world would God show up there? I’ve been to Cancun and Cancun looks a lot better then Israel. Israel looks like the backside of the world. Why not show up in Rome, the capital of the known world?

Jesus comes to this place with no pomp and circumstance. Sure there's the big party in heaven, but what of the earth? His mom was a teenager, who wasn’t married to his earthly dad. Despite the picture, she is probably walking, not on a donkey like the Hallmark card’s show. They were dirty, knocking on everyone’s door looking for a place to stay. Started at the Hampton Inn, then went to the Motel 6, then the Econo Lodge, then the hourly motel and then the truck stop, and then the rest area, and finally someone says, "hey I have an old Chevy in my garage and behind there is a cot if you wanna stay there."

Where’s the pomp? Where’s the circumstance? Instead, it’s the smell of animals and stubble and hay and fleas and birth. All those smells and earth and dust of travel mixed together.

And isn’t that just like God? So humble to hide one of the greatest events of all time.

This is the birth of the King of Kings and Lord of Lords and it’s hidden in a shed. We’ve come up with all kinds of King James words to make it grand. He was born in a manger. He was born in a stable. Stable makes it sound permanent. But if we say he was born in a shed, in a barn, next to dung, they laid him in a dog dish that was big enough for all the animals to eat out of is crazy…just crazy.

He was so hidden and tucked away in earthiness, that some of the wisest men in all the world had to stop and ask for directions. These guys were waiting for this. They had put their money where their mouth was. They know it is happening and they go out searching for him, “traveling afar” and he’s so hidden that they have to ask the leader of the Jews where the King of the Jews is and he doesn’t even know. He so doesn’t know that he says to an entourage of hundreds of brilliant people, be sure to look hard for him. He’s hidden. Trying to find a needle in a hay-stack.

But they do find him, lead by divine providence. They see him, leave their precious gifts, depart, and our mystically lead again to not return to Herod. So that is their story.

What is ours?

Where is Jesus?

Is he hidden in the stuff of the earth?

Yes he is.

And you know what stuff he is hidden in?

You and Me!!!

Now, I don’ think we go to each other and fall down and worship each other. But I can be a blessing to Jesus by being a blessing to any one of you. Just as I can persecute Jesus by persecuting anyone of you. Jesus even implicates Paul this way at his conversion.

Here is why I go to church?

I get to see Jesus. He dresses up like Jeff and like Matt and like Corey. And he is visible in the eyes of every person there. He hid himself in you and me. I see him in Jeff, I see him in Matt, I see him in Corey. And he likes looking at himself. And that is why he put himself in both Corey and me. So now when the 2 of us look at each other, Jesus, goes “man I’m good looking.” And he’s not ego-maniacal because he is God and he’d be idolatrous if he didn’t think that.

This is the Christian ethic for loving one another. It’s why Mother Theresa could take care of dying people and orphans in Calcutta. I think she was looking for Jesus in each and everyone of them. Ministering to them like they were Jesus.

Christmas and the magi path is a wonderful story and I think if we’re wise we are still going to seek him. And one of the ways we discover him is in the lives of each other. The way I treat any of you is the way I am treating Jesus. This is the reason for us to go to church. Maybe I get there first so Jesus can walk on a snow free path to church. Then maybe Corey gets their early and he’s playing some drums getting ready because he’s going to play to Jesus who’s out in the congregation getting ready to worship Jesus. I’m not trying to take this to a tripped-out new age level and saying were all divine. But the logical conclusion of Jesus being in you and me is that we get to love Jesus by loving each other, and if we seek him through this mystical journey and find Jesus in one another, the world wouldn’t know what to do with us.

We should be ministering to each other. Bring gifts to Jesus by bringing gifts to each other. Being a blessing to each other to be a blessing to Jesus in each of us. Respond to the Savior inside of us, not to what comes out of our mouths. And allow yourself to be real and transparent enough for them to see Jesus in you and to allow others to be a blessing to you. Let people minister to you and be a blessing to you. Our own pride or fear can get in the way and we run away from help. But let it be done for you.

I hear all the time from people, “Why does everyone give me a present for Christmas, it’s Jesus birthday anyway?”

Well you know why I give presents?

Because it’s Jesus birthday and you’re his body and so I’m going to give you the ugly tie with the lit up palm tree, because I want to. I love you and I love Jesus inside of you.

M E R R Y C H R I S T M A S

Sick

The whole household. Seth has an ear and eye infection. Michele got a bit of the flu and I seemed to have gotten the middle ground. A high fever (101.3) and the aches and pains but at least I could keep food down. But talk about feeling helpless. I'm trying to be this big tough guy dad male macho and I'm watching my family travail in sickness and unable to do anything. I could barely pick Seth up and carry him to Michele when he needed to eat. But I'd feel 100% guilty if Michele went to get him herself, never knowing when she'd need to run down the hall to....well you know.

So that is why I was MIA Tuesday and Wednesday.

So here is a quick run down.

I lost this week in Fantasy Football, so I am playing for 3rd place. Which still results in winning money.

And no Last 5 this week and there will be none until after the new year.

Matter of fact, things will be very light around here until after the New Year. I have some posts already done and just waiting for me to hit "publish" so you'll get those and I'll let you know very quickly what happen this weekend to my fantasy team, but that's about all you'll get from me after Friday.

What Really Matters

It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year

"In the air, there's a feeling of Christmas"

Kind of makes you wonder what all the hub-bub is about.

Yesterday I made my annual pilgrimage out to the local malls and shops to do some Christmas shopping. And try not to laugh, but I actually like shopping at Christmas time. At no other time of the year can Michele even come close to getting me excited to want to go shopping. But, come Christmas time, I go with her when I need to and I always make one trip on my own.

As I said, last night I ended up not getting home until nearly 10 after shopping 2 malls, a couple other strip mall locations, and a Meijer. And I enjoyed it...all of it. As I wrote the same thing this time last year, I love everything about Christmas. And I thing it has something to do with the fact that Christmas never changes. Same decorations, same songs, same story, etc. But I got to thinking yesterday about all of this.....

What's the big deal?

Trees all over the world, wreaths on doors, whole neighborhoods full off lights.

What’s the deal? It’s just a birthday right?

Christmas is more than just a day that Santa supposedly comes and it’s more than the day we max out our credit cards. It’s a day set aside each year to celebrate the birth of our King and Messiah Jesus Christ. We celebrate him because he is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. He is the greatest man that has ever been and still is the greatest man that has ever been. In fact he is so powerful that he was born of a virgin and lived a perfect and sinless life, teaching of his Kingdom, using stories to explain that Kingdom and how it works. And then he did the ultimate thing. He was beaten and flogged for us. Nailed to a cross, gasping for breath and of a broken heart, breathed his last breath and died for our sins. And of course, 3 days later, rose from the dead declaring himself both Savior and God for all of eternity. Because of that he is available to us today. The Bible says whoever calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.

That’s why there are wreaths hanging around. That’s why we have Christmas trees. That’s why we have carols. That’s what the hub-bub is about.

And when you compare our hub-bub nowadays to this miracle, how does it measure up? How does all the pomp and circumstance and energy exerted nowadays compare to the same of the original day? Specifically, to the Sheppards response on the actual day?

Of all the people in the Christmas story, the sheppards are probably the most like us. Normal blue-collar people who we know very little about. We don’t know their names or where they are from or even exactly what it was they were doing in the field (watching over their flocks…what does that mean). Kind of like us.

But God interrupts all that normal and mundane. A heavenly host, the glory of the Lord all around in the middle of the night. The deep, dark midnight sky fully bright and fully alive with the same glory that Moses had to hide his face from.

BOOM!!!!

There it is.

What did they do with it?

They were told all this truth, but did not sit around in the field and just talk about and converse about these deep spiritual truths that the angels told them. And that happens a lot at Christmas. The theology is extremely important in the Christmas season. 100% God and 100% man and both are necessary for salvation. But we can talk about Christmas in such deep ways that we don’t really experience it too much. We get too wrapped in the teaching about.

Just the same we can make it too much of a pageant. Dress up in costumes and turn on all kinds of twinkling lights. But the Sheppard’s didn’t really pull out some wreaths and garland in celebration. One Sheppard didn’t reach down, pull of his sock and tell everyone his crazy idea of hanging that sock from a fireplace and having some fat old elf stuff it full of toys. That’s not what they did.

What they did, is get up from where they were and went to the party of Jesus birth. Quite the invitation!!

They got up and went and saw it with their own eyes. And the Bible says when they saw it, they went out telling EVERYBODY what they saw. We have carols that we sing to tell everyone about the fact that the sheppards went and told everyone what they saw at the party. Wouldn’t it be cool if we could have gone to the party? Wouldn't it be cool if we told EVERYBODY about the invitation we've all been given?

Alex, I'll take "No Clue" for $1,000

My home computer is broke.

I have no clue why other than the hard drive is done and I need a new one. Going back to that whole "Arghhhh..." post from a month ago things kind of got worse with the computer. Had to do system restore a couple times and now finally it crapped out on me.

I also have no clue when it will get fixed. Evetually I'll make my way to Best Buy or somewhere and buy a new hard drive, but I've been busier than a one-legged man in an ass-kicking contest lately and as much as I am an internet junky it's almost a back burner item right now.

I've been able to hammer out a couple posts in the meantime:

This one

and

This two (too)

Which, to be honest, I had hoped would garner more comments and get some conversations going, but they didn't, and I have no clue why. Maybe they still will, but not right now. Which at this time may be better anyway, since lunchtime at work is my only free-time right now to "surf the web." Although right now is slacker Tuesday before the holiday afternoon and I am typing this one now.

I have a lot of things I want to touch on. But I have no clue what my next post will be and no clue when it will be. I have like 5 or 6 drafts going right now and the problem is a couple are old and I have lost some of the thought process I had going with them. Maybe I'll pick those back up, but I have no clue.

So I am kind of in limbo with the computer and blog updates. The week after next we go on vacation for the week to good ole' Traverse City (TC is by far one of Michele's and mine favorite vacation locales.) so it may take that long.

Hopefully I'll be able to conjure up some of the old drafts I have going on, which include:

• Things that crack me up (all satire)
• Country Music (I like I love it, I want some more of it)
• Gotta know..."Why I Stick with the Church 3" is in the pipeline
• Show off pictures of "Black Beauty" - (My Homemade Tennis Ball Mortar....sends a tennis ball about 500 yards into the air...built for under $20) who is making her debut to the public tomorrow evening for some 4th of the July Festivities at our Pastor's house in Wyandotte. Michele and Seth have already partook in the glorious resonance of loud explosions, blue flames, and the smell of lighter fluid exiting a tin can contraption at a rather extremely high velocity.
• Vacation pictures
• Detroit Tigers - 5 players and maybe 6 are going to the All-Star game this year!!!
• Detroit Sports scene in general - My 2 hour round trip commute puts me in contact with a lot of Sports Talk Radio in the area...
• My growth, limitations, decisions, fears, and overall outlook and progress of raising Seth to be the manly man all men are to be. Here, over here too, as well as over here, here again, as well as back to here, and absolutely, positively here too. Or if you just click here, you can get them all at once, but start reading at the bottom of the page and work your way.

Let's see what else.....

I have no clue what else. I have no clue if any of the above will make it ever here.

But be patient for the immediate future. For those that are regular just know I still check your blogs almost daily and just because it may take a few days here for updates, don't let that happen to your blogs. I need something to read, roll my eyes at, laugh at, nod my head with, agree with, disagree with, think about, and waste other time reading.

But as for now, I'm outta here, I've got to get home, I've got sun to soak up, beer to drink, and lots and lots of gunpowder and lighter fluid to go blow up in the nighttime sky (I love the little firework stores in Ohio).

Happy 4th of July and enjoy your summer.

GO TIGERS!!!!!

Christmas Essentials

First off, MERRY CHRISTMAS to all of you and to your families. A Happy New Year as well. As I mentioned in my last post, I really enjoy Christmas and the whole season lead up to it. A season that brings people together and allows a spirit of peace and love to infiltrate millions across the globe deserves to be celebrated. The traditions and signs and symbols, for the most part, have remained the same for many years and have been passed down through all the generations and just as I did as a child, soon my child will sing the same songs and hear the same stories and celebrate with all the family. But in addition to all of that, I hope to pass down a couple other "traditions" to the Holiday Season that I consider to be essential and look forward to every year. This is more than Christmas lights and Christmas carols and snow and the cold and hustle and bustle. These are essentials for me, things that I give serious consideration to whether or not I could make it through the holidays without.

The first item that kicks it all off for me is the Starbucks Egg Nog Latte. As my wife so eloquently puts it, "I'm afraid that you may be having an emotional affair with Egg Nog Lattes." From the first moment they hit the menu at the local Starbucks I am a way too regular customer that forks over $4 for a Large Egg Nog Latte. One day, someday, I may have to cutback as financial obligations change, but I may just include these seasonal into the budget to make room for them.

Of course, Egg Nog is also on the list. Thick, creamy, smooth, glorious egg nog. We have a Calder's Dairy store by our house and for $8 you can get a half gallon of the best Egg Nog this side of the Mississippi. It is so thick that when you throw a little Captain in it, you have to stir the bleep out of it to get it to mix together. When not gorging myself on the Latte, a coffee mug of cool Egg Nog at a precise 4:1 ratio with Captain Morgan top with a dash of cinnamon is the perfect ending to a Christmas Season evening.

Holiday movies are also a huge part of my enjoyment of Christmas. And nothing tops the list more than the Griswold's. National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation continues the saga of Clark W. Griswold Jr. and his never ending quest to provide the quintessential, perfect family vacation for his lovely wife and his 2 children. This is probably my most watched movie. I can watch it anytime anywhere whether on TV or a DVD. We once had it on VHS and wore it out in just a couple years. Throw in the in-laws and Cousin Eddy and no man should have to put up with so much. This is a laugh outloud, have egg nog spurt out your nose hilarious movie. And it starts from the first scene until the last.

The second move is Little Ralphie and his unending desire to get his hands on an official Red Ryder Carbine-Action Two Hundred Shot Range Model Air Rifle, with a Scope for Christmas. It is all the kid wants. It is also where the line, "Ohhhhhhhhhh Ffffffuuuuuuuuuudge" followed by the narrator (a grown up Ralphie) saying, "only I said THE word, the F, dash, dash, dash word." As well, as The Lamp! This is another must see for all and actually the older I have become the more I appreciate this movie for its meanings and sub-story lines throughout. I triple dog dare you to rent this movie (or better yet, catch it on the 24-hour marathon on Christmas Eve on TBS) this year and watch it with the wife and kids over Christmas.

Another essential is the overall smell of pine in the house. Usually this is no problem for Michele and I as we go to our local Christmas tree lot and buy a fresh Blue Spruce to put up in the house. But this year we passed as we have been remodeling the kitchen and our family room as become our storage space for plates, bowls, and glasses. So we have relied on Yankee Candle Balsam and Cedar Housewarmer Candles as well as Mistletoe Housewarmer Candles. Honestly, we have these candles burning everyyear at Christmas time, but now it is a couple lit at all times when we are home. These jars our highly scented and do an excellent job allowing the aroma to permeate the room.

This time next year, my one goal for Christmas is to be sipping on a Starbucks Egg Nog Latte sitting in my pine scented back room watching Christmas Vacation on TV with my wife and child next to me laughing and making memories to pass down to future generations throughout the years.

To live such a fortunate life.....

M E R R Y C H R I S T M A S

It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year

"I'm happy as Christmas." - Ed Roland (Lead Singer, Collective Soul, lifted from Better Now, off the Collective Soul CD 'Youth')

Even though the weather outside is more like the middle of March and College Basketball's March Madness time than the middle of December and College Football Bowl Game time; and even though we had snow for the World Series and green grass for Christmas, I still cannot get enough of the Christmas Season.

I really like the month long build up to the Christmas celebration. It is my favorite time of the year. I do like the hustle and bustle it creates. I actually enjoy walking through a mall and people watching and taking in the decorations and energy that happens during Christmas. The lights, the decorations, the music, the anticipation, the joy, even the chill in the air and the snow. I'll take it all. I do not want to do without any of it.

The music is what makes the whole season. It brings Christmas to life for me. The carols of Christmas can transport me to the first Christmas, back to Bethlehem, envisioning what is being sung through the radio to me. Songs about Roasting Chestnuts, Winter Wonderlands, and Sleigh Rides can make me feel the chill and warmth at the same time. I guess because the songs offer some of the best memories I have growing up and have remained the same, the memories can transcend generations and age. The songs and carols I sang as a wide-eyed, 8-year old bubbling over with excitement and barely staying still in church, just wanting to get home and open presents are the same carols and songs I sing now, 20 years later as an adult and husband with a child just a few short weeks from starting to take in the same memories and sing the same songs I have. Every year, those musical creations add more memories and deepen my enjoyment of this time of year.

Christmas time truly is the most wonderful time of the year.