Tag Archives: Christmas

Christmas 2025

Posted on December 23, 2025 | 3 comments

It’s the day before Christmas Eve and I thought I should write something. With ChatGBT it’s hard to tell if what people write is their own stuff anymore. Just throw in some thought, opinions, and questions into an app and like the magic genie bottle an essay or document pops out and most people don’t know the difference and it’s amazing. This one is all me, pure sweat and tears – all b-a-r-b-b-y. (That’s what TCO calls me sometimes.) No help from an app… with the exception of the generated AI image.

I was going to try to create a “T’was the night before Christmas” poem, but that’s been done a million times over. I figured I’d just stick to what’s real. I haven’t blogged much lately and what better time than Christmas time? I had all these thoughts going on in my head at 3AM this morning and I couldn’t go back to sleep so figured I’d put them on paper.

Before I climbed out of bed, I wished TC☺ a happy birthday. He’s 61 today and I know he was concerned about making it another year. His dad died at the ripe old age of 60 and he thought like father like son. Glad to say that that didn’t happen and God willing he’ll make the pass around the moon many more years to come.

I’ve been thinking a lot about what’s important to people. Health or Wealth? I suppose that would depend on who you ask, right? I mean healthy people probably would say wealth unless there was some point in their life where they struggled with health and realized the importance of it. What do you suppose wealthy and healthy people think is important? Sometimes my mind is just so full of thoughts and they get all jumbled together so it’s important for me to write them down and get them on paper. (This is second draft—I hand wrote all this in my journal before breaking out the laptop). It hasn’t been turned on in months and it’s really hard to get used to typing on a laptop keyboard when I use my work keyboard every day. {Note to self: use laptop more often}. I need to get ready for the A-Z Blogging Challenge coming up in April!

Back to my dilemma; the sick hope for health, the healthy work for wealth, the lonely desire companionship, the childless want children…do you see where this is going? Human nature has always been to crave something we don’t have. That’s a scary thought because then we have the evil-doers who take advantage of that desire. Watch or read Needful Things and you’ll see what I’m taking about. People put things in place to make others think that they will fill that emptiness. Even back in the book of Exodus (chapter 32) Aaron molded the golden calf. Tsc., tsc., tsc.

Speaking of putting things in place to fill the emptiness, there are so many scammers out there who are taking advantage of others. I’ve seen this happen with my family, with my friends family, and I’ve read about it in magazines, and on line. No one is exempt from being taken advantage of. No matter how much we think we are in control and know what’s real and what’s not real, sometimes it’s easy to forget the evilness and corruption going on in the world. We let our guard down and forget where we are and before we know it we are sucked into the deception and it’s too late.

There is an emptiness in every person’s heart ♥. We were all born with it. Romans 3:23 – for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. Many people will fill that emptiness with things like golden calves, food, drink, drugs, even relationships. That one thing is never enough. It’s always going to be better the next time. The next pair of shoes that are on sale, the next vacation to Spain, the next promotion, the next girlfriend. The list goes on and on because the worldly things will never fill that emptiness in our heart. I know this from experience because I tried to fill it. I was 42 when I realized what I was doing wasn’t working and the “next thing” continued to never be enough. I was always expecting the “next thing” to make me happy. I finally stopped trying to do it my way and decided to try it God’s way. Talk about an eye-opener. I thought everything was going to be peachy keen and skittles and beer…boy was I wrong. It was hard. I lost everything I worked so hard for. Sometimes it’s still hard, but it’s different. I have a peace now because I know when I die I’m gonna be walking on streets of gold. Heck I might even ask Aaron what he was thinking when he molded that golden calf.

I know a lot of people don’t want to be preached to and I’m no preacher. Go to church if you want to be preached to. I’m just telling ya that if you have an emptiness in your heart, if you’ve always been looking for the next best thing that is going to make everything complete, perfect, make you happy, but after you get it you realize you were wrong, that it wasn’t what you were hoping for, maybe it’s time to check out Romans 10:9 if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised him from the dead, you will be saved. It’s so easy, why wouldn’t anyone take the free gift? This is one of my very favorite Christmas stories. The Christmas Sweater… check it out.

May you have a very Merry Christmas! I love you all.

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Posted in Blogging, Christianity, Holidays, Inspiration, Writing

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Merry Christmas Eve

Posted on December 24, 2023 | 1 comment

T’was the morn before Christmas, and in every room
Was a total disaster, I needed more than a broom.
The cookies and cakes were bagged and wrapped more or less
But the dishes were strewn across the counter in a mess
Though we’d been down sick, with a flu kind of cough
Christmas was still coming, we didn’t get a day off
No tree decorated, no lights twinkling bright
Last minute planning, makes timeliness tight.
With Christmas Eve service at church just ahead
I reflected on newsletters I’d written and read.
Each year I try to come up with a meaningful newsletter
And speak of things in the past I could have done better
We give and we get and we try to be good
By doing what’s right and living like we should
But people are messy and we have no control
Only God knows what’s going on, deep in our soul
We’re tasked if possible to live peaceably with others
This would include our sisters and fathers, brothers and mothers.
As you can see I’ve mirrored Clement G. Moore
And his poem about Christmas which you’ve heard before.
Mine is not about Santa, or sugar plums and snow
It’s to tell you of someone I think you should know.
King Herod ordered the killing, of all baby boys
Two years and younger, no exceptions, no decoys!
Joseph and Mary followed a star out of danger
One reason why Christ was born in a manager
He lived His whole life without committing a sin
Giving up everything, so our life eternal could begin
Some people reject the free gift He has given,
Thinking we have to give up the way we are living,
God knows our hearts and He’ll make things right
Admitting we’re a sinner will help us to see the light
It doesn’t make us perfect and we still have a long road
But Christ will always be there, to help carry the load
To my kids, and my family, and all of my friends,
I hope this letter is not where it ends,
Christmas is commercialized with Santa and presents,
The true meaning of Christmas is found in Jesus Christ’s presence.
If you’ve not made the commitment and you are ready to start
Say this prayer with me, and mean it in your heart

Dear Lord Jesus:
I admit I am a sinner
I ask for YOUR forgiveness
I believe YOU died for my sins and rose from the grave and now are at the right hand of God making intercession for me.
I turn from my sins and invite YOU to come into my heart and life. I want to trust and follow YOU as my Lord and Savior. ~ AMEN

Side note: If you made the commitment and said this prayer, comment below so that I can pray for you. God bless and Merry Christmas

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Heart of Gratitude

Posted on November 24, 2023 | 4 comments

Here we are again. That time of year when we think about Christmas newsletters, cards, gifts, decorations, food, family, friends, etc. One thing I’ve learned about Christmas newsletters is this. Hardly no one reads them. They don’t have time. They set them aside with every intention of reading them later, but somehow they get lost in the shuffle of life happening and they don’t get read.

It occurred to me that I could get people to read if I did something similar to what our Pastor does. Pastor John loves FREE! He says FEED THEM and they will come. That’s why every Wednesday during the warm months, there is a FREE MEAL before Wednesday night service. So I though why not try that. A FREE GIFT offering to you if you read all the way to the end of my letter. YES, you read that right! A FREE GIFT!

Remember the free pen debacle? If you received one, you are lucky. Many were destroyed or thrown away by the USPS. Some were returned to me (equally destroyed). The USPS isn’t what it used to be that is a fact. Then again, nothing really is. I still have some of the pens left. If you would like one, please send a self-addressed, stamped bubble envelope and I’ll be happy to drop that in the mail to you.

Over the years, I’ve written thousands of letters to people, numerous Christmas letters (OH the trees I’ve used). My mother says she’s going to send back all of my letters. (She better not!) I’m trying to declutter things I keep. My cousin, Eric says he hoards things like our grandmother did. I’m sure it must run in the family. Not only do I have a hard time not hoarding things, but I also see it in Robyn and Michael. I thought they got it from me but apparently it’s been a trend in our family for years. The things we hold dear to our hearts; that great painting, a piece of jewelry, an action figure, a favorite book. I love my bible. Tall Cool ☺ne’s mom gave it to me on my sister’s birthday in 2008. My life has not been the same since. Things change.

As I write this letter, the day after Thanksgiving, it is hard not to look at the numerous things I’m thankful for. Instead of the counter being stacked with dirty dishes to wash, they are all clean and just need to be put away. ☺ Seriously though, I am filled with a heart of gratitude. A lot of times we forget to count our blessings and instead we dwell on the “don’t haves” or the “can’t dos”. I think I’ve said it before that no matter where we are in our life, there is always one person out there who we can help. Someone worse off than ourselves. Tall Cool ☺ne puts it this way “If you are being chased by a lion, you don’t have to be the fastest person, you just have to be faster than the slowest person.” There is always someone we can help.

This holiday season, Christmas season, I implore you to do something completely out of the ordinary. Change your Christmas tradition, make a Christmas tradition. Do something you have never done before. If you have never gone to church, find a service and visit, see what it’s like. (It is life changing, believe me.) Invite a relative or a friend for dinner. Instead of spending a ton of money on gifts, make a donation to a non-profit organization or your local soup kitchen. Read T’was the Night before Christmas, watch It’s a Wonderful Life. Do something new that you have never done.

You have made it to the end of the letter and now it is time for the free gift I promised you. John 8:32 You shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free. John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten SON that whoever believes in HIM should not perish but have everlasting life.

This is your free gift: eternal life. Repeat after me: Dear Lord Jesus, I know that I am a sinner, and I ask for Your forgiveness. I believe You died for my sins and rose from the dead. I turn from my sins and invite You to come into my heart and life. I want to trust and follow You as my Lord and Savior. Amen.

Enjoy the changes you will see in your life. God bless you all and let the Merry Christmas season begin.

 

P.S. The recipe for those awesome looking sourdough rolls are over in Crackerberries Kitchen.

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The Christmas Sweater

Posted on December 24, 2016 | 2 comments

bearThe Christmas Sweater

          Christmas eve for some is when we dig out all of our stuff: Christmas decorations, Christmas lights, Christmas trees, Christmas recipes, Christmas cards, Christmas movies, Christmas books, and my personal favorite, my Christmas sweater. Some people spend a lot of money on Christmas shopping; buying Christmas gifts and outfits to dress up in for Christmas parties and food to make Christmas candy and Christmas cookies.  As I searched for my sweater and after not finding it, I realized I had given it away when we decided to sell all of our stuff to go over the road.  I was sad and mad that I had given my favorite sweater away.  Then I found the scarf that Bear used to wear at Christmas. Our blind dog in the picture above.  I started to really get sad and thought about how depressing Christmas is for a lot of people.

Then I recalled a story about two brothers named John and James.

John, the older of the two, and James played on a little league baseball team many years ago.  Even though the two played on the same team they both were in competition with each other always trying to be better than the other one.  James could hit a home run like it was nothing, and John could pitch strikes all day long.  James couldn’t run and John couldn’t catch, but the coach always did his best to help them each excel at what they did best.

One Saturday afternoon the game was at the bottom of the ninth and the brother’s team was down by two runs.  There were two men on and James was up to bat.  John was coaching at third base.  If James could hit the ball far enough into the outfield he could have plenty of time to run the bases and make it home.  He stepped up to the plate and the crowd was cheering him on while others were making fun of him because they knew he couldn’t run that fast.  He whacked that ball as hard as he could, and it flew right out into the bushes at the edge of the outfield.  “Run! Run!” everyone was yelling.  James took off running, tagging first base, and the outfielders were searching frantically in the bushes for the ball.  “Run! Run!”  James kept on running and tagged second base.

The crowd started yelling more and clapping.  “Throw it!  Throw it!  Run! Run!”  John saw that the outfielders threw the ball into the short stop.  “Run, James!  Run!”  John waved James onto home plate.  James was running and the short stop threw the ball and James was running so fast and the ball was coming so fast.  Instead of the ball going into the catcher’s glove it hit James right in the head and knocked him out cold.  After six days in a coma, his parents took him off the life support and he died without ever waking up.

John grew up always feeling responsible for his brother’s death.  Even though he married and had children of his own, he missed so much of their lives because he spent more time in the bottle than he did at birthdays and other memorable occasions.  Eventually his wife divorced him and he grew into a lonely, grumpy old man.

One Christmas Eve, John was by himself as usual, when a knock came on his door.  It was one of his grandsons.  Ironically it was the one named after his brother, James.  He came in with a book in one hand and a thermos in the other.  “Grandpa, I have to share something with you before it’s too late.”  The old man gruffly said, “I don’t want to hear it.”  But James was persistent and he took two mugs down from the cupboard and filled them with hot chocolate from the thermos.  Then he opened his Bible and he spoke.

“One night there was a bright star which guided three men who were the three wise men to the birth of Jesus, who later in life became a carpenter and a fisher of men and souls.  He had twelve apostles who spread the Word of Christ.  But on one black day of hatred, envy and death, He was crucified.  He shed His blood for us to purify and save us.  He rose and is now in Heaven seated with the Father and the Holy Spirit.  He did all of this because of His great love for us.”

“Grandpa, everyone says you’re a mean old man because of what happened to your brother.  What happened to him is not your fault and Jesus loves you and forgives you.  You don’t have to feel like it’s your fault, just talk to Jesus and tell Him how you feel.”

Of course John, being the grumpy, old drunk that he had grown into wasn’t going to listen to what anyone had to say and he kicked his grandson out of his house and told him if he was going to preach to him not to bother coming back again.  That night, John died in his sleep.

There is a lot more to that story, but that is enough to make one contemplate what they are holding on to this Christmas.  As I started to write out my Christmas wish on Facebook for those I didn’t have addresses for to send a Christmas card, I thought about whom I had to forgive and who I needed to speak a kind word to.  There is so much stuff that gets in the way of our lives that sometimes we lose sight of the true meaning of why we celebrate Christmas.  It is not about the stuff.

This little baby boy born in a manger came to live a sinless life only to die a brutal death on a Cross in order for us to have eternal life.  We celebrate His birth for that.  When we get “wrapped up” (no pun intended) in all the other stuff, when we forget to forgive someone, when we over eat or over drink or over spend, when we get so involved in things, we lose sight of what is important.  This year when you come together to celebrate Christmas think about why you are doing it and remember what the celebration is all about.

(I know I’ve shared this story before.  I wrote it in 2011 and every time I read it, it brings a tear and a new prayer in my heart. I hope it does the same for you.)

Merry Christmas!

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Christmas Stockings

Posted on December 12, 2014 | Leave a comment

IMAG3548

The Christmas Stockings

Well, it’s that time of year when we dig out all of our stuff: Christmas decorations, Christmas lights, Christmas trees, Christmas recipes, Christmas cards, Christmas movies, Christmas books, and my favorite, the Christmas socks. As I dug mine out of the storage box and smiled at how they made me feel to put my little piggy-toes in them at Christmas time I recalled a story about two brothers named John and James.

John, the older of the two, and James played on a little league baseball team many years ago. Even though the two played on the same team they both were in competition with each other, always trying to be better than the other one. James could hit a home run like it was nobody’s business, and John could pitch strikes all day long. James couldn’t run, and John couldn’t catch, but the coach always did his best to help each of them excel at what they did best.

One Saturday afternoon game, it was the bottom of the ninth, and the brother’s team was down by two runs. There were two men on, and James was up to bat. John was coaching at third base. If James could hit the ball far enough into the outfield he could have plenty of time to run the bases and make it to home base. He stepped up to the plate and the crowd was cheering him on while others were making fun of him because they knew he couldn’t run that fast. He whacked that ball as hard as he could, and it flew right out into the bushes at the edge of the outfield.

“Run! Run!” everyone was yelling.

James took off running, tagging first base, while the outfielders were searching frantically in the bushes for the ball.

“Run! Run!” James kept on running. He tagged second base.

The crowd started yelling more and clapping. “Throw it! Throw it!” and “Run! Run!”

John saw the outfielders throw the ball into the short stop player. James kept on running.

“Run, James! Run!” John waved James past third and onto home plate.

James was running and the short stop player threw the ball. James was running so fast, and the ball was coming so much faster. Instead of the ball going into the catcher’s glove it hit James right in the head, and knocked him out cold. He ended up in a coma and after six days, his parents took him off the life support and he died, without ever waking up.

John grew up always feeling responsible for his brother’s death. Even though he married and had children of his own, he missed so much of their lives because he spent more time in the bottle than he did at birthdays and other memorable occasions. Eventually his wife divorced him and he grew into a lonely, grumpy old man.

One Christmas Eve, John was by himself, as usual, when a knock came on his door. It was one of his grandsons. Ironically it was the one named after his brother, James. He came in with a book in one hand and a thermos in the other.

“Grandpa, I have to share something with you before it’s too late.”

The old man gruffly said, “I don’t want to hear it.”

James was persistent and he took two mugs down from the cupboard and filled them with hot chocolate from the thermos.

Then he opened his Bible, and he spoke.

“One night there was a bright star which guided three men who were the three wise men to the birth of Jesus, who later in life became a carpenter and would be known as a fisher of men and souls. He had twelve apostles who spread the Word of Christ. But on one black day of hatred, envy and death, He was crucified. He shed His blood for us to purify and save us. He rose and is now in Heaven seated with the Father and the Holy Spirit. He did all of this because of His great love for us.”

“Grandpa, everyone says you’re a mean old man because of what happened to your brother. What happened to him is not your fault and Jesus loves you and forgives you. You don’t have to feel like it’s your fault, just talk to Jesus and tell Him how you feel.”

Of course John, being the grumpy drunk that he had grown into wasn’t going to listen to what anyone had to say and he kicked his grandson out of his house and told him if he was going to preach to him not to bother coming back again. That night, John died in his sleep.

There is a lot more to that story, but that is enough to make us contemplate what we are holding on to this Christmas. As I started to write out our Christmas cards, I thought about whom I had to forgive and who I needed to speak a kind word to. There is so much stuff that gets in the way of our lives that sometimes we lose sight of the true meaning of why we celebrate Christmas. It is not about the stuff. It is not about whether or not someone acknowledges the kind things that we do. Kindness can go unnoticed for a lifetime.

This little baby boy born in a manger came to live a sinless life only to die a brutal death on a Cross in order for us to have eternal life. We celebrate His birth for that. When we get “wrapped up” (no pun intended) in all the other stuff, when we forget to forgive someone, when we over eat or over drink or over spend, or when we get so involved in the materialistic things of the season, we lose sight of what is important. This year when you dig out your Christmas stockings think about why you are wearing them and remember WHO the celebration is all about.

 

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