Christmas is Past!

So Christmas is over for another year! All the preparations, all the shopping, all the big dinners, eating too much, and all the family times together playing games with the children. Sometimes I wonder who the kids really are? Great as all these things are, they are soon over, and we are left with the cleaning up, and discarded wrapping paper to get to the recycling bin.


For many, Christ wasn't a part of their Christmas, and it would have been replaced with an 'Xmas' or another seasonal name. That is fine, and is a personal choice, but we are faced with another of those reminders now, of what we do with our lives in the coming year. New Year 2010 is a time to look back on the last year, and look ahead to the next. What will we make of that? A believer, or not, we usually find the better part inside us, and want to make the new year different, and hopefully our 'resolutions' will be kept! For our sakes, and for others.   
We are faced with another of those life's choices at a time like this. Do we try to be better people or just leave it all as it was last year? When we look back, we see things which we could have done differently, with the benefit of hindsight. Hindsight is a wonderful thing, but we don't get it until it is too late!

This year, let's take the opportunities when they come our way, learn from the past year, and don't make the same mistakes again. Sounds easy, but fraught with danger. Take care as you step into the new year, and if you have a faith, then hold tight. It might be quite a journey!

Wide Eyed Christmas Fun

What have adults done to Christmas? We have done it a great dis-service by making it so commercial that we miss the whole point of the season. There is much rushing around, preparing our home for dinner guests, cleaning, shopping- sometimes at the last minute, and even trying to fit in that all important Christmas Carol Service, where we try to get into the spirit of the season, but all the while are worried that the turkey might be burning!

On the other hand, what about the children? Not a care in the world, except that they might dare to believe they will get the present they wish for. They are too young to be 'commercialised' or brainwashed by TV to believe that Christmas cannot be enjoyed unless they have 'everything to make themselves look good'. They know they look good anyway, and they are right. Take a look into the eyes of a child and see the fun and love, yes love, of the season. Our children today are innocent to the trappings of 'our adult' Christmas for a while, and we should enjoy it with them. They are the link to the original child of Christmas, who was born in a lowly stable of loving parents who had nothing much to give, except love, and they lavished their love on this, their baby, loaned to this world for such a short time. In that short time, this baby changed the course of the world's history, and we should be thankful.

Our children today, have the same wide eyed and loving view of the world. Who knows, some of our children might also make a difference to our world. We owe it to them, and our world, to allow these young lives to stay children for as long as they can, and as long as we can let them. They will end up like us all too soon, caught up in the trappings of our man made commercialised Christmas season.

To see more of my work, go to: http://picasaweb.google.co.uk/dmmclean1/Christmas2009funandmischief#

Caring Teacher Loses Job

I came across the following news item today, and couldn't believe my eyes! The short version is that a well meaning teacher has been dismissed because she asked if it would be ok to pray for one of her pupils who wasn't feeling well. No, she didn't actually pray, she ASKED if she could pray! She was dismissed because "The Oak Hill Short Stay School and Tuition Service in Nailsea, North Somerset told the teacher that sharing her faith with a child could be deemed to be bullying."

"Olive Jones was dismissed from her job as a home-visit teacher after she spoke about her faith with a girl's mother.

The maths teacher gives lessons to children who are too ill to attend school.

When the girl did not feel up to the November 25 visit, Mrs Jones spoke to her mother over a cup of tea and asked whether she could say a prayer.

The teacher - a mother of two herself - said when the woman told her the family were not believers, she did not go ahead.

But Mrs Jones was later let go after the mother complained the teacher's comments had distressed her and her child.

The Oak Hill Short Stay School and Tuition Service in Nailsea, North Somerset told the teacher that sharing her faith with a child could be deemed to be bullying." End of quote, as reported by Sky News 20 Dec 2009.

I am not sure how you define bullying in your house, but ASKING if you can pray for a sick child is not my definition of bullying. Where do these people come from? How does a teacher lose her job for caring? Even if the child's family were 'non believers', what possible harm could it have done?

Our nation is fast losing any credibility it once had as a 'God fearing nation', and more's the pity. We allow changes to happen around us, and especially as the season of goodwill approaches. My observation is that the 'silent majority' are the ones expected to 'compromise', 'change', 'understand other's views', and 'make allowances' for any and all other groups. Except for the normal, middle of the road, Christian believers who make all the concessions, but see no movement from those others in return.

As you can see, this really made me fizz. I don't know who you are, Olive Jones, but for what little it is worth, my opinion is that you should keep praying, keep believing, and hold the Faith. You did nothing wrong in asking if you could pray for a sick child. I wish there were more like you, and more who would dare to stand behind you in support!

Happy Christmas, yes CHRISTmas!!

It's Christmas for a reason. Not 'Happy Holidays', nor 'Season's Greetings' and certainly not 'Yuletide'! It's CHRISTMAS. I usually go along with the PC frantic society we live in, and have come to try to respect other's views and opinions. Unfortunately, this seems to have become a one way street. What's wrong with celebrating the birth of the Christ? It is widely accepted, that Jesus did live and die in the Bethlehem and Jerusalem area in the middle east. Most other world religions even acknowledge it, so why can't we?

Sometimes I think we are ashamed of the 'Christian' association. I worked with someone, who during an open discussion about Christmas with some other work mates, uttered the unbelievable words, 'let's keep religion out of this'! He was serious! I would go as far as to say he was intelligent, and very clever and even learned. But he didn't want religion getting in the way of the Christmas season!

I accept the whole Christmas thing. The tinsel, the family meal, the giving and receiving of gifts, the singing of the old carols and the reading of the old testament passages, which lead up to the Gospel accounts of the birth of Jesus. There was an archbishop on TV recently, who said we should be 'embarrassed' by some of the carols, like 'Away in a Manger'. Sorry, but give that man his P45! If we have people in the established church who are clearly embarrassed by the church's teaching, then he is in the wrong job! By the way, I do not mind, and will even respect those who do not hold to the teaching of Christmas, as relayed in the Bible, but please then do not put up the Christmas tree, make the Christmas Meal, give Christmas gifts, sing the Christmas Carols, or say 'Happy Christmas' just for the sake of it. At least either embrace the whole season of Christmas, or have nothing to do with Christmas. It will still be Christmas whether or not some people decide not to take part in the celebration.

A few years ago, we had the pleasure of having good Pakistani/Muslim neighbours, and every year we exchanged gifts and Christmas cards. They showed more tolerance and respect for this Holy Christian season than some in the church. I fear the biggest threat to Christmas, and indeed the whole Christian ethic and moral value, is from within. There is indeed a 'fifth column' at work which if left unchallenged will result in a lot of our moral fabric being altered beyond recognition. There are some important things in life which you don't miss until they are gone!