A very good afternoon to all of you for semi-glorious day. I add a "semi" to this because we've had some strange weather for December. Weather temperatures have climbed to near freezing, running between 25- 32 above zero and lots of rain. Lots of ice on the ground, making the driveway a treacherous endeavor in both directions. Mona and Susan went into Seward to buy some sand, to add a layer here and there of the gritty stuff. Most of our snow is missing, but this has happened before.
Several years ago we had a green winter, until right before Christmas and we had 6 inches dropped on us. That's all we had for the entire winter, which we called the "Winter That Wasn't". I still enjoy a white Christmas and prefer 8 to 12 feet if possible to insulate the water lines, it also helps in giving us a green lawn. But, seems God continues to watch over us. We haven't had much in the way of firewood, but with this weather were not burning too much wood. Right now, we're burning slab wood and we can get that for free, but the boys have to add some muscle.
Patrick and Canaan, with kids, are on the way back from Fairbanks today, bringing Roger back with them. Roger has stayed here before and is now part of the household. He's great with the kids and well be a great help for when the other two small kids arrive, which we expect to be soon. These are Patrick and Canaan's niece and nephew, 3 yrs and 1 year. This is what the whole little house construction was about and the house is just about ready for state inspection. Once the clear this the children can be picked up in Fairbanks, and the state provides airfare.
Not counting them, we have 6-people in the house. I've been under a weather a bit and spending most of my time upstairs in bed. This is my first day back on the computer. Feel better. Got a lot of catch-up to do with my manuscript, "Indian Wars", 2nd in the Arizona Ranger series.
It has been been awhile, but stand-by for an editorial:
Christianity versus American Media and Merchandising: Last week Mona, Susan and I visited the Soldotna and Kenai area for some grocery shopping. I'd estimate the whole area holds maybe 35,000 people. This is our main shopping stop, hitting both the Walmart superstore and Fred Meyers,(similar to Walmart, but one step above in quality). I mention this for a few of you mid-west and east-coast readers. Fred Meyers is mostly in the Pacific Northwest region, including our beautiful Alaska. But...on that day I became a bit upset with both stores. ( No, I didn't hit anyone, but the urge was there). I checked out their Christmas displays and holiday Christmas sale's isles. Oh, there were a lot of new Star Wars ornaments for this upcoming release, plus ones from earlier versions, plus the latest in children's cartoon figures for ornaments, blankets, toys and candy in all shapes and sizes. Santa Claus came in floor models,and the ones you either blow air into or buy in hard plastic, Oh, there was also Frosty the Snowman and Rudolph the Reindeer. Lots of elves in all sizes and oddly enough...Alaskan penguins. They were even selling penguins with unicorn horns and in all colors. Just so you know, if you didn't know already, there have never been penguins in the wilds of Alaska. This is a South Pole critter and a very interesting fellow, for which a recommend watching a documentary on the bird. Also, down there they do not have Polar Bears, or any other type of bear. The big white bear is an Alaska bear. But, you have no idea how many tourists have asked me about penguins and where they can find some for the kids. But, cops up here are also part-time tourist guides, so, I'd present my best smile and tell them the facts of God's science. I feel its these people who will probably go out and try to feed the real friendly looking Polar Bear...yes, it happens and they quickly learn all about science. These are the same people who feed donuts and Hershey Bars to the Grizzly Bears in Yellowstone.
Anyhow, what I did not find...and I looked believe me, was any sign of the Baby Jesus. Walmart had nothing in the way of a Christian ornament or the stable scene. Not even those half-size outside plastic scenes that run up a pretty good price. Now, in searching Fred Meyers, I spotted some angels for sale, right by the reindeer, and in another isle I came across a single Nativity Set, where the figures were four inches in height and the set looked so very cheap. One SET!! This was two of our mega-stores. I mean, where was the Lord's birthday scene. This is Christmas we are talking about, not Santa Claus Day or the Star Wars celebration. "Christ" the first part of Christmas. I believe it came from the days it was called a Catholic Mass. Said to honor the birth of our Savior and this became the Christ-mass, or in time Christmas. God the Father and Jesus the Lord has apparently been tossed out of the whole Christmas thing. Back east and in Europe we are seeing the addition of a Muslim Christmas, with prayer rugs and words of Muslim spoken from the Koran, or Quron, or Qoran...I've seen it spelled all three ways. Christmas is the celebration of our Savior's birth and Islam or the Hindi, even Buddhist, have no participation with Christmas. BUT, the media is trying real hard to encompass Islam into our holiday, but they resent us if we attempt to add our US way of doing things into their religious holidays. They become quite deadly over the issues.
The other thing I noticed was in the DVD Christmas movies, all the old ones concerning the Birth of Jesus were not there. Holiday Inn, White Christmas and a score of feel good holiday movies were on sale, but not a one about Jesus and this included the cartoon ones.
Just who gave these people the right to remove My Savior from the Christmas Holiday. Sure, I know, it is their store, but what are they teaching the Children. Now, so many of the kids fail to receive even the Christmas Story, for now it's "The Night Before Christmas". The Midnight services are shrinking across our land and I really feel the media is behind a lot of this. Yes, the media is working real hard to sell out Christian America and now has the American stores working alongside them. Christmas is now Santa Claus, BUY TOYS, so, there's apparently no room for the Lord. Oh, since I was born in the ancient times, it was about toys too, but the Lord was the main point to focus on. Now I wonder how much Christmas caroling we'll see this year and if they show up,and will they be singing any songs relating to the birth of Jesus??? Or "Grandma Was Run Over By a Reindeer".
In the European Union a recent prediction is that Islam will replace the Christmas Holiday within a few years. So, how long do we have? The weirdest part about it, we allow this to happen, just as it is happening in Europe. We allow the media and the merchandising to take over, to control our actions...We have a previous lesson to look upon, 1933 Europe. Read up on it. Or even 1917 Russia. Hitler and Communism, both welcomed in for change. Those worked our real well, didn't they?
I do hope these days of Christmas preparation don't drive you insane. Oh, like everyone else I'm worried I cannot get gifts for all my kids, grand-kids and great-grand-kids, plus the new additions. We expect 22-people for Christmas Morning. So, I try very hard to remember, a hug can be worth more than a $19.99 toy or gimmick. I worked with a lot of children in my job, those who lived in troubled-homes, and so many of the kids would've preferred a sincere hug to some of the junk they got. Some of these same the kids would grow up to be heavy drug users and a few hardcore convicts. Love just isn't the latest toy, unless a sincere show of love comes along with it.
Thanks for reading.
Patrick and Canaan, with kids, are on the way back from Fairbanks today, bringing Roger back with them. Roger has stayed here before and is now part of the household. He's great with the kids and well be a great help for when the other two small kids arrive, which we expect to be soon. These are Patrick and Canaan's niece and nephew, 3 yrs and 1 year. This is what the whole little house construction was about and the house is just about ready for state inspection. Once the clear this the children can be picked up in Fairbanks, and the state provides airfare.
Not counting them, we have 6-people in the house. I've been under a weather a bit and spending most of my time upstairs in bed. This is my first day back on the computer. Feel better. Got a lot of catch-up to do with my manuscript, "Indian Wars", 2nd in the Arizona Ranger series.
It has been been awhile, but stand-by for an editorial:
Christianity versus American Media and Merchandising: Last week Mona, Susan and I visited the Soldotna and Kenai area for some grocery shopping. I'd estimate the whole area holds maybe 35,000 people. This is our main shopping stop, hitting both the Walmart superstore and Fred Meyers,(similar to Walmart, but one step above in quality). I mention this for a few of you mid-west and east-coast readers. Fred Meyers is mostly in the Pacific Northwest region, including our beautiful Alaska. But...on that day I became a bit upset with both stores. ( No, I didn't hit anyone, but the urge was there). I checked out their Christmas displays and holiday Christmas sale's isles. Oh, there were a lot of new Star Wars ornaments for this upcoming release, plus ones from earlier versions, plus the latest in children's cartoon figures for ornaments, blankets, toys and candy in all shapes and sizes. Santa Claus came in floor models,and the ones you either blow air into or buy in hard plastic, Oh, there was also Frosty the Snowman and Rudolph the Reindeer. Lots of elves in all sizes and oddly enough...Alaskan penguins. They were even selling penguins with unicorn horns and in all colors. Just so you know, if you didn't know already, there have never been penguins in the wilds of Alaska. This is a South Pole critter and a very interesting fellow, for which a recommend watching a documentary on the bird. Also, down there they do not have Polar Bears, or any other type of bear. The big white bear is an Alaska bear. But, you have no idea how many tourists have asked me about penguins and where they can find some for the kids. But, cops up here are also part-time tourist guides, so, I'd present my best smile and tell them the facts of God's science. I feel its these people who will probably go out and try to feed the real friendly looking Polar Bear...yes, it happens and they quickly learn all about science. These are the same people who feed donuts and Hershey Bars to the Grizzly Bears in Yellowstone.
Anyhow, what I did not find...and I looked believe me, was any sign of the Baby Jesus. Walmart had nothing in the way of a Christian ornament or the stable scene. Not even those half-size outside plastic scenes that run up a pretty good price. Now, in searching Fred Meyers, I spotted some angels for sale, right by the reindeer, and in another isle I came across a single Nativity Set, where the figures were four inches in height and the set looked so very cheap. One SET!! This was two of our mega-stores. I mean, where was the Lord's birthday scene. This is Christmas we are talking about, not Santa Claus Day or the Star Wars celebration. "Christ" the first part of Christmas. I believe it came from the days it was called a Catholic Mass. Said to honor the birth of our Savior and this became the Christ-mass, or in time Christmas. God the Father and Jesus the Lord has apparently been tossed out of the whole Christmas thing. Back east and in Europe we are seeing the addition of a Muslim Christmas, with prayer rugs and words of Muslim spoken from the Koran, or Quron, or Qoran...I've seen it spelled all three ways. Christmas is the celebration of our Savior's birth and Islam or the Hindi, even Buddhist, have no participation with Christmas. BUT, the media is trying real hard to encompass Islam into our holiday, but they resent us if we attempt to add our US way of doing things into their religious holidays. They become quite deadly over the issues.
The other thing I noticed was in the DVD Christmas movies, all the old ones concerning the Birth of Jesus were not there. Holiday Inn, White Christmas and a score of feel good holiday movies were on sale, but not a one about Jesus and this included the cartoon ones.
Just who gave these people the right to remove My Savior from the Christmas Holiday. Sure, I know, it is their store, but what are they teaching the Children. Now, so many of the kids fail to receive even the Christmas Story, for now it's "The Night Before Christmas". The Midnight services are shrinking across our land and I really feel the media is behind a lot of this. Yes, the media is working real hard to sell out Christian America and now has the American stores working alongside them. Christmas is now Santa Claus, BUY TOYS, so, there's apparently no room for the Lord. Oh, since I was born in the ancient times, it was about toys too, but the Lord was the main point to focus on. Now I wonder how much Christmas caroling we'll see this year and if they show up,and will they be singing any songs relating to the birth of Jesus??? Or "Grandma Was Run Over By a Reindeer".
In the European Union a recent prediction is that Islam will replace the Christmas Holiday within a few years. So, how long do we have? The weirdest part about it, we allow this to happen, just as it is happening in Europe. We allow the media and the merchandising to take over, to control our actions...We have a previous lesson to look upon, 1933 Europe. Read up on it. Or even 1917 Russia. Hitler and Communism, both welcomed in for change. Those worked our real well, didn't they?
I do hope these days of Christmas preparation don't drive you insane. Oh, like everyone else I'm worried I cannot get gifts for all my kids, grand-kids and great-grand-kids, plus the new additions. We expect 22-people for Christmas Morning. So, I try very hard to remember, a hug can be worth more than a $19.99 toy or gimmick. I worked with a lot of children in my job, those who lived in troubled-homes, and so many of the kids would've preferred a sincere hug to some of the junk they got. Some of these same the kids would grow up to be heavy drug users and a few hardcore convicts. Love just isn't the latest toy, unless a sincere show of love comes along with it.
Thanks for reading.
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