Profound and Sometimes Preposterous Ponderings of Pete

I can put up with all the commercialization.  The greed.  The avarice.  The whining and complaining. The idiots who claim that Christmas is not a Christian holiday and yadda yadda blah blah blah.  The thing I really hate however, is the "Have to's!"  You know what I mean.  The have to buy a gift for the Secret Santa at work.  The have to get a gift for the neighbors.  The have to get a gift because ______ .  You fill in the blanks.  The free gift of salvation is so pure, so holy and given in true love.  God did not have to be born a man.  He did not have to die for us.  He had no obligation to us at all. So when people tell me I have to buy this gift (especially when I am having trouble getting gifts for those I love) because of some obscure obligation, it rankles me.  Let me give a gift without strings or without obligation.  I don't mind giving gifts to unknown people or people who will never even thank me or see me again.  Just don't tell me I have to do it be

The kids all did Black Friday shopping today (last night?).  Even Daniel and Katie did their own version (really cute)!  So I am driving back from the post office thinking that I should feel bad because Corinne and I have done absolutely no Christmas shopping. But I don't.  I am not in any "Seasonal Spirit" either.  The past several months have been really hard financially and we just don't have funds for Christmas.  I realized today that I am indifferent to that.  My kids are well aware how much we love and care for them and are old enough (well maybe not Ben) to know that things are really sparse this year and I don't feel ashamed or bad that I can't lavish gifts on them.  Maybe I should?  Does this make me an ogre?  A Scrooge?  Well you are all entitled to an opinion.  I don't care.  Christmas is a celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ.  When that day was is irrelevant.  Here is the crux.  I am just so glad that He was born!!  His birth and finally

10. Pumpkin Pie 9.Sucralose 8. My Truck 7. My Business 6. My House 5. Being born in the USA 4. My Church 3. My Family 2. My Wife and Kids 1. Jesus Christ

I watched 2 movies this past weekend.  The new Spiderman and Meet the Robinsons.  I enjoyed both.  As a kid I wanted to get bitten by a radioactive, spider, tiger, leopard, snake, whatever it took to become a superhero with animal-like super reflexes and senses (Uh-oh! Spidey senses tingling).  Well, I have no super powers and I am no super hero.  I also imagined myself to be a super inventor/scientist that would change the world with my amazing innovations!  Well, I did become a scientist and yes even a rocket scientist but I am never going to get a Nobel.  Now that they are giving those out for pseudo-science to people like Al Gore I am not sure that I would want one.  So I started wondering what have I become?  I am 52 years old, partially disabled, father of 12 and grandfather of almost 11.  Hmmm. In my quest for self undertstanding I took a spiritual gifts test and this how I scored as my top 5 gifts: 1. Writing 2. Teaching 3. (a tie) Exhortaion and Faith 4. Pastorin

I Cor 10:14 Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry. 15 I speak as to sensible people; judge for yourselves what I say. 16 The cup of blessing that we bless, is it not a participation in the blood of Christ? The bread that we break, is it not a participation in the body of Christ? 17 Because there is one bread, we who are many are one body, for we all partake of the one bread. 18 Consider the people of Israel:[d] are not those who eat the sacrifices participants in the altar? 19 What do I imply then? That food offered to idols is anything, or that an idol is anything? 20 No, I imply that what pagans sacrifice they offer to demons and not to God. I do not want you to be participants with demons. 21 You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons. You cannot partake of the table of the Lord and the table of demons. 22 Shall we provoke the Lord to jealousy? Are we stronger than he? I know this is going to offend some, encourage others, and hopefully inspire some to seek Go