CHRISTMAS...AN AMAZING HOLIDAY!

      A few weeks ago I blogged about Christmas. My thesis was that Ebenezer Scrooge had a valid point when he spoke to his nephew of his disdain for Christmas. I spoke out complaining about the rampant commercialism that has come to represent the way Christmas is celebrated in modern times. In response I became founder and president of the E.S.A.S. (Ebenezer Scrooge Admiration Society) I have an official coffee mug.

     On Christmas Eve SWMBO and I attended a worship service at the church building from 11:30 pm, Christmas Eve, to 12:45 am, Christmas Day. I was struck by the simple faith and devotion my fellow congregants displayed on this most holy night. 

     My thoughts soon centered upon our God. It occurred to me that when you look around at the vastness of the universe with its many galaxies strewn across the cosmos you cannot help but awe. I thought that when you consider the precise complexity of the simple cell you cannot help but be impressed by the design and the Designer. I further thought that when you consider that time was created by that same Designer, you cannot help but admire and be humbled by the mind that conceived of the idea.

     When I reflected upon the God who created all that had been created, I was awestruck by the idea that He would enter time in the form of a human child and live a life as one of His created ones. It was like an artist entering into one of their paintings or perhaps a movie maker entering into one of their films and becoming one of the characters. Amazing stuff!

     I am further awestruck at the concept that such a infinitely powerful God would care a whit about human beings, much less experience life as one.

     Even more stunning to me is that this God desires a relationship with us humans. He doesn't force His affections upon us. He gives us the option of freely choosing to respond to His love or to reject it.

     That is what I believe Christmas should be all about! Our God was born to a virgin and her carpenter husband. He lived a perfectly sinless life and was nailed to a Roman cross to die for our sins because He loves us. That is what Christmas is all about! 

     Therefore, despite the fact that it is a good thing to give and receive gifts at Christmas time, that should not be the primary focus of the day.

      In conclusion, I think that Christmas is an amazing holiday for what it says about God and the love of God. I believe that is what should be emphasized and celebrated!

CHRISTMAS...WHAT A CONCEPT!

"If I could work my will, every idiot that walked around with Merry Christmas on his lips

 should be boiled in his own pudding and buried with a stake of holly through his heart"

Ebenezer Scrooge from "A Christmas Carol"

     People who do not possess any Christmas spirit are often referred to as being a "Scrooge." In his story, A Christmas Carol, Charles Dickens has his main character venting his spleen about Christmas. Scrooge is visited by his nephew, Fred, and during that visit Scrooge questions the propriety of the way Christmas is observed. Scrooge see's Christmas as a vulgar, commercial holiday, where people spend money they can ill afford, to purchase things that they don't need. Dickens describes Scrooge's motives as being due to avarice, bitterness and a general disdain for enjoying the blessings that life has to offer. 

     I believe that Dickens, through Scrooge, has a valid point. As I write this, Christmas is some sixteen days away. I generally don't get the Christmas spirit until sometime between December 10th to December 15th. I am the founder and president of the E.S.A.S. (Ebenezer Scrooge Admiration Society.) We even have an official coffee mug...

The Official Mug of the E.S.A.S.

     Christmas was originally a holy day set aside to celebrate the God of the Bible becoming human through the birth of the Christ Child. It is this Child who was destined to redeem man from sin. On the day of His birth, an angel appeared to some shepherds watching their sheep in a field and announced the birth proclaiming "Behold I bring tidings of great joy which will be for all the people; for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ, the Lord....Glory to God in the highest and Peace to men upon whom His favor rests." On this holy day the promised Messiah was born. The liberation of man from the oppression of sin was imminent. In a few short decades, the Lamb of God would take away the sins of the world by sacrificing Himself on a Roman cross. That is what Christmas is supposed to be about, in my humble opinion.

     Now, it is not politically correct to wish someone "Merry Christmas" for fear of causing offense. Now, schoolchildren may not sing Christmas Carols in schools anymore for fear of causing a lawsuit to be brought against the school for violating the establishment clause of the 1st Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.  Now, displaying Nativity Scenes on public property is forbidden for much the same reason.

     Christmas merchandise in stores is put out on display earlier and earlier every year. This year some stores, for the first time, opened their doors with special sales on Thanksgiving day to give people a head start on Christmas shopping.

     It seems to me that as the years pass us by, Christmas becomes more about the commercial aspects of the season and less about the "Reason for the Season!"

      Therefore, I respectfully submit to you that Ebenezer Scrooge has a valid point to make, notwithstanding his personal motives in making it. So, at least for a few more days, I raise my coffee mug in toast and loudly proclaim the motto of the E.S.A.S...."Christmas...Bah! Humbug!"

KITCHEN DEMOLITION UPDATE!

Kitchen cabinets pre-demolition

     You may recall that several months ago I demolished our kitchen to address a problem of sagging cabinets.  The reason why they were sagging is that the top of a couple of the cabinets got wet and disintegrated.

Mid Demolition

Post Demolition

     The demolition went fairly easy and was uneventful. Instead of re-hanging the cabinets though, SWMBO and I decided to go another way. We decided to leave the peninsula open and install some cabinets on the counter, against the wall by the sink. 

     You may recall my earlier Blog post where I described "playing light fixture musical chairs." The kitchen fixture was moved to the dining room. The dining room fixture was moved to the peninsula. A new ceiling fan/light fixture was installed in the kitchen. The most difficult task with moving the lights was placing three light switches where there were formerly, two.

     One of the most difficult things about the peninsula remodel of the project was installing the drywall over the peninsula, plastering and re-painting.

Drywall work in progress.

     The finished product came out better than I imagined. I constructed an Appliance Garage to be installed under one of the cabinets. SWMBO has a toaster and an electric water heater/pot that she uses to heat up water for tea.

Finished Product! The appliance garage is behind the red curtain
 underneath the cabinet to the right, near the sink.

     SWMBO is happy with the finished product! She is responsible for the final aesthetic enhancements. She did a nice job! We make a great team! It took a long while, but now...it is done! Enjoy your day everyone!

 

THE TACTICAL ADVANTAGE OF "RETREAT!"

"Judging by Church attendance, Heaven won't be crowded with men."

      If the above quote is in fact true, why is it true? Why doesn't the Gospel resonate with men today in 21st century America? Why are women more disposed to listening to the Gospel? I do not believe that the quote is accurate and that the Gospel does not resonate with men, today.
     Last weekend I had the occasion to spend three days at Camp Ganderbrook in Raymond, ME. I was joined by about 150 other Christian men from all around New England.  There were old men, young men, middle aged men, military combat veterans, laborers, construction workers, computer geeks, and all manner of men.

Camp entrance!

Director's Cabin/Cook's Cabin/Infirmary & Dormitory

     The purpose of the gathering was the annual Men's Retreat. Every year we withdraw from the pressures of our busy lives and gather at the camp to focus more intently on spiritual matters. It's a wonderful time of seeing old friends and meeting new people of like mind from all over New England. It's wonderful to share our stories with each other. I always find it interesting and enjoyable to learn how people became the person that they became. That's one reason why I enjoy reading biographies.
     The speaker this year was a man named Jim McGuiggan. Mr. McGuiggan is an excellent teacher, a master teacher, with many years experience. I say this because I left the camp with more questions than answers. Jim's lessons provoked serious thought. His lessons raised questions that will require further Bible study and further thought. His lessons brought a fresh perspective to the subject matter. His lessons were not conducive to note taking but were nonetheless, well crafted and well presented. 
      Food, coffee, dessert and other drinks were plentiful. No one went away hungry or thirsty. The singing was heavenly! (Pun intended)
     We live in a world where life is hard. The pressures of providing for a family in today's economy are more intense then ever. Each day we men battle to fulfill our obligations to our God, our families, and our Churches. It is healthy and proper for us to "retreat" from those obligations for a few days to recharge our batteries and to refocus ourselves on what's truly important. When we return to out normal lives we are better men, better fathers, better husbands and better Christians for having taken the time to do so.
     If you are a Christian man, you owe it to yourself to attend the Men's Retreat. Plan now to take the time off next September to do so. The next retreat will be hosted by the Churches from the State of Vermont. You will not be sorry that you went. 
     You do not have to be a Cristian to attend the Retreat. If you are not a Christian man, you owe it to yourself to become a Christian. You will not be sorry! If I may be of service in that regard, please let me know.  See you all next year at Ganderbrook! God bless all of you! Enjoy your day! 

I LOVE WOMEN...ONE IN PARTICULAR!

     I make no secret of the fact that I am a Christian. I also have not been shy about proclaiming that as a Christian I have been lavishly blessed. One such blessing is that I have had the privilege of associating with people who are loving, kind, and compassionate. These people perform acts of kindness not because of what they might get out of it, but rather out of real altruism. 
     Another blessing that I have received as a Christian is that I have seen the best of women. I love women for all that they are! I have seen women unselfishly sacrifice themselves for their children, their spouses, their friends and even strangers. Women possess abilities and traits that complements, not competes with, the abilities and traits found in men.
     In the beginning God created man and placed him in a garden paradise. It wasn't too long before God saw that man was not good alone so He made a help mate suitable for him...woman!
     Some people have suggested that the Bible teaches women are inferior to men or condones treating women as inferior to men. Nothing is further from the truth. The Bible tells men to "Love your wives as Christ loved the Church and gave Himself up for her." (Ephesians 5:25) A few verses later men are told "So husbands ought to love their wives as they love their own bodies." (Ephesians 5:28)   Further, the Apostle Paul clearly states that all people are equal in Christ. "There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave or freeman, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ." (Galatians 3:28) Clearly, Paul is teaching that men and women are equal before God. If women are considered to be inferior it is because of the teachings of men, not God!
     I have personally experienced the best of women, one woman in particular. I have been married to SWMBO for over 39 years. In that time I have experienced the best that a woman, through marriage, has to offer. SWMBO completes me...in the best sense of what that means. She loves me unconditionally. She is quick to forgive me when I screw up; and let me hasten to add that she has had ample practice on that score. She motivates me to be the best man, the best Christian man that I can be. I try every day to love her as Christ loves the Church and as I love myself.
     This past weekend I had the privilege of serving in the kitchen at the annual Gander Brook Lady's Retreat in Raymond, Maine. Women come from churches all over New England to spend some time away from the cares of the world, to draw closer to God, to encourage and teach each other, and to become more of what God created them to be. They are special women, indeed!
     I love women, one woman in particular! I pray God's blessing upon them!

HURRICANE IRENE REDUX!

     Well, as I write this there are still many people who have yet to get their power restored. SWMBO and I are one of the very fortunate ones who did not lose power at all during the storm. I am grateful that we did not sustain any damage or injuries as well.
     There has been a fair amount of criticism about how the weather folks reported on the storm. Some say that the storm was hyped way out of proportion to the facts. Others ascribe reasons for the hype as collusion between the media and the hardware and/or grocery stores.
     Here's my take on the matter. I believe that the weather people were in a no-win situation. If they had under played and under reported the potential hazards associated with the storm and there had been greater loss of life, greater property damage, etc, they would have been soundly condemned. There would have been demands for an investigation as to why people who were in the projected path of the storm were not better informed.
     As it was, there were some places where no amount of preparation would have prevented the catastrophe that did occur. The fact is, if flood waters are coming at you, unless you can move all your property out of the way, you are going to sustain damage.
     Some places from North Carolina to the northern New England states, experienced flooding the likes of which have not been seen in over a hundred years. Bridges were washed out. Roads that had formerly been spared were washed out. A case in point, residents in upstate Vermont became, and still are, stranded when bridges and roads were washed out by the floods. Some neighborhoods in New Jersey are still under water.
     Other locations sustained damage from high winds knocking down trees and power lines. Again, there is little that you can do to prevent a tree from being blown down onto your house or power lines.
     So, even though some of us were extremely fortunate to have escaped sustaining death, injury or severe property damage, others were not so fortunate. Many people have lost everything!
     Was the reporting on Hurricane Irene over hyped? I don't think so! Warnings were issued far enough in advance to provide sufficient time to prepare as well as one could prepare in such circumstances. I'm glad that the technology exists to enable us to be so well informed in such a timely manner.
     Join me in saying prayers for those who have suffered greatly because of the damages caused by Hurricane Irene!

SO...HOW WAS YOUR WEEKEND?

   Unless you have been living in a remote cave or are one of the few people in the country who haven't been paying attention there was some meteorological  drama on the east coast this past weekend.
    Hurricane Irene had her way in the Caribbean Ocean, slamming into the island of Hispaniola, you know, Haiti and the Dominican Republic, and the Bahama's causing widespread devastation.   
    Irene then proceeded like a buzz saw up the east coast of the United States, bypassing Florida and heading straight for North Carolina. Irene raked the mid-Atlantic States, Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey and the New England States causing all kinds of mayhem.
    SWMBO and I kept a weathered eye (pun intended) on the projected path of the storm. It was not looking good for New Hampshire. So SWMBO and I began making preparations to get ready for the storm and it's anticipated effects. The weather talking-heads were predicting that Irene would be a Category 1 hurricane, that is, torrential rain and 75 mph + winds when it rolled over New Hampshire. That meant wide spread power outages and flooding. 
     I checked the gas and oil on the chainsaw. I started the chainsaw and let it run for a few minutes. I next refueled and checked the oil on the emergency power generator. It started as designed and so I let it run for a few minutes too. Next was making sure we had a sufficient number of flashlights, spare batteries, candles, oil lamps and lamp oil, and liquid propane for the barbecue grill.
    On Saturday SWMBO & I made sure that we had enough water for drinking and sanitation purposes and food to last us and Becke the wonder dog for a few days.
    Getting back to the generator, the instructions say that the generator must not be operated inside the house and must be at least ten feet from any door or window. The instructions also say that the generator cannot be exposed to the elements such as rain or snow. Well it seems to me that the times you might need a generator the elements are gonna be the proximate cause of the power outage. The generator people want to have it both ways. How did I solve this little dilemma? Observe...

            

...I bought some PVC Piping and joints and constructed a frame. I also obtained a tarp that goes over the frame. The generator sits on a wood pallet with eye bolts at the four corners. The tent goes over the generator and pallet. The tarp is secured to eye bolts in the end caps on the feet of the frame. The tarp is secured to the frame and the frame is secured to the pallet. The tent protects the generator from the elements but should allow sufficient air flow for cooling and dissipating the exhaust gasses.


    How did we make out this past weekend? We survived with no power outage or damage to our home. We did get a lot of rain and moderate wind but we fared well. Others were not so lucky. 
   Throughout the eastern seaboard Hurricane Irene caused billions of dollars worth of damage and took eighteen lives. It caused widespread power outages, about 150,000 customers throughout NH alone and serious flooding in parts of northern NH and Vermont.
         God was gracious once again to SWMBO and me and answered our prayers. I'm here to tell you that the God who answered prayers so long ago still answers prayers today! 
         So how was your weekend?