Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays from my family to yours!

May the spirit of Christmas bring you peace,
The gladness of Christmas give you hope,
The warmth of Christmas grant you love.
~Author Unknown

Parenting Wild Things

Today, Jessica over at Bohemian Bowman's is giving away a free copy of her ebook, Parenting Wild things. I haven't had the chance to read it yet, but it has been getting great reviews in my circle of online friends. Hop on over there to see what it is all about and to find out how you can get your own copy.

I'm About To Get Preachy, Ya'll

It doesn't happen often. I usually keep my opinions to myself..avoid controversy and conflict and all that goes along with it. Yeah, that.

BUT...

This is my little corner of the internet, so here I go...

I've been thinking about the whole Happy Holidays/Merry Christmas controversy that has been going on for the past several years.

I decided this year I'm going to say both. I mean there ARE several Holidays going on this time of year. I can say Happy Holidays and Merry Christmas and cover every single holiday from Thanksgiving through New Years.

I'm sure anyone who has a Facebook account has seen this little copy and paste thingy going around..

I DO NOT CARE IF THIS OFFENDS SOMEONE: THIS IS WHAT I BELIEVE--I AM SICK AND TIRED OF EVERY YEAR, WHEN CHRISTMAS COMES AROUND, THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO WANT TO TAKE CHRIST OUT OF CHRISTMAS BECAUSE IT MIGHT OFFEND SOMEONE! WELL, HOW ABOUT ALL OF US CHRISTIANS? WHAT ABOUT OFFENDING US BECAUSE YOU ARE TAKING OUR... CHRIST OUT OF CHRISTMAS? CHRIST IS CHRISTMAS! IF YOU AREN'T CELEBRATING CHRIST, THEN WHY ARE YOU CELEBRATING? CHRISTMAS IS ABOUT THE BIRTH OF OUR SAVIOR! CHRISTMAS IS ONE OF A FEW HOLIDAYS LEFT THAT CELEBRATE "MY" CHRIST! LEAVE "MY" CHRISTMAS ALONE! AND TELL EVERYONE MERRY CHRISTMAS, NOT HAPPY HOLIDAYS!! COPY & RE-POST IF YOU’RE NOT ASHAMED.

I'm not ashamed of Jesus, but you won't catch me copying and re-posting that.

Don't get me wrong; I'm all for people standing up for what they believe in,

BUT...

Let's face it not everyone is a Christian. I haven't looked up any statistics, but it seems like Christians are in the minority these days. And that is sad. If we're not in the minority then that is even sadder.

As Christians we are supposed to be Fishers of Men! Sheep Who Make More Sheep! Sowers of The Word! Lights In This Dark World! That is...we're supposed to be doing our part to increase the number of Christians on this earth.

Griping about "taking Christ out of Christmas" to people who already think we're kooky for believing such "nonsense" as a Savior who is half man-half God, born of a virgin, who went around preaching about the Kingdom of God, performing miracles, was crucified, rose from the dead three days later, then ascended to Heaven to come back for His followers at some point in the future, does not seem very productive to persuading them to become one of "us".

Does it really matter if someone says Happy Holidays or Merry Christmas?

Can an alternate greeting really take Christ out of Christmas?

Saying Happy Holidays can't take Christ out of the hearts of his followers anymore than saying Merry Christmas makes a believer out of a non-believer.

Instead of getting offended and griping about something as trivial as a holiday greeting,

WHAT...

IF...

All the Christians thought about how our society got to this point where people don't KNOW Jesus or even WANT to know Him, and did something about that?

We are Christ's ambassadors on this earth...the only Jesus that some will see.

1 John 3:8
Dear children, let's not merely say that we love each other; let us show the truth by our actions.

If we let our actions show the LOVE of God, we will keep Christ in Christmas (and every.other.day.)

Isn't that what Christmas is REALLY about?

__________________________________________________

We Now Own A Gerbil

Yes, us..the family that had the mouse/snake ordeal over the summer. The family who left the house for a week over the snake in the house. The family that is still mostly paranoid about being in the house where the snake and the mouse were..now owns a rodent.

How did this happen? You wonder..

I Tied For Second Place....

Danielle assured us that there were more than 3 entries, but she didn't specify how many...maybe 4??..

Anyway, I'm honored and thrilled that my story was chosen as one of the winners!

Here is my entry:

It Will Grow Back..Won't It?


"It will grow back, won't it Mommy?" Those are the words that my clueless mother heard me say one early morning in 1975.

"What?", she asked.

A Lesson About Writing

or was it?...


I've always felt like I should be writing a book. A novel to be precise. Most of my life that feeling has been there. I love to write. Sometimes. But I don't have much of an imagination. So I'm not sure why I have always felt this- especially the part about writing a novel. I don't even read much fiction. Give me a good book of facts and I'm all in. Last year, I thought that blogging would satisfy that feeling. That I just needed to write. Period. But that feeling is still there.