You know, every year someone - whether it be a radio commentator, an actor on television, a columnist, or some other politically correct talking head with an axe to grind - makes the point that Jesus was actually born some time in the Spring or Summer and the early church fathers moved the celebration of his birthday to December to detract from, disguise, or even "sanctify" the pagan ritual of Festivus, or the secular commemoration of the Winter Solstice.
Which may well be true.
But that does *nothing* to take away from the miraculous event of God stepping out of eternity and clothing himself with the shackles of time, humbling his form to put on flesh in the person we call Jesus of Nazareth. No matter when it happened, it happened.
Merry Christmas!
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RANDOM ACTS of THINKING, 2009
Part the Last
I keep telling my wife I'm fit as a fiddle. A cello is a fiddle, isn't it?
Every morning has the potential to be the dawn of a new error.
Bubble wrap is good for wrapping just about anything ... except bubbles.
My wife and I had words. I didn't get to use mine.
Some days I think the most valuable function of the government is to serve as a topic of conversation.
I'm taking karate lessons, but only a few. I want to learn just enough to handle the office vending machines.
A new study says that dark chocolate relieves stress. Mostly the stress of me trying to diet.
I think I'm playing too many video games. The other day I saw a banana peel in the road and swerved to avoid it.
If they charge more to add items to my hamburger, shouldn't I get a discount if I ask them to leave stuff *off* my hamburger?
Ever since I stopped texting while driving, I've been really looking forward to red lights.
If you spend too much green, you'll end up in the red. I think that must be why those are the colors of Christmas.
My company dropped their health care plan. So they moved the employee parking lot ten blocks away.
I got an unrealtor's license. Now I can sell imaginary estate.
[owing a debt of thanks to, a sincere appreciation of, a fond affection for, and a great big dollop of gratitude to Net 153, Mikey's Funnies, United Comic Syndicates, The Ironic Times, Trés Sugar blog, Randy Glasbergen, and the mind of Mark Raymond]
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A weekend filled with no obligations and nothing to do except enjoy the Christmas gifts. And maybe buy some groceries.
Anyway, I'll see you on Monday.
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WEB SITE of the WEEK: I'll finish up my webcomics series today by pointing the way to http://www.worthytoons.com/. This site is a collection of comics created by Christian artists.
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Mark's Musings is sent each weekday, when I get around to it but usually in the wee hours of the morning, using Ezine Director and I pay a little extra every day to make sure my posts are certified by Habeas to be a safe source of e-mail. That means no ads, no spam, and no worries. Subscribe, view past issues in my Archives, and do other things over at my web site. To contact me and one day get a reply, click here. Did you know that "merry" used to mean "mighty"? Robin Hood had mighty men, not happy men. May you have the mightiest Christmas ever! You can forward or reprint Mark's Musings freely but please keep the credits attached. The credits should never be taken off the post without a receipt. Original material and musings © 2009 by Mark Raymond. I update this blog with a copy of my e-mail post daily and occasionally with "bonus material" whenever the mood or muse strikes. Look for the label that says "bonus" and you can bring all that extra material up with one click. My personal mission statement remains John 3:30. Find me on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/baldmark/. And the road goes ever on.
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WORDS for YOUR WEEKEND: "Resolve to edge in a little reading every day, if it is but a single sentence. If you gain fifteen minutes a day, it will make itself felt at the end of the year." (Horace Mann)