I Can't Wait

Some people choose Halloween as their favorite holiday. I like Halloween, but by far, Christmas is my favorite. I love buying gifts, the caring attitude of the season, the family time, etc.

Last year I was finished buying gifts in early December and I loved it. The only thing left was to enjoy living in the present to actually enjoy all the activities and events, and buying a few stocking stuffers. I intend to do that again this year.

If a confession were in order, I'd have to say that I've been anticipating Christmas since July when the big shopping channels introduced their Christmas in July sales. And, yes, I've had a steady stream of boxes delivered by UPS and USPS since then with more to come.

The real temptation for me though is not to forget Thanksgiving. I might set up my outside Christmas decorations right after Halloween, but it's due more to whenever the weather is decent. (I learned the hard way that it's difficult to decorate with any kind of flair when you can't feel your fingers.)

As a Lutheran, I observe Advent, the time leading up to the birth of Christ. I try very hard to not let the secular overcome the non-secular even when I'm reading Christmas books, watching Christmas movies, baking goodies, etc. But I'm also determined to devote time to Thanksgiving. It's something I try to do on a daily basis too.

Living life with a grateful heart offers many benefits. Perhaps the most important is contentment with what one has and the desire to share. Knowing that we are blessed, and by whom, translates into the commandment that Jesus gave us to love one another. I like that, and maybe that's one of the reasons why I like Christmas more than Halloween.

Marriage is a Gift

Marriage is a gift, not just for the two individuals involved, but for families and friends who join the celebration. And that was certainly the case when my oldest son and I made a six hour round trip to Omaha on Saturday to attend the nuptials of my great-nephew Zach.

Although I tease Zach about being a fan of Big Red (he's really a Corn Husker alumnus from Nebraska, but I delight in asking him why he likes the gum so much),  I was thrilled for him and excited to meet his new wife. Just seeing the joy at the union of two young people who are beginning their life together as one, is miraculous. Out of millions of people, when the right two find each other, that is a true blessing and gift.

Of course, no one enjoyed weddings more than Jesus, I think. After all, his first miracle was at a wedding in Cana when he turned water into wine. I can just imagine how overjoyed he finally was to do something special for the couple.

Connecting with others in common joy is a blessing. Seeing family members (whom we maybe haven't seen in years), meeting new people, and basking in the renewal of hope is a gift. It's also a reminder to those of us, who have lost our own special love, that God still continues to give us many good things in life.

Blessings and happy ever-after to Zach and Stacey!

What the World Needs Now...

I don't often show my emotions physically while listening to or reading news, but today I shed a few tears. It's not that I don't care deeply about the multitude of recent tragedies which occurred from national disasters, but something touched me particularly with the Las Vegas incident. Perhaps it was because it followed some senseless violence that left three dead and two wounded in my own home town in the early morning hours of Sunday. We aren't used to this, and I pray to God that we never become so.

I think my grief came mostly because of the innocence of the victims, and the inhumanity of those who committed the heinous crimes. What makes some humans want to hurt others? I still believe it is a minority of individuals who perpetrate such evil in the world, but I am most worried about how to respond.

Naturally the gun control debate will arise. Sure, criminals will always have guns, but they aren't the ones I am worried about anymore. I'm concerned about people like the Vegas gunman who seem to be okay and then go off on a rampage. We don't know why he did it, nor can we understand why some actions are borne of radical beliefs stemming from religion or race, for example.

It's a no-brainer that people, who don't know the proper use of guns or have a mental illness instability predisposed to harm, shouldn't have access to them. Regardless of how either side of the gun control debate feels, they should all agree that guns require a certain responsibility, and not everyone should be endowed with "the right" to have them. How to address that is the question.

But, how do we stop all of this madness where a man wants to kill others? It comes down to societal change, I think.Personally, I don't want to live in a world of fear, and I certainly don't want to live in a world where violence must be answered with violence.

Jesus proved true, positive change comes by changing the heart of man. In the end, I realize that may not happen with everyone, but perhaps we can still affect some change to make this world a better place, and that means we must look at ourselves.

How do we treat our fellowman? Do we constantly put ourselves first or do we actively try to answer some of the need that exists? Do we answer violence with violence? Do we promote justice and caring?

Perhaps what tragedy shows us most of all is that the greatest need is love, and I believe out of that will surely come the good that we seek instead of evil.