The Day After Christmas

I recently stumbled across this poem I'd written in 2004. It still seemed appropriate ... especially considering the timing of today's post, so I thought I'd reprint it.

I pray that Santa was good to you yesterday. I know God was.

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THE DAY AFTER CHRISTMAS
With gratitude and apologies to Clement C. Moore

'Twas the day after Christmas, I'm tired and sore;
My living room looks like it's been through a war.
With paper and presents strewn all about,
It will take us six weeks to clean this, no doubt.

The children had run all amok from their bed,
And now there's a pounding deep inside my head.
The screaming, the tearing, the squealing of joy
As each gift revealed a shiny new toy.

I'd wanted to get Mom a gift that would melt her;
Now all I want is some warm Alka Seltzer.
The noise of the kids with their gifts clang away;
I don't think we'll see the cat until May.

The post-Christmas blues have already set in;
The things that I bought I've started regrettin'.
Several I got may make my life easy,
But my spirit is woozy, perhaps even queazy.

We mustn't forget the Babe in the manger,
Amidst all this stuff, his tale's in danger!
And how he will grow from baby to Lord,
But the kids are already chanting, "I'm bored!"

So the lesson, this day after Christmas, I learn;
Is the stuff that we buy has no power to turn
Our hearts to the path that is narrow and true;
That must come from His love, and the faith that's in you.

[written by Mark Raymond; © 2004]

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Ahhh, at last a weekend with *nothing* to do! I'm sure we'll think of something. I'll see you on Monday.

Mark

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WEB SITE of the WEEK: One last Christmas link ... find out "almost everything you ever wanted to know about Christmas traditions" at http://www.christmaslore.com.

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Mark's Musings is certified by the folks at Habeas to be spam-free. That means I'll never email you spam. Or the leftover ham we have from Christmas dinner. Subscribe, view past issues in the Archives, and click to your heart's content at my web site. To contact me and sooner or later get a reply, click here. I'm finally getting some overtime hours at work to slip a few extra bucks into the ol' wallet. They couldn't have done this *before* Christmas? You can forward or reprint "Mark's Musings" freely but please keep the credits attached. Aren't these fun to read? Why deprive someone else of that joy? Original material and commentary © 2008 by Mark Raymond. I update this blog with a copy of this post daily and occasionally toss in bonus material on the weekends (or whenever the mood strikes). Look for the label that says "Weekend" and you can bring them all up with one click. My personal mission statement remains John 3:30. In accordance with the prophecy.

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WORDS for YOUR WEEKEND: "Patterning your life around other's opinions is nothing more than slavery." (Lawana Blackwell)