By John Kubicek
Christmas... Is it really "The Most Wonderful Time of the Year"? Is it the "happiest season of all"? For some, it is. For others, it is not. Uh, no, I'm not going to provide any scientific research data. No numbers that you will have to dive through. This is just an observation based on the views of people that I know and love.
For me? Christmas is great! Was it always? Absolutely not!
The one thing that I found out was that many people seemed to have painful memories of this season. And yes, on the positive side, for many people, there have been many joyful memories!
I am one of the vast majority of people that can easily say that they've experienced both sides of the spectrum. There have been many good memories just as much as there have been very sad memories. And then, there will be years when this season results in mixed memories, both good and bad.
Well, I guess that's the way I've looked at this year, to a point. There were, and have been things this year that I know are affecting me, and much of that is knowing what others are going through. I know of people that have recently lost loved ones, and I know of people that are still suffering severe financial hardships from the Flood of 2008 here in Cedar Rapids.
It was after reading Glenn Book's Christmas classic, "The Christmas Sweater," just before Christmas, that I decided that this was going to be a year that I would enjoy every little bit of the Christmas spirit that I could soak in. I decided not to only enjoy the happiest Christmas memories of the past, but I would do everything I could to produce brand new happy Christmas memories. And, in my heart, I succeeded.
Early this week, I happened to come across something new. It was a musical group that I had not heard of before. I recorded it. I put in on youtube.com, and I believe that it is worthy of sharing with you on this great day of the Lord! Here they are, the Annie Moses Band:
Bethlehem, the House of Bread
We Three Kings
Do you ever wonder sometimes how it is possible to be joyful in times of sorrow? There's a good chance that you haven't found a way to do that. I'm one of the lucky ones that has succeeded in that effort. I learned to combine the best of the old memories with developing new good times that I won't forget. Here is an example of that, brought to you by "Straight No Chaser":
It could have happened to you in the past... It could be happening to you now... Or, it could happen to you in the future. Whatever it is, I just hope that I can remind you that not everything that happens to you is YOUR plan. No, but you can be joyfull knowing that there is a God that has a much greater plan for you. Make what you want to of this season, but for me, that thought that God gave us the gift of that child, it is what makes this another Great Christmas!
Showing posts with label The Christmas Sweater. Show all posts
Showing posts with label The Christmas Sweater. Show all posts
Thursday, December 25, 2008
Saturday, December 06, 2008
Out-of-Control Snowballs
By John Kubicek
In much of America, at this time of year, the Northern half of this great country sees the wintry weather, and there are always the conditions somewhere during the season where making snowballs, and better yet - the good old snowman - is a common past-time. Well, that was when I was a kid. The perfect time to accomplish such feats is when the temperature is just right, hovering a little below the freezing point. The snow packs very easily. The snow flakes, being big, stick together with little effort. A small snowball can certainly be rolled up into a ball big enough to produce that really weird looking thing out on a front lawn with a carrot for a nose, hunks of coal for the eyes.... Oh wait, that was even before MY time! Okay... almost before my time.
There was a common metaphor I noticed when reading Glenn Beck's book, "The Christmas Sweater" last night. There was the theme of the Christmas like weather, the "White Christmas" as many of us seem to wish for. And yet, in a way of countering that theme, Glenn told about how things seemed to be like an out of control snowball in his young, innocent life. (Don't worry, I won't tell you how the story ends, because I haven't gotten there yet!)
So, this morning, while contemplating the wisdom I've soaked in so far from that book, I realized how much it related to the way things are going in this country. Just as event after event for "Eddie" in "The Christmas Sweater" was increasing in intensity, the way things are going in the U.S. and in the global economy, there seems to be an uncontrollable snowball effect. Yes, the snowball seems to grow exponentially if it is rolling down hill. Who's going to be able to stop it? Funny, but I feel the way Congress is handling the situation, they are sending our kids and grandchildren out to try to lay down in front of the massive, rolling snowball.
So, if there is a way from stopping the growing snowball, rolling down hill, out-of-control, it needs to be us that still have enough strength - we hope - to block it's destructive path. Hopefully, that snowball hasn't gotten beyond our abilities to keep it from crushing our future generations.
In much of America, at this time of year, the Northern half of this great country sees the wintry weather, and there are always the conditions somewhere during the season where making snowballs, and better yet - the good old snowman - is a common past-time. Well, that was when I was a kid. The perfect time to accomplish such feats is when the temperature is just right, hovering a little below the freezing point. The snow packs very easily. The snow flakes, being big, stick together with little effort. A small snowball can certainly be rolled up into a ball big enough to produce that really weird looking thing out on a front lawn with a carrot for a nose, hunks of coal for the eyes.... Oh wait, that was even before MY time! Okay... almost before my time.
There was a common metaphor I noticed when reading Glenn Beck's book, "The Christmas Sweater" last night. There was the theme of the Christmas like weather, the "White Christmas" as many of us seem to wish for. And yet, in a way of countering that theme, Glenn told about how things seemed to be like an out of control snowball in his young, innocent life. (Don't worry, I won't tell you how the story ends, because I haven't gotten there yet!)
So, this morning, while contemplating the wisdom I've soaked in so far from that book, I realized how much it related to the way things are going in this country. Just as event after event for "Eddie" in "The Christmas Sweater" was increasing in intensity, the way things are going in the U.S. and in the global economy, there seems to be an uncontrollable snowball effect. Yes, the snowball seems to grow exponentially if it is rolling down hill. Who's going to be able to stop it? Funny, but I feel the way Congress is handling the situation, they are sending our kids and grandchildren out to try to lay down in front of the massive, rolling snowball.
So, if there is a way from stopping the growing snowball, rolling down hill, out-of-control, it needs to be us that still have enough strength - we hope - to block it's destructive path. Hopefully, that snowball hasn't gotten beyond our abilities to keep it from crushing our future generations.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)
Posts
