Chestnuts roasting on an open fire

Except not this year. Every year I get "home" with the joys of family life; food, wine, warmth, remoteness, only to find the tradition of every year is ruined by a 400 metre long queue at Morrison's. Now, tell me if I'm wrong, but that's not the best reason to miss shopping on Christmas Eve. My parents hadn't got any nuts. "No nutss..." Which meant my mum mentioning it in her sermon on Christmas Eve morning, and a lot of "sarcastic sympathy" from the church congregation.
Of course we have some now (only walnuts, not the usual selection) but it took them (the parents) over 6 days. Not acceptable. My standards remain high when I return to my parents house, so that they know I miss them. It's a healthy thing to do. No compliments of the food at lunch means "This is really good" and so on....if you were visiting it may be a little strange for you.
Now, why did I return? One reason. Christmas. The giving and receiving of gifts, filming silly films with my two brothers, catching up with friend(s), but why? Why is this time of year clothed with reunion? I think I have the answer. This holiday signifies (whether it is the actual date or not I neither know nor care) the birth of Jesus Christ. A fascinating character who became my sin so I could have a right relationship with my perfect heavenly father. Don't worry if that means nothing to you...reunion is my focus. When Jesus was born, He started something utterly magnificent, He did not come to live, but to die. Take punishment for everyone's rebellion against God, whom everyone knew regardless of if they are in denial or not. Why did Jesus do that? Forgiveness? Eternal life? I suppose yes to both. But the primary focus of His free gift to us was God. We can be reunited with our Father because Jesus has bridged the gap, fulfilled the requirements so that any of us who believes in Jesus death & resurrection and trusts in Him for forgiveness and salvation will be reconciled. It's a wonderful thing.
This Christmas, when you are reunited with the family, or wishing you were, think about a reunion that is the most important decision you will ever make. You can be reunited with the God you once knew by asking Jesus to take your sin on His shoulders and be put right with God. No prerequisites; you can do it right now.

New Blog, New Post, Old news but feel the need...

In recently looking at the 'Political' groups on facebook.com, and my good friend **** ****** I came across a group called Stop Pure. This is an interesting topic and I will probably return to it on numerous occasions. I won't join the group because I don't agree with it; I think Pure (a UCCF run course on sexual purity with a look at the most authoritative book on the planet, which if you disobey it's teachings you disobey God himself - I would say that is inadvisable) is a good and helpful course that any Christian should attend so that they can safely ask questions without finding out the hard way.

I immediately had a look at this group and two uploaded photos of articles about this course and the recommended reading. I think the main problem people with something like this is they believe it's forcing views which not everyone has on people who haven't made a decision. This is wrong, of course, because if somebody has made a decision to give their lives to Christ then the views they want is that of Christ, so in fact they are allowing Christ's views to be told to them, not forced upon them.

The next point I took from the article in particular, which states "A pro-abstinence Christian course will encourage gay students to suppress their homosexuality" made me think about the world which knows nothing of Christianity. What is it? A commitment and relationship with an all-powerful, all-knowing, all-seeing God who gives what He wants from you so you can commune with Him. If this God doesn't like homosexuality you should agree with such a being. Secondly, they assume homosexuality is something to suppress, rather than a lifestyle to leave. Christianity encourages other things, like sensible drinking, it doesn't encourage suppressing alcoholism because it's not something to suppress but something to deal with. Is this making sense?

It makes me passionately angry when people don't know enough about something to respond to it. If they did know enough they would agree whole-heartedly because the truth of salvation from God's wrath is overpoweringly attractive, it looks like foolishness to men (and women) until it is understood by their heart.

New Post, New Film, New Freedom

I'm not talking fence post here, I'm talking....blog. Not always as exciting, but let's see where we're going. My conviction to start a podcast hasn't got me much further than designing a 'joke time' logo. As with most people trying to find a ladder to get on the rung of, they desire the talent of entertainment. Some people told me I was funny; out of that came a crazy desire to do stand up, and look what happened. I did quite well. Until I ran out of material that is. Then I decided to pull apart the revious act, saying she wasn't funny, it was the same jokes as last time...etc. The feedback I got was that if I had a problem with her, she's a very nice person and I could have talked to her after. I didn't think she was rubbish. I said it for a reaction and no one defended her! How am I supposed to find out how my crowd are doing if they don't react? Of course their lack of response makes me think they agreed. Which I'm not too sad about. He he...

I went to see Casino Royale last night. It's quite good. Well, actually, it's very good. Indeed. I saw a certain upside to the fact that he made such a good James Bond they didn't concentrate on women the way they did with the last 21. What else? The credits at the start were focused on James rather than women, that was another plus point, I saw, because if that's what the film's based on it should be that way. It is good, but it could have stopped about 3 times before the credits finally came up. AI springs to mind in that respect. It's a must see...I really must see it...oh I did. Yes, it most definitely isn't a waste of 3 hours.

My band had their final gig exactly one week ago. Albums are for sale for £6 if you so wish (I would highly recommend it). visit: http://www.thesalvatordarlings.co.uk/