Merry Christmas to all!
I tend to get disappointed, angry or melancholy on Christmas for many reasons, such as:
1) Last year on Christmas eve my grandmother passed away
2) This year my dad lost his job
but it goes beyond even that:
Commercialism. People shopping when they deep down have no idea what this holiday is about. You can know but without Him in your heart, you don't really know, you know? It's sad and sometimes frustrating that people can celebrate an entirely religious holiday of our Savior's birth by buying gifts for other people when they either have no idea the true meaning of this day or don't believe in it.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christmas - this link and the information will be posted below
Christmas
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Christmas | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Also called | Christ's Mass Incarnation Yule Tide Noel |
| Observed by | Christians around the world as well as many non-Christians |
| Type | Christian / Cultural |
| Significance | traditional birthdate of Jesus |
| Date | December 25 in Western Christianity (December 24 in some countries) The Armenian Apostolic Church observes Christmas on January 6 January 7 in Old Calendarist Eastern Orthodox Churches. The Ecumenical Patriarchate, the Patriarchate of Alexandria and the churches of Romania, Bulgaria, Albania, Finland, Greece and Cyprus observe Christmas on December 25. |
| Observances | religious services, gift giving, family meetings, decorating trees |
| Related to | Annunciation, Incarnation, Advent; Winter solstice |
Christmas is an annual holiday that celebrates the coming of winter in some traditions and the birth of Jesus in others. It refers both to the day celebrating the birth, as well as to the season which that day inaugurates, which concludes with the Feast of the Epiphany. The date of the celebration is traditional, and is not considered to be his actual date of birth. Christmas festivities often combine the commemoration of Jesus' birth with various cultural customs, many of which have been influenced by earlier winter festivals. Although nominally a Christian holiday, it is also observed as a cultural holiday by many non-Christians.
In most places around the world, Christmas Day is celebrated on December 25. Christmas Eve is the preceding day, December 24. In the United Kingdom and many countries of the Commonwealth, Boxing Day is the following day, December 26. In Catholic countries, Saint Stephen's Day or the Feast of St. Stephen is December 26. The Armenian Apostolic Church observes Christmas on January 6. Eastern Orthodox Churches that still use the Julian Calendar celebrate Christmas on the Julian version of 25 December, which is January 7 on the more widely used Gregorian calendar, because the two calendars are now 13 days apart.
The word Christmas originated as a contraction of "Christ's mass". It is derived from the Middle English Christemasse and Old English Cristes mæsse, a phrase first recorded in 1038, compounded from Old English derivatives of the Greek christos and the Latin missa.[1] In early Greek versions of the New Testament, the letter Χ (chi), is the first letter of Christ. Since the mid-16th century Χ, or the similar Roman letter X, was used as an abbreviation for Christ.[2] Hence, Xmas is often used as an abbreviation for Christmas.
After the conversion of Anglo-Saxon Britain in the very early 7th century, Christmas was referred to as geol,[1] the name of the pre-Christian solstice festival from which the current English word 'Yule' is derived.[3]
The prominence of Christmas Day increased gradually after Charlemagne was crowned on Christmas Day in 800. Around the 12th century, the remnants of the former Saturnalian traditions of the Romans were transferred to the Twelve Days of Christmas (25 December – 5 January). Christmas during the Middle Ages was a public festival, incorporating ivy, holly, and other evergreens, as well as gift-giving.
Modern traditions have come to include the display of Nativity scenes, Holly and Christmas trees, the exchange of gifts and cards, and the arrival of Father Christmas or Santa Claus on Christmas Eve or Christmas morning. Popular Christmas themes include the promotion of goodwill and peace.
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The Nativity
The Nativity of Jesus refers to the Christian belief that the Messiah was born to the Virgin Mary. The story of Christmas is based on the biblical accounts given in the Gospel of Matthew, namely Matthew 1:18-Matthew 2:12 and the Gospel of Luke, specifically Luke 1:26-Luke 2:40. According to these accounts, Jesus was born to Mary, assisted by her husband Joseph, in the city of Bethlehem. According to popular tradition, the birth took place in a "stable", surrounded by farm animals, though neither the “stable” nor the animals are mentioned in the Biblical accounts. However, a "manger" is mentioned in Luke 2:7 where it states "She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn." Shepherds from the fields surrounding Bethlehem were told of the birth by an angel, and were the first to see the child.[4] Christians believe that the birth of Jesus fulfilled many prophecies made hundreds of years before his birth.
Remembering or re-creating the Nativity is a central way that Christians celebrate Christmas. There is a very long tradition of the Nativity of Jesus in art. The Eastern Orthodox Church practices the Nativity Fast in anticipation of the birth of Jesus, while much of the Western Church celebrates Advent. In some Christian denominations, children perform plays re-telling the events of the Nativity, or sing carols that reference the event. Some Christians also display a small re-creation of the Nativity, known as a Nativity scene, in their homes, using figurines to portray the key characters of the event. Live Nativity scenes, and tableaux vivants are also performed, using actors and live animals to portray the event with more realism.[5]
Nativity scenes traditionally include the Three Wise Men, Balthazar, Melchior, and Caspar, although their names and number are not referred to in the Biblical narrative, who are said to have followed a star, known as the Star of Bethlehem, found Jesus, and presented gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.[6]
In the U.S., Christmas decorations at public buildings once commonly included Nativity scenes. This practice has led to many lawsuits, as groups such as the American Civil Liberties Union believe it amounts to the government endorsing a religion, which is prohibited by the United States Constitution. In 1984, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in Lynch vs. Donnelly that a Christmas display (which included a Nativity scene) owned and displayed by the city of Pawtucket, Rhode Island did not violate the First Amendment.[7]
In addition to decorations on buildings and in the home, some Christian men decorate their bodies by growing a Christmas Beard between Thanksgiving and Christmas Eve in order to prepare themselves spiritually for the holy day.
History
Pre-Christian origins
A winter festival was traditionally the most popular festival of the year in many cultures. Reasons included less agricultural work needing to be done during the winter, as well as people expecting longer days and shorter nights after the winter solstice in the Northern Hemisphere.[8] In part, the Christmas celebration was created by the early Church in order to entice pagan Romans to convert to Christianity without losing their own winter celebrations.[9][8] Certain prominent gods and goddesses of other religions in the region had their birthdays celebrated on December 25, including Ishtar, Sol Invictus and Mithras. Various traditions are considered to have been syncretised from winter festivals including the following:
Saturnalia
In Roman times, the best-known winter festival was Saturnalia, which was popular throughout Italy. Saturnalia was a time of general relaxation, feasting, merry-making, and a cessation of formal rules. It included the making and giving of small presents (Saturnalia et Sigillaricia), including small dolls for children and candles for adults.[10] During Saturnalia, business was postponed and even slaves feasted. There was drinking, gambling, and singing, and even public nudity. It was the "best of days," according to the poet Catullus.[11] Saturnalia honored the god Saturn and began on December 17. The festival gradually lengthened until the late Republican period, when it was seven days (December 17–24). In imperial times, Saturnalia was shortened to five days.[12]
Natalis Solis Invicti
The Romans held a festival on December 25 called Dies Natalis Solis Invicti, "the birthday of the undefeated sun." The use of the title Sol Invictus allowed several solar deities to be worshipped collectively, including Elah-Gabal, a Syrian sun god; Sol, the god of Emperor Aurelian (AD 270–274); and Mithras, a soldiers' god of Persian origin.[13] Emperor Elagabalus (218–222) introduced the festival, and it reached the height of its popularity under Aurelian, who promoted it as an empire-wide holiday.[14]
December 25 was also considered to be the date of the winter solstice, which the Romans called bruma.[10] It was therefore the day the Sun proved itself to be "unconquered" despite the shortening of daylight hours. (When Julius Caesar introduced the Julian Calendar in 45 BC, December 25 was approximately the date of the solstice. In modern times, the solstice falls on December 21 or 22.) The Sol Invictus festival has a "strong claim on the responsibility" for the date of Christmas, according to the Catholic Encyclopedia.[1] Several early Christian writers connected the rebirth of the sun to the birth of Jesus[15] "O, how wonderfully acted Providence that on that day on which that Sun was born . . . Christ should be born", Cyprian wrote.[1]
Yule
Pagan Scandinavia celebrated a winter festival called Yule, held in the late December to early January period. Yule logs were lit to honor Thor, the god of thunder, with the belief that each spark from the fire represented a new pig or calf that would be born during the coming year. Feasting would continue until the log burned out, which could take as many as twelve days.[8] In pagan Germania (not to be confused with Germany), the equivalent holiday was the mid-winter night which was followed by 12 "wild nights", filled with eating, drinking and partying.[16] As Northern Europe was the last part to Christianize, its pagan celebrations had a major influence on Christmas. Scandinavians still call Christmas Jul. In English, the Germanic word Yule is synonymous with Christmas,[17] a usage first recorded in 900.
Christian origins
It is unknown exactly when or why December 25 became associated with Christ's birth. The New Testament does not give a specific date.[18] Tertullian does not mention it as a major feast day in the Church of Roman Africa. In 245, the theologian Origen denounced the idea of celebrating Christ's birthday "as if he were a king pharaoh". He contended that only sinners, not saints, celebrated their birthdays.[19]Sextus Julius Africanus popularized the idea that Christ was born on December 25 in his Chronographiai, a reference book for Christians written in AD 221.[15] This date is nine months after the traditional date of the Incarnation (March 25), now celebrated as the Feast of the Annunciation. March 25 was considered to be the date of the vernal equinox and therefore the creation of Adam; early Christians believed this was also the date Christ was crucified. The Christian idea that Christ was conceived on the same date that he died on the cross is consistent with a Jewish belief that a prophet lived an integral number of years.[20] Thus, the date as a birthdate for Christ is traditional, and is not considered to be his actual date of birth.
Although the identification of the birth date of Christ is debated, liturgical celebrations of the Nativity were celebrated from at least A.D. 200 in the Christian East. The earliest reference is found in St. Clement of Alexandria's writings in reference to a celebration of the Nativity and the Epiphany. [21] Another reference is found in the Chronography of 354, an illuminated manuscript compiled in Rome in 354.[1][22] In the East, early Christians celebrated the birth of Christ as part of Epiphany (January 6), although this festival focused on the baptism of Jesus.[23]
Christmas was promoted in the Christian East as part of the revival of Catholicism following the death of the pro-Arian Emperor Valens at the Battle of Adrianople in 378. The feast was introduced to Constantinople in 379, and to Antioch in about 380. The feast disappeared after Gregory of Nazianzus resigned as bishop in 381, although it was reintroduced by John Chrysostom in about 400.[1] The Twelve Days of Christmas are the twelve days from Christmas Day to the Feast of Epiphany on January 6 that encompass the major feasts surrounding the birth of Christ. In the Latin Rite, one week after Christmas Day January 1 has traditionally been the celebration the Feast of the Naming and Circumcision of Christ, but since Vatican II, this feast has been celebrated as the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God. The Roman Emperor Constantine deliberately made Christian festivals such as Christmas to coincide with Roman pagan holidays, such as the birth of the sun god to try to spread Christianity, according to Andrea Carandini, a professor of archaeology at Rome's La Sapienza University. [24]
Constantinian Origins
Constantine I became the first Christian Roman emperor on October 28, 312 AD; he had worshiped the sun God Helios. On the eve of a battle against a rival Maxentius, Constantine had a dream in which he was told to inscribe the letters XP (the first two letters of Christ in Greek, also known as Chi Rho) on his soldiers' shields. During the conflict against Maxentius, possibly at the Battle of the Milvian Bridge, he saw the words "with this sign you shalt conquer" with a cross in the sun. He won the battle and converted to Christianity. [2]. There are numerous reasons why Constantine may have chosen the date of December 25th to celebrate Christmas. On that date also was celebrated the birth of Mithras, the Persian god of light. Also, the pagan god Saturn, one of the chief gods of the Roman pantheon, was worshiped on December 17th. Giving presents was also similar to many Roman and Persian holidays. [.http://www.allaboutjesuschrist.org/emperor-constantine-faq.htm]
Middle Ages
In the Early Middle Ages, Christmas Day was overshadowed by Epiphany, which in the west focused on the visit of the magi. But the Medieval calendar was dominated by Christmas-related holidays. The forty days before Christmas became the "forty days of St. Martin" (which began on November 11, the feast of St. Martin of Tours), now known as Advent.[25] In Italy, former Saturnalian traditions were attached to Advent.[25] Around the 12th century, these traditions transferred again to the Twelve Days of Christmas (December 25 – January 5); a time that appears in the liturgical calendars as Christmastide or Twelve Holy Days.[25] The prominence of Christmas Day increased gradually after Charlemagne was crowned Emperor on Christmas Day in 800, and King Edmund the Martyr was anointed on that day in 855. King William I of England was crowned on Christmas Day 1066. Christmas during the Middle Ages remained a public festival, incorporating ivy, holly, and other evergreens, as well as gift-giving.[26] Christmas gift-giving during the Middle Ages was practiced more often between people with legal relationships (i.e. tenant and landlord) than between close friends and relatives.[26] By the High Middle Ages, the holiday had become so prominent that chroniclers routinely noted where various magnates celebrated Christmas. King Richard II of England hosted a Christmas feast in 1377 at which twenty-eight oxen and three hundred sheep were eaten.[25] The Yule boar was a common feature of medieval Christmas feasts. Caroling also became popular, and was originally a group of dancers who sang. The group was composed of a lead singer and a ring of dancers that provided the chorus. Various writers of the time condemned caroling as lewd, indicating that the unruly traditions of Saturnalia and Yule may have continued in this form.[25] "Misrule" — drunkenness, promiscuity, gambling — was also an important aspect of the festival. In England, gifts were exchanged on New Year's Day, and there was special Christmas ale.[25]
From the Reformation into the 1800s
During the Reformation, some Protestants condemned Christmas celebration as "trappings of popery" and the "rags of the Beast". The Roman Catholic Church responded by promoting the festival in an even more religiously oriented form. Following the Parliamentary victory over King Charles I during the English Civil War, England's Puritan rulers banned Christmas, in 1647. Pro-Christmas rioting broke out in several cities, and for several weeks Canterbury was controlled by the rioters, who decorated doorways with holly and shouted royalist slogans.[27] The Restoration of 1660 ended the ban, but many of the Nonconformist clergy still disapproved of Christmas celebrations, using Puritan arguments. In Colonial America, the Puritans of New England disapproved of Christmas; its celebration was outlawed in Boston from 1659 to 1681. At the same time, Christian residents of Virginia and New York observed the holiday freely. Christmas fell out of favor in the United States after the American Revolution, when it was considered an English custom.[28] By the 1820s, sectarian tension in England had eased and British writers began to worry that Christmas was dying out. They imagined Tudor Christmas as a time of heartfelt celebration, and efforts were made to revive the holiday. Charles Dickens' book A Christmas Carol, published in 1843, played a major role in reinventing Christmas as a holiday emphasizing family, goodwill, and compassion over communal celebration and hedonistic excess.[29] Interest in Christmas in America was revived in the 1820s by several short stories by Washington Irving appearing in his The Sketch Book of Geoffrey Crayon and "Old Christmas", and by Clement Clarke Moore's 1822 poem A Visit From St. Nicholas (popularly known by its first line: Twas the Night Before Christmas). Irving's stories depicted harmonious warm-hearted holiday traditions he claimed to have observed in England. Although some argue that Irving invented the traditions he describes, they were widely imitated by his American readers.[30] The poem A Visit from Saint Nicholas popularized the tradition of exchanging gifts and seasonal Christmas shopping began to assume economic importance.[31] In her 1850 book "The First Christmas in New England", Harriet Beecher Stowe includes a character who complains that the true meaning of Christmas was lost in a shopping spree.[32] Christmas was declared a United States Federal holiday in 1870, signed into law by President Ulysses S. Grant.
Santa Claus and other bringers of gifts
Originating from Western culture, where the holiday is characterized by the exchange of gifts among friends and family members, some of the gifts are attributed to a character called Santa Claus (also known as Father Christmas, Saint Nicholas or St. Nikolaus, Sinterklaas, Kris Kringle, Joulupukki, Weihnachtsmann, Saint Basil and Father Frost).
The popular image of Santa Claus was created by the German-American cartoonist Thomas Nast (1840–1902), who drew a new image annually, beginning in 1863. By the 1880s, Nast's Santa had evolved into the form we now recognize. The image was standardized by advertisers in the 1920s.[33]
Father Christmas, who predates the Santa Claus character, was first recorded in the 15th century, but was associated with holiday merrymaking and drunkenness.[34] In Victorian Britain, his image was remade to match that of Santa. The French Père Noël evolved along similar lines, eventually adopting the Santa image. In Italy, Babbo Natale acts as Santa Claus, while La Befana is the bringer of gifts and arrives on the eve of the Epiphany. It is said that La Befana set out to bring the baby Jesus gifts, but got lost along the way. Now, she brings gifts to all children. In some cultures Santa Claus is accompanied by Knecht Ruprecht, or Black Peter. In other versions, elves make the toys. His wife is referred to as Mrs. Claus.
The current tradition in several Latin American countries (such as Venezuela) holds that while Santa makes the toys, he then gives them to the Baby Jesus, who is the one who actually delivers them to the children's homes. This story is meant to be a reconciliation between traditional religious beliefs and modern day globalization, most notably the iconography of Santa Claus imported from the United States.
In Alto Adige/Südtirol (Italy), Austria, Czechia, Southern Germany, Hungary, Liechtenstein, Slovakia and Switzerland, the Christkind (Ježíšek in Czech, Jézuska in Hungarian and Ježiško in Slovak) brings the presents. The German St. Nikolaus is not identical with the Weihnachtsman (who is the German version of Santa Claus). St. Nikolaus wears a bishop's dress and still brings small gifts (usually candies, nuts and fruits) on December 6 and is accompanied by Knecht Ruprecht. Although many parents around the world routinely teach their children about Santa Claus and other gift bringers, some have come to reject this practice, considering it deceptive.[35]
Christmas tree and other decorations
The Christmas tree is often explained as a Christianization of pagan tradition and ritual surrounding the Winter Solstice, which included the use of evergreen boughs,[36] and an adaptation of pagan tree worship.[37] The English language phrase "Christmas tree" is first recorded in 1835[34] and represents an importation from the German language. The modern Christmas tree tradition is believed to have begun in Germany in the 18th century[37] though many argue that Martin Luther began the tradition in the 16th century.[38][39] From Germany the custom was introduced to England, first via Queen Charlotte, wife of George III, and then more successfully by Prince Albert during the reign of Queen Victoria. Around the same time, German immigrants introduced the custom into the United States.[40] Christmas trees may be decorated with lights and ornaments.
Since the 19th century, the poinsettia has been associated with Christmas. Other popular holiday plants include holly, mistletoe, red amaryllis, and Christmas cactus. Along with a Christmas tree, the interior of a home may be decorated with these plants, along with garlands and evergreen foliage.
In Australia, North and South America, and to a lesser extent Europe, it is traditional to decorate the outside of houses with lights and sometimes with illuminated sleighs, snowmen, and other Christmas figures. Municipalities often sponsor decorations as well. Christmas banners may be hung from street lights and Christmas trees placed in the town square.[41]
In the Western world, rolls of brightly-colored paper with secular or religious Christmas motifs are manufactured for the purpose of wrapping gifts. The display of Christmas villages has also become a tradition in many homes during this season. Other traditional decorations include bells, candles, candy canes, stockings, wreaths, and angels.
Economics of Christmas
Christmas is typically the largest annual economic stimulus for many nations. Sales increase dramatically in almost all retail areas and shops introduce new products as people purchase gifts, decorations, and supplies. In the U.S., the "Christmas shopping season" generally begins on Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving, though many American stores begin selling Christmas items as early as October.[42]
In most areas, Christmas Day is the least active day of the year for business and commerce; almost all retail, commercial and institutional businesses are closed, and almost all industries cease activity (more than any other day of the year). In England and Wales, the Christmas Day (Trading) Act 2004 prevents all large shops from trading on Christmas Day. Scotland is currently planning similar legislation. Film studios release many high-budget movies in the holiday season, including Christmas films, fantasy movies or high-tone dramas with high production values.
An economists analysis calculates that Christmas is a deadweight loss under orthodox microeconomic theory, due to the surge in gift-giving. This loss is calculated as the difference between what the gift giver spent on the item and what the gift receiver would have paid for the item. It is estimated that in 2001 Christmas resulted in a $4 billion deadweight loss in the U.S. alone.[43][44] Because of complicating factors, this analysis is sometimes used to discuss possible flaws in current microeconomic theory. Other deadweight losses include the effects of Christmas on the environment and the fact that material gifts are often perceived as white elephants, imposing cost for upkeep and storage and contributing to clutter.[45]
Alternative names
There are several alternative terms for Christmas. Crimbo is a slang term which first appeared in print in 1928; the variant form Crimble was first used by John Lennon in a 1963 Beatles' Fan Club Christmas single. Xmas is a long established abbreviation, though it is involved in the secularization of Christmas debate. Yule is used in Northern Europe. In the USA, Holiday or Season may be used due to the Christmas controversy.
Controversy
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This article or section deals primarily with the United States and does not represent a worldwide view of the subject. Please improve this article or discuss the issue on the talk page. |
Throughout the 20th century, the United States experienced what became known as the Christmas controversies over the nature of the day, and its dual status as a religious holy day and a cultural holiday of the same name. The importance of the economic impact of the secular Christmas holiday was reinforced in the 1930s when President Franklin D. Roosevelt proposed moving the Thanksgiving holiday date to extend the Christmas shopping season and boost the economy during the Great Depression.[46] Religious leaders protested this move, with a New York Times roundup of Christmas sermons showing the most common theme as the dangers of an increasingly commercial Christmas.[47]
Some considered the U.S. government's recognition of Christmas as a federal holiday to be a violation of the separation of church and state. This was brought to trial several times, recently including in Lynch v. Donnelly (1984)[7] and Ganulin v. United States (1999).[48]
On December 6, 1999, the verdict for Ganulin v. United States (1999) declared that "the establishment of Christmas Day as a legal public holiday does not violate the Establishment Clause because it has a valid secular purpose." This decision was upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court on December 19, 2000. At the same time, many devout Christians objected to what they saw as the vulgarization and co-optation of one of their sacred observances by secular commercial society and calls to a return to "the true meaning of Christmas" are common.
Debates about Christmas in America continued into the 21st century. In 2005, some Christians, along with American political commentators such as Bill O'Reilly, protested what they perceived to be the secularization of Christmas. They felt that the holiday was threatened by a general secular trend, or by persons and organizations with an anti-Christian agenda. The perceived trend was also blamed on political correctness.[49]
What we cannot do for ourselves
This is the gospel in a nutshell: God knows we are guilty and knows we cannot save ourselves. He has done for us what we cannot do for ourselves. He sent Jesus Christ to pay the penalty for our sin. When we trust in him, the consequence of our sin is fully removed.
I do not want to make a step back to take 2 steps forward nor do I want to look back to see what lies ahead of me. I do not want because the present is not great as it can be, it is as good as it is. This came up today during the church service, and it made me think of many things that I am gonna needlessly ramble on about.
1) It made me think of friends and groups past.
2) It made me think if success in those can be repeated, or if it ever really existed in the first place.
3) That being in church does not make you a Christian. It helps with your spiritual journey and discipline but is not a mandate save for maybe a new believer. Then again, I've only been a Christian wholeheartedly for almost 3 years now and a believer in God for years before then. So when all those spiritual "Christians" your close to act with non-stop drama and melodrama, you tend to mirror your environment, especially if your a very empathetic person or distance yourself.
4) I've often been plagued by drama, most likely the drama of others projected upon myself, the only real times I had drama put on me by my own [bad] decisions was by dating Candise and Emily, separate time periods respectively.
However, I do think of the quote "All it takes for the victory of evil is for good men to do nothing." I don't know who said it so I cannot properly source it but I can say it makes sense to me. So is "Standing Still" advice God would give me? He makes us to the people we are today and to be comfortable with ourselves to know our strengths and use them and that must include how we think or feel as well.
I am sick of doubting myself. I don't claim to be a man's man. I mess up. I apologize sincerely. The world is full of naysayers, selfish people and people threatened by good when they threw their lives away. Despite all this, Here I Am. These are fires I've been thru. I've handled them as best as I could at the time and I stand by them. Do I wish the drama happened? No. Did I contribute to it? Maybe. Was my goal to end the drama, not contribute to it? Yes.
Shane, I am thankful for our friendship. I am not dredging up the past, except to say how I feel. It is not meant to, nor do I assume it could, hurt you. "A person is a collection of everything since you met them, not based solely on the last conversation you had with them." I heard that quote somewhere and I really liked it. I find it suits here and the reason is twofold.
1) You were never for me just the conversation in which we disagreed over dating and religion and inter-mixing. However, that day or event somehow got to take on this like historical significance it never should have. I shoulder the blame for that cause I let it become that. It became such a significance in my own mind, like a log in my eye, that at times, it skewered my whole view of you. For this, I apologize.
2) My life is a collection of who I've been since the beginning, not since the beginning of ours or any other friendship. Yes, a second life for me began when I became a Christian, and at times it is hard for me to pinpoint exactly when that was but it happened and I carry that faith with me every day in all I do. I've learned how to in the almost 3-years since I became a Christian. I am a sum of the parts of my whole life. Patti and I ran into my favorite teacher, whom taught me in elementary school, and whom I did a co-op with in high school, and volunteered with ever since when I can. She is Protestant and her husband Catholic or something and she said as long as you share faith, raise your children to believe in something [about God obviously]. We share the most important beliefs and the messages of the Bible. Kevin Seguin once told me every couple is unequally yoked at times, thru difference in amounts of prayer, worship, a servant spirit etc...My point is, I respect your opinion as a brother, but as I disagree, I don't want change in our relationship or to lose that friendship, even if the only way that would happen is by my own volition. Sorry if I have been a bad friend at times over the past year or so.
With Patti doing her volunteer work at the shelter, I feel we are unequally yoked at this point (thru her work, not my own). She has more time to serve others than I do at this point in my life, with college and stuff.
I have a whole lot of thoughts in my head. College is been where I am meant to be in regards to Journalism.
I will probably post a full recap of the past four months after exams, if all goes according to plan.
God is the author of hope. I want to know God's thoughts...the rest are details.
Random Overthought: When it comes to gifts, people say it's the thought that counts. However, if you were to hand someone a picture of the gift saying on the back how much you enjoy it, the thought wouldn't count for much, now would it? The thought counts for a lot, as long as the gift is given/received too.
E. Stanley Jones described the effect of prayer on us like this:
Prayer is not pulling God to my will, but the aligning of my will to the will of God. Aligned to God's redemptive will, anything, everything can happen in character, conduct, and creativeness. The whole person is heightened by that prayer contact. In that contact I find health for my body, illumination for my mind, and moral and spiritual reinforcement for my soul. "Prayer is a time exposure to God," so I expose myself to God for an hour and a half or two hours a day, asking less and less for things and more and more for Himself. For having Him, I have everything. He gives me what I need for character, conduct, and creativeness, so I'm rich with His riches, strong in His strength, pure in His purity, and able in His ability.
Ah dear journal:
What can I say to inflict thee with my tales? What philosophical yarn can I spin? What tale can I embed in this memory and the memory of myself and others?
Recently, I learned that for Public Relations students "spin" is a dirty word in their profession (thanks Sean). I can understand that. As a Christian, I consider "religion" a dirty word so what goes around comes around.
I can regale you that my outstanding work ethic has landed me a firm grasp of both being a world-class photographer and journalist in training. My grades are good for most of my classes. My goal is to have 75% in every class this semester but as George Duma reminded us today, grades should not be your goal. I don't think he was encouraging us to just pass but to grasp the nature of your chosen profession/field more than anything. Really, as long as you pass, you can go out into it. They don't look at Grades. But getting down to it I am a scholar type lol. I love my books. I love my writing. I love my photography. I happen to be good at reading, writing and taking pictures.
I am getting 63% in English, 66% in Introduction to Journalism and 68% in Photography. For Politics and Electronic Media Fundamentals I am getting 50% in both. That mainly stems from they are my least interested courses but also I get by on my excellent work on projects and quizzes and because the professors see that my attendance is outstanding and exemplary, with both a positive and right attitude with questions to boot but crap-tacular work on tests/mid-term(s). Tests are not my deal so it is one of those things I will always have to work that much harder at than everyone else.
For politics, I got 36% on the mid-term, 70% on the first quiz, and 100% on the biography.
For electronic media fundamentals, I didn't do good on the lab test, but without cracking a book, I nailed the lecture test with 61% because I took computers before and still remember the history for the most part.
For introduction to journalism, I have gotten 65 to 75% on everything but I bombed the first project by getting like 45% but I can bring them all up no problem to 70 but the goal is 75% in everything and I am sticking to it damn it.
My professors: Paul, Phyllis, George, Mike and Nancy are wonderful. Nancy (Mrs. Geddie) did snub Patti in a way that upset me because she wouldn't let Patti complete her thought that she thinks Brock students in the english department going for that degree could have benefited from Grammar classes in the first semester but Geddie didn't let her finish her thought and it made Patti come off as a snob which was not cool. She is the most caring and compassionate person I have ever met and never would look down on anything or anyone. Mrs. Geddie also has been problematic for Ashlee and I am a friend, but with the exception of Patti, it's not my battle and I want to pass with my 75% lol. I mentioned that to Phyllis today and I might to the other Prof's to just open the accountability of helping me reach my goal and setting a good bar instead of following others with one or two high marks and three or four just barely passes.
So school is good, my birthday is a few days away and I am 23. Everyone goes on about how I am getting old lol. Funny, considering I am the youngest person in our group in their 20's of any of my friends and circles yet one of both the wisest and sought after for advice. I do travel in many different circles. What can I say, I'm popular.
I only have 5 weeks of classes left and 1 week for exams. Excluding the test I have this morning (friday), I have some readings as we go and surely more, 5 or so projects just that I know of so far and a couple tests. I chose to ignore the dreaded exam week and its existence yet. I'm not ready for that yet.
The Early History of Superman
By Brian Steinhoff
In the beginning, Superman was created by Jerome Siegel and Joe Shuster in Cleveland, Ohio. This symbol could run faster than a speeding bullet, leap tall buildings in a single bound (1/8th of a mile leaps), more powerful than a locomotive. Superman was Kal-el from Krypton, sent to Earth from his dying planet, not to condemn the world but save it from itself. At first draft, Superman had been a take on Nietzsche’s Superman, made into a being of evil with telepathic powers, bent on taking over the world, but later rethought the concept to make him a force for good instead of evil.
A Genius in Intellect,
A Hercules in Strength,
A Nemesis to Wrongdoers,
The Superman
At first, it faced complete rejection and they both worked together and found other work doing story and artwork for other superhero storylines found in comic book strips, working for National Allied Publishing, later simply known as DC Comics, based on the success of their Detective Comics, doing vampire, sci-fi and private investigator comics. They re-pitched their idea in the later 1930s of Superman and Action Comics #1 hit newsstands June 1938 as what was meant to be the cornerstone of their new generation of work. Superman was, is and will be a social crusader for the times we live in, and thus, changing with the times to stay fresh and idealistic, battling the problems of whatever year he is in and what is being faced. Later, being such a tremendous hit started his own series that sold over a million copies of issue #1. He was everywhere, worldwide, as balloons in parades, acted by actors at world fairs all across America.
Superman on the radio, the theatre for the mind, was a tremendous success. Daily Star became the Daily Planet and the voice actor for the radio show of Superman and Clark Kent kept them sounding distinct and separate to honor and add to the distinction between the two characters. He was even seen battling in World War II, as well as supporting America’s efforts on both sides of the world, in the comic books as well as fighting the Ku Klux Klan on the radio show.
Superman’s voice-over for the radio, Bud Collier, also returned to do the voice for Clark and Superman in the 17-episode 1940s show. Superman gained the ability to fly instead of leap tall buildings in a single bound for the radio show and was first seen flying on the television screen for this one season hit. The Superman cartoon was even nominated for an Oscar, to show how mainstream it had become.
Superman and Noel Niell as the first Lois Lane in shows meant for Saturday morning matinee pictures in the previews in a taste of what was to come later. However, flying in these serials was done by transforming into cartoons, disappointedly. This serial later brought on Atom Man vs. Superman, which was the first look at Luther, played by Lyle Talbot.
In 1951, feature film Superman and the Mole Men premiered in theatres across America. George Reeves was cast as Superman in this highly anticipated show. The movie was to show Superman confronting problems now faced in the 50s, and the need for tolerance and compassion in a time rigged with fear and paranoia as to the next big world fallout. This feature film helped spark The Adventures of Superman starring George Reeves, whom first caught public eye in Gone with the Wind, in 1939 as one-half of twin brothers in the film. The Adventures of Superman debuted September of 1952 and this is where I will pick up next time.
(c) Brian Steinhoff, July, 2007 - The Early History of Superman
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