It’s Christmas season again. Everybody is fighting to get a good deal at the stores. I saw on the news people literally fighting in the stores. Doesn’t it warm your heart and make you want Christmas to come around again. There are a multitude of Television program with the name Christmas on it. Not one of them even slightly resembles Christmas. I don’t like to be negative about anything. If you really want to get into the spirit of Christmas, you have to remember what it is about. Jesus came to give to mankind. He gave faith, hope and charity. People in his day had lost hope that God was going to help them. These gifts are intangible. You can’t touch them, taste them or feel them. But if you give these gifts to mankind, your heart will be full of the Christmas Season. Jesus is the reason for the season.

Ever been in the hard place caught between the rock and a hard place. Where you went into a situation that you weren’t supposed to be in. In this place you did things you can never that back. Many soldiers find themselves in just hard place. They did their job and they will never be the same. You don’t have to be a soldier to find yourself there. What do you do? What can you do? God chose a particular person to spread the gospel to the gentiles. His name was Saul of Tarsus, the apostle Paul. Of all the people God could have chosen, he chose Paul. While he was Saul, he was chosen to capture or kill all the people who believed in the Way, Christians. Saul dragged them to prison, men, women and children. Some men he had killed. He did all this in the name of God. He did this until Jesus stopped him on the way to Damascus. His life changed and began following Jesus. At first the Christians didn’t believe he changed but eventually they saw it. There is only one way to go and one person to ask for help. His name is Jesus and to start just call on his name.

I have always tried to improve myself toward the goal of perfection. I seems that I always come up short. I get frustrated with the trying. Sometimes I throw up my arms and quit. I want to be like Jesus. The Bible says if we try and pursue the goal eventually we will become like Jesus. For we will see Him as he is and be like him. I am the image and likeness of God. God made us in His image. We are not perfect because we are still human. The flesh I live in wars against my spirit. The flesh wants to live its life on this earth. I can’t live the life of the flesh. Anyone who lives that life will destroy themselves. I want the love and approval of my Father. So I pick myself up and try again walking in His path. Eventually I will get there when my life is over on the earth. But all of this isn’t about being perfect. It is about living the life of Jesus on this earth.

My wife and I have 4 sons and three of them served in the U.S. Military. Our second son joined first. He joined the Louisiana Army National Guard. Jon joined because of 9/11. Our third son followed his older brother and joined the Louisiana Army National Guard. Our fourth son joined the U.S. Air Force and still serves. Jon got two of his friends to join with him, Seth Trahan and Jonathan Stafford. My wife and I became involved with the family readiness group. We raised funds for Jon’s unit to send care packages. His unit was deployed in 2004 to Iraq. It was still a shooting war. We had to come to the understanding that Jon was in God’s hand, here or in Iraq. They were stationed in Baghdad. They patrolled the southern part of the city. Their road block was one of the most active in the conflict. Jon was part of the security for the 10th mountain, in their search and capture of Hussein’s sons. Jon earned his combat infantry badge for the action.

Jon had never been to war. He never knew the terror of war or saw death before. We had talks before he left about death and what to do about it. But he was going to experience it firsthand. His unit lost 5 soldiers that year and a 6th soldier from Crowley also died. They lived close to the war at the Baghdad international airport. The base was attack on occasion, one time their cafeteria was attacked by rockets during lunch. We would talk on the phone every so often. I saw he was changing. Once, we hooked the computer and his brothers and I talked face to face with him. He had lost weight and it really bothered him to see us. He was homesick. A soldier’s life is never easy. It requires due diligence.

My third son went to basic training while Jon was in Iraq. We didn’t know that he would be in the middle of a war with nature. He returned in time for Hurricane Katrina. He was stationed at the Super Dome in New Orleans. Joel had joined the SRT team. The Sudden Response Team, all police offices and military police, were at the beckon call of the Louisiana Governor. The call went out and all forty five soldiers were stationed at the Super Dome. I didn’t get the chance to talk to Joel about death. It was the first time he saw death. The total body count for Katrina was 1800 dead and 700 missing. They stayed in New Orleans until they were called to Lake Charles for Hurricane Rita. My son grew up as fast as his older brother did in Iraq. We brought him care packages just like his brother overseas. Military life includes all the family, not just the soldiers.

My wife and I attended all the funerals for Jon’s unit. We met many of the soldiers and their families that served with Jon. We began to know the military family in Louisiana. Through the Family Readiness Group, we met family member’s state wide. Vicky became a leader in group. One of the hardest times we had with the military family was coming. We had to function to help this family, thought it tore out our heart.

On February 19, 2005, it was a regular Saturday morning. I was doing anything unusual. The phone rang and it was Jon in Iraq. Vicky answered the phone, but Jon wanted to talk to me. I got on the phone and asked how he was. He told me that his officers had allowed him to call home. I immediately asked if he was wounded. He said no. Then I asked about Jonathan and Seth, if they were wounded. He said no. But he was not allowed to say that Seth had died. When I asked about Jonathan, he said no. When I asked about Seth, if he was wounded. He said it was worst. I knew the Seth was dead. I talked to him to encourage his heart. Death had come home to roost. We talked for a while longer, but he had to get off the line. I told Vicky and cried. We couldn’t tell anyone about Seth. My phone began to ring off the hook. I couldn’t say a word. Vicky called the head of the Family Readiness Group and it began. The Company Commander, who was home on leave, and the Bereavement Officer went to Seth’s home to tell his parents. They weren’t at home, but his youngest sister was. Until the family is notified, no one can say anything. We prepared food and any kind of help we could provide.

I knew this boy almost from his birth. My family grew up with his family. His dad was my pastor. Seth had a military escort from Iraq to Crowley. There was a state, sheriff and city police escort from Baton Rouge to the funeral home in Crowley. The Crowley Fire Department escort him to the funeral home. His comrades in arms were still in Iraq and couldn’t come for funeral. Military personal statewide came to the funeral. The Commanding General of the Louisiana National Guard came to the funeral. Seth won the Bronze Star for his action that day. Honor should be given to this young man, but he is no longer here. It has been ten years since his death and it still affects me.

When Jesus died on the cross, the people of Jerusalem came out and laughed, jeered and mocked him. It seemed as if there was no one for him. His mother was at his feet, crying. The Apostle John came with Mary and several women. The Centurion that crucified Jesus began to believe in him. But the shame of it was that I was at that cross mocking and jeering the Son of God. Until I was 28 years old, I stood at that cross and cursed God. All that Jesus did to redeem me for hell and the grave and I cursed him. I kept hearing my name being called from a long way off. I would turn to see who was calling me. Finally when I was 28 years old, I understood who was calling. It was Jesus calling from the cross. Telling me that He loved me just the way I was and to come home. He is calling out. All you have to do is listen for your name and turn toward him. He loves us as we are and will accept us. Listen.

Most people believe that they receive information about this world through their mind. You can see with your eyes, hear with your ears, speak with your mouth, but that is only part of the information you receive. We as a human being are made up of a body, soul and spirit. The body comes from the dust of the earth. The soul is the life that God gives to unite your spirit and body. The spirit is who you are and is eternal. When people talk about your heart, they really mean your spirit. God made us in His image and likeness. We have attributes that God has that we can access, such as love, joy, peace, longsuffering, goodness, gentleness, meekness and temperance. Our heart searches for these attributes all of our lives.  Hoping that we can find them in the things of this world. That is why the heart is a lonely hunter for God. The only way to receive what God has is to receive it from God himself. There is no other way that the Heart can truly be satisfied. Straight is the gate and narrow is the way.

It’s January 11th, 2014, and the bloom is off Christmas. I have seen decorations taken down and Christmas trees dumped for trash pick up. What ever happened to Christmas? I know that time goes by at a faster pace than I have ever seen it. But must we lose sight of what is real and important. What is real or important in this world? It isn’t money, power, greed, or prominence. Things that are intangible like, love, joy, peace. During The 1983 Year of the Bible, Gallup Poll polled the American people and asked what are the three most important thing in their life. You wouldn’t believe what the 1500 random people said. The three most important things in their lives was Love, Joy, and Peace. It wasn’t Food, Clothing and Shelter. Those three things only coming from the Holy Spirit. What is your three most important things in your life? Think about it.

What remains the same and is constantly changing? and Why?

The answer is Man. The constant or the same is change. Eccl.1:9 “The thing hat hath been, it is that which shall be, and that which is done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun.”

What remains the same and is constantly changing? and why?

Christmas has come again and another year gone by. For me, it has been too fast. Some things are the same and some have changed. It is funny, that the only thing constant in this world is change. I don’t know if the change has me concerned or the changes are not good. I have lost two aunts this year, the last of their generation. Now I am the older generation. I have worked in retail for many years. I have always watched people coming and going. Before thanksgiving, people seem to be happy and almost joyful. But once thanksgiving has passed, the mood of the people changes. It would start with frowns on their faces and by the week of Christmas, they are almost angry.

Christmas is many things too many people. But there is only one reason for the season, his name is Jesus. God gave his finest gift to us and this gift was and is free. You can’t buy your way into heaven, it is not for sale. You can’t earn it, because it cost more than you will ever have. It is a gift, freely given by God Almighty and that is the only way you can receive it. When Jesus was born, the angels appeared in the skies above Bethlehem. They proclaimed “fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord…..Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.” Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. Crain