Peppermint Hot Chocolate

I love chocolate and I love peppermint.  When these two are mixed together it is like heaven.  If you never had Peppermint Hot Chocolate you are missing out.  I suppose you would have to like chocolate and peppermint in order to enjoy this drink.  When the thick liquid hits your tongue, you can taste the sweetness of the chocolate and the crispness of the peppermint.  It is an amazing mixture.  It is like Christmas in a cup.

I must admit this beverage is one my guilty pleasures.  If this drink were alcoholic you could say I was addicted.  This drink is one of the many things I enjoy about Christmas.  When I sip this beverage, I am reminded of the many wonderful Christmases of the past.  I think of my grandfather dressing up as Santa Clause and giving us our gifts.  I am reminded of those trips to the Christmas tree farm to select the perfect tree.  I remember the Christmas Eve Services I attended.  Most of all I am reminded of what Christmas is really about.  The greatest thing about Christmas does not cup.  The greatest gift came in a filthy manger 2000 years ago.  That trumps Peppermint Hot Chocolate any day.

where did my pot go?

In Tampa, Florida , a highway cleanup crew found 60 pounds of pot on the side of the road.   The Florida Highway Patrol says this pot has a $54,000 street value.  Some of the marijuana plants were freshly picked.  The marijuana was either thrown off the vehicle or it fell.  I'm siding with the later.  I'm not an expert on pot or any other illegal narcotic, but I don't think someone would let that much money go on purpose.  I know I wouldn't. 

 This story is humorous but sad.  Many people struggle with substance abuse problems.  These addictions have led to loss of relationships, job, and life.  What is the church doing to help these people?  In many cases, churches aren't doing anything.  It's easier to shun addicts than it is to help them.  I guess churches believe it's to messy of a process.  Didn't Jesus say that following him would be messy?  I believe he did.  Loving our neighbor includes loving those who struggle with addictions.  Jesus loves them.  Why can't we?

Story and photo are courtesy of Yahoo.

The Weekend

In a few short weeks, we will celebrate Christmas.  Christmas is a special time of year for many people.  It is one of my favorite times of the year.  I love looking at the Christmas lights and enjoying the tasty treats of the season.  As I write this, I am aware of my selfishness as a human being.  I am ashamed of my actions.  

Over the Thanksgiving holiday, I, along with several other church members, had the opportunity to travel to the Operation Christmas Child distribution center in Charlotte, North Carolina.  The center is a collection for thousands of shoe boxes.  These shoe boxes are filled with toys, school supplies, clothing items, and hygiene items.  These boxes will be distributed to millions of boys and girls around the world.  At this collection center, volunteers from around the country come to inspect the boxes making sure they are filled with the appropriate items.  For two days, I was one of those volunteers.  As I was inspecting each box, I thought about all the "stuff" I had.  I have much more than I need.   At at that moment, I realized that I would not be satisfied with a shoebox full of little trinkets.  I want so much more than that.  I am a selfish person.  There are so many people around me that have so little.  Yet I complain, when my parents say that an IPod Touch is out of the question for Christmas.  

In this selfishness the true meaning of Christmas is lost.  The greatest gift has been given to me and that is Jesus Christ.  He is the greatest gift I can show someone else.  God does not care about the "stuff" I receive for Christmas.  God is more concern with the love and generosity that is shown to others.  

We all struggle with this selfishness at some point.  I pray that we keep our eyes on the true meaning of Christmas.  I pray we learn to give of ourselves every day of our lives.  

Big Bug...oh my!

As I was browsing the news this morning, I ran across this eye catching story. Scientists have found a fossil of an enormous bug. This bug is the cousin of our present day scorpion. This scorpion was over eight feet tall. That's three feet taller than me. Yikes!
What I find amazing is that insects of that time were enormous. Many of them were the size of present day human beings. We think these things exist only in science fiction movies, but they in fact existed millions and millions of years ago. These creatures did not have natural enemies therefore they were around for a long time. The scorpions were cannibals that fought against one another.
I think this story is truly amazing and humorous. I am afraid of insects and spiders. I fear creatures that are a few centimeters long. If I came across an eight foot bug I would pass out. There is no way I could fly swat something that big.
I think God has a sense of humor to create something of this magnitude. I'm grateful I wasn't around to see this creation. I would have been bug food.



Photo is courtesy of Yahoo