12/10/14

An Hour Behind in the Name of Fun

This is the wall clock in my living room:


It's one of my favorites. Probably because it’s one of my own designs. But regardless, there’s something special about this clock – other than the fact that it doesn’t have numbers and I’m still able to read it (which, some days, is quite a feat).

The cool thing about this clock is that it doesn’t run on daylight savings time. Well, actually, it probably would, but I never set it ahead in the spring. So basically, yes, it remains an hour behind for a good portion of the year. You might think I did this for some complex experiment. But I gotta admit…it was just pure laziness. I’m short. So taking things off my wall and hanging them back up again doesn’t happen very often. Granted, I have a step stool, but that makes the whole process even more complicated. And I can do the math when I look at the clock. So…I left it. Besides, this time of year, the time is right!

Apart from laziness though…I have another confession. My mom sits in my apartment almost every weekday before work, since we carpool from my place. And she sees the clock. And she’s mentioned it multiple times – the fact that it isn’t set right during the summer. So, of course, I do the daughterly thing and…leave it as is. Just because. I’m not saying I enjoy annoying my mother. I just find a moderate amount of amusement in it.

I sort of do that with other things, too, though. Like the runner on the floor of my office at work. I know it moves with use and gets bunched up on the sides because it’s moved too close to the filing cabinet. But I just want to see how long it takes for my office buddy to move it because she can’t stand its crookedness any longer. Sometimes I rearrange something on a shelf just because I know someone else likes it another way and will continually move it back without knowing I’m the one that’s been moving it…on purpose. I guess I’m just ornery that way.

I’m not saying I’m a prankster. Oh, I enjoy an innocent prank now and then, but I usually stick to the more subtle methods of getting under someone’s skin. (Although I do keep a fake spider around for special occasions.) I need some kind of outlet for my creativity, right?

In the end, I only pick on people I like, though, so if I should ever purposely annoy you, just remember it’s a good thing. Besides, I think God gave us our senses of humor for a reason. If not used, it will surely go to waste...and humor is a terrible thing to waste.


Feel free to leave a comment! Have you ever done something like this?

12/5/14

CHRISTmas Arrogance - Part 3

The Celebration vs. The Blame. 

We’d like to think that just because we (Bible-believers) celebrate the birth of Christ during this season, that we avoid the stress of the holiday, but it’s just not true. We like to ridicule “the world” for their shopping frenzies, obsession with gifts, and stressful (if not downright weird) family dynamics at the holiday dinner table.  But while we’re pointing fingers, we’ve got plenty of leftover fingers pointing right back at ourselves. Even though we like to proclaim our godliness throughout this often-times-greedy time of year, how many traps do we ourselves fall into?

“Look at those folks stumbling over one another for that one good deal. How absurd! Now…where is the shopping list from Uncle Herman? You know we have to get him exactly what he wants or else he’ll complain.”

“Look at all those retailers taking advantage of the holiday season! They’re offering all these obnoxious sales, just to gain more money from people who can’t even afford their rent. Oh, hey, here’s a good deal – I should buy six of those for all the cousins.”

“That retailer only cares about making a buck! They’re taking advantage of ‘Christmas’. It’s despicable! Let’s go shop over at this other store that’s owned by someone who’s having an affair with his secretary instead – at least the store encourages its employees to say ‘Merry Christmas.’”

“Those folks get so stressed out about their family dinners! Look at all that unnecessary food! They could be giving food to starving kids in Africa. Now…do I need to bring rolls or a pie to Grandma’s? Both? Okay.”



The Christmas season can be wrought with perils, whether at the grocery store or family dinners. And we all partake in the stress in one way or the other, whether we deny it or not. We’re not immune to the stress of Christmas lists, family dinners and shopping. We may not appreciate the busy retail stores, but we shop anyway. We may roll our eyes at someone else’s family dynamics, but ours are no different. We may even go as far to boycott particular retailers or traditions, when in the end, our own choices are really no better.

“We” face stress along with the rest of the world. It can’t be avoided – it’s a given. But we don’t have to focus on it. Instead of pointing fingers, we can know that we’re no better, and simply improve ourselves. Yes, we will get stressed out at some point. Yes, we will roll our eyes at certain gimmicks, and we may even shed tears over things that a year from now we find silly. But none of those things should override the celebration.

There is reason to celebrate this holiday season. I celebrate Christ, and I celebrate the holiday itself. But if all I do is blame the rest of their world for their shortcomings, how does that make me look? What kind of an example am I then? I can’t sit around and think of all the things I could complain about. Instead, I need to be thankful for the opportunities I have, spread the love, and enjoy the things that make me smile. That’s what will set me apart. That’s what will make me different. And that’s what will bring me the most peace – not pointing fingers.

To conclude my 3-part message:
Accept “Happy Holidays” as a cheerful greeting. Celebrate what’s worth celebrating. And focus on what’s really important.

Let’s shine hope and love, not arrogance, this season and always.



Did you miss the other segments? Read Part 1 and Part 2.

I love hearing from you! What does your holiday season look like? 

12/3/14

CHRISTmas Arrogance - Part 2

Celebrating Christ vs. Celebrating the Season. 

It’s interesting how Christians bend and twist a holiday to fit their own level of involvement in order to ease their guilt. Let’s make sure we always call it “CHRISTmas” instead of a “Holiday” so we can feel better about celebrating.

Really?


Here’s the thing. Whether we (Bible-believers) like it or not, “Christmas” in our day and age and culture IS a secular holiday. Did you know that Christians chose this time of year to celebrate, simply to combat other pagan holidays? We shout from the rooftops that it’s Jesus’ birthday, when in reality, His birth probably didn’t happen anywhere near December 25th. Besides all that, we are never even told in the Bible to remember/celebrate Jesus’ birth – only His death. We connect all our little silly traditions to Jesus, just to ease our guilt for partaking in something that really has nothing to do with God.

Christmas trees, lights, exchanging gifts and singing Christmas carols – all can be connected in some way to the Bible if we really want to stretch it, but in reality, they have nothing to do with Jesus being born. But we would never want to be compared to the rest of the world, right? We would never want to be associated with heathens. So when we put a blow-up snowman in the yard, it’s because we’re celebrating the birth of Jesus?

That said, is there anything really wrong with celebrating the holiday season just for the sake of celebration? Why do we have to connect it back to the Bible? As always, I’m not saying to compromise beliefs, or partake in activities that are unpleasing to God. But why should we feel guilty about setting up a string of lights for no reason other than we think it’s pretty? I get it that a long time ago there were some people who worshipped decorated trees like idols – but that doesn’t mean when I put up a Christmas tree and delight in something pretty that I am involving myself in idol worshipping. On the contrary, all I’m doing is reveling in memories and taking pleasure in being creative with colored lights, cute ornaments and sparkly garland. (Yes, some people skew the holiday season to satisfy their greed, but that doesn’t mean I have to throw out my proverbial baby just because they made the bath water dirty.)

In my personal life, this season carries with it two reasons to celebrate: The birth of Christ, and the holiday itself. I have separated them, because in all reality, my lights, tree, wreathes, and even gift-giving have no direct relation to Jesus being born. I love the whole peace-joy-love-giving message of the season – but again, though it’s a biblical concept, even the secular world takes part in encouraging such attitudes and behaviors. I love making treats to give away, watching my family open gifts I’ve wrapped, and enjoying the scrumptious cookies and dipped pretzels that automatically come along with the holiday. Once more – all those things have nothing to do with the birth of Jesus. That doesn’t automatically make them wrong. I just can’t justify those things by claiming they are directly connected to the celebration of God’s Son being born.

I celebrate Jesus (whether it be His birth, life, death or miraculous resurrection) by following His commands and trying every day to act like He wants me to act. I celebrate Him during this part of winter by taking advantage of the holiday as an opportunity to talk about Him while others may be more apt to have open minds/hearts.

I celebrate “Christmas” by enjoying decorations, gift-buying/giving, yummy treats, and the smiles on others’ faces. I celebrate the secular holiday for what it is – an excuse to get together with folks, gift gifts (when it would be weird any other time of the year),  and put up pretty decorations.

Enjoy the season for what it is, and enjoy the gift we have through Christ. Let’s not bend the holiday just to make a point or satisfy our need to be “better” than the world. Besides, Jesus came for the whole world, not just “us.”

(Did you miss Part 1? Read it here.)

Do you celebrate Christmas? If so, why? I love hearing from you!

12/1/14

CHRISTmas Arrogance - Part 1

As I write this, it is Thanksgiving day. It’s the day I start my Christmas decorating, my viewing of classic Christmas films, and really start enjoying Christmas music. I admit it – I can’t wait any longer. It took all the willpower I had not to put up my tree earlier this week. (Don’t judge – I haven’t forgotten the importance of Thanksgiving or thinking on all the things for which I’m thankful – I just get excited about the whole holiday season.) I love this day because it’s Thanksgiving, and because it’s the beginning of my Christmas celebration. Two holidays wrapped up in one.

But as I consider my own Christmas traditions and what it all means to me, I’m faced with several contradictions in our current culture and belief system. I started to write about one, then realized it really boiled down to three major issues:

     • Merry Christmas vs. Happy Holidays

     • Celebrating Christ vs. Celebrating the Season

     • The Celebration vs. The Blame

And I really can’t write about all three in one post. So today, I’m going to tackle the first point. Later, I’ll post the other two.


Merry Christmas vs. Happy Holidays. It’s the same argument every year. It’s the rants on Facebook, the emails you must forward, and the unwavering opinion of Christians everywhere that CHRIST is the reason for Christmas, therefore, no one should dare say “Happy Holidays” (and those who do are simply revealing their heathen hearts).

I get it. I’m a Christian. I understand and appreciate Christmas services at church, reading again the story from the Bible of how and where Jesus was born, and being reminded of the importance of the event. If Jesus hadn’t been born, He wouldn’t have lived then died for my sins – indeed, there is reason to celebrate.

But who am I to force my beliefs on the next person? Sure, I want to share the Good News, and give them the opportunity to have a relationship with Christ. Of course! But why in the world would I get offended by someone wishing me “Happy Holidays” instead of “Merry Christmas”? Good grief! I should just be glad that they want me to be happy this holiday season. Just because they don’t say “Christmas” (which isn’t even pronounced “Christ” anyway) is no reason to gripe, growl, complain – or even slap on a smile and pointedly return, “And a Merry Christmas to you!” That doesn’t do anything but show them how arrogant I am to think my kind of celebration this time of year is more valid than theirs.

Don’t get me wrong – I’m not saying not to greet people with a “Merry Christmas.” I do it for several reasons – it’s the Christmas season, I celebrate Christmas, and I hope theirs is a merry one. But the second I wish someone a “Merry Christmas” just to make a point is the same second I join the world in arrogance – it’s the same second I join everyone else in thinking my way is better than theirs. If they’re going to offend me with their stupid “Happy Holidays” then I’m going to offend THEM by wishing them a “Merry Christmas.” Take that!

Even if I’m not being arrogant about it, but I’m still trying to make a point, it totally contradicts the whole purpose of my personal celebration. If I’m celebrating Christ, I should be acting like Him. And while He was very good at making points, I’m not so sure He’d use the name of a holiday to try and make one of those points. I’m not sure He’d boycott major retailers who require their staff to say, “Happy Holidays.” (Does refusing to buy something somewhere really prove to them we’re different, or does it just make us look like jerks?) I’m not so sure Jesus would make such a big deal over the name of Christmas, when the meaning behind it can be so much more important.

I’m not saying to compromise beliefs or join in activities that are wrong.  I AM saying that actions speak louder than words. If you celebrate Christ during the Christmas season, then let it show through your actions. Through your giving. Through your love. Be different. And when someone wishes you “Happy Holidays,” don’t be offended – that’s ridiculous. Return a “Merry Christmas” if you wish, but do it because that’s the holiday you celebrate, not as an attempt to outdo the other person or make a point.


I love hearing from you! Feel free to leave your thoughts in a comment.