Making New Traditions

I love to torment my son. At the same time, I am destined and determined to start new traditions around here. The other day, I had a chance to do both.

I waited patiently for my little guy and his friend to be in the same room when I excitedly showed him my new fab find of bright red footsy pajamas.

I watched as my little guy's face turned pale, his eyes get real big and eventually he screamed "I'M NOT WEARING THEM!" Then I matter-of-factly informed him that they were for me, not for him. I don't remember what came first in the dramatic episode that followed, either the calisthenics into the chair with his eyes covered or him screaming "YOU ARE SO EMBARRASSING!"

I laughed so hard. His little friend thought it was quite comical too, but not my little guy. No. He remained appalled. I giggled and changed the subject, until his friend left.

"Listen, I think it will be nice for Christmas Eve for us to wear matching footsy pajamas." I told him. "Who is going to see you?" He asked. Not worried about him wearing footsy pajamas, just me. "No one will see us!" I told him. "Okay. Maybe Santa. It's a new Christmas tradition." I explained.

"Okay. As long as no one will see us." He reluctantly agreed to my apparent satire. Even as I'm typing this I'm crying I'm laughing so hard. It's now little guy's turn to come up with yet a new Christmas tradition.

That's Right! Jesus Said:

John 8:1-30
He that is without sin
8:1 but Jesus went to the Mount of Olives.
8:2 Now very early in the morning, he came again into the temple,
and all the people came to him. He sat down, and taught them.
8:3 The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman taken in adultery.
Having set her in the midst,
8:4 they told him, "Teacher, we found this woman in adultery, in the very act.
8:5 Now in our law, Moses commanded us to stone such.
What then do you say about her?"
8:6 They said this testing him, that they might have something to accuse him of.
But Jesus stooped down, and wrote on the ground with his finger.
8:7 But when they continued asking him, he looked up and said to them,
"He who is without sin among you, let him throw the first stone at her."
8:8 Again he stooped down, and with his finger wrote on the ground.
8:9 They, when they heard it, being convicted by their conscience,
went out one by one, beginning from the oldest, even to the last.
Jesus was left alone with the woman where she was, in the middle.
8:10 Jesus, standing up, saw her and said,
"Woman, where are your accusers? Did no one condemn you?"
8:11 She said, "No one, Lord." Jesus said,
"Neither do I condemn you. Go your way. From now on, sin no more."

Them There Christians

My goodness.

We are a tough crowd at times. Often forgetting where we come from or what we stand for.

Are we perfect? Never. Side-note here. . .if you ever meet a person, specifically a Christian, who claims to be perfect - run. Inasmuch as we believe and live in the spiritual world, there's always this dang flesh to contend with. As Christians, we're supposed to know better and ask God before divulging in any joys of the flesh, but sometimes it's not that easy. God forbid you don't act Christian in any one circumstance. You're crucified, and more often than not, by other Christians. Actually, it's us Christians who condemn, judge and persecute the absolute best. We're so good at it. We have the ability to make a man or woman suffer for years after they fall from grace. We make this person feel inadequate, rob them of their self-worth and corrupt their thought patterns with chronic guilt.

Let's pretend I wasn't a Christian and I didn't go to church, and sinned in a really bad way. Would I feel this contemptment? Nope. And you wonder why people shy away from us, us here Christians.

Then there's that there flip-side of Christianity. We're all somehow on the same page. We believe and know that God exists and there's a certain quality about us. Jesus is with us. Angels protect us. God loves us. The Holy Spirit engulfes our being. We know how to forgive, and we know how to pray. We know our hearts and how to heal them, and we know how to assist others in healing. We believe in miracles and relish our new lives.

Never a pefect life, just a new one. A life where hope, peace and joy prevail. To say the least.

We can't go back to not being a them there Christian. We know this is where we belong. It all makes sense to us.

Easy does it them there Christians when you're emotionally beating up a brother and/or sister. Someday it could happen to you.

John 14:27: Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. - Jesus Christ

New Beginnings

~ Nobody can go back and start a new beginning, but anyone can start today and make a new ending. ~ Maria Robinson

Life Is A Learning Experience

Recently, I learned a lot.

God throws us through these situations one after the other that appear to be attached somehow. In most instances than not, their not the best situations.

While enduring the "not so good" situations in life, God shows us things, He teaches us. We learn endurance, patience, love, etc. and once again become familiar with deep prayer and meditation. We search for answers while spending hours in His Word, and become in tune with what He is telling us. We learn a lot about others, and of ourselves. We learn where our strengths are, which weakness to avoid in the future and how to proceed in this crazy little thing called life.

God, could I be done? I don't need to learn anymore. I don't have the energy. I know we'll always be learning, but, maybe God, just maybe, it could be a little less painful, maybe not so much confusion and emotional drainage.

I'm closing a chapter in my life. Actually, over the past year, I've closed about four chapters in my life, all of which I've learned from. I'm eagerly anticipating the next chapter; a newer, better chapter thanks to all I've learned in this, my recent past.

Amen and thank you.