It is almost here.

 Only a few days to get those last minutes gifts for family and friends. Amazon may be your best bet, since so many things are in metal boxes off the LA docks on ships. But, you will manage. I buy my limited amount of gifts as soon as I hear Nancy say, "Oh, I like that." Nancy does the rest of the shopping for Christmas because everyone (mainly the grandkids) tell her what they want. And that always caused me to wonder. If Christmas is a celebration of the birth of Jesus, then why do we get gifts for each other? Shouldn't we be get gifts for Jesus? After all, it is his birthday. But the greatest gift you could give Jesus is love and praise for him. 

Our Christmas, as we know it today started with the three wise men who traveled to see baby Jesus. They bought gifts for the New King of Jews and of the World. Over the milleniums, that story has being translated, twisted and retold in many, many languages. To Christians, most of us believe the story from the Bible. 

A few years ago when Nancy and I were in some of the old 'Iron Curtain' countries, we were taken to ,supposedly, where Saint Nicholas was buried. I thought, we had been to another country and they said he was buried there too. But it doesn't really matter.

Nicholas was a real man who lived in Eastern Europe and felt he could bring joy to kids with small gifts during the coldest and darkest months of the year. The idea grew and spread around the world. Later, Nicholas was canonized as a saint by the Catholic church and eventually merged into the celebration with Christmas, due to those three Wise Men bringing gifts.

To me, Christmas is a time of celebrating the born of Jesus and my commitment to him. So my gifts, not only to Nancy, but the those who can not buy gifts for their kids or other loved ones, but to give to those less fortunate than us. It feel SO much better than getting socks or a tie (which I never wear anyway, and sometimes socks).

These Covid times are hard on everyone. To see someone down on their luck, faces lighting-up, smiling and thanking you for your kind effort, makes my heart soar. I ask my family to not buy me gifts, but rather to donate that money to a truly worthy charity instead.

Christmas should be a time of joy, celebration and praise. Gifts are just a fringe benefit of the season. 

Nancy and I would like to take this opportunity to wish you ALL a VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS and a healthy and prosperous New Year from Nancy and I. May Jesus be with you and yours, and in your hearts. Now, spread that joy to others.Take care and stay safe. See the next edition after year's end.

Christmas ... What does it mean to other people

 First, I want to say to the people who were caught in the tornadoes in the Midwest, you are in our thoughts and prayers for going through the devastating power of Mother Nature. I understand the grief you must feel for the lives lost. Try to stay strong.

In these times of uncertainty, many people feel lost due to natural disasters, ongoing inflation from gas to groceries, school shootings and social media misinformation spreading like a fire. But the thought of a brighter and happier time is coming. Yes, I mean Christmas.

Christmas means and is celebrated differently to people in different countries.Christmas is a religious holiday and for some countries it is not celebrated at all. In Europe, the Christmas season starts December 1st. In the Netherlands, (Holland) Saint Nicolas comes to good children on the 5th of December, and Christmas is celebrated on the 25th and the 26th.

The story of Scrooge was always mine personal favorite tale. How he was turned from a non-believer into a believer. But there is one that warms your soul and exhibits hope in the grim times. It took place in Europe during WWI. Here is the story told to writers from the last surviving soldiers of that time.

"The Christmas Truce has become one of the most famous and mythologised events of the First World War. But what was the real story behind the truce? Why did it happen and did British and German soldiers really play football in no-man's land?

Late on Christmas Eve 1914, men of the British Expeditionary Force (BEF) heard German troops in the trenches opposite them singing carols and patriotic songs and saw lanterns and small fir trees along their trenches. Messages began to be shouted between the trenches.

The following day, British and German soldiers met in no man's land and exchanged gifts, took photographs and some played impromptu games of football. They also buried casualties and repaired trenches and dugouts. After Boxing Day, meetings in no man's land dwindled out.

The truce was not observed everywhere along the Western Front. Elsewhere the fighting continued and casualties did occur on Christmas Day. Some officers were unhappy at the truce and worried that it would undermine fighting spirit.

After 1914, the High Commands on both sides tried to prevent any truces on a similar scale happening again. Despite this, there were some isolated incidents of soldiers holding brief truces later in the war, and not only at Christmas.

In what was known as the 'Live and Let Live' system, in quiet sectors of the front line, brief pauses in the hostilities were sometimes tacitly agreed, allowing both sides to repair their trenches or gather their dead."

During the upcoming Christmas (and all year long), we must all forgive, be trusting, help those that can not help themselves, and remember 'WE ARE ALL PART OF THE SAME RACE', the Human Race.

I know Christmas is several days away, but you can start now. Reach out to cheer someone's Christmas. It does not take much. Maybe just saying Merry Christmas to someone you don't know. Try it. Take care, stay safe and Merry Christmas.

 

Happy Birthday Tina from Dad

Yesterday evening, Nancy and I hosted a party (of about 20 people) to celebrate our daughter's 50th birthday. Her actual birthday was a few days before, but with everyone's busy schedules, this worked out to be good for everyone. It was too bad our late son could be there to harass Tina as he did as children. I really think she misses that sometimes.

We invited her best friends, both professionally and personal, which included her very best friend since the 8th grade, and we call our adopted daughter, Keri. Keri has been the best friend anyone would ever want. She jumped at the opportunity to help decorate and get the most amazing cake for Tina. The bottom layer was Cannoli Chocolate and the top layer was German Chocolate, all covered with butter icing. Just enough to make my teeth hurt.

Keri was smiling from ear to ear when she saw the joy of everything on Tina's face. There were no black roses or cane jokes or aging remakes, just happy greetings and too much food. Oh yeah, and cake. Delicious cake. Two levels of decadence and yummy icing with edible flowers and what looked like aluminum foil pieces. But I am letting my taste buds take over.

Short stories began to flow about Tina from friends and family. Nothing bad. Just good funny and heartwarming tales. About her youth, high school days, college days and her professional as an Ob-Gyn doctor. John and Tina talked about shoving cake into each others mouth at their wedding, so Keri fed Tina the first piece of the cake as John watched and wanted so bad to repeat history.

It was a great night chatting, laughing, joking and reminiscing about old times. I realize how blessed Nancy and I are to have such great children, family, and friends who are TRUE friends.

Thank you to everyone who came, and thank you reading my blog about our family and my sometimes weird observations. God bless you all and take care.