Merry X-MORE

Christians adopted this Christams Holiday to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ - most Christians recognize that the actual birthdate of Jesus Christ was in April. But as a Christian - I too use December 25th as a reason to celebrate the birth of my Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. I am still trying to figure out how Black Friday Madness and Christmas relate to each other. We do NOT owe it to help the economy to go Christmas shopping for new TV's so Walmart and Target and Ikea can stay in business. They will be just fine without you loading up on stuff you feel you need to buy for everyone on your shopping list this year. Jesus taught that giving to others was important... ok, I got that. SO... I load up on crap no one really needs and spend more money than my mortgage and let my kids learn that they are worth it! RIGHT? Sheesh - get real people! I was talking to one woman a few years ago that was struggling to put food on the table, her husband lost his job and they could hardly make ends meet. Her son's only request for Christmas was some electronic device (ipad or ipod or iwant or something... I can't remember what) that at the time cost roughly $200. This mother was in tears trying to figure out just how she was going to get it for her son who in years past has always gotten the item he asked for. Try this for a change - "no". Our family has been in financial roller coaster mode for many years. we have lean times and we have times of plenty. It has always been like that for the past 10 years. It really really really (did I say really enough?) bothers me when people ask me, "does your family need help for Christmas?" Let me ask you - Are you going to come over and play the piano while we sing Carols? Or do you want to deal the cards during a game of Rook or Phase 10? How about you help in our Christmas by keeping score on the score pad for our games? The best way you could help my family with Christmas this year, stop by and say hello. Leave a card that reminds me year after year of the friendship and love that we have. The best Christmases we have ever had have been small and few with the gifts. For Christmas this year, when you ask me, do you need help with Christmas? The answer is yes... buy less stuff for your own family. teach your kids something about true service and sacrifice. So many Americans feel like if they want something they should be able to just get it. There is no sense of sacrifice and doing without when times are hard. we as Americans need to learn to do that! live without until our parents on Capitol Hill can get their finances under control. quit asking for more when they can't afford it. and we as parents need to quit giving stuff to our kids and encouraging this entitlement cycle that carries on into adulthood! how does this all translate to when they grow up? These kids go occupy wall street and ask for more and more and more. while hard working business owners figure out how to make ends meet paying all the taxes and fees and dues keep a small business up and running while legislation comes down from the parents on capitol hill trying they can pay for these requests from spoiled kids. The Traditional wacky American view on Christmas is one of the biggest reasons we are in trouble in our nation. Parents can't say no to their kids because they want to win their love. Politicians want to win our hearts and votes and they promise to give us whatever we ask for. we grow up as kids feeling like Christmas should be about being able to get the items we want. we make Wish lists for Santa and on Christmas morning - we better have it dammit! As adults we expect our nation to take care of us - we have wish lists of medical bills and special programs that someone else's tax dollars better pay for dammit! Our finances in this nation are a wreck and it comes down to how we individually choose to live. we feel like the government needs to give us a good Christmas - pay our medical bills, pay our mortgages, pay for our food and pay our wages. our government parent is drowning in debt. you spoiled kids need to stop asking for things your mom can't afford for you. Christmas should be about changing your world as Jesus did.All BIG change starts small, it starts in your home. I wonder how much Jesus carried around with him as he went healing the sick, feeding the hungry, comforting the poor in spirit. Make a change to celebrate HIS birth. Instead of asking for more from Washington, tell them that you are independent and can take care of your own needs. Tell your kids they can live without something big and extravagant. teach your kids how to serve and work. try cleaning up a widow's yard for Christmas. or go out and find a service project to celebrate Christmas. The answer to the question "Do you guys need any help this year with Christmas?" the answer I guess is YES I do! Instead of buying your kids and friends and family pretty new shiny things - Buy a goat or a mosquito net for someone in a 3rd world country. I can't get the link to work - copy and paste into your browser: http://www.samaritanspurse.org/GiftCatalog2011/