Christmas Thoughts

Time flies when you are nearing three score and ten.  An even bigger problem is that you can't remember what occurred during the flight!  Haven't blogged in a month and a half.  No excuse except that I have been busy researching and reading in preparation for writing a paper dealing with Christianity and how it compares to another ever-growing religion of our day.  Anyhow, here are some thoughts that have whizzed through my head lately.  You can determine the sanity and/or profoundedness of them.

• Why do we give food baskets only on Thanksgiving.  Are these people not hungry the other 364 days?
• Juxtapose that thought with our focus on Christmas presents for needy families at this season.  Does no one care the rest of the year?
• Is Black Friday the opposite of Good Friday?  Gifts, anyone?
• Am I the only person I know that can do my Christmas shopping in two hours counting travel time?  Maybe another thirty minutes on-line to make sure no one was left out!
• Do I still dread the Christmas season because my father passed away in December 1960 and I still carry guilt from not being in a close relationship with him?
• SInce I don't believe in New Year's Resolutions, why do I start thinking around Christmas of all of the things I will do better/differently next year?  Why not start December 26 if I am serious about those improvements? Topics include self-discipline in a myriad of areas:  food, exercise, idleness, prayer, Bible study, witnessing, journaling (blogging), serving others, focusing more on God and others than me, etc.
• SInce Joyce is retiring at the end of next June, what changes will we be making both individually and as a couple?
• Are the Republicans just as incompetent as the Democrats?
• Will we survive another fours years of Obama?
• Will I continue to attend too many funerals and is mine scheduled for 2012?
• Sammy turns 14 next year and Charlie and Mollie turn 9.  Are three dogs too many?
• Will Joyce and I need to occupy our storm shelter that was just installed on 12-19?

Well, I could go on and on but some of my thoughts scare even me.  My latest book is "Think Like Jesus" by George Barna.  If I can get my focus properly aligned with the life of Christ, all of these issues will be of no significance.  Ran across a picture that fit perfectly some of my prayer thoughts of the past few weeks.  Hope you enjoy it and that you have a Merry CHRISTmas.