Tag: jesus

Sunday thoughts

by Pam Harris, "blind" writer

I may lose some followers with this blog, but that’s okay. It’s been on my mind for a long time. And, no, it’s not about Sedona, although the photo would lead you to think so. As usual, I will tie in the photo with this post at the end.

As I write this, my mind is spinning. How can I express what I want to say in a loving respectful way? How can I get my point across? How can I explain why I feel as I do?

Here is what I’m thinking. As a Christian, I believe in honoring the God I serve, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit. I know some of you reading this do not believe that way, and that is your right. This blog post is not intended to convert you to my way of thinking, although I would love to share my faith with you.

The purpose is to make Christians and non-Christians think about what they’re saying.

TV shows and movies are full of people profaning the name of God and Jesus. Every time I hear it, I cringe and am offended. Yet those same actors would never use “Allah” or “Buddha” or any other deity/prophet of another religion.

I get it. We live in a country of free speech, so I’m not suggesting we have laws to prevent people from saying “GD” (the words, not the letters) or “JC” in a profane manner. We once had that kind of censorship, but now anything goes.

“You don’t have to watch those movies or shows” you say. “It’s your choice.”

The problem is, those words have infiltrated network programming. We were watching “Chicago Med” the other night, and one of the doctors used “GD” (the words, not the initials). In a 7:00 P.M. broadcast, which used to be the family friendly time.

I won’t go into the culture we live in today that is violating other Christian beliefs and is displayed without shame and with pride in our programming, but it may be getting to the point Christians who feel as I do may be relegated to children’s shows and Angel Studios because of the themes and language in other programs.

“You’re showing your age,” you say. “Everyone talks like that.”

No, I’m expressing my faith. I know the “F” word is rampant, and although I don’t like it and find it a vulgar/gross word to throw around like it’s nothing. It’s ironic to me that programs will bleep out that word yet allow the “GD” and “JC” multiple times. They even bleep out the “sh” word. But not taking the Lord’s name in vain.

A lesson in theology in case you don’t know it. The name “God” is our English terminology for al the names of God used in the original writings: Yahweh, Adoni, Elohim…there are many names. And maybe you’re thinking that since “God” is not his actual name, you’re not really profaningGod’s name, but since we think of God in that way and not the others, to me you are.

Please understand. I realize each person has the right to his or her beliefs. But in this politically correct climate in which we have to be careful about using words that offend, it’s interesting to me that no one worries about offending people of the Jewish and Christian faiths. Those same script writers would never offend Muslims and other religious groups…or would they?

So, why the photo of Sedona for this post? Sedona is an area known for its almost supernatural feeling, and obviously, a belief in God is the epitome of the super natural.

I know I can’t change our culture, but with the blessing of free speech given me by our laws, I am expressing my viewpoint. You either agree with me or you don’t. That’s okay. But if I’ve given you food for thought today before I get dressed to go worship the God I believe in, I wanted to stand up for him in my own small way. You either believe in him or you do’n’t.

I do.

Can you answer these questions about Christmas? Take the quiz!

by Pam Harris, "blind" writer

This is the 20th Century Club in our community, the oldest women’s civic group in our town. It was formed in 1900, and no, we have no original members still with us. We have members as young as in their fifties (well, one, and she’s not in the picture because she was sick), and our oldest member is 96. But we have fun together, and what follows are some questions we had in a Christmas trivia game we played.

Confession: I created the game by researching. So if one of the answers given is not correct, please comment and let me know.

We did the game as a multiple choice activity, so I will give you those options as well. Correct answers will be at the end of the blog.

Christmas Trivia

  1. When was Dec. 25 first declared to be the date of Jesus’ birth? a. 75 A.D. (I think the proper term these days is C.E. for Common Era, but I still use the B.C. and A.D.) b. 510 A.D. c. 33l6 A.D. d. 190 A.D.
  2. Three wise men from the east followed the star to Bethlehem. a. True. b. False
  3. Which of these Christmas songs has sold the most? a. “Silent Night” b. “All I Want for Christmas Is You” by Mariah Carey c. “Blue Christmas” by Elvis. d. “White Christmas” by Bing Crosby
  4. When adjusted for inflation, which of these movies grossed the most at the box office? a. “Home Alone” b. “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” c. “Christmas Vacation” d. “A Christmas Story”
  5. We Baby Boomers remember the Bob Hope specials that aired around Christmas. How many USO tours did Bob Hope and his variety of guests do for the troops? (not necessarily the Christmas productions) a. 12 b. 81 c. 57 d. 23
  6. Who played “Mary,” Jimmy Stewart’s character’s wife, in “It’s a Wonderful Life?” a. Greer Garson b. Donna Reed c. June Lockhart d. Mary Pickford
  7. How tall is the 2025 Christmas tree at the Rockefeller Center in NYC? a. 75 feet b. 90 feet c. 120 feet d. 140 feet

I had ten questions, but these are all I can remember. I don’t have my original questions because I gave them to someone else to use at another Christmas party. Here are the answers:

  1. 336 A.D. The Roman emperor Constantine declared Dec. 25 to be the date of Jesus’ birth. In 350 A.D. or sometime after that, Pope Julius I made it official as a holiday to be celebrated by Christians. The date coincides with the winter solstice pagan holiday celebrated by Romans at the time. Scholars and theologians agree there is no evidence to support the date, but it is still a time for Christians world-wide to commemorate the birth of Christ.
  2. False. the Bible does not say how many wise men came to see Jesus, but the number “three” is represented because of the three gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. In addition, the wise men did not go to the stable where he was born. the Bible says they came to the house where he was, and Biblical scholars say Jesus could have been as old as two years old since Herod had the boys two years old and under slaughtered in his attempt to prevent a new king from taking power.
  3. “White Christmas” by Bing Crosby. It has sold more than 50 million copies worldwide.
  4. “Home Alone.” I was surprised to learn that “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” and “Christmas Vacation” were also very close, ahead of “Elf” and “A Christmas Story.”
  5. 57. Bob Hope began the USO tours in 1941, and his last one was in 1991 in Saudi Arabia during the Desert Shield era. One source said 47, but other sources said 57, so I went with that. Regardless, it was a lot! He was born on May 29, 1903, so you can do the math!
  6. Donna Reed. Some of us remember “The Donna Reed Show” that aired from 1958 until 1966.
  7. 75 feet. I was surprised by this. I think it looks much taller on television!

How did you do? If I hadn’t been the creator of the game, I would have missed most of these questions. And, like I said, some of the numbers may be off a bit because if the sources used. I tried to use reliable sources since AI, believe it or not, is not perfect!

I won’t blog next week, so I will wish each one of you a wonderful Christmas and hope you will know peace and contentment during a time of year that can be stressful and sad for some as well as happy for others. Many thanks to all who take the time to read my blogs because looking at those stats warms my heart to know so many take the time to do so. I hope you find something in each one that entertains, inspires, comforts, or makes you chuckle.

Happy Holidays!