It's A Christmas Miracle

I have to admit that I've been a bit of a Scruge this year about Christmas. I've just been looking forward to it being over. Yesterday was just another day for most of the day. We decided not to go in for morning church. They were having a children's program, but we knew it would be impossible to find a place to sit. Our church recently went from having two locations to one and needed two. So, since they were only having the one service this morning, but decided to sleep in with plans of going to the 11:00pm service. We also planned on going to Jennifer's parents church at 6pm and then having them over to our place for Christmas Eve dinner. We did a whirl wind cleaning session to finish the cleaning that's been going on for a few weeks now and then headed out to OP Church of the Nazerene for their Christmas Eve service. I have to say that I wasn't expecting much, but was very pleasantly surprised. I really enjoyed the music and the scriptures. I just wish we could have sung all the verses of some of the songs, but that's just me. I could sing Christmas songs all night long.

Then it was back to our place to get things ready for dinner. Dinner was a Cole family tradition: turkey sandwiches, Frito's and bean dip, and five-cup salad. Then we gathered around the TV to watch the classic movie, Mickey's Christmas Carol. Once that was over we got ready and went to our church for the late service.

Midway through this beautiful service I realized something. I realized just what was missing from my Christmas season that made it an unbearable time. I forgot the Christ in the mass hysteria. I read something the other day from one of my new favorite Christian bands. The bass player in the band was talking about Christmas. I'll just use his words. They're much better.

"Christmas is coming and are you ready?
We all have heard the Nativity story from our birth, even without growing up in a Christian home, despite what the ACLU and others would like to stop, the story seems to be everywhere, but it seems to have lost its sparkle. If you are anything like me, an ice cold Mountain Dew can really quench a parched throat, and when my throat is dry I desire to feel that cool relief from downing a 20 oz on a hot day. But oftentimes I overwhelm myself with Mountain Dew, after drinking a 6 pack a day suddenly that refreshing flavor and soothing quench is gone and the taste loses its effect. Have I, or we, absorbed so much of the Christmas story that it is no longer that refreshing, exciting, quenching drink it once was?

Rev 2:4 'But I have this against you, that you have left your first love...

In Revelation, John writes to the Church of Ephesus and commends them for their fruit and their perseverance, but he has this one thing to tell them ..You have lost your first love... That freshness that the Gospel brings no longer quenched them as it once did. Not to say they weren..t serving the Lord and toiling for his glory, but it had lost its freshness. How I pray for each of us that this season we might take the time to truly reflect on the amazing story and the best thing to ever happen in the earth and feel that freshness and let the greatness of the Gospel quench our tired souls.

In thinking about the Gospel I am often reminded of the great quote of Charles Spurgeon that rings true to my ears daily:..It is a very lamentable case, is it not, that a person should believe the Gospel to be true, and yet should live as if it were a lie? If it is the truth, why do you not yield obedience to it?..

It is one thing to accept the truth of Jesus and God, for the demons also believe. To know the truth, and to live the truth are two very different things. And don..t just think knowing the truth will get you very far. For a thirsty man may believe in water, but until he embraces it and drinks from it, he will surely die. So take an honest look at your life and your pursuits this holiday season and ask, ..Am I really living out what I believe, has it changed my life so radically that the gates of Hell won..t overcome it?..

2 Timothy 1:7..For God has not given us a spirit of timidity, but of power and love and discipline...

Hunters, be bold this Christmas, take time to share the gospel in the power that it is truly lived, and know that we are praying for you and that our music may give you the boldness and encouragement to be called soldiers for Christ.

Your Brother in Christ,
Jonathan"

When I read this a little while back, I realized that I was missing something in the Christmas spirit. But sadly it wasn't until last night when this all became clear to me. I really didn't have any Christ in my mass hysteria. With work and all, I had let myself stray from the real reason for this season. I feel bad for it now, but I must say that it made last night's service even better. It took a Christ Mass, to bring Christ into my Christmas. But at least I'm now happy and enjoying Christmas. What's left of it anyway.

This next part might surprise some people, and after preaching might seem out of place. But when we got home, around 12:30 am, we decided to open the presents and then sleep in this morning. I must say that I like this tradition much more. Sad part is, we both forgot to get things for stockings, so we went without for this year. Which is fine by us. We both enjoyed the sleeping in part as well.

Well, know that I've gone and posted the longest blog I probably ever will, I need to go get ready for Christmas dinner with Jennifer's family. It should be fun.

I hope all of you out there in reader land, enjoyed your Christmas'.

~geoff

Well, I don't have a whole lot to say right now. I'm just happy to have survived the pre-Christmas season without any customer casualties. Had a few close calls, but things worked out ok. Now if I can only survive the post-Christmas season things will be ok. It's not as hard as the pre season, but it's still hard. Although on a better note it looks like I'm going to be working early shifts this next week. I realized about a week ago that I was going to be working through all of the good waking hours. Most of my shifts have become 10-7 in this busy season. So, I asked to work either 7-4 or 8-5 for this next week. I hope that everything works out. We'll have to see. I'm still wondering if he remembers our conversation earlier this week. I wrote him a note, but I just remembered that he asked for a note yesterday and he doesn't work the next 2 days. Oh well. I'll be there early on Tuesday anyway.

On another note some little monster got taken in for a bath earlier this week and that bad character named stinky, is now call Gingerbread Boy. I'll leave you with his latest mug shot.

Off Kind Of Day

Well, I don't really have much to say. Things have been really busy at work. Tonight I'm going to try and buy the Lumina. I'm also trying to find a way to get rid of the Buick and take care of that at the same time. I think I've found a place that will buy the Buick for a little money. I'm not sure what it's worth though so it's kinda hard. They only want me to name the price, but I don't want to be too high and I don't want to be too low. I don't know.

I feel like I've lost a few hours today. I've been playing games and such and now it's mid-afternoon and I've barely eaten breakfast let alone gotten ready for the day. Oh well... It is my off day. Or day off however you want to say it.

Well, I don't have much else to say today. I'll keep y'all posted on the car situation. It looks like it might be fun.

"New" Car Pics!!!

Here are the pics that I said I'd post. It's a nice looking car. I like driving it.

I just wanted to put a more positive sounding post up here. I hope that people can see the humor and sarcasm in my last few posts. I don't hate things as much as I sound. I was reading back through some of my previous posts and I didn't hear the sarcasm that I meant to be there. I see a lot of humor in my car breaking. I also see God working in some interesting and amazing ways. It turns out that a few weeks ago one of my father-in-laws friends asked him if Jennifer and I could use a car. He had gotten a new car and didn't need the one he had been driving. At the time we didn't need one. But then this thing happened to my car. I'm now driving his car and will be looking to buy it this weekend sometime. But I'm still able to get to work and not have to take Jennifer out to work. The car is nothing special, but it's a blessing all the same. When we picked is up last night, he told us a story about how a few years ago he asked God to let the car last until May. He didn't specify which May and it's been working for about 5 Mays now. The car is a Chevy Lumina. I'm not sure of the year. Probably early 90's. It's got a lot of miles on it and needs new tires, but seems to be in really good condition. I'll probably try to have a mechanic look at it this week, just to make sure nothing is wrong with it. But will probably buy it nonetheless.

Well, it's time for me to head back to work. I'll see about putting some pictures of the new car up here soon. Maybe later tonight. I know you'll all be sitting on the edge of your seats waiting for them. So I'll try to take care of that soon.

Car pics

Here are the pictures that I promised.

Driver's side pushed in.
Driver's side pull out. Passenger's side.

Now you can see what I have to deal with.

Cars and why I hate the cold...

Well, I should start of by saying that I can't stand snow. Most of you know that, but it's true. I hate how it ruins everything mainly. I went to work on Wednesday and the weather was OK. A little overcast, but not bad. Then it started to rain ice. It's kinda fun your fist time or two, and wouldn't be too bad, if I didn't have to be anywhere. It continued to do this all night and by the next morning all the schools had closed. I woke up to Jennifer happily saying that she had a snow day. That's not a good way to start the day. I knew I'd still have to go to work. It was pretty stupid for us to be open. I think they paid the employees more then we made between Wednesday and Thursday. But we were there all day anyway. I think it had to do with the manager who made the decision getting off at 5. What does he care if everyone else has to stay until 10. Anyway...

Thursday, when I went to get into my car, I couldn't get the door to unlock. I didn't think much of it. It was really cold out and I figured that the lock just froze. So I took Jennifer's car into work. One of her friends picked her up and had her babysit her kids for the night. I stayed home.

Friday morning I woke up to Jennifer coming in the front door and Buddha jumping off the chair barking like a mad dog. Then going crazy when he saw it was her. He is such a mommas boy. Anyway. I got ready for work and went to leave. I thought I'd try my car again and got into it this time. I turned it on and closed the door to clear the foot of snow of it. After clearing most of the snow off, I tried to open the door again and get the scrapper out. I couldn't open the door. I knew that I had unlocked the doors and could see that it was unlocked. So I tried pulling harder on the door. For those of you who know my car, I'm already missing the door handle on the passenger side and this is a replacement handle on the drivers side. So, I'm pulling and I hear a snap. I look down expecting to have the door handle in my hands. Nope. It's still on the door. But the panel on the door that surrounds that handle is now broken. I'll try and get some pictures of it up here later. The car is running. I'm becoming late for work and I can't get into my car. Luckily I know how to break into my car. Like I said before it's happened before and I've figured a way to get into the passenger side and get the keys out. But I'm not sure that I can drive this car anymore. If I have to replace the whole door, I'm pretty sure that the door would cost more then the car is worth. Right now I'm looking for a cheap car to get me through the next 6-7 months until I sell it again. I'm not sure what's going to happen, but I do know that I hate cars and the cold.