Hi fellow bloggers. I recently received this e-mail from my dear husband (he got it at work and so I'm passing it on) and thought I'd share. I merely copied and pasted this from CNN.com. Enjoy!
By Roland S. Martin
CNN contributor
Watch Roland S. Martin on a special edition of "Sound Off" on CNN.com Live at 11:10 a.m. ET Friday.
Roland S. Martin says we should continue to remember that Jesus is the reason for the season.
(CNN) -- This whole push to remove Christ from the Christmas season has gotten so ridiculous that it's pathetic.
Because of all the politically correct idiots, we are being encouraged to stop saying "Merry Christmas" for the more palatable "Happy Holidays." What the heck are "Seasons Greetings"? Can someone tell me what season we are greeting folks about? A Christmas tree? Oh, no! It's now a holiday tree. Any Christmas song that even remotely mentions Christ or has a religious undertone is being axed for being overtly religious. And I'm sorry, forget X-M-A-S. Malcolm X? Yes. X replacing Christ? No.
Don't get me wrong; I'm very respectful of other religions. I don't want anyone to be afraid of discussing the Jewish faith when we address Hanukkah. And we shouldn't dismiss Muslims when the annual pilgrimage to Mecca is held during December. In fact, Americans are so ignorant of other faiths that we can all learn from one another.
But this seeming backlash against Christianity is bordering on the absurd, and we should continue to remember that Jesus is the reason for the season.
What Would Jesus Really Do?
Roland Martin asks: What would Jesus really do in this political environment?
Friday and Monday, 8 p.m. ET
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I know that may sound strident, but it's true. We spend an inordinate amount of time focused on shopping and buying gifts, but really, what does any of this have to do with the birth of Jesus? We have families all over the nation killing themselves to buy a tree they can't afford, running up their credit to buy toys and other gifts, all in an effort to make someone else happy.
What if families decided to forgo gifts, and instead, used their shopping days giving back to those in need? What if more of us went into our closets, grabbed old toys and clothes, repackaged them, and provided them as gifts to those without? Instead of gorging on food, what if we used some of the dough to feed those who are in need? What if we blew off those gift cards to electronic retailers and signed up with Networkforgood.org, and gave someone a gift card to their favorite charity?
Sure, I know I sound like a reincarnation of a flower child, but really, do we have to be so crass during the Christmas season?
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Its time that we return to traditional values, and end this ridiculous charade. It's important that we take a fuller account of WHY we celebrate Christmas, as opposed to falling for the barrage of ads that tell us what is most important.
Parents, don't be so consumed with the notion that your children will have a terrible Christmas because the tree isn't overflowing with gifts. The true love that you show them is more important than anything else.
America might be the king of capitalism, but secularism must never become so prevalent that our religious traditions are discarded.
Roland S. Martin is a nationally award-winning journalist and CNN contributor. Martin is studying to receive his master's degree in Christian communications at Louisiana Baptist University, and he is the author of "Listening to the Spirit Within: 50 Perspectives on Faith." You can read more of his columns at
Friday, December 21, 2007
Wednesday, December 19, 2007
First Trip to Disney/Seaworld
Rob and I decided to take a little trip to see the "Big Man", Mickey Mouse that is. Avonlea loves Mickey and all his friends and we were needing a little vacation from all the chaos around here. It was a fabulous three days and two nights in Orlando. We visited the Magic Kingdom on Sunday (amazing weather!) and Monday we hit Sea World (Florida residents get to go the whole year for free with just one purchase of a ticket). No major meltdowns, in fact considering the fact that both kids were deprived of naps all three days (Lincoln cat-napped in the stroller on and off), got to bed late and were traveling around theme parks (oh yeah, we hit IKEA on Saturday), they did impecable. The only major meltdown was when we were driving home and were about 20 minutes away from our house, Avonlea was so exhausted that she woke up in her carseat and flipped out. She didn't know where she was and screamed for about 15 minutes straight, of coarse waking up her baby brother in the process. What can you expect? I was impressed that this was the only time of crankiness. Praise the Lord! What a fun weekend.
The house is pretty much finished except the master bathroom (needs paint) and a few loose odds and ends. That will be my next post. Enjoy the Disney/Seaworld pictures...
"The Big Man" himself...MICKEY MOUSE! Avonlea waited so patiently in line. I was quite impressed for a two-year-old. It was the highlight of her day.
Rob is such a sucker for his little girl. Avonlea was told she could choose only one toy in the store. We asked her which ONE stuffed animal she wanted. She grabbed both Donald and Mickey and that's who came home with us. :)
Rob and Avy on Dumbo. We didn't actually wait in line (are you kidding me? It's the longest line at Disney!), but we took a photo on a fake Dumbo displayed right by the ride. :)
Rob and the kiddos with Goofy...hrr, hrr, gosh!
Pluto is so cute
Meeting Pinnochio
Meeting Minnie Mouse
Rob and Avonlea in Toontown riding Avy's first roller coaster. She loved it.
Lincoln with Avonlea's Mickey
The end of the day...too pooped to party
Meeting a Polar Bear at SeaWorld
The house is pretty much finished except the master bathroom (needs paint) and a few loose odds and ends. That will be my next post. Enjoy the Disney/Seaworld pictures...
"The Big Man" himself...MICKEY MOUSE! Avonlea waited so patiently in line. I was quite impressed for a two-year-old. It was the highlight of her day.
Rob is such a sucker for his little girl. Avonlea was told she could choose only one toy in the store. We asked her which ONE stuffed animal she wanted. She grabbed both Donald and Mickey and that's who came home with us. :)
Rob and Avy on Dumbo. We didn't actually wait in line (are you kidding me? It's the longest line at Disney!), but we took a photo on a fake Dumbo displayed right by the ride. :)
Rob and the kiddos with Goofy...hrr, hrr, gosh!
Pluto is so cute
Meeting Pinnochio
Meeting Minnie Mouse
Rob and Avonlea in Toontown riding Avy's first roller coaster. She loved it.
Lincoln with Avonlea's Mickey
The end of the day...too pooped to party
Meeting a Polar Bear at SeaWorld
Tuesday, December 11, 2007
The Tree is Up!
So, furniture got delivered this morning at 7:45 a.m. and boy was that ever motivation to start cleaning and getting things back in order here. I have no battery left in my camera so I'll have to take final pictures another day and post them, but here's a picture of Rob and Avy decorating our tree. We always get a real tree (anyone notice the jump in price this year? Whew!). We finally found our ornaments after two days of looking and what a fun night it was.
Friday, December 7, 2007
House Photo Updates
I think I typed enough in my last blog entry so I'll keep this one extra short. For those that check our blog for photos updates on the house, here you go my friends (and mother-in-law...he he). I took some pictures tonight so you could see the progress. Sorry for the clutter all over the floors, but we haven't moved in furniture yet so there's nothing to put it on. :)
Front entryway. This is at night so you can't see the true color of the outside. I'll have to take another picture in the daylight sometime.
Our very cluttered new living room (new furniture gets delivered Tuesday along with our dining room table/chairs)
Completed kitchen only without the tile backsplash (last thing to go in).
New dining room/piano room and entryway.
Yes, I pulled the ferns in the front planter (sorry to anyone that liked them). They were replaced with Impatients (flowers).
Front entryway. This is at night so you can't see the true color of the outside. I'll have to take another picture in the daylight sometime.
Our very cluttered new living room (new furniture gets delivered Tuesday along with our dining room table/chairs)
Completed kitchen only without the tile backsplash (last thing to go in).
New dining room/piano room and entryway.
Yes, I pulled the ferns in the front planter (sorry to anyone that liked them). They were replaced with Impatients (flowers).
Thursday, December 6, 2007
Hitting My Limit!!!
I must say that as a wife and mother of two, I have never had a more challenging week! I have always handled stress pretty well I think, but this week, Satan was at work on myself and my family. It's a long story with many big and little things that happened so I'll try to give you the "short" version:
It all started Friday morning when the painters showed up. "Hooray for paint!" was my initial reaction. After quickly packing some bags, getting the kids dressed and rushing through breakfast, we were out the door and as usual, in the car with me thinking, "Okay, where are we going to spend the day?" Luckily, my parents have been absolute saints thoughout all of this construction letting us visit when we need to, feeding us and letting us nap in their beds. So, we headed to Gram and Pa-pa's house for the day. We left at around 4:30 to come home to what I thought would be a pretty aired-out house. Well, the paint fumes were terrible! Lincoln had been to the doctor's the day before with a pretty nasty cold and my first reaction was, "We can't stay here tonight." I put the kids back in the baby's room and closed the door praying that they wouldn't breathe too much in. I quickly packed some bags for the four of us, called Rob to book us a hotel and we were off. I think I packed in 10 minutes!! The kids and I made a stop at Chick-Fil-A for some dinner which was a mess. Lincoln wanted to eat (which I'm not THAT comfortable doing in public) and Avonlea needed help as usual. I left feeling quite stressed. We then head over to Jo-Ann Fabrics to pick up some sort of craft for Avonlea to do as we sit in a hotel for the weekend (I had forgot to pack toys in my 10-minute rush) and as we were in the kids' craft section, yep, Avonlea decides to throw a fit. Perfect!! We left there to head up to the hotel where Satan was ready to go to work again. Already tired and wanting my own bed, we all go to sleep...WRONG. Lincoln is up all night (I'm talking on the hour, like a newborn again). Rob and I were beginning to hit our peak of patience. I finally fell asleep with Lincoln on one bed, Rob in the loft area and Avy on the pull-out couch. Around 4:00 a.m. I hear a very loud and strange sound..."Ba-la, ba-la, um-bum-ba!" The alarm clock has now gone off just as my sick baby has finally been asleep for longer than one hour. I jump out of bed trying to push any button that will shut the thing off (no luck) so I yank it out of the wall. At this point, I was so literally exhausted that I just sat on the bed and started laughing. Rob came down, stood in the doorway and just laughed along with me. We had hit our limit and all we could do was laugh. The whole time this lousy alarm was going off, in my mind I'm thinking, "Of coarse, of coarse!" This is the icing on the cake. So, it's back to dreamland for a little more shut-eye before our little angels wake up.
The next day was Saturday and we had a friend's wedding to attend. (I'm totally looking forward to just getting out of the house with a babysitter watching the kiddos!) But wait! We can't have a babysitter come to the hotel. That would be weird, so I called up Grandma K. and she agreed to take Avy and I would then take Lincoln with us to the wedding. Lincoln is now getting much worse by the way. His coughing, nose-running and wheezing (he has asthma like Avy) were getting terrible. Poor guy. So, we go to the wedding which was beautiful and Lincoln and Rob hung out in the church lobby while I watched the ceremony. After the reception, we were pooped and ready for bed. We picked up Avonlea and headed back to our hotel. Another night of restless sleep awaited us (urgh!). The following day, we headed back (the kids and I...Rob had to sing for church and I couldn't go b/c LC was still very sick) home and I prayed as we drove back that the paint fumes would be tolerable enough for us to stay. We opened every window, turned on the air and played outside for awhile until I felt it was safe for them to breathe inside. Needless to say, we were just happy to be in our own beds that night.
The next day was Monday and Lincoln had taken a turn for the worst. I had him in and out of the doctor's office Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. Finally, Wednesday afternoon, his wheezing got so bad that I had to take him to the ER where we stayed for 5 hours and the ER doctor determined that Lincoln had RSV. I was shocked! I had always heard that this virus was so serious and could even be fatal in babies. I immediately freaked out. The nurse assured me that yes, it can be dangerous for small babies (multiples or premies), but for a baby Lincoln's weight, it's just a really bad cold. He's on a steriod called Oripred as well as Albuterol breathing treatments every 4 hours. Poor boy. I have always been careful about handwashing, not sharing drinks and yes, I'm one of those moms who wipe down the shopping carts with sanitizing wipes. I couldn't believe my kid had RSV.
So, now it's Thursday and we spent yet another day out of our home. I will say that it's very difficult living amongst the dust and debris here, but I know that the end is in sight. Having strangers walking around making noise all day when you just want to relax is definately not comfortable. The finished product isn't far away. Every day there are big and small steps to completing the house. I just pray that I'm still sane after it all. I know I will be with the Lord's help. I honestly had no idea the patience, tolerance and sacrifice it would take to make these rennovations happen, but it's definately been a learning experience and although there have been days where I'm ready to throw in the towel, I know it'll all be worth it in the end.
One, tired Mommy signing off...
It all started Friday morning when the painters showed up. "Hooray for paint!" was my initial reaction. After quickly packing some bags, getting the kids dressed and rushing through breakfast, we were out the door and as usual, in the car with me thinking, "Okay, where are we going to spend the day?" Luckily, my parents have been absolute saints thoughout all of this construction letting us visit when we need to, feeding us and letting us nap in their beds. So, we headed to Gram and Pa-pa's house for the day. We left at around 4:30 to come home to what I thought would be a pretty aired-out house. Well, the paint fumes were terrible! Lincoln had been to the doctor's the day before with a pretty nasty cold and my first reaction was, "We can't stay here tonight." I put the kids back in the baby's room and closed the door praying that they wouldn't breathe too much in. I quickly packed some bags for the four of us, called Rob to book us a hotel and we were off. I think I packed in 10 minutes!! The kids and I made a stop at Chick-Fil-A for some dinner which was a mess. Lincoln wanted to eat (which I'm not THAT comfortable doing in public) and Avonlea needed help as usual. I left feeling quite stressed. We then head over to Jo-Ann Fabrics to pick up some sort of craft for Avonlea to do as we sit in a hotel for the weekend (I had forgot to pack toys in my 10-minute rush) and as we were in the kids' craft section, yep, Avonlea decides to throw a fit. Perfect!! We left there to head up to the hotel where Satan was ready to go to work again. Already tired and wanting my own bed, we all go to sleep...WRONG. Lincoln is up all night (I'm talking on the hour, like a newborn again). Rob and I were beginning to hit our peak of patience. I finally fell asleep with Lincoln on one bed, Rob in the loft area and Avy on the pull-out couch. Around 4:00 a.m. I hear a very loud and strange sound..."Ba-la, ba-la, um-bum-ba!" The alarm clock has now gone off just as my sick baby has finally been asleep for longer than one hour. I jump out of bed trying to push any button that will shut the thing off (no luck) so I yank it out of the wall. At this point, I was so literally exhausted that I just sat on the bed and started laughing. Rob came down, stood in the doorway and just laughed along with me. We had hit our limit and all we could do was laugh. The whole time this lousy alarm was going off, in my mind I'm thinking, "Of coarse, of coarse!" This is the icing on the cake. So, it's back to dreamland for a little more shut-eye before our little angels wake up.
The next day was Saturday and we had a friend's wedding to attend. (I'm totally looking forward to just getting out of the house with a babysitter watching the kiddos!) But wait! We can't have a babysitter come to the hotel. That would be weird, so I called up Grandma K. and she agreed to take Avy and I would then take Lincoln with us to the wedding. Lincoln is now getting much worse by the way. His coughing, nose-running and wheezing (he has asthma like Avy) were getting terrible. Poor guy. So, we go to the wedding which was beautiful and Lincoln and Rob hung out in the church lobby while I watched the ceremony. After the reception, we were pooped and ready for bed. We picked up Avonlea and headed back to our hotel. Another night of restless sleep awaited us (urgh!). The following day, we headed back (the kids and I...Rob had to sing for church and I couldn't go b/c LC was still very sick) home and I prayed as we drove back that the paint fumes would be tolerable enough for us to stay. We opened every window, turned on the air and played outside for awhile until I felt it was safe for them to breathe inside. Needless to say, we were just happy to be in our own beds that night.
The next day was Monday and Lincoln had taken a turn for the worst. I had him in and out of the doctor's office Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. Finally, Wednesday afternoon, his wheezing got so bad that I had to take him to the ER where we stayed for 5 hours and the ER doctor determined that Lincoln had RSV. I was shocked! I had always heard that this virus was so serious and could even be fatal in babies. I immediately freaked out. The nurse assured me that yes, it can be dangerous for small babies (multiples or premies), but for a baby Lincoln's weight, it's just a really bad cold. He's on a steriod called Oripred as well as Albuterol breathing treatments every 4 hours. Poor boy. I have always been careful about handwashing, not sharing drinks and yes, I'm one of those moms who wipe down the shopping carts with sanitizing wipes. I couldn't believe my kid had RSV.
So, now it's Thursday and we spent yet another day out of our home. I will say that it's very difficult living amongst the dust and debris here, but I know that the end is in sight. Having strangers walking around making noise all day when you just want to relax is definately not comfortable. The finished product isn't far away. Every day there are big and small steps to completing the house. I just pray that I'm still sane after it all. I know I will be with the Lord's help. I honestly had no idea the patience, tolerance and sacrifice it would take to make these rennovations happen, but it's definately been a learning experience and although there have been days where I'm ready to throw in the towel, I know it'll all be worth it in the end.
One, tired Mommy signing off...
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