These Are A few of My Favourite Things ...

Love Christmas specials and movies . Old ones that is . In my recent memory , I do cannot think of any that have been any good. For starters they are usually totally devoid of any reference to Jesus at all and in general favor a new age , lets all hug mantra. So here goes.
1.A Charlie Brown Christmas- Classic . Hands down the best ever.
2.Little Drummer Boy - totally fictional I know but the story always brings a tear to my eye when that little lamb comes back to life. Metaphor anyone .
3.A Christmas Carol - The two I love the most are the 1951 Alistair Sims version and the 1984 version with George C Scott(great sets and wonderfully acted). The new one will be reviewed in full soon!
4.Its a Wonderful Life- moving story with a amazing cast and the great Jimmy Stewart.
5.How the Grinch tole Christmas- The TV animated version (not the movie) . Cute and touching with a wonderful vocal performance by Boris Karloff.
6.The Christmas Messenger- A forgotten jem. It stars Richard Chamberlain as an angel that returns to earth on Christmas eve to hear carols and revisit the story of Christ birth.
7.Bing Crosby Christmas Specials - I grew up with these specials so they have a unique spot in my heart. Plus no one does White Christmas like Bing.
8.Veggie Tales Christmas DVD's- Touching , Christ centered stories told by talking vegetables. Hey its a win,win.
I'm sure I'm forgetting a few but these are one I will be watching numerous times over the next couple of weeks.

The Countdown ....

Only 22 days till Christmas. Usually as it draws near I try to read a couple of different books dealing with the birth of Christ.Last year I ordered what is one of my favorites.

It is called Come,Thou Long Expected Jesus. The book is complied by Nancy Guthrie . What she did was put together excerpts by many great pastors and theologians all concerning the birth of Christ. The authors range from Luther,Calvin,Edwards,Spurgeon to more recent men of God such as Piper,Beggs,Sproul.

It is very well done and each chapter is short and works as a great devotional that has some true meat . Can easily be incorporated into your advent time and family worship. Highly recommended .

Sad Reality .....but

Recently I was reading an article from Compassion about the reality of poverty around the globe and it is staggering.Children orphaned and exposed to violence,sexual exploitation , robbed of any innocence. The fact that sixteen thousand children die everyday from hunger related illnesses. Let that fact sit in your mind and then let it connect to the heart.

That is real poverty . They have no social net,no welfare . They awaken to a stark reality . In North America there are poor , I'm not saying that there is not. It is a sad reality here as well but the fact remains , even the poorest of the poor here have at least some resources to try and keep the wolf outside the door. Granted it doesn't always work here regardless of our social net .

So as Christmas draws near take a moment to look around in your community and around the world and ask God , what would you have me do. Give to a foodbank , sponsor a child, look for ways to reach out and extend the love of God.

It is a sad reality but is not hopeless.

Not That I'm Complaining....

Well the last day of November and so far not a speck of snow. Now I will tell you I like snow. The look of a fresh snow fall is beautiful. Things right now look dirty and messy.

However I will take the warm air for now. Its easy on the oil and lights. Since we have moved the house we are currently living in , the price to fill our tank has gone up about 300%.

Plus now we are officially into the Christmas countdown. Decorating tomorrow . Looking forward to it .

To Blog or Not to Blog...That is the Question

I have a clear challenge to myself . As of tomorrow I will blog everyday. They may be short or long. Personal or a review or whatever pops in my mind . So I hope the Lord gives me the discipline and wisdom to write.

Just Sick of Hearing About ..

You ever have a day you just get sick of hearing about certain things . Well here a few of them for me in no real order.
1. Twilight- I sick to death of seeing headlines,TV commercials etc..throw this piece of juvenile garbage in my face. Its stupid and beyond dumb.
2. Bono- Every bodies favorite do gooder, even among Christians (to whom he seems to be a poster boy for Christ). First off he is a marginal Christian at best and a chameleon type worst. I'm just sick of hearing how great he is .Sick I say.
3.Atheist- Dawkins,Hitchens etc.. and their hatred filled spew against Christ and His church. The arguments they engage are the same old rantings , nothing new.
4.Classic Rock - Is there really such a thing . If I have to hear the same song a thousand times in a week , that doesn't make it classic , just annoying. Any AC/DC,Kiss,Tom Cochrane ,Loverboy etc... I don't tune into the radio but everywhere you got some idiot in a store playing some awful classic rock station . Enough!
5.Celebrities- I don't care what Matt Damon , Brad Pitt,Madonna or whoever it may be thinks about any given subject. Why should their opinion be any more important or enlightened then the regular Joe down the street.

I will stop for now before my blood pressure continues to rise . Have I had a bad day , not really but sometimes you just have to let off a little steam.

Breath in ,breath out .....

Now something I'm looking forward to . Going to see the new Christmas Carol tomorrow night . Will post a review that night.Ok I'm calm now .....

A Personal Journey Revealed .....

Anyone that really knows me will know I have one artist that I play more than any other . Yes its Steven Curtis Chapman. I have been a long time fan and have found his music a blessing . It has convicted me,encouraged me and spoke to me like no other.
I blogged about the horrible tragedy that happened to his family over a year and half ago when he lost his little girl Maria when she was hit by accident by her older brother Will Franklin when he was driving into the drive way.
The journey of his pain and families journey through the valley of the shadow of death was shared by all his fans around the world and now with the release of Beauty Will Rise , Steven gives a glimpse into a very personal time in his life and what his family went through.

The album starts off with Heaven is the Face , a upbeat bitter sweet tale of longing for heaven and to see little Maria again. It has been compared to Clapton's song about his little boy Tears in Heaven , but unlike Clapton's that has no answers , no real hope , Chapman anchors his hope in God and seeing his daughter again. The next song Beauty Will Rise is an anthem of sorts , declaring that God can will make beauty out of pain. The album also has some of rawest , and most personal lyrics ever to come from his hand. Sharing intimate stories like the day little Maria surrendered her heart to Jesus (February 20th) and the song called See . He is brutally honest in all the songs. In Questions it is a truthful cry to try and understand why things occur if God is good and all powerful but ultimately its anchored with a triumphal trust in God's sovereignty and love as featured in songs like Faithful and God is in Control. Its hard to listen to this album without being moved emotionally , tears will come . But like in the song Jesus Will Meet You There , where Steven weaves the sufferings of this world in different scenarios with the hope that Jesus will be with you through them all , the whole CD is one of faith,trust and hopeful joy . Ending on a beautiful note , a victorious song called Spring is Coming , reminding us as believers that things will be made new , that death is not the end .
Steven has called this collection as his personal Psalm's , for just like the Bibles Psalms, they contain both lament and praise. Anguish and Joy. I don't understand why this man and his family had to walk this road. Just like I don't understand why I had to watch my Mom waste away , well before her time it seemed to me at the time , of cancer.However in Christ we have hope and what this very personal CD is a gift, form the heart of a man that deals with the question of suffering and pain honestly taking us on a journey form darkness to the light . This CD gets my 10-10 .
God bless this man and his family .