You know, I used to blog religiously (poun intended) almost daily back in the hayday of blogging – written blogs, anyway. These days I have a lot of life that sort of gets in the way. Probably many of you are in the same boat. Life sometimes makes us so busy.. In my case most of it has been medical – it’s the cost of getting older for many. I just wanted to stop in and say hello and share my love and remind you to keep Jesus in your holiday celebrations, and also to make sure to enjoy your time with your family. Someday they may not be there.
Colossians 3:15 “And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful.”
Lamb of God?
OK, what is all this lamb of God stuff we all hear about around Easter?
Well, this has to do with another thing you hear about around Easter, which is Passover. Your Jewish and Catholic friends are probably pretty familiar with that if you ask them..
Passover has to do with with the Israelites were enslaved by the Egyptians many many years ago. They were warned by Moses who told the Pharaoh to let the Israelites go or many plagues would befall them. One of these plagues was that an angel of God would descend upon the land killing the first born son of all the people who didn’t follow a particular symbol of protection on their household.
This symbol of protection, pasting lamb’s blood over their doorway, was the angel’s indicator that the family inside were Israelite and to skip their household and not take the life of their first born.
Now you know where the “lamb” part of this comes from. This lamb was sacrificial to protect the children of God.
Much later, Jesus Christ was born, and he has become the sacrificial “lamb of God”. He was sacrificed on the cross to pay for the sins of all God’s people – so if you accept that gift, that sacrifice, then YOU are a child of God too and your sins have also been paid for by that sacrificial lamb!
I believe in Santa Claus
I’m sure you, like me, have grown up with the exciting tale of Santa Claus, the wonderful plump man whos mission in life is to bring joy to children on Christmas day. While there are many disperate legends that really have combined to form this magical man, the one we are going to talk about is Saint Nicholas.
Saint Nicholas, patron saint of children, among several other things, was an early Christian greek bishop. There are many many stories and elaborations attributed to this holy man, but one that bears mention to the legend is that he was renowned for his habit of secret gift giving. This made him a great favorite of the people and much loved and revered.
Saint Nicholas also was one of the attendees at the Very first council of Nicaea. This council was very important where clergy affirmed that Jesus Christ was divine and not a mere created being or Arianism, proposed by Arius. Saint Nicholas was purportedly so incensed by the ideas put forward by Arius that he is said to have slapped him.
Saint Nicholas is a big part of the modern day Santa Claus and a wonderful legend that is so important to Christians.
Santa Claus brings joy and love to people young and old. Joy is something this world seems to be in short supply of in these difficult modern times, and love is literally a commandment from the Lord, himself:
Matthew 22:37 …“‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.”
And I believe in Santa Claus, like I believe in love….
Thanksgiving
In the USA, Thanksgiving day was started when the new world settlers and the Native Americans sat down together in celebration and friendship over a great fall harvest. It has since been made a traditional holiday where families, friends and loved ones get together and celebrate what they are thankful for for the year.
That being said, this year has been pretty dificult for many reasons. We have had covid and many people have been and still are separated from their families. Many people have had family members perish from this virus, lost their ability to work, to support their familyor pay rent/mortgage, etc.. On top of all that tragedy, personally this has been my first full year on dialysis.
With all those issues it can be hard to find things to be thankful for but there are always blessings when you think.
I am blessed to be able to still work and support my family. I am blessed to have a wonderful wife Michele that puts up with my shenanigans. My daughter Charlotte and her husband. My mother, sister Missy and her husband. I am blessed to have family that keeps in touch with me like Erin and Amy and Alison and my Aunts/Uncles Randy, Lisa, Janet, Michelle, etc., and a sister-in-law Lisa. They all show they care. I have fantastic friends that are also brothers in Christ. Tracy who checks in on me periodically – it means so much to me. Gary who has been a brother in Christ to me literally as long as I have been a Christian. Joel who is my constant buddy even though he lives 2000 miles away. Carl who was like a brother to me when I lived on the east coast. And there are many more of you – it makes me proud that it would take me so long to address them all here. and that brings me to the big one, God. Without God none of this would have been possible. Before I knew God my life was miserable and headed literally noplace. I had nothing and no way to get anywhere different. God changed all that and heaped all this upon me and, for that, I am truely thankful.