Sunday Faith Blog....MERRY CHRISTMAS

This Christmas, I wish you a joyous, songful time like the characters on my piano (picture above).......may you enjoy your family, good food, and presents given in remembrance of the birth of Jesus Christ.

Also, I wish you peace and fulfillment from your choice of priorities in your life.  God and Country, as illustrated on the top of my 2008 tree above, are so important to so many of us.  Christmas seems to me to be a great time to get back to that, don't you think?  ....remembering what's really important and spending this Christmas Day not only by having great fun but remembering why we celebrate it at all, and how much the acknowledgment of His presence in our country has mattered over the years. 

"Men, in a word, must necessarily be controlled either by a power within them or a power without them; either by the Word of God or by the strong arm of man; either by the Bible or the bayonet."  Robert Winthrop 

"Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy."  1 Peter 1:8


By the way, here is a flash mob of singers you will not want to miss;  it'll really make your day!



Have a VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS!
Love, Z

Obama's "national Motto"

He dropped "the Creator" while "quoting" from the Declaration of Independence, and then went to Indonesia and told them there in another speech that America's motto is "e pluribus unum" instead of "In God We Trust," which IS the American motto.  I'm not sure that we don't all mistakes when we make as many speeches as a president does, but he's on teleprompter;  it's said he is involved with the writing of his speeches........read along with my friend's article below, do you see a pattern here?   "We are not a Christian nation," is another thing Mr. Obama said though approximately 90% of Americans celebrate Christmas.  Kind of understandable when you think of it, coming from our president...Socialists, Marxists, Hah-vuhd guys...they're not too hot on God, how can you make everyone dependent on the government when they're dependent on a much higher Power?
What's going on here?  Is my friend who wrote the post below more right than most of us thought?  How can one deny that our president isn't too big on giving God any credit around here?  Not easy to disprove, but give it your best shot if you disagree.
thanks.

z

Marxism and Christianity...why not?

A friend sent me an email about the Chase Bank and the Christmas tree situation and I asked him to write me something on it.  He responded with the thought provoking piece below..........Some of you will agree, some will disagree;  give him your best shot in COMMENTS...thanks!

The official removal of a Christmas tree from the lobby of a Chase bank serves as the perfect example of the innate hypocrisy that is and always will be the chief symptom of the mental illness known as "political correctness." Chase claimed they were reacting to customer complaints that the bank was not being inclusive when Chase displayed a Christmas tree at, of all times, Christmas! They furthere explained that all decorations must be supplied by the corporate office. Be that as it may, what would be the reaction if Christians were to complain about non-Christian holidays as being noninclusive? What would corporate America and the main stream media have to say about a white Christian's complaint about a Kwanzaa display? We all know their reaction would be to charge racism on the part of the Christian. Ditto for complaints about Ramadan, Tet, Cinco de Mayo, Hanukkah, or any other ethnic or religious public display. And they would be right to say so. But they don't say that in defense of manger scenes, Christmas trees and Merry Christmas proclamations. In the world of political correctness, complaints about Christianity and bogus complaints of "separation of church and state" issues are not only not racism, but are considered perfectly moral and valid. This, while complaints about any other religion or ethnicity by white Christians will bring howls and frothy mouthed charges of racism. What explains this obvious hypocrisy?

I suggest it stems from a real and visceral hatred of Christianity on the part of a far left from whose Marxist roots sprang the insanity of political correctness in the first place. Insofar that Christianity is based on truth, and I mean absolute truth, it cannot be tolerated by the tyranny of political correctness which is based on the fog and human debasement of moral relativity. For the Christian, Jesus, who is truth, instructs in His absolute truth. This is seen by those in the world who have been indoctrinated by political correctness as being in direct conflict with their acceptance of moral relativity. Moral relativists must insist there is no absolute truth in order to maintain an unburdened conscious while pursuing their fallen life style. So who does the world condemn? Themselves, who fallen, live outside God's word or those whose very lives are to serve as testament to the infallible and eternally truthful Jesus Christ? Insofar that the world does not want to be reminded of its inequity, it must condemn Christianity as intolerant or noninclusive.

The State also has a vested interest in the abolition of Christianity and has faithfully been fulfilling its role since the encroachment of Marxism on the American political system starting immediately after WWII. Since then, America has been increasingly moving towards a Marxist state which is presently highlighted by the extremism of the Obama administration and its plethora of policies designed to run the lives of its subjects, not for freedom, but for "the greater good." In the Marxist state, which is quite naturally run by the fallen, the "greater good" always includes the most good for themselves. Hence, they cannot tolerate subjects whose allegiance is to a higher authority. Particularly, a righteous and truthful higher authority who desires a fruitful and joyous life for all His creation. The Marxist state demands total and complete subjugation of its population to the state while Christians rightfully put their faith in the Lord and not in man or his institutions. Therefore, Christianity cannot exist in the Marxist state.
So, attacks on Christianity will continue in all forms as the natural reaction of the fallen nature of man. Insofar that man and his institutions are incapable of correcting his own natural, fallen state, the only salvation for mankind is Salvation itself.
MGM

Fire away, either way!

z

December....time for the beauty of Christmas

I just had to post these photographs from Germany........Christmas is so beautiful there.  The top one, I know, is Munich, I don't know where the others are.   I hope these lovely shots get you in the Christmas mood!  I had to post them to welcome in December!  

z

OBAMA: Ramadan and Christmas Messages

COMPARE AND CONTRAST!?

The White House Office of the Press Secretary - For Immediate Release August 11, 2010

Statement by the President on the Occasion of Ramadan

On behalf of the American people, Michelle and I want to extend our best wishes to Muslims in America and around the world. Ramadan Kareem.

Ramadan is a time when Muslims around the world reflect upon the wisdom and guidance that comes with faith, and the responsibility that human beings have to one another, and to God. This is a time when families gather, friends host iftars, and meals are shared. But Ramadan is also a time of intense devotion and reflection – a time when Muslims fast during the day and pray during the night; when Muslims provide support to others to advance opportunity and prosperity for people everywhere. For all of us must remember that the world we want to build – and the changes that we want to make – must begin in our own hearts, and our own communities.

These rituals remind us of the principles that we hold in common, and Islam’s role in advancing justice, progress, tolerance, and the dignity of all human beings. Ramadan is a celebration of a faith known for great diversity and racial equality. And here in the United States, Ramadan is a reminder that Islam has always been part of America and that American Muslims have made extraordinary contributions to our country. And today, I want to extend my best wishes to the 1.5 billion Muslims around the world – and your families and friends – as you welcome the beginning of Ramadan.

I look forward to hosting an Iftar dinner celebrating Ramadan here at the White House later this week, and wish you a blessed month. May God’s peace be upon you. (Z: and then, of course, you've all heard he's backing the NYC mosque now....man)

In contrast, here is THE 2009 CHRISTMAS MESSAGE from the President and Mrs Obama........the rest of it, HERE, is about our servicemen being away and what a tough time they and their families are going through, and the recession, etc.

PRESIDENT: Hello everyone, and Merry Christmas. As you and your families gather to celebrate the holidays, we wanted to take a moment to send greetings from our family—from me, from Michelle, from Malia and Sasha—and from Bo.

FIRST LADY: This is our first Christmas in the White House, and we are so grateful for this extraordinary experience. Not far from here, in the Blue Room, is the official White House Christmas Tree. It’s an 18-foot tall Douglas-fir from West Virginia and it’s decorated with hundreds of ornaments designed by people and children from all over the country. Each one is a reminder of the traditions we cherish as Americans and the blessings we’re thankful for this holiday season.

PRESIDENT: That’s right, especially as we continue to recover from an extraordinary recession that still has so many Americans hurting: parents without a job who struggled to put presents under the Christmas tree; families and neighbors who’ve seen their home foreclosed; folks wondering what the new year will bring.

But even in these tough times, there’s still so much to celebrate this Christmas. A message of peace and brotherhood that continues to inspire more than 2,000 after Jesus’ birth. The love of family and friends. The bonds of community and country. And the character and courage of our men and women in uniform who are far from home for the holidays, away from their families, risking their lives to protect ours.

Z: Quite a contrast, isn't it. Such celebration of Islam and such wonderful attributes associated to it! Well, we have 2000 years of Jesus mentioned, that's something. WOW. You know, come to think of it, this really kind of breaks my heart.

Sunday Faith Blog

What if we remembered the reason for the season every day of the year?
Maybe it would feel like Christmas all year long......how lovely.

"But may the righteous be glad and rejoice before God; may they be happy and joyful." Psalms 68:3

I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas....may the joy stay with you. Z

From Z to you at Christmas time

As we all know, Christmas time is such a special time of faith, family and friends. No matter how much stress and spending and tense moments you might have, things usually end up going well, there's warmth all around you, and your loved ones make it worth it. Be happy and take time to enjoy these days leading into this celebration we hold so near and dear.
Merry Christmas, you dear people...........Go KISS that spouse.......for a LONG TIME, not just a peck, a good one! :-) BE GRATEFUL...have FUN! It's CHRISTMAS, we're ALL so lucky to have this blessed time..........Cherish this time, cherish your spouse. Believe me. Now, go get under the mistletoe!

Love, Z

Your favorite Christmas Carol...........

Do you have a favorite Christmas Carol? Got an unusual one you'd like to share? Is there a particular rendition of a Christmas carol you'd like to tell us about, something we should buy?
We've done favorite hymns and favorite praise songs here on my blog; I thought this might be fun. Thanks... Z

Sunday Faith Blog

A Soldier's Request at Christmas.........and always

The embers glowed softly, and in their dim light,
I gazed round the room and I cherished the sight.
My wife was asleep, her head on my chest,
My daughter beside me, angelic in rest.
Outside the snow fell, a blanket of white,
Transforming the yard to a winter delight.

The sparkling lights in the tree I believe,
Completed the magic that was Christmas Eve.
My eyelids were heavy, my breathing was deep,
Secure and surrounded by love I would sleep.
In perfect contentment, or so it would seem,
So I slumbered, perhaps I started to dream.

The sound wasn't loud, and it wasn't too near,
But I opened my eyes when it tickled my ear.
Perhaps just a cough, I didn't quite know, Then the sure sound of footsteps outside in the snow.
My soul gave a tremble, I struggled to hear,
And I crept to the door just to see who was near.

Standing out in the cold and the dark of the night,
A lone figure stood, his face weary and tight.
A soldier, I puzzled, some twenty years old,
Perhaps a Marine, huddled here in the cold.
Alone in the dark, he looked up and smiled,
Standing watch over me, and my wife and my child.

"What are you doing?" I asked without fear,
"Come in this moment, it's freezing out here!
Put down your pack, brush the snow from your sleeve,
You should be at home on a cold Christmas Eve!"
For barely a moment I saw his eyes shift,
Away from the cold and the snow blown in drifts.

To the window that danced with a warm fire's light
Then he sighed and he said, "It's really all right,
I'm out here by choice. I'm here every night.
"It's my duty to stand at the front of the line,
That separates you from the darkest of times.

No one had to ask or beg or implore me,
I'm proud to stand here like my fathers before me.
My Gramps died at ' Pearl on a day in December,"
Then he sighed, "That's a Christmas 'Gram I'll always remember."
My dad stood his watch in the jungles of ' Nam ',
And now it is my turn and so, here I am.

I've not seen my own son in more than a while,
But my wife sends me pictures, he's sure got her smile."
Then he bent and he carefully pulled from his bag,
The red, white, and blue... an American flag.
"I can live through the cold and the being alone,
Away from my family, my house and my home.

I can stand at my post through the rain and the sleet,
I can sleep in a foxhole with little to eat.
I can carry the weight of killing another,
Or lay down my life with my sister and brother...
Who stand at the front against any and all,
To ensure for all time that this flag will not fall."

"So go back inside," he said, "harbor no fright,
Your family is waiting and I'll be all right."
"But isn't there something I can do, at the least, "Give you money," I asked, "or prepare you a feast? It seems all too little for all that you've done, For being away from your wife and your son." Then his eye welled a tear that held no regret, "Just tell us you love us, and never forget To fight for our rights back at home while we're gone, To stand your own watch, no matter how long. For when we come home, either standing or dead, To know you remember we fought and we bled Is payment enough, and with that we will trust, That we mattered to you as you mattered to us."

PLEASE, would you do me the kind favor of sending this to as many
people as you can? Christmas will be coming soon and some credit is due to our
U.S service men and women for our being able to celebrate these
festivities. Let's try in this small way to pay a tiny bit of what we owe. Make people
stop and think of our heroes, living and dead, who sacrificed themselves for us.


LCDR Jeff Giles, SC, USN
30th Naval Construction Regiment
OIC, Logistics Cell One
Al Taqqadum, Iraq

Please pray for LCDR Giles and his family...and ALL our soldiers who aren't enjoying being around the tree with their families like most of you will be in a few days. God bless every single one of them......they've got to keep their faith in US because it's not they who're letting us down.

Merry Christmas .. Z

I couldn't resist.......

To My Democrat Friends:
Please accept with no obligation, implied or implicit, my best wishes for an environmentally conscious, socially responsible, low-stress, non-addictive, gender-neutral celebration of the winter solstice holiday, practiced within the most enjoyable traditions of the religious persuasion of your choice, or secular practices of your choice, with respect for the religious/secular persuasion and/or traditions of others, or their choice not to practice religious or secular traditions at all.

I also wish you a fiscally successful, personally fulfilling and medically uncomplicated recognition of the onset of the generally accepted calendar year 2010, but not without due respect for the calendars of choice of other cultures whose contributions to society have helped make America great. Not to imply that America is necessarily greater than any other country, nor even the only America in the Western Hemisphere . Also, please know that this wish is made without regard to the race, creed, color, age, physical ability, religious faith or sexual preference.

To My Republican Friends:
Have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

(thanks, Imp!) z

A Silent Spin on a BIG SONG! HALLELUJIAH!

This is reported to be "Silent Monks" but it appears it's clever high school students portraying (singing) Silent Monks as they 'sing' the Hallelujiah Chorus! I thought we could all use a smile and it's wonderful music with which to get into the Christmas mood. ENJOY!

Maybe even me. I hope so.
z

Christmas at the White House

The White House Christmas Card isn't a Christmas card, it's a Season's Greetings card....that pesky Christmas 84% of us celebrate just ought not to be mentioned, you know? What if it really hurts someone's feelings to get a card not reflecting his holiday...what could that DO to their self esteem? (oh, brother)

Maybe we ought to have a White House card that's like the Department of Motor Vehicles, where you can find ANY language or religion you need read ..Happy Kwansa, Happy Hannukah, Merry Christmas, Happy whatever-the-hell-that-tree is, Merry Lesbian madness... You name it, the White House will mention it. What do you think?

I wouldn't mind so much except THIS ARTICLE shows how the White House, YET AGAIN, sneaks around the truth.........with this:

"The president is not breaking new ground. In 2008, President George W. Bush's card made no reference to Christmas. However, the president did include a passage from the New Testament, Matthew 5:16.

"Let your light shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven."

Aha, so the Bushes didn't mention CHRISTMAS, and that apparently makes it okay now for the Obama's to have this in their card and not mention CHRISTMAS..."Season's Greetings." Inside, it reads: "May your family have a joyous holiday season and a new year blessed with hope and happiness." because the Bushes didn't? WAIT....did the White House not READ the quote from Matthew?

Sometimes, you just have to laugh, don't you?

MERRY CHRISTMAS. z

Tell the ACLU "MERRY CHRISTMAS!" and how to send a card to our troops!

I got this from a friend and thought I'd pass it on (though it's so hard to have this awful logo on my site)...so...here goes:

Pass this on to your church, co-workers, family, and friends. What do you have to lose but 44 cents, what do you have to gain ----------- more than you will ever know.

Want to have some fun this CHRISTMAS? Send the ACLU a CHRISTMAS CARD this year.

They are working so very hard to get rid of the CHRISTMAS part of this holiday, we should all send them a nice,
CHRISTIAN card to brighten up their dark, sad, little world..

Make sure it says "Merry Christmas" on it. Here's the address, just don't be rude or crude. (It's not the Christian way, you know.)

ACLU
125 Broad Street
18th Floor
New York , NY 10004

Two tons of Christmas cards would freeze their operations because they wouldn't know if any were regular mail containing contributions. So spend 44 cents and tell the ACLU to leave Christmas alone. Also tell them that there is no such thing as a " Holiday Tree". . . It's always been called a CHRISTMAS TREE!

And pass this on to your email lists. We really want to communicate with the ACLU! They really DESERVE us!!

For those of you who aren't aware of them, the ACLU, (the American Civil Liberties Union) is the one suing the U.S. Government to take God, Christmas or anything Christian away from us. They represent the atheists and others in this war. Help America continue to honor Christmas and all the beauty and good cheer of this season.

I JUST got this email LINK HERE and thought you ought to know about it.....SEND A CHRISTMAS CARD TO OUR TROOPS! Thanks, and GOD BLESS!

(and thanks to my wonderful friend Martha for the Troops information!) xxx Z