Well in honesty, I don't really have much Christmas spirit this year, This is every kids favorite time of year, and I can think back to when I was a kid and I had some of the greatest Christmas's a kid could ever ask for. I guess As I've gotten older, the magic kind of fades away, because You learn ofcurse that Santa Claus is just a myth, and the commercialistic ideals of Christmas take over. The ideas that if you don't shop at this store..It isn't really Christmas if you don't have the best toys, or spend the most money, or etc. It amazes me that we all are guilty of forgetting the fact that the world's very first Christmas gift was...well, it didn't come from a store. It came from Heaven, in the form of a baby, a child, that a virgin would deliver, when in reality, he had come to deliver us...

     So much is missing this year, and the celebration is truly dwindling. It seems that in these past few weeks, it's just piece of bad news after piece of bad news. I work for ungreatful leaders who would rather see me stay in Korea an extra week or more to play games than be home in time for my wife's birthday. I mean, I've missed every holiday, birthday, death, and other events this year...I've given the service 4 and half years of my life, I've given them a year over seas missing my sons first year, not to mention his first steps, and first words... But I certainly wouldn't want my leadership to remember that, I mean especially considering that the man who makes this final decision is here WITH his family. I mean, correct me if I'm wrong...But Happy Holidays with your wife and son, I'm sure for you, It'll be a great one. And in the end...THAT'S ALL THAT MATTERS TO ME...and by the way, to my leadership, I humbly make one request...don't put on a show at Christmas like you did for Thanksgiving...Don't make a me a big dinner after work, and serve it to us like you're the one who serves us...If you don't care about the well being of us 364 days out of the year, please don't pretend at Christmas. I'd rather sit in my room and eat a jar of peanut butter. The only thing in the world that is more sickening than your lack of concern for us...is your cheesy attempts to pretend you do care.

     My Father in law is also under the weather. My wife told me about it last night. It just seems that when it rains, it pours. The news just makes me realize that everyone, family, is getting older. I can't imagine a life without any of them. Whether it's my parents, or my wife's parents, or family either way...I love everyone of them, and I can't even begin to imagine a life without any of them. I know Rodney is a tough old cookie (you have to be tough to use a phrase like "Judas Priest"...I mean geez, you get your butt kicked for sayings like that.) I know he'll be fine, but for all that's happened this year...I've missed all of it. When you enlist, you take words like John F. Kennedy's to heart, "...ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country." Mr. Kennedy, I heard your words loud and clear...that's why I'm here today. But no matter the reason, no matter how faithful I am to the flag, oh how these days have cost me...

     All that said, let it be no matter. I'm not going to let all of these things ruin my Christmas season. When you remove the glamour, the sparkle, the shine, the money, the commercialism, the gifts, the decorations, and all else...what do you find? You find that the only gift you have to embrace, the only thing to touch your heart at the Christmas season...is the only one that matters in the end. The first gift ever to be given, is the only thing I have to hold onto this year. This the Lord has truly humbled me into remembering the truth of Christmas...a story that began with an angel, was brightened by a star, lead to a journey, was denied an inn, and concluded with a manger. Jesus is the only gift I have this year...But what a great and wonderful gift to have. I don't think anything could come close.

     So in keeping my spirits up, I thought I would do something fun for my readers out there. I'm going to tell you the greatest Christmas stories I have ever heard, and write one when I get the chance. Some will be funny, some will melt your heart, but in the end, all of them will give us a little joy in this Holiday Season. Each story I write will be entitled "Christmas as told by....." and I'll write it out. I hope that you all enjoy reading them as much as I enjoy hearing them each Christmas. So as the song says, "So I'm offering this simple phrase, for kids from one to ninty two, although it's been said, many times, many ways...Merry Christmas, to you!!

   Christmas...as told by Jeff Foxworthy!!

    Twas' the night after Christmas, and all through the trailer, the beer had gone flat, and the pizza grown staler. The tube socks hung empty, no candy or toys,and I was camped out in my old lazy boy.  The kids, they weren't talking to me or my wife. The worst Christmas they said they had had in their life. Well my wife couldn't argue, and neither could I, so I watched TV and my wife, she just cried. When out on the lawn, the dogs started barkin' I looked out my window, and I saw Sheriff Larkin. He said "Roy, I'm sworn to uphold the laws...and I got a complaint here from a fella named Claus." "Claus, I don't know nobody named Claus, and you ain't takin' me in without probable cause." The Sheriff said, "Roy, the man was shot at last night!" I said "That...uhh...mighta been me, just what'd he look like?" "Well he's a jolly old feller with a big beer gut belly, that shakes when he laughs like a bowl full of jelly. He sports a long beard, and a nose like a cherry." I said, "Sheriff, that sounds like my wife's sister, Sherry." "It's no time for jokes Roy, the Sheriff, he said, the man I'm describin' is dressed all in red. I'm here for the truth now, it's time to come clean, so tell me what you done, and tell me what you seen." Well, I started to lie, then I thought, what the heck, this wouldn't be the first time I'd spent New Years' in Jail. I said,"Sheriff It happened last night about ten, and thought that my wife had been drinkin' again, when she walked in from work she was white as a ghost, and I thought maybe she'd seen one of them UFO's. But she said a bunch of deer had just flown over  her head, and landed on the roof of our good neighbor Red. Well I ran out to look, and the site made me shudder...a FREEZER full of venison, standing right on Red's gutter. Well my hand's were a shakin as I grabbed my gun, when out of Red's chimney this feller did run. And slung on his back was a bag overflowin', I thought, "He's stolen Red's stuff while ol' Red was out bowlin'." So I yelled "DROP IT, FAT-BOY, HANDS UP IN THE AIR!!" but he went bout' his business like he hadn't a care. So I popped a warning over his head, and boy he dropped that bag and dove into his sled. And as he flew off I heard him extort, "THAT'S ASSAULT WITH INTENT ROY, I'LL SEE YA' IN COURT...."

   not all things are politically correct.......

      It's almost close of business here for today, another one down, about 70 more to go. In about 36 hours I go off to war...well...simulated ofcourse. It should be fun. There's a lot of attitudes on my flight we could live without, but for the most part the people make it fun. After it ends on friday, I will be off Satruday, and return to work on Sunday, and then I will off again on Monday. Some fun things are in the near future. Our Lieutenant is planning on having a Thanksgiving cookout for us. He said it would be after the exercise. It seems crazy to think that Thanksgiving is already knocking on our door. It's all well and good, because as I was outside laying concertina wire today, I felt the cold wind blow against me, and I remembered saying back in April that when the cold weather returned again, it would soon be time to pack up and move on. As this Thanksgiving approaches fast, I can't help but think that my favorite time of year is coming, and my heart always gets overwhelmed with excitement, and I get a little choked up, but let me take a moment to tell you what is different this year. I'll tell you why even though in what could be the worst of Holiday seasons any man could ever have, I can see a bright glimmer of hope on the horizon...I challenge any one who reads this to truly take to heart what I am about to say. Close your eyes, and let it sink in. You'll be amazed the things we take for granted everyday, when you stop and think for one second about it...

     Did you wake up in a warm bed this morning? I know I did. I know I slept under a nice warm blanket in a nice warm room, and got a nice hot shower before going to my job. In this very sentence I can pick out about five things I take for granted every single day. How often do we complain about our jobs? I know I do about a million times a day...even though my wife and son are eating because of it. How picky are we? When was the last time we even complained about our bed? "It's too hard!" or "too soft!" or "It makes my back hurt!" Have you ever gone to sleep, or wanted to go to sleep, but had no bed to go to? Did you get a hug from your mother this morning? What about your wife, or your dad...here's one...what about your son? Did you get a hug from your children this morning? How often in the rush of the morning activities do you forget to give your child a hug and a kiss before they head out. I really could go on and on, but I'm not here to lecture or accuse. How often I take some of these things for granted is rediculous. I am guilty, we all are. Now for some real thought provokers...

     Did you pray this morning to the Lord? Or were you not allowed to? Or did you not want to pray, but were forced to because that's what your government tells you to do? Did you vote in this past election? Or did you blow it off (I'M GUILTY!!!!) Did you throw away the privelege to speak your mind, your voice, your right, to choose the person who leads you, because you figured your voice wouldn't be heard? Did you forget about the fact that over 2500 American soldiers are dead trying to give a country thousands of miles away the same privilege that they never had, that you "forgot" you had?

     Being gone this year has opened my eyes to a million things, but Thanksgiving hits really close to home, especially since it is my favorite Holiday. But I can verify, and testify to the fact that the old cliche is true...we never miss the things we love, til' they go away. This Holiday Season will be lonely, but the lesson I have walked away with from here on humility and appreciation for things in my life is priceless. It's like the ultimate Christmas present. Will I return home and sometimes carelessly take for granted what I have? Yes. Unfortunantly I'm human, and I will never achieve perfection on this side of Heaven. But I will be a little wiser, that my words and actions most be carefully chosen. I had a teacher once say to me "Steve, choose your words carefully, and always make them soft and sweet...because you never know which ones you may someday have to eat." So true... I will work on myself over here, but ask everyone over there to do the same. Let's all try to be more thankful for the gifts in our lives. Most of us will always wake up in a bed, start our car, and go to our jobs, but let's remember that it's a statistical fact that if you own your own home, you're considered to be in the top ten percent of the world's wealthiest people. Perhaps it's time that we as a society start giving thanks for the true gifts in our lives, and not just our materialistic possessions. Just a small thought...Until I write again, keep your stick on the ice!

"Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus" ~1 Thes. 5:18