Santa Claus and Happy Holidays- EVIL???

What would you think of a mother who, after finding her little girl playing with her dolls and pretending they were real, would snatch them out of her child's arms and tell her to not ever do that again.  "These dolls are not REAL, they are just plastic and rubber!  They can't HEAR you when you sing lullabies to them, and it's impossible to rock them to sleep!  Stop being foolish and grow up, face reality!  It's a waste of time to use our imagination in such silly in-mature ways! What would you think of a father who, upon finding his son racing his hot wheels in the dirt, making racing engine and gear shifting noises, suddenly kicked the "track" over and told him to "stop foolin around!  Those cars aren't REAL!  You're just a stupid kid wastin a lotta time, who do ya think ya are, Dale Earnhardt Jr?! Hahahaha!" - Sounds very cruel to ME, how about you?

A child's world is full of imagination, fantasy, and wonder- it's part of the beauty and innocence of BEING A CHILD in the first place, aaaand....it's the way God created each of us.  I don't believe I have ever heard of a case where an adult had to have therapy because they discovered that Barbie and G.I. Joe weren't real people!  I've also never heard anybody claim that allowing their children to play dolls, house, school, CHURCH, army men, race car driver, superhero, etc etc... was lying to them and doing them some terrible injustice! As long as, when the time is right, parents start training and teaching their children about becoming young ladies and gentlemen, and then on to teaching them about becoming an adult and the responsibilities that go with that- introducing them to the "real world"

So, how are any of the children's imaginative, pretend, fantasy beliefs of Christmas any different?!  They're NOT, hello???  There is not one bit of difference in a child believing that her dollies can be rocked to sleep by her, and her believing that a kindly old gentleman who has taken note of how well she's behaved all year has magically visited her house while she was asleep and left her a brightly wrapped package for Christmas morning.  There's no difference in a little boy believing that a snowman can come to life and dance and sing, and him believing that he really DOES have a secret cave underground where he transforms into a hero with super powers and saves good citizens from evil villians (and drives a super cool black car that shoots flames from the tail pipe!)

I stopped "believing in Santa" years ago, like most children do.  Either some bratty kid at school breaks the news, or an annoyed older sibling...I am so thankful that I didn't have the misfortune of growing up around some over-zealous religious nutcase who attempted to convince my mother she should break my heart by jerking me into "reality" and teaching me that Santa was of the debil, elves were really demons, and reign-deer.....well, they just don't fly Molly, grow up!  If anyone did try to convince her of any such nonsense, she totally ignored them and went on letting me be a kid, and finding out on my own one day, as I was sure to do.  ( Thank you momma <3 ) I did, however, grow up in church.  I was an angel every year in the Christmas play, as far back as I can remember.  I was taught the true meaning of Christmas- by Godly Pastors and Sunday School teachers, and by a very Godly mother. I have never lost sight of what this season is all about, and I never will- in fact, it grows more precious to me with every Christmas.  And, at the risk of sounding like a Hallmark Christmas movie cliche', the 'spirit of Christmas' is love and giving.  I'm an adult now- I'm not foolish enough to believe in the mythical character of Santa Claus- I do however, know that character evolved from a real man, who's name wassss, Nicholas :)  He became an orphan in his early childhood when his parents tragically died, and he was raised by an uncle.  He inherited his parent's fortune, and when he was older, he spent it all giving to poor people, especially children.  Because of his selfless generosity, Nicholas was sainted by the church after his death.  Hence, Saint Nicholas.  Over the years, folklore has added things to his legendary legacy, such as the sack that never runs out of toys, that are made by elves, and transported to every house, all in one night.  All a part of a child's world, a fairy tale, not very different at all from a beautiful young girl who was treated as a servant by her wicked stepmother after her father's death, who met the man of her dreams at the party of the year....and lived happily ever after. 

The name "Santa Claus" evolved from the German form of his real title and name, Sankt Niklaus (Saint Nicholas).  In 1821, a book entitled "The Children's Friend" was published in America.  It was the story of Sante Claus, who arrived from the North Country by flying reigndeer on Christmas Eve, who rewarded good behavior with "safe" toys such as dolls, balls, and books.  He also rewarded bad behavior with black birch switches.  Two years later, Clement Clark Moore wrote "A visit from St Nicholas", which today is better known as "Twas the night before Christmas".  Over the next several decades, illustrationist Washington Irving and cartoonist Thomas Nast created the Americanized Santa Claus, based on the description of him in the now infamous poem.  Norman Rockwell portrayed Santa in his popular illustrations by the 1920's, and in   1931, Haddon Sundblom created the Coca-Cola Santa advertisements that span a period in the soft drink company of 35 years.  This Santa has become a part of iconic American culture.  

So, there is absolutely no connection between the names of "Santa" and "SATAN", just because they contain the same letters- that has to be one of the most moronic arguments the church world has ever come up with!  Nooooo, he's not hiding horns under that red cap, and no, there is no coincidence that they both *ahem* wear red (omg)..... C'mon folks!!! Let kids be kids- let them use their imagination.... unless of course the toy, the cartoon, the game, or whatever goes CLEARLY contradictory to scripture (without your twist on it).  They grow up to be cynical adults (like us) way to fast anyway- stop trying to jerk them into reality and force them to act 25 when they're still in the single digits, for cryin out loud!  And about the "well, it's unfair because every child in the world doesn't get presents on Christmas morning, even in America!" argument, ....aaaaaand???  Your point is????  That, unfortunately, is just a sad fact of life, just like every child in America doesn't have a closet full of clothes, a nice home, internet/cable/x-boxes/cell phones, plenty of food.....you gonna take those things away from the children who ARE blessed enough to have these things because of that fact?  Have YOU ever donated to Toys for Tots, or sponsored a child of of an angel tree?  Instead of spending your time griping about kids believing in Santa, maybe you could BE Santa for some underprivileged kids!  What's evil about giving, about making a child smile, and believe there's still things to be happy about in this troubled world we live in...for just a few short years until they have to lay their childhood aside and take on the responsibilities and stress of adulthood?  It goes without saying that any decent parent teaches their children the REAL meaning of the Christmas season, the real reason for celebrating- the coming to earth of Jesus, the son of GOD- the one who would grow to be, the most precious gift of all, the doorway to eternal life.  Nicholas accepted that gift.....and I for one, think it will be petty awesome to run into Santa Claus in Heaven one day ;)

On a closing note, let me just throw THIS out there- For as long as I can remember, "Season's Greeting's" and "Happy Holidays" have been used on Christmas decor and cards every bit as much as "Merry Christmas".....when did these become EVIL?!?!?!  Just because some people of certain groups/races wanna act stupid and ban the use of a simple phrase only because it contains the word "Christ" and that offends them, it does not mean.....hear me?  it does NOT mean, that everyone who uses another greeting phrase occasionally is a politically correct liberal idiot!  IT IS A GREETING, PEOPLE- a friendly greeting to wish you happiness during this time of year.  Quit automatically assuming that everyone who says "Happy Holidays" is a godless atheist!....On the other hand, the word X-mas, IS an in-your-face, clear as daylight liberal word- it's self-explanatory!  Not to mention, just plain lazy....I mean really, just how much energy does it take to write SIX letters instead of one???!

Soooooooo, MERRY CHRISTMAS!  Happy Holidays, Season's Greetings, Praise God, Halellujah, and 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY JESUS!!!

"THE REAL ME" by Natalie Grant

THIS IS HOW I'M FEELING TONIGHT - I'M SO GLAD THAT GOD SEES THE REAL ME, GOD SEES AND KNOWS MY HEART, BETTER THAN ANYONE ELSE.  HE KNOWS WHY I'VE GONE THROUGH THE THINGS I'VE GONE THROUGH, BECAUSE HE'S BEEN RIGHT BESIDE ME WITH EVERY STEP- EVEN WHEN IT SEEMED LIKE I WAS COMPLETELY ALONE. EVEN IN TIMES LIKE TONIGHT WHEN I FELT VERY MISUNDERSTOOD AND WRONGLY JUDGED, I KNOW THAT HE ALONE KNOWS ME, KNOWS MY HEART, AND KNOWS MY LOVE FOR HIM. IF YOU'VE EVER BEEN HURT DEEPLY BY PEOPLE'S WORDS, JUST KNOW THAT GOD SEES THE REAL YOU.  HE SEES EVERY TEAR THAT FALLS......

Late nights rants of a CD/AD patient :)

Hmm.  I don't know really where to start, I only know that I'm very sleepy and tired, but my mind is racing, with many thoughts about things that have happened in my life recently.  I'm in a "blogging mood", so I need to write, I guess.  Hope this doesn't get me into trouble, but, oh well.....

By the way, if you're wondering, CD/AD stands for "Clinical Depression/Anxiety Disorder".  A lot of you have read my facebook comments regarding my condition, and how I feel about having it, and taking meds for it- in case you don't, I will tell you, briefly, because that is not why I wanted to blog:  I've had this condition for a long time. I'm not ashamed of it, and I'm not ashamed that I have to take psych meds in order to lead a normal life.  I am a Christian, and believe very strongly in the power of prayer, and I have great faith in God's power to heal and deliver.  It's HIS business why I have this condition, and because I do, does not mean that I am being "punished" by him for anything.  I can't explain it, but I deal with it.  I see it no different than any other medical condition.  If I was a severe diabetic, I would take insulin injections.  If I had high blood pressure, or epilepsy, I would take the appropriate meds for those conditions as well.  Anyway, occasionally, my comments on Facebook may seem a "little strange" lol- you can be assured that, when they do, I'm having a "bad" day.  When something traumatic (maybe not to others) happens to me, I kinda "go off" and obsess about it, but it's usually short lived.  Sometimes, I have re-occurrences over the same issue, so....but most of the time, I'm my usual fun-loving, wise-cracking self- the "real" Molly, as I term it.  There's an old saying that goes "REAL friends are those who know all about you, but love you anyway"- so, bear with my "bad" days, IF ya love me, K?  It's when I need you most- NOT to feel sorry for me, or give me attention- but to understand me, and act as if you know the truth is, I'll be back to "normal" once I get it out of my system LOL!  

WITH THAT SAID, let me be clear on one thing:  There ARE certain subjects that I feel very strongly about, and these differ greatly from just me having a "bad" day.  There's another saying that goes, "You MUST stand for something, or you'll fall for anything!" -I believe very much in that comment.  One of my pet peeves is meely-mouthed, un-opinionated, "scared-I-might-offend-someone", spineless people who won't stand up and speak out on subjects of right and wrong!  I'm one who strongly believes there are no gray areas.  There is black and white- right and wrong- you either ARE or ya AINT!  "Poop" or get of the pot, some folks put it.  Sitting around talking stuff to death and taking a middle of the road stance so you'll keep everyone happy NEVER accomplishes anything.  The main subject I feel this way about is Christianity.  Now, I am married to a preacher, and he (along with some others along the way) is the one who taught me, there isn't any room for wimps in the kingdom of God.  Complacency and apathy in one's Christian journey will lead to nothing but destruction.  I have, unfortunately, found myself living in this power-less way of life, for many years actually.  I certainly do NOT stand and point a self-righteous finger at anyone and attempt to proclaim something I know nothing about.  I KNOW what it's like to "play church", to live one way on Sunday and another way the other six days a week, to....have a FORM of godliness, but deny (turn away from) the power of TRUE Godliness (holiness, consecration, separation)  I did it for years!  Oh, I've never been one to go out partying, doing drugs, living like a total heathen, etc etc....but, I never picked up my Bible, I didn't have a prayer life, I despised and hated people, I didn't have the joy of the Lord, I didn't know what TRUE worship was.......but I went to church all the time, I'd go through the motions of 'worship' at church, paid my tithes, etc....

I've never understood why a lot of people in the church, the first thing they start hollering when someone stands up and speaks out against sin within the church world, is "you're judging me!" "YOU'RE not perfect!".... what does that have to do with anything?!  The prophets of old, were mere mortal men just like us today, and were THEY perfect?  Were THEY without sin? Nooo!  Yet, THEIR preaching made the harshest preaching today sound like a Sunday School lesson!  If being sinless and perfect were requirements for proclaiming the Gospel and speaking out against sin, there's not a preacher on this earth who would be qualified to get behind a pulpit!  

I have made many mistakes in the past, and have NEVER claimed to be perfect, neither has my husband.  But we have been viciously verbally attacked LOL, by people in the church world, who's toes we stepped on through teaching and preaching.  Like I said, I have made MANY mistakes, even in the ministry.  Can't go back and re-do that, as much as I would like to.  But I will tell you this- Today, I am growing in the Lord at a rate I've never experienced, I am in awe of the work he is doing in me.  I have longed for this level, for so long- and I see it as only the first of many higher levels to come!  I am so SICK of staying in the same place, or taking one step forward and two steps back in my walk with the Lord.  I'm tired of having no power, little or no joy and peace....I'm tired of being sick and defeated!  But at the same time that God is working on me, my disgust for what I see going on in the realm of the church world is growing as well.   -to be continued

Thankful

When I was growing up, we did not have air conditioning.  I was thinking about that the other day as I walked the seemingly 5 MILES from the door of Wal-mart to my truck (that's stretching it of course, seeing as how I'm able to park in a handicap zone lol), at 6pm, in July in Texas, and I felt as if I would melt into a puddle before I reached it and got into the A/C, full blast!  I told my friend I was with that I don't remember it being this hot when I was a kid.  We had an attic fan and window fans in the bedrooms, and, it would get a little warm in summer, but I never remember sweltering and thinking we were poor because we didn't have A/C.  I do remember however, when I turned 18 and got married, my husband and I lived in an all bills paid apartment and we took advantage of it, it was like living in a meat locker LOL!  As hot as it gets in North Texas now, I honestly do not see how folks live without it. 

I woke up very early today (Saturday) so that I could get out and get my grocery shopping done before it started getting too unbearably hot.  I shop around at different stores for the specials, but today I just stuck to my 3 main ones, (haha YES, I do have more) so that I could get back home.  Even though I made it back home before 11am, by the last store, I was really starting to melt.  I felt like Dracula trying to beat the sun LOL!  If I hadn't had groceries in the car, I would have stopped at the clubhouse at the entrance to our neighborhood and jumped in the pool clothes and all!  It looked so cool and inviting, and there wasn't even a soul in it at that time!  When I got home, I unloaded the groceries and put them away as quickly as I could, went straight in and took a COLD shower, aaaaahhhhhh!  As I was getting dressed afterward, I began to think.....

We are so blessed with so many things we never, or rarely, think to thank the Lord for.  Even though we ALL go through financial problems at times, some of us worse than others, I'm pretty sure that if you are reading this, you have a computer, which probably means you have a dwelling place of some sort, and electricity?  Even if you don't have a computer of your own, maybe you're at the library on their computer, or at work- thank God you have a job.  The other day, on my F/B status, I wrote "A FEW things I'm thankful for: A/C, cold water, soap, ice, SONIC ice, fans, ponytail holders, swimming pools, shade trees....deoderant lol, and most of all, FALLLLLLL!" - in a light-hearted manner, but I was also VERY seriously thankful lol.  Someone 'gently reminded' me that GOD was the most important thing to be thankful for.....I said of course! But he's in a category all by himself -which he definitely is of course.  When I wrote the status, I wasn't 'forgetting to mention God'- of course not!  The word THANKFUL reflected that.  I tell him all the time I'm thankful TO HIM for "little things" like these.  Some people think it's kind of silly, or frivolous to pray things like that.  I DON'T.  I thank God for BIRDS all the time, and my dogs, and my vehicle, and my little house, the things in my house that make my life easier, my bed, my recliner, etc etc etc......it is HE who gave me all these things!  and when I take just a minute to think about what my daily life would be without any one of the things mentioned here, and a thousand more, it's worth saying "thank you Father, for ________ that brings me such joy, or that makes my life easier, or that simply brings a smile to my face.  If we belong to God, then EVERY blessing in our life is from him, HUGE or small, or even insignificant and unnoticeable by a lot of people, sadly. 

When I got home today from grocery shopping, extremely hot, thirsty, tired....I thought, after my shower that cooled me off and relaxed me, how very blessed I was to have a comfortable home to come home to!  Yes, it's a plain little 2 bedroom 2 bathroom mobile home, in a mobile home park, and we are not one bit ashamed of that- because GOD blessed us with it, and we don't owe one red cent on it either LOL!  How many millions of poverty stricken people in 3rd world countries, or even the homeless people right here in my own city, would DREAM of living in such a home!  I'm so blessed to come home and have running clean water, soap, shampoo, toothpaste and a toothbrush all my very own to get cleaned up and refreshed with!  What a blessing! (that SOME people who ARE blessed with these things take advantage of and don't even use on a regular basis, but THAT'S a whole different blog...) -what a tremendous blessing to go to my refrigerator, open it up and get all the ice I want, and have a huge variety of different drinks to pour over that ice to quench my thirst- (diet)soda, iced tea, lemonade, fruit punch, flavored waters, juices....some people would give just about anything they had for one bottle of cold clean WATER on a hot day like this.  I am SO blessed.  After making that drink, I can come kick back in my recliner or stretch out on my couch, in front of a fan, and relax in that A/C for as long as I want- if it weren't for God's mercy, it could be ME out there on the hot concrete street corner, holding a cardboard sign begging for money for "food", whichI would use to buy a can of beer or a pack of cigarettes, or WORSE, because I was bound by addictions.  Addictions to things that a lot of "Christian" people willingly dabble in, "as long as you don't do it TOO much"! (again, a whole other blogging subject)  I am SO blessed to be free, thank you Lord for freedom! 

I thank God for the smiles my dogs bring to my face, and even watching little birds eat out of the feeder on my porch, or squirrels chasing each other around a tree- how many people are so weighed down by worry and other emotions that they can't see or understand the beauty, the joy, and the blessings in these little things?  Sometimes, I have been guilty myself of falling into this trap.  I thank God for his mercy, his grace, and his patience and forgiveness, which are NOT such little things- where would I be without all of it?!  I NEED all of it, every day.  And, I thank God that I don't have to be afraid when my husband comes home.  I thank God that I can make him angry, and not have to wear sunglasses the next day as a result. I am so blessed to lay down and sleep at night without wondering if I won't be awakened in the night by a raging maniac beating me senseless, a man who promised to love and cherish me years before.  I am blessed to have peace in my life, and in my home.  I am blessed, and I am so thankful, to have God's love, which has given me all these other things, and more.

"Every good present and every perfect gift comes from above, from the Father who made the sun, moon, and stars....."~ James 1:17

"When it's all said and done"

"Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man." Ecclesiastes 12:13

This is one of my favorite scriptures in the whole Bible, because it is short and to the point, and very clear, and you can't twist or argue with it!  

"Let us hear the CONCLUSION, of the whole MATTER..." - the conclusion:  the "bottom line" in other words.  The "to sum it all up", the "in a nutshell"...of the whole matter: the whole matter is LIFE, the "whole ball of wax"....so, this sentence could quite possibly be translated, "when it's (life) all said and done (concluded)"....the whole duty of man- the "only point" of his existence, the "only reason for his being created in the first place"....to FEAR God.  We know that whenever the Bible talks about "fearing" God, it is referring to a HOLY fear, a hushed trembling, an ultimate respect, a guarded reverence.  Not a terrified, paralyzing fear- Not for his children anyway.  My cousin recently stated "we are all God's creation, but we are NOT all God's children."  This of course goes against the popular theory of the world, or the carnal-minded church, but it is exactly what the Word of God says.  Over and over, the Bible very clearly points out that some are God's children, and some are not.  For those who are not his children, the Bible says that it IS a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.  However, for those that belong to Him, we have nothing to be terrified or afraid of him for.  We FEAR (respect, reverence) him because we know his power, in his light, in his presence, we see how unworthy we are without the righteous covering of the blood of Jesus, which has made us worthy to stand in his Holy presence, and that is the most humbling of experiences.  It is an amazing thing to me, how some people DARE to attempt to enter His throne room and 'worship' him, when they have just come from wallering around in the filthy pigpen of sin and rebellion...and the only part of them that is covered by the blood of Jesus is their feet because they have trampled through it on their way there!  "to fear God, AND keep his commandments" - a lot of people can't even manage the first thing, much less the second.  If there is no fear of God, no reverence and respect for his holiness and his law, then there is no regard for his commandments either.  Therefore, when we stand before God, will he call us "faithful", because he sees only the blood of Jesus and HIS righteousness covering us?  Or will we be a stench in his nostrils because we stink from being covered in the slop of doing things OUR way, of going through life seeing how much sinful garbage we can roll around in and STILL "make it to Heaven"?  Will we have respected and reverenced God enough on this earth to have obeyed him, and therefore fulfilled our ONLY duty in life....when it's all said and done?