"Black Friday" and Advent

Hi!
I hope everyone had an enjoyable Thanksgiving. Mine was really nice. All the kids, plus my daughter-in-law's dad, were there. And the turkey--YUM-OH!! It was a smoked turkey from Famous Dave's. Amazing! And if I might say so myself, the sweet potato pies I baked weren't half-bad either!

Black Friday: My wife, daughter and daughter-in-law were out almost all day, starting by getting up at 3:00am (that's right, 3:00am) to get to JCPenney's by 4:00am. They had a good time, and saved a lot of money (I hope) on presents. I tease and kid about "Black Friday", but it's fun to see Kim have a good time. I read on a blog last night, and heard from Kim, that there were things that happened yesterday that were no laughing matter. An employee was killed, and a pregnant woman injured and hospitalized, in a trampling at a Walmart--I don't know where. Kim said she heard there was a shooting somewhere. This is how we usher in a "Christian" holiday? This is how we start the season of Advent, and prepare to welcome the Prince of Peace? A friend of mine says that he doesn't really celebrate Christmas, because the way that Christmas is celebrated in America has little if anything to do with the person whose birthday it's supposed to be celebrating or what He stood for. I think my friend might be right!

I know I say this a lot, but it bears repeating, I think: Don't skip over Advent! Take time during the next four weeks, starting tomorrow, Sunday, November 30, to observe "The Four R's" and the scriptures that go with them: Reflect--1 Corinthians 1:4-9, Repent--Mark 1:1-18, Rejoice--1 Thessalonians 5:16-24, and Renew--Psalm 96. There, I just gave you a sneak peak at the sermon titles and texts for the next 4 weeks!

November 4, 2008, January 20, 2009

Hey!
I haven't blogged in awhile--sorry! I thought I'd share a few "random thoughts" about current events, particularly our recent election.

First of all:
If you voted for Obama/Biden:

• It's okay to be happy, but don't gloat!
• Don't go thinking that a new presidential administration will wave a magic wand and fix all of our problems overnight. There's a lot of work to be done, hard work, and many of our challenges will take a lot of time to deal with.
• Be just as discerning, even critical, as you would be toward any politician or administration. That's an important part of being an American, holding our government accountable.
  

If you voted for McCain/Palin:

• It's okay to be disappointed, but don't be bitter.
• In the interest of good citizenship, do what you can to support the new administration and our country, with your prayers as well as your criticisms.

All of us:

• Pray for our new president, congress, the Senate, and all of those who serve at all levels of government. That's what God tells us to do, in 1 Timothy 2:1-4.
• Pray for our country. We're becoming more and more divided, and that's very bad. We must work and pray together to keep our nation great, strong and free.
• Pray for peace, in Iraq and Afghanistan, and for all people and all nations.

One more thing: Happy Thanksgiving! Travel safely, enjoy your family, and if you go out to shop on "Black Friday", wear a crash helmet!