Tag: Life

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Valentine’s Day

As a child in elementary school, Valentine’s Day wasn’t a big event for me. In third grade I liked a girl named Nancy. However, I didn’t like her very long because when I told her I liked her, she kicked me. End of liking Nancy.

The down-side of Valentine’s Day in elementary school was that the teachers wanted us to give Valentine Cards or notes to everyone in the class, and that was a bummer: I didn’t even know most the kids in class.

In fifth grade, I liked Mrs. Wells. She was the only person in school to whom I wanted to give a card. When mom took me to the 5ȼ – 10ȼ store (we called it the dime store), I bought the usual bag of cheepies for the class, but found a good one for Mrs. Wells. I waited until no one was looking, and quickly put the card on her desk. None of the other kids knew what I had done until Mrs. Wells called me up and gave me a hug.

Have you ever been embarrassed to tears and elated up into the clouds at the same time? That was me.

Fast forward eight years.

In college, I met a girl named Carol Ann Winton. Okay, you probably figured it out. Yes, she has been Carol Ann Linzey for over 57 years now. Back in 1964-1966 when I saw her across campus walking to class, I broke into a run to walk with her. Just being with her pumped joy into my life! It still does!

In 1965, Valentine’s Day was on Sunday, I was eighteen years old, and Carol and I were attending SCC (Southern California College: now Vanguard University of Southern California). I remember thinking: “If Carol accepts my invitation to the Valentine Banquet, I’ll know that she is the girl I will marry.” So, nervously, I asked her.

Guess what? She didn’t kick me and I was elated. Yes friends, she accepted. I was thrilled to tears but not embarrassed; and for the first time since I was in fifth grade, Valentines Day was a special event.

Our wedding was on August 22, 1966—my 20th birthday anniversary.

I would be lying if I said we never had a problem. We are human beings with minds of our own, wills of our own, and our own stubbornness. But through the years the stubbornness in both of us has worn down because we wanted to love each other.

Did you read that last sentence? We WANTED to love each other.

The meaning is this: we were young and loved each other with an immature love. But because we made a dynamic commitment to each other, and expressed that commitment to the church, to our friends, and to God, we worked through the problems.

And listen: because we wanted to love each other, we learned what it meant, what it took, and how to do it. Learning to truly love isn’t easy, and it is not a 50-50 emotional split. It requires that we put our pride aside, release our stubbornness, and go out of our way to help our mate, even if we don’t want to. And it works both ways. Therefore, our early love matured into true love – the love that surpasses emotion.

In 1969 while working at Boeing Aircraft Company in Everett, Washington, one of my workmates had just become divorced – for the 3rd time. As we were discussing marriage, he said, “I’m sorry for you: you’re trapped and can’t have any fun.”

“You’ve got it wrong.” I responded. “I can go out with anyone I want, go wherever I want, and go whenever I want.”

“You’re full of it! How do you get away with that while being married?”

“My wife is the person I always want to go out with. We go everywhere together, and we always have fun.” That embarrassed him, or angered him, and he walked away.

We’re working on our 58th year now, and I’ve never been sorry that I married her. That is a true statement. And in our upper 70s now, we still have fun being with each other and travelling together.

Please understand: we haven’t always been happy with each other, but we never forget that we love each other. We stay together, work through the issues, and the happiness always returns. Happiness and emotions are fluid, but our love is solid. That way there is never a breach in our marriage.

One more important factor in our marriage must be mentioned. Both of our lives are anchored in a relationship with the Lord, Jesus Christ, and the love of God is the lubricant that keep our marriage gears running smoothly. We both put our highest priority in living for Jesus, and our second priority is living for each other. Both those priorities reinforce our love for each other.

Happy Valentine’s Day.

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The Joy of Family

In the summer of 2019, our daughter, Darlene, and her husband asked Carol and me to join them for a 5-day vacation in Pagosa Springs, Colorado. Our other daughter, Rebecca, and her family came up from Texas, and some dear friends, Charles and Cathy Knoop, trekked from New Mexico.

What’s going on? We found out.

They all gave Carol and me a surprise 53rd wedding anniversary party! At our age, we don’t feed each other, but we tried it this time, and as you can see, we had fun.

We had a great time in Pagosa Springs. Breakfast was on our own; Rebecca, a certified Health Coach for Dr. Sears Wellness Institute, gave us ground-breaking ideas of how to enjoy our retirement years – beginning with proper eating-habits (we began our new eating plan after the ice cream & cake); and nightly dinner was in Charles and Cathy’s condo. What a time we had!

I enjoyed Rebecca’s teaching as a Health Coach. Implementing her information helped me to get down to my target weight. Starting at 183 pounds, I got down to 164, and there’s no special diet. I eat plenty of food, I have more energy, and my clothes fit better. If you would like to hear more about this, email me your interest, and I’ll get you in touch with Rebecca.

Charles and I did what we always did in Pagosa – we went fishing! You can see the joy on his face with this catch. I kept two of the three catfish and all six rainbow-trout I caught. I should tell you: I like to eat catfish, but in the future, I’ll leave the catfish catching & cleaning business to the restaurants. Those critters are difficult to clean! The restaurants also cook them better than I did.

The smallest trout we caught was 14 inches, and the largest was 19. The trout are easy to clean, wonderful to eat, and Carol makes trout-fish sandwiches with the leftovers. I like that better than tuna-fish sandwiches.

One daughter and family lives in Colorado, and the other daughter and family lives in Texas. One son and family moved to California, and another son and family moved to Indiana. But Carol and I don’t plan on moving, so one son here in Arkansas visits us often. We play racquetball and he beats me 95% of the time; but I enjoy the game. Maybe I should mention: the 5% of the times I win are a gift: he humors me by letting me win.

When it was time to part ways in Pagosa, we asked if Serena, Rebecca’s 3rd daughter, could spend a couple of weeks with us. The request was granted.

Carol and I haven’t had small children staying with us for quite a while, and this was a treat for us.

Seven-year-old kids are smart. They know what they want, and endeavor to get it. But Serena is polite, and learned my house-rules quickly. She learned to clean her plate, make her bed, and pick up the toys before bed-time. And it didn’t take long for her to learn to like my Honey Bunches of Oats cereal. She already liked Braum’s vanilla ice cream. I had to make sure I got my fair share of it.

My name for Serena is Bunny, and she calls me the Old Goat. Bunny and I hopped around and had a good time. In fact, we had such a good time that Grandma (Carol) had to settle us down several times.

Bunny likes animals, and surprised Grandma with a palm-sized Anura. That word in Ancient Greek means without tail, and is a frog. There are over 6,300 recorded species of Anurans which amount to about 88% of amphibians today. But even one frog was enough for Grandma. “Keep it out of the house.”

Bunny didn’t talk much around people whom she didn’t know, but she was a talking machine around the house. Bunny also put puzzles together with Grandma,.

The day after we returned Bunny to her parents, the house felt almost empty. In fact, after breakfast, I turned to see if Bunny had picked up her plate – but no Bunny. Carol said, “I miss her, too.”

The joy of family is one of the greatest gifts of God to us. Spend time with your family, and cultivate the loving friendship that only family can give. You’ll be glad you did.

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The Dog Next Door

“He’s not here. Precious, do you know where Pup is? Have you seen him lately?”

“You’re the one who loves on him and named him Pup. He responds to your voice. Call him.”

“I have. But I haven’t seen him for three days.”

The topic at hand was the dog that lives, or lived, next door to us. I remember the first time he greeted me. Oh, it definitely was not a friendly greeting!

I went out to work in the back yard when a deep-throated mouth erupted just the other side of the fence. I suppose the full-grown dog was napping, and I startled it. I called him “Pup” because I couldn’t remember the name the little kids in the yard called it. But Pup jumped up, fur on its neck in a full bristle, anger – or fear? – on its face, with noises being emitted from its mouth at full throttle.

I approached the fence to talk with it, but that didn’t work. Pup feigned an attack, but when I didn’t back up, it ran to the house with its sound-system on a high setting. And for the next two or three months, every time Pup saw me in the yard, it stopped whatever it was doing and picked up the barking where it left off. It absolutely would not allow me any opportunity to show my friendliness to it.

Then something happened.

The neighbors brought a pot-belly pig into their family. We watched it grow from piglet to hoglet. It isn’t an Arkansas Razorback, but it is big! They named it Pickles but my name for the critter remained Piglet.

One day Piglet was resting against the fence near to where I was working. I began speaking gently to it and reached out to touch it. Piglet’s fur is not fur. It is coarse hair, almost like a bristle brush.

Perhaps Pup thought I was going to hurt Piglet, and it zoomed up, placed itself between Piglet and me, and proceeded to sound off. Before Pup realized what was happening, I seized the moment and began petting him on his head and massaging his ears.

Pup, with a puzzled look on its face, was dutifully barking at me, wanting to bite me, but enjoying the kind attention. After five or ten very long seconds, Pup stopped barking and backed up.

He just stood there and cocked its head to one side. As I began gently speaking to it, he slowly backed away. Two days later, I saw Pup through my office window and took a break from writing to see if we could connect.

I slowly walked up and hung my arms over the fence. “Hey, Pup. I like you. You want to be friends? Come on, I won’t bite, bark, or even spit.” What else would I say to a critter that probably couldn’t understand what I was saying? I was just trying to be friendly.

Believe-it-or-not, Pup came up, sniffed my hand, and let loose with two or three obligatory woofs as he backed up. But then he came back. We had connected! From then on, every time I went to the yard, either front or back, Pup came up and wanted me to pet him.

Then something else happened.

When I went to greet Pup, he stood up, put his paws on the fence railing, and as I pet him, he closed his eyes as he placed his head against my arm. He was actually loving me! Or he was enjoying me loving him. Yes, I loved him, too.

Then something else changed.

As I would be loving on Pup, if Piglet or the other dog even came near, Pup would break off and very sternly, with sound system and teeth, warn the other critters to stay away. But then, something else changed: within a week, Pup was gone.

When I enquired of the neighbors about Pup, I had a story for Carol.

“Precious, I found out what happened to Pup.”

“Oh, where is he?”

“The neighbors said Pup was jealous of the other animals, and needed a yard of his own, so they gave him away. I miss him.”

“Well, look at you: a cat person who fell in love with a dog.”

“Okay, but don’t rub it in.”

We don’t have any pets because of our periodic travels, but I do enjoy the neighbors’ critters. However, we do have visitors: racoons, possums, deer, road runners, a fox, turtles, and others. The current residents are feral cats. They have adopted our son, but they won’t let me near them. I like it that way because that means I don’t have to feed them.

But as Carol said, I am a cat lover, so, keep feeding the kitties, Michael.

To find what I do in addition to writing blogs, click on to the web site of our formatting and publishing company at: https://plpubandlit.org/.

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A Very Good Question

The following is a question from a dear friend, and my response to her.

“In a short and concise answer, why do you believe Christianity is the true/real religion and others are false?”

Joanna, If I give you a “short and concise answer,” it will answer the question but it will not answer your intent. Here is the short and concise answer, and you’ll see what I mean:

Christianity is based on Jesus, and Jesus is truly God. Other religions are based on false gods. Anything false is not true or real. That’s why I believe Christianity is the true/real religion.

Now you see why a short and concise answer will not tell you what you want to know. Therefore, allow me to go a bit further with a fuller, more complex response.

A major scientific principle states: Matter can be neither created [out of nothing] nor destroyed [resulting into nothing]. It can change shape, form, or appearance, but cannot be created or destroyed. But matter exists. The entire universe is made from matter.

Therefore, we must amend the principle like this: Matter can be neither created nor destroyed – except by a force outside time and space. That force must be an uncreated, eternal, thinking Being. And by nature, He must be a creator. A person such as this can only be God. That outside force – God – is the only one who can make or create substance out of absolutely nothing.

Mankind is a compound creation: body and spirit. Man was created to be autonomously animated: he breathes by himself, he moves by himself, and he thinks by himself – he’s a compound miracle. It has been proven throughout human history that, although man can think up ideas, then invent and manufacture things out of processed material found in nature, man cannot create something out of nothing.

Man was created with the innate desire to worship something or someone, but rebellious or highly independent man does not want to be responsible to his Creator. Therefore, although some have chosen to believe there is no God or gods, others have generated gods from their own fanciful imagination.

Man granted these imaginary gods the ability to create themselves. Man granted them personality, spirit, and some supernatural powers, and decided to worship his own invention. However, man-made imaginations cannot answer prayer, but Jesus does answer prayer. Man-made imaginations cannot heal or speak, but Jesus interacts with us in our minds and spirits daily; and He heals. Man-made imaginations cannot guide us, but Jesus guides us in healthy, wholesome decisions.

Joanna, do you understand what I just wrote? It’s true that I learned much of that by studying various subjects. But let me quote my Grandpa Linzey when I asked him a question. You’ll find this on page 14 of my book, Reflections on Faith & History:

The last time I saw my grandfather, Stanford Linzey, he was ninety-six years old. I asked him: “Grandpa, what is the most important thing in life? I want to pass your thought on to my children as part of their family heritage.” Grandpa looked out into the field and over the horizon for a few minutes as I silently waited with eager anticipation. At last he looked toward me and pensively said, “I suppose the most important thing in life is this: everything you need to know is in The Book. You can know a lot of other things, but everything you need to know is in The Book. Study it.”

I deeply cherish those moments with Grandpa, and I have never stopped studying the bible – The Book. However, although everything we need to know for eternal life is in the Bible, I’ve learned a lot more information so that I can effectively fulfill what the Lord has asked me to do – write to inform and teach people.

You must develop your Christian world-view for yourself in order to solidly establish your faith in Jesus Christ and to be able to adequately talk with others about it.

Remember that I’m available to help. But please read my book, Reflections on Faith & History. (Click on the url at the end of this blog.) It won’t take long to read it, you’ll find several other answers you’re looking for, and I gladly await your next question. You ask very good questions. May the Lord bless you, abundantly, and I look forward to seeing you again soon.

https://www.amazon.com/Reflections-Faith-History-Bringing-Scripture/dp/1793443599

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The $5,928,000,000 Debt

Jesus emphasized mercy in the story of the unmerciful servant which is found in Matthew 18:23-35 (KJV).

Therefore, is the kingdom of heaven likened unto a certain king, which would take account of his servants. And when he had begun to reckon, one was brought unto him, which owed him ten thousand talents.

Ten Thousand Talents? That sure sounds like a lot of … something. What is it?

There are three ways to think of the word talent.

The first thought is a skill such as playing a musical instrument, playing a sport, or learning a craft. But the servant couldn’t owe the king anything like that.

Another concept is weight. Various charts give different weights, one of which says a talent is equivalent to 85.5 US pounds. Therefore, 10,000 talents is equivalent to about 855,000 pounds, or 427.5 tons. For comparison, an early version of the Boeing 747 aircraft weighs about 435 tons. The servant couldn’t owe anything like that, either.

So, let’s look at it historically from the days Jesus walked the earth.

In 30 A.D. a day’s wage was a Roman denarius, sometimes called a pence or a penny in the Bible, and the laborers worked all day long with no overtime. A single talent was 6,000 denarii, or pence, which was 6,000 days’ wages. If you do the math, you find that was a man’s pay for about nineteen years.

10,000 talents were the wages for about 190,000 years. If a person today earns $15 per hour for 40 hours a week, the wages for 190,000 years would be approximately $5,928,000,000.

Would the man in Jesus’ story ever be able to pay off that debt? No. Jesus told the parable to show how deeply indebted mankind is to God because of sin. It is impossible for us to pay that debt. Therefore, God, in the form of Jesus, had to settle the debt for us.

Let’s return to the story at verse 25. When you see “a hundred pence,” remember that is almost three month’s wages.

But forasmuch as he had not to pay, his lord commanded him to be sold, and his wife, and children, and all that he had, and payment to be made. The servant therefore fell down, and worshipped him, saying, Lord, have patience with me, and I will pay thee all. 

Then the lord of that servant was moved with compassion, and loosed him, and forgave him the debt. 

But the same servant went out, and found one of his fellow servants, which owed him an hundred pence: and he laid hands on him, and took him by the throat, saying, Pay me that thou owest. And his fellow servant fell down at his feet, and besought him, saying, Have patience with me, and I will pay thee all. 

And he would not: but went and cast him into prison, till he should pay the debt. 

So when his fellow servants saw what was done, they were very sorry, and came and told unto their lord all that was done. Then his lord, after that he had called him, said unto him, O thou wicked servant, I forgave thee all that debt, because thou desiredst me: shouldest not thou also have had compassion on thy fellow servant, even as I had pity on thee? And his lord was wroth, and delivered him to the tormentors, till he should pay all that was due unto him.

Jesus painted quite a picture! The compound message revealed a harsh consequence for not forgiving someone. But let’s think about what happens in real life today.

We often get caught up in finding fault, or become blinded in the emotion of a problem, and we can’t see straight. We think we’ve been defrauded, or our rights have been violated, and we want vengeance. Although we’ve made mistakes and have been forgiven, we still demand justice and retribution related to others.

However, Jesus made it clear that since God forgives us of the impossible debt we owe Him, we are asked to forgive others of the minor debt they owe us if we want to continue to grow in our relationship with God.

How would we fare if God demanded justice from us? There is no way we could make it right with God. We would be judged and sentenced to be punished forever. But in the greatest act of mercy in the history of mankind, Jesus is willing to forgive us.

1 John 1:9 tells us that all we need to do is sincerely confess our sin and ask God to forgive us. But a stipulation related to our pardon is that we extend mercy to others. That’s an integral part of Christianity – an essential part of forgiveness – and we cannot ignore it. It’s a dynamic factor in the process of becoming like Jesus.

[An excerpt from chapter 5 in the book: Truth not meant to be Hidden.
Visit: https://www.amazon.com/Truth-not-meant-Hidden-Becoming/dp/B0BRYWHZDS

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Be a Blessing to Society

Karl Marx once said, “People without a heritage are easily persuaded.” That is true, but why?

Do you remember watching Fiddler on the Roof or reading the book? When Tevye was asked why he does things in a certain way, he responded, “Tradition.” Tradition and heritage are anchors that help people know who they are. They give people stability and a sense of worth.

Thinking back on Karl Marx’s statement, one of the reasons our culture has been changing so rapidly is that our heritage, our values are being stripped away, and people are losing their national and spiritual identity. One of the ways to keep our identity is to read about our history. Another way is to write about our own personal history – including our family history and family values.

So, I encourage you to read and write. Read books that build character and emotional strength. And when you write, write creatively. At the start of this new year, determine to be a blessing to society.

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Happy New Year, Friends

On December 31, 2020, Carol and I spent a quiet New Year’s celebration together. It was relaxing because from 2008 through 2022, we had been home on December 31 only five times and on the road ten times. Hey, I just realized that we’ll stay home this year, too. YAY1

Several friends asked, “Can’t sit still, can ya?” My response is normally, “You find no moss under my wheels.” For example, in 2021 we drove over 29,000 miles and almost 21,000 in 2022.

It’s well-known by our families, friends, and those who read my articles, that we enjoy living in Siloam Springs, Arkansas. All cities, towns, and villages have their problems, but we’ve found this town to be one of the most pleasant places we’ve ever lived. With that in mind, why do we “hit the road” so often?

One quick answer is: our five kids live in five different states, and our siblings are spread out from the West Coast to the Mississippi Valley. We enjoy visiting them. We also have the privilege of preaching and teaching in our travels.

A second answer is: we enjoy seeing God’s creation first-hand. Seeing nature in books and on video is great. But nothing beats driving through the Sierra Nevada Mountain Range, seeing the Space Needle in Seattle, WA, the amazing Oregon Coast, Puget Sound in the great northwest, Niagara Falls, the red granite beaches of Maine, the snow-white beaches of Siesta Beach in Florida, seeing Yellowstone and Yosemite National Parks, and HUNDREDS of other places.

We also enjoy seeing the marvels of man’s creation, such as Mount Rushmore in South Dakota, the 605-foot tall Space Needle in Seattle, and the 630-foot tall Arch in St. Louis.

Historic sites such as the Yorktown, Virginia battlefield, the Gettysburg Battlefield, and Pearl Harbor cause me to stop and contemplate how different life might have been if the political and military tide had turned the other way.

The third answer is: we’re getting older, and some day our travel days will be over. So let’s travel while we can.

As we travel, we take thousands of pictures to document where we’ve been and what we saw. We’re grateful for digital photography because that’s a lot less expensive than the film we bought in the past. We often get our pictures out (on computer or other devices) and through our memory, we take those trips again.

The ability to remember amazes me. When I get to heaven, I want to ask God how He created memory. But I think He’ll simply say: That’s My secret.

As I mentally gaze on our blessings this past year, I read that approximately 3,273,707 people died in 2022 in the United States (around 69,163,777 worldwide), others have gotten sick, many have lost homes and businesses due to pandemics, government mistakes, the natural flow of economics, ongoing wars, and natural disasters. But sickness, wars, governmental problems, business failures, and all the other problems and catastrophes have been going on since shortly after Adam and Eve left the Garden of Eden. As we read in Ecclesiastes 1:9, “The thing that hath been, it is that which shall be; and that which is done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun.”

The emphasis is: there’s nothing new under the sun. We have modern means of traveling, conducting war, studying, and getting work done, but the essence of life hasn’t changed throughout man’s history. Sickness, death, and all other problems related to life on earth will continue until Jesus stops it. And He will return one day.

But if He doesn’t return soon enough, I will die too. I don’t know by what means, but I will die, and the thought doesn’t bother me at all because death is part of life, and I know where I’ll go – to heaven to be with Jesus.

In the same concept as midnight on December 31 starts a new year, or a baby being born starts a new life, when my traveling days are over and I breathe my last on earth, I will start a new year, a brand-new life in heaven. It’s part of the Christian’s cycle of life.

However, as badly as I feel for those who have been hurt by various events on earth, I feel worse for those who die while not believing in Jesus Christ. We can start over after a catastrophe on earth, but when we die without faith in Jesus, there is no recovery. Think about it.

And I do wish you a Happy New Year.

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Peace in the Midst of a Storm

It was December 24, 1914. The battle lines had been drawn up between the English and German forces. As with the Union and Confederate forces in the American Civil War, the English and Germans thought the fight would be over in a few months. But five months after it started, the “hell” of war began to weigh heavily on them.

It had been raining during the day, and freezing at night. The dead between the opposing trenches could not be retrieved, so they froze each night. On December 7, Pope Benedict XV had suggested a cessation of hostilities in honor of Christmas, but neither England nor the German high command would agree. They thought the soldiers wouldn’t see the man across the line as an enemy if they dwelled for a day on Christ and Christmas.

But some men in the frozen, muddy trenches had other ideas. Christians were on both sides of the field, and Christmas Eve on this particular portion of the battle-line was peculiarly quiet.

German soldiers, who had spent time in England prior to the war, began singing Christmas Carols, some in English. Most of the Germans sang in their own language. Their English enemy, 100 yards across no-man’s-land, cautiously looked above the soggy sandbags to see what was going on. Seeing no weapons ready to fire, and no bullets whizzing over their heads, some English soldiers began singing. There, in the middle of the storm of The War to End All Wars, the peace of God was manifesting itself in the hearts of declared enemies.

Then December 25, 1914 – Christmas Day – dawned.

Against the orders of his commander, a German soldier climbed out of the trench, raised his hands in a gesture of peace, and nervously, slowly, walked onto the field of death. Orders of “Don’t shoot!” were issued from the English side. An English soldier, thinking this might be a trick, nevertheless, climbed out of his trench.

Then, he slowly laid his rifle down and raised his hands in peace. As the two men cautiously walked toward each other, men on both sides began emerging from the safety of the trenches and joined them. Those who knew the other’s language conversed, shared stories of home and family. Several reports I read said they played soccer that day, using cans or soggy sandbags for the ball.

The men in the German/Prussian uniforms did not hate those in the English uniforms, and the opposite was true. The unofficial cease-fire on December 25, 1914 verified that fact. They were pitted against each other because of the ideologies of their national governments.

There was another event in the history of the world that took place about 1,880 years earlier that set the stage for the English/German non-official cease-fire. It, also, manifested peace in the midst of a storm.

Not only was the iron hand of Rome harshly ruling the known world, the cruel and insecure Herod was ruling Israel. As the emperor mandated the death of those who would not bow to him or his gods, Herod ordered the death of anyone – including wife and son – who threatened his rule. In the midst of that deathly turmoil, the angel warned Joseph and Mary of the danger. They were granted a place of safety and serenity in a stable for the birth of the One who came to offer salvation and peace to the world – Jesus. Scripture says He would be called Emmanuel, which means, God with us.

He is still with us. The peace He offers was not only for the Jews back in the days of Imperial Rome. It wasn’t only for those who stopped fighting for a day in 1914. Jesus offers peace to us today – in the midst of the storm of covid-19, the turmoil of the presidential election, and social upheaval.

If Democrats, Republicans, Independents, Communists, Socialists, Green Party members, and the rest could stop fighting, study the Bible and allow the truth of Christmas – and the true Christ – to enter their hearts and minds, they could learn God’s purpose for their lives. Jesus also died for the Buddhists, Shintoists, Muslims, atheists, and everyone else who would accept Jesus into their tumultuous lives.

He came as a baby so He could grow up experiencing the pressure and pain we encounter. But His babyhood lasted only a year or so. He became a man Who suffered every kind of pain, trial, and temptation that we suffer. But He never sinned. And He died!

But three days later He came out of that tomb, and we have eyewitnesses to the fact: the guards on duty who were there to make sure no one stole the corpse. And because of His resurrection, He offers us His peace and joy in the midst of our storms. And He offers us eternal life with Him in heaven if we accept Him into our lives. He’s listening right now, so you can talk with Him. He loves you and will help you.

Have a Blessed Christmas.

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Part 1: Jesus – God with Us

Do we have any idea of when Jesus was born? How did we place his birth in December?

Emperor Julian, Constantine’s nephew, originated the Julian Calendar. In 1582 Pope Gregory’s people found a way to correct the minor flaws in the Julian calendar and produced what we call the Gregorian Calendar. However, the accumulated Julian calendar errors amounted to an estimated period of two to seven years (no one knows for sure), and it would not be possible to go back and attempt to correct every document ever written. Therefore, since all of human history was, in some way, dated in relation to Jesus’ birth, it was decided to back-date Jesus’ birth.

Using the amended Gregorian calendar, we think Jesus was born around 2–5 BC. In what month was he born? Probably in late September to mid-October. Why do I say that?

We know that the Old Testament spoke not only of history and the Abrahamic Covenant, but the Old Testament is intrinsically tied in with the life of Jesus Christ (Immanuel: God with us), the prophecies of his appearance, major Jewish religious festivals, and the proposed restoration of mankind. Therefore, I believe it is safe to assume that the major points of Jesus’ life are also related to the major festivals. Let’s look at them.

Jesus’ crucifixion took place on the Passover (Pesach). This is a major point that is well-documented in the Gospels and in Roman history. The Feast of Unleavened Bread related to Jesus’ burial. The Feast of First-fruits was related to Jesus’ resurrection. And of course, the Feast of Pentecost (Shavuot, or Weeks) related to the birth of the church fifty days after Jesus’ resurrection which was ten days after his ascension.

The other three major festivals are the Feast of Trumpets (Rosh Hashanah), Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkoth, or Booths), and the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur). With the Feasts commemorating major events in the life of Jesus as well as of Israel, it seems to me that His birth would have taken place at another major feast: possibly at the Feast of Trumpets (around September or October).

Luke 2:8 says, “Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night.” If the shepherds were living in the fields at night when the angels “trumpeted” Jesus’ birth, it is safe to deduce that the weather was not yet too cold. Thus, a September or October timeframe is logical, but not conclusive.

His birth might have been on the Feast of Booths (Tabernacles), also in the September-October time frame. Why? Mary and Joseph were not in a house during Jesus’ birth; they were in a cave, stable, or some other “booth.”

So how did the church decide on December 25?

King Constantine in the fourth century royally decreed that everyone in his empire should be Christian, and it became convenient for him in consolidating his empire to declare many pagan festivities as “Christian.” Therefore, the Sol Invictus (the “Unconquerable Sun”), marking the winter solstice and celebrated on December 25, was decreed to be equivalent to “the Righteousness of our Lord.” And to make things politically and religiously correct, Constantine decreed that Christ was born on that date. And since the emperor heavily influenced the church’s decisions, the church accepted that assigned date.

I’m a historian and I enjoy researching. However, the fact that Jesus wasn’t born on December 25 is not a problem. Our faith does not hinge on knowing the date of Christ’s birth. Our faith is based on the truth that Jesus is God in human form, was born of a virgin, came to save us from eternal destruction, died to redeem us from our sin nature, raised from the dead three days later to conquer death, ascended to heaven 40 days after he rose, and that he will return.

So, go ahead and celebrate His birth. But remember: He is no longer a baby. He is Almighty God, the creator of the universe. He created you and wants you to join Him and be part of His family forever.

Read part 2 tomorrow.

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My Most Meaningful Christmas

When I reflect back on my life, many occasions stand out as special events. Eleven memories are: my wedding day; the day I joined a Gospel quartet as a teenager; each day of the birth of our five kids; the day I dropped dad’s prized notebook into the San Diego Harbor; the day dad returned from a 13-month deployment; the first time I preached over the radio; and the day, when playing hide-n-seek, I backed into a cactus plant. (I won’t tell you how badly that hurt!)

When I consider my most meaningful Christmas Day before marriage, I have to pause and go through my life – location-by-location. In the 20 years between my birth and marriage, we lived in 9 different places (10 if we include the college campus), and my childhood memories are in those 10 mental compartments. As an adult married for 57 years – and counting to the same, wonderful, precious Carol – we lived in 17 different locations – so far.

Reflecting on my childhood, dad sometimes took us on Saturday afternoon family walks through El Cajon, California. We walked past Foster’s Freeze ice cream store, and each of us got an ice cream cone. They cost a nickel back then. We walked to the other end of town, stopping at the 5, 10, & 15-cent store for a coke. They cost a dime. We then crossed the highway, and walked back home, stopping first by the Ford dealership to look at new cars. Looking didn’t cost anything. As children, we thought it must have been a 5-mile walk. But the walks were probably around two miles at the most and were deeply enjoyable times with mom and dad.

Whenever I got into a fuss with any of my five sisters, I always went to dad for consolation. He didn’t arbitrarily take my side in the fuss, but he helped me understand life. I felt important when I was with my dad.

But then, the navy sent dad overseas for 13 months, and I felt all alone. I plodded along, but life was hollow for me. I hate to admit it, but I cried often. Not realizing it, I became belligerent at times to mom. It wasn’t intentional, but I was a kid, and hurting. However, that doesn’t excuse me, and I eventually grew up and asked both mom and the Lord to forgive me.

Then Dad Returned Home! And I became happy again. We had two Christmases that year. When dad returned in the summer of 1957 and gave all of us gifts, we claimed that as an extra Christmas. Then we celebrated the regular Christmas in December. That Christmas was my most meaningful childhood Christmas.

But Joy still comes in the morning. That’s the first line in the chorus of the song, Alive & Breathing, by Matt Maher.

Dad helped pick out the tree. Dad brought out the special gifts he had purchased for us overseas but had concealed them in his closet. We never suspected he had them. Dad spent the whole day with us. Dad, my brothers, and I tossed the football. We played catch with a baseball. Dad had target-practice with me with my new Daisy B-B Gun. Many of us played Monopoly. Dad won. We had root-beer floats. All in all, I was in heaven-on-earth! Life wasn’t perfect, but my daddy was home! And that was my most meaningful Christmas as a child.

What about you? Think back in time. Our memory is our Time Travel Machine. Relax and take time to reflect on your life. What events or relationship made Christmas meaningful to you, and when was that? It can be either when you were a child or an adult. Please take time to jot down some notes and think about the good times in your life. Share those good memories with family and friends.

But there’s another story for a lot of people. Many of you might not have good or enjoyable memories. Life has been hard. Rejection has been inscribed across the recesses of your mind. Sometimes you might think of ending it all. I would like you, also, to write some of those painful memories on paper. Write down the details of how you’ve been hurt. Then I want you to talk with God about it. Tell Him how difficult your life has been. Pour out your heart and feelings to Him. He understands. Why?

Jesus was born into this corrupt, hell-bent world to show us a better way to live. His purpose was to take the penalty of our own sin and selfishness so that we could be healed and restored to Father God. Jesus’ plan is for us to live with Him where sin, selfishness, and sorrow does not exist. It’s called Heaven.

God commissioned people to jot down His thoughts to give us. Those notes are the Bible. You can learn to know Jesus by reading Matthew, Mark, and Luke, but especially the Gospel of John. Leaving heaven, He came to be born as a human, like us. But unlike you and me, Jesus was never selfish. As a human, He didn’t search for fulfillment to make His life worthwhile. Instead, He came to give Himself in order to make our lives worthwhile. He gave His life on the cross to re-establish eternal life for us. In His 33 years on earth prior to His crucifixion, He showed us how to live, how to love, and how to give.

Also unlike you and me, Jesus raised back to life to confirm that He is, indeed, God, and to reaffirm His love for us.

I encourage you this Christmas season to think less of stuff, more of others, and especially, more of Jesus. He wasn’t born in December, but this celebration is still all about Him. Stuff will wear out; but if you choose to live for Jesus Christ, our Savior, your relationship with Him will last forever.

MERRY CHRISTMAS.