SBE #5: Merry Holidays! Take a Stand For Jesus!

Okay, I am finally taking an official position on this whole "Merry Christmas"v."Happy Holidays" nonsense. Do I say "Merry Christmas," do I say "Happy Holidays?" Well I will tell you what I say, I say: Merry Christmas, because I want everyone to have a, you guessed it, MERRY CHRISTMAS! Well, Scott, what if I do not celebrate Christmas,what then? Well, then say Happy Holidays; and I will apologize if I have offended you, which I undoubtedly have not. But Scott, what if I am a huge cooperation trying to sell as many things as possible to as many people as possible regardless of whether or not they celebrate Christmas. Well, then say Happy Holidays if you think it's going to sell you more packages, which it will not, but go ahead and say whatever you want.

What is really frustrating me is the ridiculous uproar that "Christians" have made about people and companies saying or not saying Merry Christmas. What a waste of your time. News flash! This world is going to Hell, and telling them Merry Christmas on their way there, is not the answer. We should put all that energy and all that focus on winning souls for Christ instead of meaningless boycotts and angry letters to Bill O'Reilly.

Christmas is not about saying Merry Christmas, it is not about giving presents to your loved ones, or putting up a holiday tree, oops, I mean, Christmas Tree, or wait... yeah, Christmas Tree. It is not even really about spending time with your family. All of those things are good, fun, tradition, but it is not what Christmas is about. Christmas is about when God came to Earth, the Word made flesh! It is just the beginning of a really great story about how God loves people so much that He had to come to save us from ourselves. The people that Jesus came to save were the people that would not say Merry Christmas, that is the point. We should not be fighting them, we need to love them, show them that Jesus is better then their sad, empty lives. That He can fill holes in their hearts that they are too dead to even know are there. Maybe if Christians in America were more loving, as opposed to angry, people would be more apt to want to say Merry Christmas, instead of trying to force them to; I mean how much sense does that make?

This is my challenge to you: Every time someone says "Happy Holidays" to you, instead of being reminded about how angry you should be, pray for that person. That's it, just pray. Pray that God would reveal Himself to them, in a new way, in a way that would be irresistible! I know that is a lot of prayer, but come on, America needs it.

Thank you for reading!
Scott.

Quote of the Year!

I spent a little time as a school photographer this year. It was an okay job. I got to see my state a little more, traveling up to two and a half ours, one way in a day. I also found out that Catholic Elementary School kids are the most well behaved, while, as you probably guess it, middle (or junior high) school kids are the worst.

Well, as it turns out, I found myself in LaFayette Elementary School, which the real name of it is something like C. Montgomery Burns Grant Elementary Primary, or something like that, anyway... It was my last day, MY LAST DAY and I was pretty excited. However, reflecting back, I didn't really have any great stories to tell. Well, that all changed. Out of context the quote is funny enough, and it will be too hard to explain exactly what the heck was going on, but either ay the kid said:

"Pretend you're milking a cow, or, even better, a GOAT!"

It was one of the funniest things I had ever heard. It was so awesome. Quote of the year! Rock on kid, rock on!


Thank you for reading!
Scott.

In A Related Story...

I got to go sledding today! It was so much fun! I went with Mike and Jen. We had a great time; Jen flipped over backwards and Mike smashed his tail bone, but he hit that jump perfect, totally worth it. Oh, and we heard this little eight or nine year old girl say "OH SH%T!" It was redonkulous!

Thank you for reading!
Scott.

I LOVE This Season!!

Wow, it snowed last night, and snow it did! We haven't really had to much snow yet this year, just about four inches or so,and it all melted anyway; last night we got about a foot, well, maybe 8 to 10 inches, but it was a lot. I'm so excited! I love winter. I especially love the Christmas season. And twice that when it's snowing! I can not wait to go skiing, down hill and cross country. I haven't sleded (is that a word?) in years, maybe I'll do that this year too. I always say, "Oh, I have to go sledding this year!" But, I never do. Well, I hope I do this year, because I love snow! Snow! Snow! Snow! I want to wash my hair, my face, my feet with --SNOW!

Last winter, in February, that's right in the middle of winter around here, I moved to North Carolina. Life just isn't quite as good if you don't have a four to five month period that's frozen! Covered with white stuff! I'm pretty lucky in that respect, because I live the the snowiest city in the country! (of 100,000 people or more). Enjoying snow is a family trait as well. I know that my mother likes to go out and play. Plus her and my step-father love to down hill ski a lot.

Oh, how I do love this season!


Thank you for reading!
Scott.

Bible Study!

Hey everyone, it's been a long time since I've posted anything significant on this site, I hope you are still out there, however.

In the news... I started a bible study in my home. Like you might know, I've recently moved back to New York after having moved to North Carolina for six months or so. Well, I had a great time while I was there. Actually, I had way more than just a great time, I actually had a whole bunch of enlightening experiences with our Holy Father. He's pretty great. Remember that time He told us to delight in our trials, well, I know why He said that now! Anyway, I'm getting a little away from myself right now. What I mean to tell you about is the bible study I started since I've moved back, it's been pretty awesome.

When I moved to North Carolina I lost my life group, or rather, it lost me, I'm not sure which. At the same time that I moved to NC everyone else in the group either got a new one or also moved out of the state; when I came back to NY it had completely dissolved... So, I was left without one. "Now what?!" I said to myself... "hmm, maybe I'll start one of my own," I replied. So I did, it's for college aged and twenty-somethings. Right now we're doing a verse by verse read through of the letter of James. Great read if you've never. I'm trying to come up with a name for it, if you have any suggestions, send them my way. Right now I'm leaning toward KELAIAH, it's a Hebrew name that means "voice of the Lord; gather together," I'm told. Seems pretty appropriate, no? If you have anything else, please give it. I came up with a name for a high school bible study once, it's called "The Harbor." It comes from the idea that its a safe place to be, but it goes really deep, the thought there was the New York harbor, specifically. I guess it's a good name because it's still around, and it's still called that. So when I thought to name this bible study my thoughts immediately went to "the Cape!" When you move on from the Harbor, sail on up to the Cape. Seems almost like a good idea, but, I'm not too sure. I like the other one better.

Anywho, that's what I'm doing for now. I hope that if you read this you will respond with some great names, or you could email me with the ideas. The link is in my profile. Well hope you hear from you soon! And hopefully I will be posting regularly again, so keep checking!

Peace and Grace to you all!

Thank you for reading!
Scott.