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I'm a church pastor who has given up trying to get members to understand that wreaths, trees, mistletoe, and red and green have nothing whatsoever to do with Christmas and are indeed symbols of pagan religions.  But, if they want to celebrate with over the top decorating and gift buying, I guess I won't be able to stop them.   I wonder what the originator of Christmas thinks about it, though. 

I grew up in a midwestern, mid-sized city where the local political cartoonist used the same cartoon every Christmas day for years on end.  Hugh Haynie depicted a person staring off into air, holding his incredibly full Christmas gift list.  He thinks to himself "Have I forgotten anybody?"

as the One whose birthday it is is looking over his shoulder, finding his name nowhere on the list.

I personally decided years ago that Christmas cards, parties, clothes, foods and the like would be eliminated from my celebrations.  I would only do those things that put Christ at the center.  Since that decision, Christmas has become happier, longer-lasting, with absolutely no post-holiday let-down.  After Christmas comes the rest of the Christian year with an equal amount of meaning and joy.  I would never want to return to the shopping malls and kitchen to find Christmas. 

Thank you for listening.  Nobody else around here will!   <grin>

I once had 12 cats, all strays I adopted, but as they died of old age I did not add to the "family".   I now have 5, all house cats, all spayed and neutered, all with their shots, and very much loved.   They get plenty of attention and quality food.    Their grocery bills are bigger than mine!

This spring somebody dumped a litter of kitties and their mama cat in my back yard.  I guess they saw my cats taking a sunbath in the windows and decided this was a cat home and that I would take care of the new ones.  I haven't lifted a finger to feed them or house them.  I guess they are catching birds to survive.  Come spring, they will be having litters and I don't know what to do.  I refuse to kill them.  I can't find a place to take cats.  We have a dog shelter but no cat shelter.   The veterinarian doesn't have any idea what to tell me.  I might have 200 cats in my back yard before I know it.  I'm beside myself. 

I know Dr. Phil's message board can't help me either, but I had to vent.   Thanks for the ear.

Are you testing God?  Do you believe if you pray louder or longer or harder that it will get God moving faster to provide for these children?   God provides  -  but expects us to claim our portion by working for it.

Put away your dreams and face the reality.  You have responsibilities - God given responsibilities - to your children. 

I'm not sure where you got the idea that God provides us with luxuries beyond our need.  You don't need a million dollar house.  And you'll pay the insurance, upkeep, taxes on this house - how?    To believe that God is dangling a million dollar house in front of you but just won't let you have it yet, well..........   You are looking for a lucky windfall and I'm afraid God doesn't deal in luck.   

Please see that God has given you abilities that you are to put to use.  To not utilize them is to defraud what God has created you to be. 

Be the best person you can be.  Be the best parent you can be.  That will serve God better than anything.

God has given you treasures in that family, and they deserve your very best - and that includes a life that

feels safe and secure and hopeful.  What they have right now doesn't seem to qualify.

I will keep you in my prayers.

From a Church Pastor

This is just too sad to comprehend.  Families split over money. 

After reading these accounts, I'm even more thankful I'm from the family I'm from.  When my mother died, my father gathered his 3 surviving children together and we went through every single thing he owned -

furniture, dishes, silver, knick-knacks, you name it.  He asked us to tell him if we wanted each item in turn.

There were several things my siblings and I all "wanted" -  but we waited to hear if anybody else wanted them as well.  These were antiques and full of sentimental value to all of us.  But there were absolutely no hassels, and things were assigned to everyone's satisfaction.  Nobody begrudged anything anyone else got.  We are family.  We are in this together.  We love each other more than we love the things we are surrounded by.  And here's the clincher for us all:  IN ORDER TO GET THESE THINGS, WE WILL HAVE TO

LOSE OUR FATHER.  Hardly a good trade-off.  We had already lost Mom.  We preferred holding on to Dad,

and "things" hardly mattered in light of that. 

Well, our second sister, Michelle, died.  Our family had no problem with her husband becoming the heir of what she had "chosen" for herself.  He's family, more important than "things".   Turns out that our father's will said that "Jacob will inherit Michelle's portion as long as he is married to Michelle."  Well, Michelle died.   Jacob remarried and then divorced.  Legally, he is no longer married to Michelle.  My remaining sibling and I went to Dad and asked him to change his will to INCLUDE Jacob.   Dad did just that.  Jacob is family.  He's more important than cash or stocks or bonds.

Now Dad is gone.   My remaining sibling and I could have legally insisted that the estate be divided between just us, but we asked that Jacob be included.   Our portion of the estate could have been many hundreds of thousands of dollars more, but Jacob is family.   He matters more than wealth.  A whole lot more.

I do not understand fighting between family members over furniture, houses, investments or cash.  You have lost a person who was in your family.  That is reason enough to pull together, support each other and

respect the people around you.   It's about people, not about property.