Well, Obama has shoved his healthcare plan down our throats, forcing its passing, or should I say buying its passage. It seems hard to conceive how anyone could ever be arrested for bribery again after our illustrious politicians are blatantly buying votes with American tax dollars.

I have ridden both horses, the one where I didn’t have insurance, and the one where I do, so I understand both sides of the coin. But this is more than just offering healthcare to all the unfortunate folks who aren’t currently insured.

I know numerous people who don’t have healthcare, but still get better coverage than we do with our benefit plan. We still have to pay co-pays and cover the cost of what insurance won’t pick up. But these others whom I know, have a medical card that picks up everything. And most of them take advantage of it too, running to the doctor for every sniffle or ache.

What we’re in for is a government-run medical plan that will tell each of us what we’re really worth, and what big brother will pay to keep us around. I won’t be surprised when it comes down to the elderly or terminally ill not being worth the price of medicines to keep them alive. Am I a pessimist? No, I’m a realist.

For me, this healthcare bill has been shoved down our throats, making it even more difficult to swallow.

I doubt seriously that he would actually wish each of us a “Merry Christmas.” Happy Holidays maybe, at best. But don’t worry, he’s working hard to give you a Christmas Present. If he has his way, each of you could look forward to a new, government-run healthcare plan as his gift to you. It will be wrapped in a package that will look really good, but don’t try to put it together yet, you’ll get more parts for it as time goes on.

Oh, and it’s an interesting gift. It’s free, but he’ll bill you for it later.

I have more Christmas shopping to do and I guess the roads are condusive to venturing out, but I just can’t seem to get myself in the mood to head to the stores. I wouldn’t mind if I knew what I was going to the store for, but to have to go and look for something to buy just seems to grate on me.

But, it must be done, so the question is, to shop today, or wait until closer to Christmas? I have a board meeting to cover tomorrow evening (Monday) and that doesn’t leave a lot of time, so if I keep writing, I’ll no doubt talk myself into getting out of the house today.

Well, anyway, the kids are on their way home and the roads aren’t the best, although able to be traveled. Danny, the oldest, set up a caravan with his two sisters to make sure they get home safe. He’s good about looking after them. Even going to run all the way to Strasburg to clean out Nicole’s driveway so she can be sure to get her car off the road.

By the time I woke this morning, he was already out cleaning off the cars and digging all five vehicles. That took some time. He’s great to have around. Definitely not afraid of work. Jillian jumped into it, put on the snow clothes and headed out to help Then came the welcomed help from my brother-in-law neighbor who showed up with the four-wheeler and the snow blade and helped to speed things up.

Well, at least we had a memorable weekend and now the house is quiet, except for the sound of the vacuum, that is. I guess with all of Danny’s help, I now have no excuse for not being able to get to work in the morning.

So goes the ups and downs of a small town life.

We’ve been snowed in today and I have no complaints about that. It has been nice to not have to be somewhere for a change and to get to lounge around the house. All three kids are home, along with the two grandsons, and we’ve had a ball being snowed in.

I awoke this morning with Cash, our three-year-old grandson, climbing up on the bed and hollering, “PaP, C’mon, Get Up, Breakfast, Pancake!” Only some people would get away with that, and of course the two grandsons are just two of the ones who can.

Anyway, we made breakfast of pancakes, scrambled eggs and sausage, and for the adults, fresh coffee. Pizza fresh from the oven was on the menu for lunch and then Pap snuck into the bedroom and laid across the bed while the rest made homemade sugar cookies. After that, I think everyone, pretty much, settled down for a short winter’s nap.

By dinner time, Grammy had cubed steak, mashed potatoes, corn and green beans on the table. It has felt like something out of a Norman Rockwell painting, only with the noise that goes along with it all. But, most likely by tomorrow afternoon, the roads will be cleared, the kids and grandkids will be gone and Grammy and I will once again enjoy the peace and quiet, while at the same time, miss the noise of having them all home.

It’s nearly Christmas again. Only I’m not counting the days ahead of us. I’m still counting the days behind us, because I’m sure some of them must have been left out somewhere along the line.
I can’t believe an entire year has gone by so quickly, and here we are facing the holiday happenings again.
But it’s no wonder it seems like such a short time between the Christmas seasons. After all, we drag it out longer with all the after-Christmas, “half-off” sales and start it earlier with all the pre-Christmas “buy everyone on your list one of these” sales.
It amazes me how everything has become so high-tech these days. I’m convinced that most of the power items are nothing more than a gimmick to sell batteries. Hey, it’s no skin off my nose. I’m still easily entertained by a Slinky.
But it takes more to entertain children now than it used to. Most Christmas gifts cost more, and kids get bored with them quicker than ever before.
I think it has something to do with an adrenaline-driven attention span (or lack of) that needs a large variety of items and events going on at one time in order to keep the mind occupied.
Today’s teenagers have an uncanny ability to be able to watch television, listen to loud music through one earphone, talk on the phone and do homework all at the same time.
I haven’t figured out just how they manage to keep all that straight but many of them can’t seem to remember that they were told to take out the garbage just two minutes ago. I think it has something to do with selective hearing.
But we can’t completely blame the youth of today. We as parents have provided them with all the bells and whistles, toys and gadgets they have in order to keep them satisfied and occupied.
And Christmas is often a carryover of the same philosophy used throughout the year.
In many cases, as parents we spend our time and money buying our children what they need throughout the year and buying them what they don’t need at Christmas time.
But, after all, we owe it to them. Or do we? I have no objections to children receiving various gifts at Christmas, but I personally believe that what we really owe them is to teach them the real reason for the season.
That it is more about giving than receiving, more about others than ourselves and more about Christ than Santa Claus.
Christmas has for the most part become more commercial than spiritual and by doing so has lost its real meaning.
I think Christmas should be enjoyed. But not necessarily because of what we get. Instead it should be celebrated by what we give. And it’s obvious that we will give to our family members, friends and the people we love.
Maybe this year should be a time when we make an effort to go the extra mile and reach out to someone whom we are not necessarily required to give to.
What a great time to invite a neighbor or someone else who has no one to spend Christmas with to dinner with the family.
What a great time to give to someone who can’t give back.
What a great time to visit a nursing home or a hospital and share the Christmas spirit with a complete stranger.
And what a great time to stop long enough during the busy holiday season to remember the Christ child who came to give so much to all of us. As always, Jesus is still the reason for the season.

• I have learned that New Year’s resolutions don’t usually work. If the promises we make to ourselves were that easy, we wouldn’t wait until the beginning of a new year to start keeping them.
• I have learned that everything I did last year is behind me. Good or bad, I cannot go back and do it over. Therefore, I must move on and try to learn from both, my successes and my failures.
• I have learned that friends and loved ones can be gone in a heartbeat. We have no assurance of today, let alone tomorrow.
• I have learned that it pays to make every second count, that hard feelings aren’t worth the stress they bring with them and, that if I could have back all the time I wasted last year, I wouldn’t have to complain about not having enough time to get things done now.
• I have learned that there is no way to please everyone. That my first responsibility is to please God, whether it pleases others or not.
• I have learned that there are people you can’t trust, that you must guard your back at all times and that it’s OK if people disappoint you as long as you don’t let them discourage you.
• I have learned that if I want people to accept me as I am, then I must be willing to accept them as they are. There are no double standards when it comes to friendships.
• I have learned that no one is exempt when it comes to problems. Despite popular opinion, the grass is not greener on the other side, and everyone I know, no matter how good things look on the outside, have troubles of their own to deal with, one way or another.
• I have learned that life is what you make it, or, you are what life makes you — it’s your choice.
• I have learned that every action demands a reaction. That if someone acts wrongly toward you, you have a problem. If you act wrongly back toward the person, then you have twice the problem. And, that you can automatically cut down on 50 percent of the problem by reacting in the right way instead of the wrong way.
• I have learned that a new year is no different than a new day. Each one offers an opportunity for a fresh start.
• I have learned that people are more important than money or things. That a friendship isn’t worth losing over a dollar or an item.
• I have learned that we are all role models in one form or another. That we influence others around us whether we like it or not — either positively, or negatively.
• I have learned that I will never persuade others about something I am not persuaded about myself.
And, I have learned that it is more important to enjoy life than it is to worry about it. That I will live until I die, and it is up to me to make the best of the life God has given me.
Life is a learning process. There are so many more things I have learned and many more to learn. But for now, I’ll just say that I hope each and every one has a happy and prosperous New Year.

Music still intrigues me. I love music. I play music, and I listen to music. Different styles and genres.

I have heard arguments from both ends of the spectrum on what music is good and what music is bad, and I am convinced that there will not be a meeting of the minds on this issue. Most of the older generation is set on believing that anything that is not a hymn has got to be bad and the younger generation seems to think that anything that is a hymn is old fashioned and out dated.

And then of course, there are the baby boomers who grew up listening to such groups as Credence Clear Water Revival (not a religious group), The Beetles (not a group of bugs) and The Rolling Stones, who are still rolling, just much slower now. But growing up listening to such groups have placed baby boomers somewhere in the middle, appreciating the old hymns they grew up with but at the same time enjoying the more contemporary style music.

Old hymns are good. They have a clear message most of the time. They teach doctrine and layout the foundation upon which the church was built. But there are also times when the message of the old songs is not always so clear with many Christians singing the words but not knowing what they mean.
One prime example is from one of my favorite songs, “A mighty fortress is our God, a bulwark never failing. Over 90 percent of the Christians asked, had no idea what a bulwark was.

Another standard hymn sung in many churches says, “thine eyes diffused a quickening ray. I woke, the dungeon flamed with light.” We sing them, but we must admit that we don’t always understand them. Especially when written in the old English style. But then again, I know people who still pray in the old English style, using words like Thee and Thou. That’s another discussion for another blog.

Still, in many conservative churches, parishioners struggle with the thought of allowing the hymns to be replaced with a contemporary style of music. But should we totally discard their style of music? Just because we don’t like the style, does that make it wrong? Should we tell them that they can’t listen to contemporary Christian music in their cars or on their stereos?

I don’t necessarily agree with all of the so-called Christian music of today and I definitely don’t agree with all of the so-called Christian musicians. But I’m not convinced that we can throw out the baby with the bathwater, citing that because some of it is bad so all of it has to be bad. It may not be the style of music that I like, but in all fairness, who ever gave me the right to declare what style is right and what style is wrong?

I still contend that if it is doing good, ministering to an individual and drawing them to a closer relationship with Christ, then whatever the style, I try not to question it. Within reason that is.

It may not necessarily be accepted by every member of the congregation, and it may not have a place in the formal church service, but if it’s sending a positive Christian message to our youth, then it’s better than listening to songs about suicide, sex and cop killing.

I will also still contend, however, (on a personal note) that “heavy medal Christian music” is a contradiction to itself and that it has no place in the Christian arena, in or out of the church.

Oh, by the way — a bulwark is a strong standing safety wall. Like a breaker wall that protects from the storm.

I was told some time ago about a little country church where problems arose, division set in and members of the congregation found themselves unable to agree on certain matters.
A dividing line was drawn and members were forced to decide which side of the line they would stand on. An inevitable church split took place and half of the congregation decided to leave and serve God elsewhere.
It just so happened that there was a vacant building directly across the street from the existing facility and the group that left the church rented the facility for its place of worship.
However, before the split occurred, the congregation had purchased a large pile of coal to last them through the winter. Now there was the dilemma of trying to decide who owned the pile of coal.
Surprisingly enough, a meeting of the minds occurred over the coal pile and the two congregations decided that they would simply put a rope across the pile of coal that would act as a dividing line.
Now, instead of one coal pile, the mound of black fuel had been divided into two separate piles. And it really was no inconvenience since the two congregations were located so close together.
But no one really understood the full impact of having two coal piles until one day when a young man from one of the congregations was seen outside, standing, staring at the coal pile.
Now this young man was not considered to be one of the brightest young men, in fact, being intelligent was simply not one of his qualities.
Curiosity got the best of some of the members who wondered what he was doing staring at the coal pile so intensely and they quietly slipped out to observe the young man.
Standing close enough to hear his mumblings the church people were checked within their spirits when they saw him shaking his head and heard him saying to himself … “one God, one Spirit, one baptism — two coal piles. It don’t make sense to me.”
When Jesus he walked by the shore of Galilee, he saw two men in a boat fishing. He called them to be his followers.
He walked on up the shore and saw two men in a boat mending their nets. He also called them to be his followers.
I have found that God calls some who know how to fish and others who know how to fix.
There are times in Christianity that we must lay aside the task of fishing and spend time mending the nets because you really can’t fish with broken nets.
Broken visions, broken ministries and broken relationships within a congregation can render it ineffective if we are not careful.
It makes it very difficult for God, even with all of his power, to bless his people when they are at odds with each other. God has called us to work in unity. “Blessed are the peacemakers,” Jesus said.
Whatever we do, we should never let the enemy divide God’s people. Instead, we should stick together, come hell or high water.
My philosophy as a pastor is simple — it’s not what’s best for me, or for you, but what’s best for the Kingdom of God that counts. Following such a philosophy takes each of us out of the equation, and leaves God at the helm where He belongs.

Ever missed a great opportunity? Something that came your way, could have changed your life, made a difference, but somehow, you let is slip by, right through your fingertips. The scriptures are full of missed opportunities.

Think about the people in Noah’s day. For 120 years they were told of rains that would come, floods that would threaten, even take their lives, and yet, they partied and made merry, all the time mocking Noah and his sons for their silly venture to build a boat — a really big boat.

They missed the opportunity to get in the ark, waiting until Noah’s words became reality. Suddenly their mocking was turned into desperation, fear and dread, to the point where they would have given up everything to get that opportunity back. But once the opportunity had passed, it was gone for good.

Think of those who were in Bethlehem the night the Christ-child was born. A missed opportunity by the innkeeper. Imagine the money he could have charged, the claims he could have made when advertising his inn, had he taken the opportunity and given Mary and Joseph a room.

“Come to the Inn in Bethlehem. Stay in the very room where the Messiah, the King of the Jews was born.” What an advertisement campaign. But no one wants to advertise the “stable” where you placed the parents of the Messiah. Or where the Christ-child was born – in a manger.

Or think of the crowds of people who could have witnessed an historic event. My daughter was one who was assigned by her newspaper to travel to Washington, D.C. to cover the swearing in of President Obama. The crowd was unbelievable and overwhelming, she said, because everyone wanted to be a part of history when the first Afro-American was elected president of the United States.

The people in Jesus’ day could have witnessed history in the making. Instead, they partied, drank, gambled and lived as if there was noting happening around them. Sadly enough, they missed the coming of the Christ-child. And sadly enough, there will be many who will miss the opportunity to know Christ personally, and will in-turn will miss Him when he comes again.

I know many who have missed numerous opportunities to know him personally. And others, whom God has called for a specific ministry, but have left opportunities unanswered. The great thing is, God is the God of another chance. It’s still not too late to answer his calling on your life, or to answer his invitation to “come, all you who labor, and I will give you rest.”

Knowing Christ personally is one opportunity we can’t afford to miss.