Home for the Holidays

The celebration of Christmas is by far the greatest holiday time in America.  No other holiday gets as much attention in terms of time, ads, celebrations, parties, gifts and sales.  It is as much a part of our way of life and culture that it is hard to separate it from other things that are happening at the same time.  It is also a time for the kids who are away at college or those sailors and soldiers who are deployed to come home.  It is a great time of the year in which to be thankful and spend some quality time with family and friends.    

Besides being the greatest holiday time, Christmas also has the most symbols that reflect this time of the year.  Each symbol has meaning and history as to why it is associated with Christmas.  And you can see them everywhere.  Some of the most notable symbols include the Christmas tree, holly branches, reefs, lights, decorations, candy canes, snowman, reindeer, Santa Claus, chest nuts, holiday parades, seasonal music and songs.  When you add in the faith community, there are even more symbols including the lighting of candles, the Star of David, special reading of scriptures about the birth of Christ, the wise men from the east, Shepherds in the fields, birth in a manger, angles, and special worship services to commemorate the occasion.      

Let’s not forget some of the thrills of this holiday that include the foods for meals and leftovers.    The food includes ham, turkey, pork chops, eggnog, coconut cake, sweet potato pie, mac and cheese, greens, rolls and corn bread, and of course this is just my short list.  The other thrill is the shopping for gifts for family and friends. There are tons of sales everywhere and there seems to be no shortage of items to choose from.     

But Christmas is much more than the symbols we use, the foods we eat and the shopping we do.  Christmas is about hope, love, joy and peace.  And believe me; we need a lot of each one.  It is about finding the real meaning of the coming of Christ into the world for such a time as this.  It’s a time to remember our blessings, help those who are less fortunate than we are and to find a way to help make our society better.  It is also a time to get together with family and friends, share the values of what we have in common and to focus on our future.  What do you think?              

Game On!!

If you have not notice it as of yet...we are already in the political season for 2016 and that is saying it mildly.  For many it seems that we just finished the last cycle only a few months ago.  And with each passing day it appears that someone is always running for some public office at the flip of a coin, drop of a hat or when an opportunity just comes available.  You get the feeling real quick that something is missing in the process that  people are more interested in running for or remaining in public office than getting things done for the people.      

I know you just can’t wait to start receiving all that promotional material including handouts, church fans and donation pledge cards.  Besides that, you will begin seeing ads on TV, yard signs, billboards, featured personal news stories and the debates.  And let’s not forget about being invited to attend town hall meetings, listening sessions, book signings, fund raising dinners, and few special rallies to get out the vote.   

From what I have seen and heard already, this upcoming election season will be something for the record books. I don’t mean just in terms of how many people who will be running for some kind of public office, but also in terms of how much money will be spend by each candidate.  The totals will be just “staggering” and “out the roof” for many.  To some observers, the money that is going to be spend would be enough to fund a middle size school district for an entire year or pay for a graduating high school class of 100 to attend college for four years.  It will be “off the chain” and we all see it coming. 

However, we must remember that all elections depend on whether or not enough voters come out to cast a vote for a particular candidate or on an issue that affects them.  The voter is the only person that really matters during each “political season.” It is up to voters to make sure their voices are heard on the issues.  Of course we have to understand that all elections are more about “local” issues than statewide or national. So today, its “Game On” for your vote for it really does count. What do you think?