14Dec 2011 by CJ

Where are you Christmas – more and more we can’t find you

Life & Living, Youth
As of this writing, there are exactly 18 more days until the conclusion of 2011. It was a year not uncommonly filled with its share of highs and lows and looking back it’s difficult to imagine where the last eleven months have escaped. But as John Lennon once said, “life is what happens when you’re busy making other plans.” But before we welcome in a new calendar year, we have another time-honored holiday to celebrate - Christmas. A subject of continuous debate, and the recurring theme of countless movies, books and television specials, is what is the true meaning of Christmas. While arguments surrounding its true meaning are subjective, it’s hard to decipher a logistical explanation when December 25th is continuously shrouded in dazzling decorations and over-the-top gift giving. It…
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04Dec 2011 by CJ

Finding your way home on Christmas Day is a feeling too many share

Generosity & Kindness, Life & Living, Love & Relationships
Home on Christmas Day. That means so many different things to different people. Throughout the month of December, constant reminders of the holidays captivate our senses. We marvel at the sight of twinkling lights intertwined on festive decorations, salivate at the smell of freshly baked gingerbread men lined like toy soldiers on cookie sheets, and hum along to the sound of holiday tunes joyfully playing in the background. For me, the sounds of the season have always been my favorite. As a young child, I remember listening to songs about a magical snowman with a corncob pipe and a button nose, and wondering if it really was fun to ride in a one horse open sleigh. But as an adult, I find myself drawn to musical themes which many times…
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02Dec 2011 by CJ

Service men and women – A Mother’s Wish for her military son

Life & Living, Love & Relationships
[caption id="attachment_683" align="alignleft" width="245"] Photo courtesy of MetroCreativeConnection[/caption] It's easy to forget there are still thousands of active service men and women stationed overseas, fighting to protect the very freedoms we take for granted on a daily basis. Beyond the potential dangers wartime brings, I assume it must be terribly difficult to celebrate the holidays with such a distance between your hearts. I couldn't imagine what this shared sacrifice must feel like, and as a lifelong American I say thank you not only to our troops but their families as well. While holiday favorites such as "Jingle Bells" or "Let It Snow" are fun to listen to during the season, I tend to appreciate songs which touch upon the realities of life and the struggles so many of us face…
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30Nov 2011 by CJ

Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer is still tops with viewers

Life & Living, Youth
Tuesday night CBS aired the holiday classic "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer", which originally aired on Sunday, December 6, 1964 on the NBC television network (see image). Since I can remember, it's always been a favorite of mine around this time of year. Even today at the age of 36, my wife and I still enjoy watching it (we even own it on DVD!). As we were tuning in this year, I began wondering why they'd even play this anymore? I mean in this age of technology where cartoons are created with a computer, would the children of today (and the adults for that matter) really find any entertainment in this archaic art form? Well, I guess I was wrong. According to the ratings, 12.7 million viewers tuned in to the…
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29Nov 2011 by CJ

Living in poverty means some spend the holidays living in cars

Generosity & Kindness, Life & Living
It's hard to believe there are people living in poverty when you read the sentence below. Well the news it out - Black Friday Weekend 2011 was a raging success, bringing in some $53 billion dollars. Admittedly, my wife and I contributed to that number - fighting crowds of shoppers who did little to put me in the holiday spirit. Maybe it's me but cursing, pushing and a general feeling of rudeness does little to warm the coddles of my soul. On a positive note, I suppose $53 billion dollars will help the bottom line of most retailers, which will save jobs and keep the recovery effort moving along. But it's hard to see the benefits of this holiday spending after watching a story on "60 Minutes" that same weekend…
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