I Woke up today on “the wrong side of the bed,” not literally as that means I would have rolled over my wife like an out of control steamroller driven by an angry cal-trans worker – BUT metaphorically. Days, like today, leave me a lot of time for introspection, but I realize I don’t like a lot of introspection because I don’t really enjoy much of what I see on the inside of myself so I don’t spend a lot of time doing it (if that makes sense).
As people our emotions are fickle like a junior high girl trying to figure who she thinks is cute or who her new best friend should be. Our emotions are triggered by what we read, what we dreamed about while we slept, what we watched on TV, and even by what we ate the night before and yet I find it interesting that so often people stay stupid stuff like, “follow your heart.” If your “heart” could simply be the regurgitated ramblings of the pizza you ate last night then it probably is not a very good guide.

Christmas is here with its lights, sounds, print ads, jolly men in red, angry shoppers, frustration, insecurity, debt, and hopefully some hope (yes I meant to use the same word twice). The “Black Friday” weekend is over and stores are happy but in trepidation that sales may not continue, Shoppers are going nuts for bargains but worry about their credit card bills, and those who haven’t shopped at all are sitting back worrying that there may not be anything left that anyone wants on their Christmas list.

How odd that a time that is meant to inspire and fill the world with hope has come to mean so little in retrospect. I am not even speaking of world changing events, I am simply referring to the difference that Christ came to make in our own hearts that should spill out into the world around us.

I know this will be a bizarre blog entry to me. One of my friends asked me a question, sent me a link to another blog, and asked if I could answer some questions. Here are my answers as maybe some other people could benefit as well.
Hey Aaron,
I've been having lots of questions lately. Lots. Lots of frustrations too. Not with Jesus, but how to live for him. I was planning on talking to you about this, except it's so hard to articulate...I've had lots of talks about it with my parents and friends at school. Today, I came across my friend Daniel's blog, and he wrote on pretty much exactly what I've been feeling for a while now. Could you read it and then offer some wisdom?

I finally watched the news this week and saw the most bizarre thing ever: a beauty contest not based on beauty but upon particular beliefs. If you haven’t seen the news it is really odd. Apparently the front runner for Miss USA believed marriage was between a man and a woman (exclusively). This set off a tirade against her from popular blogger Perez Hilton.

The debate at this point is not what you believe in regard to marriage but more how a belief can determine if you are qualified to win a beauty contest. It seems ridiculous that beauty contestants need to be politically savvy (because most don’t seem that smart) unless we understand what has actually started to happen...a new orthodoxy (right belief) is emerging into power in the world.
 

I was asked recently by a person about the appropriateness of Christmas. I thought some of you might have the same question and want my take on it (keep in mind this was an answer to a question and some things may make you go, huh?)

Christians today get very fundamental on certain things and not on others, it is like we pick and choose. There is a huge debate about should we or shouldn't we celebrate Christmas and Easter as part of this. Honestly, I think the debate comes up because too many people have nothing better to do. Christmas (Christ's Mass) was originally (in the most simple terms) a way to give many of the people embracing Christianity something that felt familiar. They had to leave their pagan festivals so the church decided to celebrate the birth of Christ in a way that helped many worship God in a way that connected better with them.

Trees, ornaments, presents, snow men...all these become later things tacked on but originally it was simply a way to help people connect with Christ BETTER. It was not an attempt to paganize Christianity (as many opponents today would say), it was a way to get the message to better connect and resonate with those they were trying to reach.

As you read this you are probably secretly amazed that after I have not written a blog in months, you now get two in a couple weeks time. Well, ‘tis the season.

I was looking at all the trappings of Christmas, the garland, the trees, the balls, the music boxes, the wreaths, and the reindeer and then wondered how all these joyful things really make people irritated when they have to buy them. Shouldn’t we all really buy our decorations on the 26th of December and save them ‘til next year? Wouldn’t we all be happier to have paid less and exercised our patience? Not Really.

My wife was shopping last year in a store and there was the last of an item lying discarded on the floor. It was in a torn, ugly box that seemed like a lifeless throw away that no one seemed to want. She decided to buy it (because she knows I have a soft spot for lifeless throw aways) and as soon as she did, someone was mad at her for taking the last one.

Keep in mind that my wife didn’t run through the store, knock people over, face plant the obnoxious lady in her skorts1 and 80’s floral print shirt...she simply and calmly picked up what no one else wanted. As soon she found value in the thing, other people found value in it as well.