It’s Almost Christmas

I know there are those who are ready for Christmas right after Halloween or Thanksgiving or hearing Christmas songs wherever you go, however, reality set in for me yesterday when I got a couple gift packages in the mail.

Actually, I have known Christmas is coming for a little while though it is unbelievable because time goes by so fast doesn’t it. I feel we just got over summer and then fall arrived. The weather has been kind until this last week and the temperatures had been warmer than normal as well.

The amazing thing is family was prepared this year. The gifts usually don’t arrive until next week however the thought is the most important thing. It would be nice to open the presents now but I am being good and wait.

Remember the greatest presents though are each other. Giving our time and energy to each other; of course, love is in the middle of it all.

Although we still have eleven days until Christmas I want to wish you all a Merry Christmas and add in a Happy New Year. May this be the best holiday season you have on record. Amen!

Let It Snow

Right now we are getting a lot of rain in the towns and cities here in Western Washington while the mountains are getting a good bit of snow. Until a few days ago the weather has been sunny and dry. Everyone likes to see the sun most of the time however rain and snow both need to come.

I wish we had some snow like the mountains. I have to say most people except children, of course, would rather have rain so they don’t have to drive in the snow. I don’t have any problem driving in the snow. We do have a lot of hills around here so living on or next to a hill can be difficult to getting starting.

The mountains have been lacking the snow so those who want to ski have been aching to do so. I heard a couple people last week wanting to snow in the mountains so they could go skiing.

This made me think often we don’t agree on things. In some situations, we have to have a mediator to solve the disagreement. It takes a wise person with experience to decide on how to resolve the issue. This brings to mind as well we have mentors too. We want to have changes in our lives and the mentor has a life we would like to have or at least come close to anyway. This can be so rewarding for the one wanting to be mentored and the one mentoring.

 So back to letting it snow. Although I like to have snow here the likelihood of it happening is not great. We usually get snow once or twice a winter and it doesn’t really stay around long. I do remember as a child and young adult we had a lot more snow back in the day. No, I didn’t walk to school for miles in the snow. There was a time I walked home in the snow though however, the distance was a little over a mile. 

So if you live where there is snow you are a blessed person. Throw a snowball just thinking of me in your mind and I say thank you. 

A Special Gift

This time of the year many are buying gifts for their loved ones and friends for Christmas. Some gifts have more meaning than others though they can all be special because of the people giving them to us.

The reason I am writing this to remind us the gifts are not really the most important thing it is the people behind the gifts. Actually, every one of us is a special gift. We are here because God considers us special. We may not know it or feel this way most of the time however this is true.

So today treat everyone you meet plus yourself as the special gift. You will feel better and have a richer life. 

Interesting Times

This year coming to a close we continue to know we are living in interesting times. In politics, we have the left, far left, right and the far right. I am sure we have people in the middle too.

Most Christians believe we are living in the end times. I am sure we are however most have believed since Jesus Christ came on scene two thousand years ago. Even the disciples believed he would return in their time.

I read the Book of Revelation in the New Testament at least three times a year. I don’t try to figure all things out however I do wonder whether somethings have been written have already happened or not. Are all the prophecies still in the future?  At this point, God hasn’t revealed it to me as of yet. I am not saying this to say I am the one person he will do so. I am sure there are those God has revealed to some point or another.

Now back to interesting times. This is why so great a time for us to be alive to see what more happens in these days.  We were all born for a purpose and this time to shine.

So many people seem to have lost hope these days and whatever hope we can share the best we can do. Use the purpose given to you to bless others. Going into 2019 and beyond bless others to the best of our abilities. A year ago I said for this year to be let’s do it. Now for 2019 let’s bless others.

Remember you are special for a purpose you were only created to do. Amen!

Our Heart In

During the holiday season, it does become easy for us to give our hearts out to others unlike the rest of the year. The state of the world these days it is understandable why we don’t let others in.

I remember growing up though I had issues it was easy to trust people in those days while now hard to know who to trust and who not to trust.

Personally, I don’t worry much about who to trust and who not to trust. I don’t have any children so for me it is easier. These days it is harder to trust others with your children.

As a child, I was able to get out and around without my parents worrying much about me. Now parents have to be protective of their children. This is where I believe our hearts come in the equation. We can’t automatically let others in but we must find a way to do so with those close to us.

The world has become closer together with the internet and social media. Often people are being slammed by others even those close primarily because of politics. Here in the United States anyway families have been divided over the last election in 2016. With the next election coming up in two years for the presidency again this will be trouble and might get a lot worse.

I try not to let the difference of people opinions about politics to bother me. The hardest part these days I have old friends who speak negatively about President Trump on a daily basis. I am not a fan of his but it is tiring to see so instead I hide the posts when they come through. I amazed people can be so obsessed about him. I can understand doing some warning but day after day come on people.

So this is where our hearts draw away from each other so much. Let’s get back to drawing our hearts together regardless difference of politics or whatever else going on. Amen!

Interesting People

I am sure I have mentioned a number of times I enjoy meeting people. Everyone is interesting in one way or another.

On Saturday I met a man who I think he is interesting. I am sure he is like most being different than expected by looking at his cover.

His name is Stephen and he is new in the area. He is staying with a friend or he would be homeless. I don’t know much of his story in recent times other than he lost his savings.

Stephen told me he is a retired doctor and pastor. He has a daughter going to college at Portland State University and she is majoring in music. He will be going down to Portland in a few days to spend Christmas with her.

He told me he has written a book and is looking for a publisher. I hope he does well with the book so he can land back on his feet financially. Right now he is living on social security and it is not enough money to live on especially finding a place to rent.

Anyway to say all this is he told me the only reason he is still alive is he has a purpose in life. I told him he is correct and the reason we are all here still because we do have a purpose.

It is so nice to when I talk to someone and they recognize that they have a purpose in life. Not everyone recognizes they have a purpose.

So whenever you have the time to pray do so for Stephen. I am sure he can use all the prayers he can get just like us. Amen!

Friendship

Whatever our purpose is being friendly should be part of it. However, there are those we should mentor while others we should have a friendship with.

We can actually be a mentor well as a friend at the same time. Often mentoring comes out of friendship. I would call it the next step.

The whole thing though about our purpose in life we should do more of caring than out of doing for the gifts and talents we have. Other words we should not do something because we want to have points added on by doing works. We do all things for the greater good of all involved.

We all need friendship besides being friendly. It doesn’t mean we will gain friendship with everyone we are friendly too. The reason is we don’t have the time to be friends to everyone we meet. We can be friendly when we see them but there are those we will be friends with too. We have to see who they are and act accordingly.

Saying Goodbye

In a way, it is a follow up to the last post about George H.W. Bush we all know someone who has passed on recently whether our parents’ generation or ours for that matter.

Thursday I went to a funeral of a lady I have known most of my life. I grew up with her daughter and son-in-law. Her daughter we were in Sunday school together.

It was nice to say goodbye to her and see some familiar faces. I found out before the service her brother passed away a couple days ago so the family will be mourning further as well.

I have known friends who have lost both parents in a manner of weeks so losing siblings close in time isn’t surprising either though difficult.

Saying goodbye is for a period of time. We will see each other someday again whether days, weeks, months or years in the next life. This is where hope comes because I do believe this isn’t the end only the time in-between. We will see those we love and known throughout life again.

I find enjoyable at a funeral or memorial service about someone I knew since childhood and they were an adult what they did before having a family.

Her grandfather came to Gig Harbor, Washington right when it was coming alive. He came to Gig Harbor just over one hundred and thirty years ago back in the 1880s. She was born and raised in Gig Harbor. She went to a small schoolhouse which anyone can visit now because it is right next to the Harbor History Museum.

Many of the children of today living get to see and learn about the city of Gig Harbor where she spent most of her life. In the last few years, she moved to eastern Washington into her daughter’s home near the Columbia River because of her health however her heart never left her home of Gig Harbor where she now rests.

It was so good to talk to some of those who gathered at the church before the service. I had to take my mother to a doctor’s appointment we couldn’t change so we had to leave near the end of the service.

I was able to say hello to her family well as next door neighbors and longtime friends. It is amazing something people remember as well. One of her neighbor’s children who I was in school with remembers seeing my family when visiting her grandparents. They lived right next door to us. At one point my grandfather tried to buy their place from them.

Memories keep coming back to time knowing her and the family growing up. I would see her and her sister who passed away within the last couple of years whenever I go to church with my mother. It was no longer my church on a regular basis, however, I went with my mother at Christmas Eve service or soup dinners Wednesday nights during Lent. Those lovely ladies were always there and I would catch up about their lives and the children I knew.

So it isn’t goodbye really it is see you later whenever time it will be. 

Thank You Mr. President

I really enjoyed what I was able to see of President George Herbert Walker Bush funeral service. All the current past presidents were on hand well as current President Donald Trump.

President Bush was one of the best presidents the USA has ever had. He had a great sense of humor along with doing what he truly believed. So I truly want to thank you for not only the job as President but being the man you were. You lived out the purpose God created you for.

The sad part I found on social media where some people including some classmates I grew up with spoke up against President Trump instead of honoring President Bush. I am sure they had a strong feeling on Bush but this wasn’t the place to criticize Donald Trump. This is one day I feel they could have done without doing so.

We should be able to encourage others with good words instead of disrespecting someone. Again hale to the chief George H.W. Bush. 

Thinking Out Loud

I am sure we all have done it at one time or another thinking out loud.  The important thing is where and when you do it. I am sure we don’t want to be embarrassed by talking out what we are thinking.

Once in a while someone will ask me why my lips are moving without anything coming out of my mouth. This is similar to thinking out loud. I am thinking about something so my lips are moving. Let you know I don’t do this often. When does happen I just let them know I was thinking about saying something so my lips moving without a word.

I am not sure why I am saying all this but it is for a purpose I guess. Just be sure when thinking out loud not be in a position having to explain. Oh yes it is Wednesday after all. LOL.

Climate Change

I know some believe in climate change while others don’t. I happen to be one that does believe in it because here in Western Washington our weather has changed.

November our average rainfall is seven inches and this year we had four and a half inches of rain. Most of the rain happened near the end of the month.

December the rainfall average is five and a half inches. The temperatures are supposed to be around the average in the high of 47 degrees and the low of 36 degrees. Right now we are having cold temperatures because the sun will be out all week. Next week be around the average high with rain expected every day.

I am not sure I am selling you on climate change for this time of the year however we used to have more snow when I was younger but in recent years we are lucky to get a couple inches when it does fall. I remember when we might have about ten inches of snow at least once a year.

I believe it was last year when we had snow on Christmas Day. Up until then I had only been dreaming of a White Christmas like the song.

The summers are longer so the spring, fall and winter are shorter. At least we have four seasons here which is real nice.

Whatever the weather is at your place have a fantastic and jolly holiday season.

Thank You

I want to thank all of you reading my posts once again this year. I hope you are doing well especially with encouraging words I give you each day.

I wish you a wonderful holiday season. You and your family will have a great time.

Yesterday my pastor said at church in his sermon that we are who we believe in ourselves. So think highly of yourself than it is who you will be.

Meditate all day long on good things than you will have a positive life. Even the times when circumstances are not good your faith will help you through.

Until next time peace be with you. Amen!

Hope This Season

If you know the story of baby Jesus Mary and Joseph had to go to Bethlehem where to register the family. Since there were so many people by the time they arrived no rooms were available in town. Joseph decided to take whatever they could get so he and pregnant Mary likely stayed in a barn where Jesus was born. They were able to get a blanket and a manger was available to put Jesus in. No one in Bethlehem knew the meaning of this child until the three wise men arrived from the East bringing gifts to the child they believed was the messiah.

In those days the people of Israel were hoping for the Messiah to come though they didn’t recognize him. He was the hope for the nation. They were looking for a king that not only rule them but give them a better life than being ruled by the Roman government. They had no idea the reason he had truly come for them and the whole world. His purpose was to forgive their sins and give a spiritual life. Also they had no idea he came to die on a cross for their lives either. Even when the event happened they still were unclear his reason.

So you see Jesus Christ came to give us hope for a future not only in this life but the one after we die. All we have to do is accept him as our savior and acknowledge our sins. Also to ask him to forgive our sins of the past, present and future; it is very simple thing to do. If you feel you don’t deserve to be forgiven than you’re the candidate to be forgiven all you have to do is ask him into your heart. At that moment your life will change forever. I know because my life changed when I did so.

Not only take the true hope of this world during this season pass it on to others as well. Let them know their lives can change forever. All you have to do is believe and have faith in Jesus Christ. Amen!