It's A New Year

It’s not that hard to figure out that Christmas has changed.  Once, a long time ago you would wake up to Christmas morning, open your few gifts and wait for dinner to be served. And as many people of that generation, you would right now be saying, life was simple then. Yes, indeed it was. Whoever thought that a parent would buy a $500 iphone for their three year old?

It even scares me that there are parents that purchase a brand new, shall I say it, expensive, automobile for their sixteen year old for Christmas. No, I’m not going to use the line, “when I was your age…” I’m just saying. When I heard of these extravagant gifts I thought to myself, ‘what are they going to do next year to top it’.

I guess my doctor is right, I’m at that age you know. It’s an age when presents don’t mean that much to me, either in the getting or the giving. Don’t get me wrong, I like them to. Even cried this year at one of those simple, touching presents that told me more than words can say. But really?

A long time ago, and it’s coming to fruition a lot more each new Christmas that the best gift you can give me is, spend some time with me. One of the most wonderful things about living is a line I cannot get out of my mind.  It goes like this: “Our children have us as long as it takes for all of them to hear what we have to say”. I’m very lucky, not that they have heard me yet, but each Sunday we video our church service. And if technology doesn’t surpass our present technology too much, my children’s children will still be able to hear that most important message I want to leave for each one of them. The message that Jesus came to take our sins away and to help us become the human beings He always intended us to be.

In this new year give the present of a year full of your presence, just as Jesus does each and every day.

Happy New Year

Something to think about.

Rob

Christmas Day 2016

Today is the one day in the year when the Love of God prevails and all else takes second at best. May your Christmas be more than gifts and food. May it be the feeling God places in each one of our hearts. A Christmas Celebration that Christ Followers the world over share with all people the world over.

MERRY CHRISTMAS

Christmas Lights

Are you feeling it? Excitement is growing every hour. Is everything ready? No? Is the list getting smaller? The tree is up, lights on outside and inside, decorations all around, and, and, opps , just remembered another thing for the list. Okay, another trip to the store.

Did you take notice how the children are behaving lately? Little do they know all the presents are bought, sorted, wrapped, labeled and ready for them to tear into. In the not too distant future they will learn gifts are not contingent on their behaviour but our love for them. The Christmas displays, that were up in the stores way before Halloween was over, started a two month race to the one day just a few more to go from now. Where did the time go? Why are we still running around? We were warned. As I think of this I realize it is all part and parcel of the joy and atmosphere of Christmas. It’s that build up to Christmas, and many of us love it. It’s on the radio as well.

White Christmas, got that as well. Being with family, love it and wish we had more time. Opening that one special gift you didn’t expect, there again, all part of what Christmas means. I pray that everyone who reads this recognizes that all of this began with God’s gift to all mankind, His Son Jesus. What a gift and as you continue to cross off all those items on your lists, I pray you will cross off the very last one as you walk into church on Christmas to receive the best gift of all, God’s Love. After all, He didn't give this gift to us contingent on how good we are, but on how much He Loves Us.

Something to think about

Merry Christmas

Rob

 

Merry Christmas 1980

I need you to do something for me. It’s not that difficult considering how many millions of times you will go off to the store. And if you do you will see how important it is for you and for me.

As you have noticed yourself, many people have said so many things about Christmas, I don’t know where to start. One person said, “Christmas is for children” even wrote a song about it. Of course it wasn’t Scrooge who said that. Another individual said ‘Christmas is for giving’. But isn’t it nice to get something?

Way back, and I mean way back one Christmas Eve day I received a phone call at work from my mom. Very unusual to say the least as my phone was only for inside company calls. She told me that her single mother close friend saved up all year so she could buy presents for her kids. The problem was, someone bumped into her at Kresge’s on Christmas morning and stole her money. The lady called my mom, crying uncontrollable and totally devastated. Mom wanted to know if I knew of anyone or organization who might be able to help her out at this late time. There weren’t many of them in those years but I told her I would see what I could do.

Two minutes later I was talking to my wife telling her the story and asked her to go shopping. When I arrived home that Christmas Eve afternoon, the other three family members were so very excited. All because they were wrapping presents for someone they had never met.  As quickly as we could we filled the trunk and drove down to a tiny house on Dundurn St South. Even now, every time I drive down past Fortino’s, I look over at that little house, and smile. The four of us, very quietly filled our arms and gently knocked on the door. We were greeted by a very shy five year old who peeked around the slightly open door. She became really excited by strangers with presents.   

They invited us in and we obliged for a just enough time to meet all three children. Just as quickly as we came, after a teary eyed mom gave us a hug, we disappeared into the quiet night. I believe my two daughters have forgotten everything about that Christmas with one exception. We all remember the God given feeling that you can only get when you give to someone you don’t know on the one day surrounded in the act of giving. You know, God did that.

So, do you want to know what I want you to do? I want you to go buy something real special, wrap it up and then find someone to give it to, either someone you know that is hurting or better yet, someone you just walk up to. Can you do that and make three people happy? That person will be happy, you too will experience an inner glow. Best of all, God will be happy because you will just have followed His lead. After all, He was the first one to give to us as He gave us the baby Jesus.

Something to think about

Rob

 

Plum Pudding & All That Stuff

Are you counting the days yet? When you read this, take stock of what you need to get done and make a plan. The old saying is true, “If you fail to plan, you plan to fail”. Go ahead; tell me I’m too organized. Not true or my desk would be clean and everything would have a hiding place. But it is true that you need to plan if you want to get everything done that you need to get done. So, let’s get started.

Here is my own personal plan. Well, not all of it but you will get the picture as you continue to read. My first priority is to make a list. I have it here right in front of me. Number one on the list is to get done the errands that Deb called me about. Then I write all fifty of them in order of importance. MMM, wonder why I’m not right there at the top of her list. Oh well. Remember, you also need to set a time and date that things need to be done.

The list includes presents to go shopping for, decorations to put out, people to call, parties to attend, emails to go out, even the odd snail mail Christmas Card. Ops, almost forgot that one. Then there is putting things away, wrapping all those gift cards, ha – gotcha. Here is one many people forget, plan for the unexpected. If you noticed there is a form of importance and an order of how things get done efficiently. It’s done just like house work, which by the way, is on the list. My house work has an order of starting at the top and works down with bathrooms last.

So with all our preparations. Ops, forgot the plum pudding. Boy am I glad I started this article.

So with all our preparations, we may end up done before time runs out. If you plan and plan well, you will be done well ahead of time giving you some well-earned time to relax, put up your feet and have a hot cup of apple cider as you watch, “It’s A Wonderful Life. Oh, almost forgot something. Plan your celebration around more than just a list of things to get done. Add to the celebration the person that this celebration is all about. Spending time with Him be more than an entry on a ‘To Do List’. Spending time with Him needs to be a life commitment. May we always have time for Him every day. After all, isn't this a party for Him.

Something to think about.

Rob