Christmas - archive

It may seem strange to think of Christmas shopping, or shopping at any other time of the year, as a gift, yet it can be a very much needed gift. When we shop we usually think only about the purpose of our purchase. It may be for a gift. It may be for our personal use such as food, transportation, entertainment, housing, really a category for every purchase we make. It is easy to understand that when we make a purchase, that purchase is like a gift to ourselves or to someone else. Have you ever thought about what happens to that money after it leaves your hands by cash, by check or by credit card? I am not an economics expert and would not even guess at the percentages, but I think it is divided something like this.

There could be additions to these. Of the above list, two of these items are the same regardless of where you make your purchase - payment to the manufacturer and overhead costs. The other three give you the opportunity to decide where you want to give the GIFT of your money when you make your purchase. Let’s look briefly at each of these.

TAXES - Many communities lose many thousands of dollars each year when their residents either go to a nearby city or shop online or via catalogue. The taxes collected, with a few exceptions, go to support the local and state governments where they are collected. I do acknowledge that some online and some catalogues do collect and remit taxes to the taxing authority of the purchaser. The question for you to resolve - Do you want your GIFT of the money spent for taxes to go to support your own community or another?

1. - If you shop online, via catalogue or in a neighboring community or state, then all of the portion for salary leaves your community to be spent by those employees in other areas. No local Income Taxes are collected to support your local government.

2. - If you shop at the major chain stores that are located in your own community you are paying for the salaries of local employees and that money will probably be spent again in your community. Income taxes will also benefit your local and state governments. HOWEVER, you are also paying toward the salaries of all of those in the corporate structure from the President of the Company, the Board of Directors through every person that is needed to make the corporation profitable. Those salaries and those taxes do not benefit you locally

3. - If you shop at the locally owned store all of the salaries are normally re-spent in the community and the taxes from what the employee spends benefit the community. One more important factor is that local businesses set the salaries for their employees while the salaries for those who work in the other two categories are usually set in the corporate offices wherever that may be.

The question for you to resolve is - Who do you want to benefit from the GIFT of the portion of your taxes that goes toward salaries?

PROFIT. - This is a simple one to understand. The profits from major chain stores, online and catalogue sales or stores in neighboring communities or states all go someplace else while that which is spent at your locally owned store remains in the community.

The question to resolve is - Where do you want the portion of your GIFT that is profit to go?

I would encourage you to consider to make some of your shopping a GIFT that will benefit your local community. The cost may be a little bit more. Think of it as an expression of Loving Your Neighbor by supporting your local community and your local businesses. If enough people would do this, you might be surprised at the results you could see in your business community, your community tax income, your employment opportunities and your good feeling of once again getting to know that local business person who is waiting to serve you and to get to know you.

Please PRAY about this and ask God if He wants you to let your shopping be a GIFT to your community this Christmas and at other times of the year.

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12/04/06

YOUR CHRISTMAS CARD ADDRESS LIST - - DON’T PUT IT AWAY

I have a strong belief that as faithful that we might want to be in our service to our Lord, we need reminders to spur us on our mission. One of these reminders can be your Christmas card address list. Instead of putting that list away for another year, place it with the Bible and devotional book that you use as a part of your daily visits with God. Then, as you pray, go to the list and pray for at least one person, going down the list to the very end and then starting over. If you have devotions as a family, then read that name and have each family member say something nice about that person before you offer the prayer.

If you are willing to take this a step farther, it would be very meaningful if you called or sent a note to the ones you prayed for, telling them that you included them in your devotional prayer time. If you care enough about someone to send them a Christmas card, note or letter, I know that you care enough about them to remember them in prayer. Sometimes we just need a little reminder.

God’s peace. See You At The House.

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12/05/06

BUSINESS SHOPPING SHOULD ALSO BE A GIFT

I recently suggested that CHRISTMAS SHOPPING CAN ALSO BE A GIFT. The same gifts of economic support for your community that COULD be given by shoppers, SHOULD be given by the business community. I praise, applaud, and commend anyone in the business community who purchases those supplies that are available from community businesses. I realize that businesses often exist on a thin line between success and failure. At the same time, if a business makes a plea for local shoppers to buy locally, can they do any less?

TO THE CONSUMER: If a business makes an appeal for you to buy locally, when you visit their business, ask them if they buy their supplies locally when they are available Remember, that business people are not hesitant to ask you why you bought something in another community, by catalogue or online that you could have purchased from them. If you see a delivery truck from another community delivering something that could have been purchased locally, don’t be afraid to ask that business person, why?

Is this a way of showing God’s Love, by following the Commandment, Thou Shalt Not Steal? We are taught that we keep this Commandment by helping our neighbor and giving support in many ways

MERCHANTS and CUSTOMERS working together, trusting each other and supporting one another, can together help to build a strong community. Is this a "SOMETHING’ that God is calling you to do?

God's Peace. See You At The House.

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12/09/06

WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO WITH THOSE CHRISTMAS CARDS?

For the past few days and for days to come, Christmas cards have been and will be found in the mailbox. After you have read them and maybe displayed them throughout the house, what do you do with them when it is time to store the Christmas decorations for another year. I hope that you do not just throw them in the trash to be taken away on the next trash and garbage pickup. Here are four suggestions of what you might do with them.

1. My wife will get out the box that contains Christmas cards from the past 40 or more years. No, not all of the cards that we have received are in that box. She will go through those cards and again read them as well as the notes and letters received. What memories that brings as these cards are from people who have been special in our lives. Some have been family members, some coworkers, some from high school and college days, some from friends we have made and many from the members of congregations we have served. The important thing about these cards is that many of them are from people who have finished their life on earth and have gone on to the Church Triumphant. What a joy to see their signature, read their words and remember how much they have meant to us. Yes, this year some more cards will be added to that box, cards from people still living and important in our lives.

2. Keep the cards in a place where you might do your devotional reading. Then once a week, take one or two of those cards and look at it again, read the verse, enjoy the art work and if there is a Bible Verse on the card, look that verse up in the Bible and read the verses or chapters that come before and after. A card that someone took time to send to you might have a very special meaning on the day that you would again look at it.

3. If you don’t want to keep the cards around, you should be able to find a place that would like to have them. Some Senior Centers, preschools, social ministry groups, etc. have some programs where they do some fine art work with them, some make them into scrapbooks, it is amazing what creative minds can do with used Christmas cards. You may have to try several places to find a place that will take the cards. Some will want just the front cover, others may want the whole card so that they have the beautiful verse. If they want the whole card, I would suggest that you cut off the part where the people have signed their name or written a note.

4. Some hospitals, preschools, nursing homes and other places would welcome a scrapbook of covers from Christmas cards. You could be creative and have different themes or different groupings highlighted with your artwork or the artwork of a child. Be sure to check with various places to see if they would accept them. Wouldn’t this be a great gift for a child to make, for a grandparent in a nursing home, by using the cards that the grandparent received?

These are just some more SOMETHINGS that God may want one of you to do. If you have some ideas on any of the following, please use the form below to send them to me and I will post the answers as they come in. If you do send something, I will identify you in print only if you tell me how to identify you. Please write - Identify me by my full name and city and state OR by my first name only, or by first name and city and state OR by first name and state.

1. What do you do with Christmas cards at your house?

2. Do you represent an organization that would accept used Christmas cards either delivered in person or by mail?

3. Do you accept scrapbooks or decorations made out of Christmas cards?

4. Any other ideas you might have for the use of Christmas cards.

Join with me and continue to be about doing those SOMETHINGS that God has for us to do.

God’s Peace. See You At The House.

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12/16/06

IS IT MERRY CHRISMAS OR MERRY CHRISTMAS?

I have to be one of the worlds worst typists. I did well when I took a typing class in high school the year before I had polio. Because polio weakened all of the muscles that were not paralyzed, various exercises were a part of gaining back my strength and muscle usage. My parents bought a typewriter for me to use to strengthen my finger muscles. I began by using the correct hand positions on the keyboard, BUT it wasn’t long before this 16 year old took the easy way and used the fingers that worked the best as it was faster. Now some 54 years later I still use just the index finger on my right hand and the index and middle finger on my left. I can move those fingers across the keyboard fairly rapidly. The problem is that sometimes my mind moves faster than my fingers and I am thinking of the next word before I finish the last one. I skip letters, hit the letter next to the one I want and so forth. I am so thankful for Spell Check and proofreaders.

What does this long introduction have to do with Merry Chrismas or Merry Christmas? One of the most frequent spelling errors these past couple of weeks has been the word "Christmas." Every time that Spell Check displays the word Chrismas, it almost seems to be yelling at me: "You dummy, how many times do I have to tell you that there is a "T" in Christmas?" Have you ever noticed how many people pronounce the word as if it was spelled, Chrismas?

That got me to thinking. The "T" is a symbol that often refers to the Cross, thus Chrismas without the "T" is a people celebration, for without the "T" -- Cross -- in Christmas, it is nothing more than a party. Chrismas with the "T" -- Cross -- is a celebration of the Birth of the One who was born for me, who would die on that Cross for me and who will return for me on that last Triumphant Day to live in Eternity with Him.

I pray that yours is a Very Merry and Blessed ChrisTmas.

God’s Peace. See You At The House.

12/25/06

IT AIN’T OVER TIL IT’S OVER

"It Ain’t Over Til It’s Over" is a phrase that you will often hear during sporting events. Usually it’s said in the context of one team being ahead with little time left in the game or in baseball in the bottom of the 9th and 2 outs. There is still time left for something to happen.

This phrase can also apply to Christmas. For many people, when the last bite of pie is eaten or the last gift is unwrapped, Christmas is over. Yes, there are dishes that still need to be washed, decorations to be taken down and put away and the house put back in order after the events of the holiday. No time to think about Christmas any longer, now it is on to plans for Valentines Day.

But wait! Christmas isn’t over til it’s over. In fact, according to the Liturgical Church Year Calendar, Christmas didn’t begin until December 25. For four weeks before the 25th, we have been in a time of preparation for the celebration of the Advent of Jesus. The word, "Advent" may be better understood as "Coming." In this time of preparation we prepare not only to celebrate the First Coming of Jesus, His Birth, but also the anticipation of His Second Coming, His Triumphant Return to take those who believe in Him and live in His Name to heaven with Him.

We have spent much time in preparation. We have purchased gifts to give, prepared special foods to share and enjoy, decorated in so many unique ways, became very proud as we watched the children in Sunday School and Public School Christmas Programs, and I am sure that you can add many other items of preparations to this list.

The amount of preparation that needs to be done can seem overwhelming at times. It is no wonder that when the moment arrives, with a sigh of relief we say, "Christmas is over for another year." This is when we need to be reminded that "Christmas isn’t over til it’s over." In the coming days I will be sharing with you some RAMBLING THOUGHTS on how after all of the preparation you can, during the "Twelve Days of Christmas," find new ways of experiencing the Joy and assurance that the Birth of the Christ Child brings to us.

God’s Peace. See You At The House.

12/26/06

IT AIN’T OVER TIL IT’S OVER - PART 2

On the night that Jesus was born, the Heavenly Hosts became missionaries as they proclaimed the Great News to the Shepherds. Sometime in the past weeks you probably sang or heard sung, "Go Tell It On The Mountain." This also is a missionary song. The angels sang to the shepherds and through the Word of God continue to sing their song to us today. But who heard your missionary message in song that Jesus Christ is born?

Since Jesus later said, "Go ye therefore and teach all nations..." let us make our task for today to think about and plan our mission message. Note, I said plan, not do. It is my hope that in these 12 days of Christmas you can make plans for several projects for the coming year. For this day here is a suggestion based on the assumption that you might do so.

Suppose you want to share the Good News of the Birth of Christ with children:

You might contact a person serving overseas in the Armed Forces or serving as a Missionary or in education, or in any way that they might have contact with youth.

You would then find out what these children need. What kind of supplies for their education, basic health, etc., and how many they need. To use as an example, maybe they would need pencils for education or toothbrushes for health, and they need a thousand.

The next step would be to enlist the groups or individuals to help you collect the supplies and to receive contributions to pay for the shipping.

Determine what kind of a message that you want to go with the gift -- Something that expresses the truth that God loves them.

Gather, pack, ship, and pray for those who will receive your mission message.

It ain’t over til it’s over; go and tell that Jesus Christ is Born.

God’s Peace See You At The House.

12/28/06

IT AIN’T OVER TIL IT’S OVER - PART 3

As we continue through the 12 Days of Christmas, I am allowing my imagination to wander a bit. I begin with the FACT that the Shepherds arrived at the manger and, in their own way, worshipped the Newborn King. Now I continue with the FICTION from my wandering mind. After the Shepherds left and in the following days, I wonder how many times Joseph and Mary talked about the Shepherds coming to visit their son. They probably repeated parts of the conversation, talked about how far the Shepherds had traveled and related over and over the account of the Heavenly Host of Angels and their song. My thoughts then wander to the Shepherds and as they returned to their flocks, I wonder how many times they retold their story of going to see that Newborn King in the manger.

Just because the Shepherds had gone to see, and just because Joseph and Mary had welcomed their visitors, the visit wasn't over when the Shepherds left. The visit continued in the minds and conversation of both the Shepherds and Joseph and Mary. It ain’t over til it’s over -- as long as the visit is still remembered, even as we remember it today - it is still not over.

In these 12 Days of Christmas may I suggest a way that you can help someone else know that Christmas ain’t over til it’s over? People in nursing homes have just gone through a time when there were all kinds of men, women and children visiting. Even if these visitors were visiting other residents, it was exciting because there were new people to look at, new voices to hear. Now it is quieter and fewer visitors. What would happen if you took an hour or so out of the next day or two and went to visit someone in a nursing home, someone that you do not regularly visit, someone who is lonely and waiting to talk with a new person. Assuming that the person that you visit with does not have memory problems, it is almost a certainty that he or she would tell others about that visit for days and maybe even weeks and months to come. What a Christmas Gift that would be for that person...... all because you took the time to allow the Love of God to flow through you into the life of someone else. This is serving God. Remember that it is Jesus who said, "In as much as you have done it unto the least of these, My brethren, you have done it unto Me."

You know, you might enjoy it so much that you would want to do it every month or maybe every week or every two weeks. What a continuing Christmas Gift that would be, even better than a subscription to a favorite magazine. Pray that God will lead you to do that SOMETHING that will help you to understand that "It really ain’t over til it’s over.

God’s Peace. See You At The House.

12/29/06

IT AIN’T OVER TIL IT’S OVER - PART 4

As we continue through the twelve days of Christmas, it is important to remember that Christmas isn’t over til it’s over. The Church calendar helps us to know that Christmas begins on Dec. 25 and ends on the Epiphany, January 6. God gave us the gift of His Love at Christmas (John 3:16) and now we must seek ways to keep giving that gift of Love all year long. I call these the SOMETHINGS that God wants us to do. These SOMETHINGS require little, if any, finances and not a great deal of talent; they only require some time, imagination, prayer and a desire to serve your Lord.

One of my earlier RAMBLING THOUGHTS dealt with the Christmas cards you received. Now I want you to think about the stamps that were on the envelopes. You ask, “How can used stamps be a gift that passes the love we receive on to others?” Here is how:

Before you throw that envelope away, cut the stamp off, leaving about one fourth inch of paper around the stamp.

Put the stamps in an empty box that once held blank checks or in a small paper bag.

Do this faithfully until this time next year

If your church does not have a service project where they collect these stamps for various mission or charitable causes, then either look into starting such a project or seek out a group who collects and sends in these stamps. (If you need names and addresses of places that accept these stamps, let me know I will try to find them for you.)

Again, this time next year, invite some friends who have also been saving stamps to come to your home, meet at the church, or go with you to the home of a shut in who also has been saving stamps. You can say that this is to bring the stamps all to one place and get them ready to send away. You will also want to talk about how to get more people involved next year. Those are the reasons you tell them even if the real reason is that you baked too many cookies and need others to help eat them and the fruitcake. (Don’t laugh, people do like fruitcake. I just finished a 1.75 lb and have begun to enjoy a 1.5 lb fruitcake.)

Now back to the question, “How can used stamps be a gift that passes the love we receive on to others?”

Every time you save a stamp you are giving those few seconds to help those who will benefit from your act.

Here is the important thing about this little insignificant act. If you set your mind to doing this each time you receive mail, soon it will become something you do without thinking. As time goes by, I will suggest other simple tasks and you may discover some yourself. (Let me know what they are so I can pass them along to others.) As you add one now and then, soon there will not be room for some of the things you do without thinking that are not pleasing to God. You will also find that the more things you do to pass along the Love of Christ, the more you will want to do. You see, it really ain’t over til it’s over, and it’s not over until the Lord says to you, “Come, ye blessed of My Father.”

God’s Peace. See You At The House.

12/30/06