It’s Beginning to Feel…
…a lot like Christmas.
Pop Culture Quote Monday
I can’t believe my grandmother actually felt me up.
I had to do it. Sooner or later. One of the funniest and most uncomfortable moments in movie history.
It’s Christmas Time
Tonight was my first foray into Christmas shopping for the season. My friend Angie and I made plans to have a girls night out and braved the mall scene.
I rarely go to to mall here in town. Not because it doesn’t have a lot of options, but because I prefer to shop at local places or smaller specialty stores. Much to my surprise and delight, Grow Nebraska is now renting space at the mall. Their mission “is to maximize the state’s entrepreneurial and small business spirit. ” I have a few friends who are part of Grow Nebraska, and have nothing but the highest of compliments about how it’s helped them in their business.
Angie was looking for a couple of things – a $10 gender-neutral grab bag gift (They are celebrating at Thanksgiving this year, so she’s starting early) and a gift for her grandmother, a woman she describes as “having everything”. I struggle with gifts like these, so I wasn’t much help to her. A $10 gender neutral gift isn’t easy to find no matter who you are, but especially for Angie and I, because we are both believers in the practical side of gift giving. We were both excited at the thought of finding something at Grow Nebraska, because even if the gift is a “throw-away” kind of gift, at least you are supporting a local business man or woman.
Some people might consider my attitude “hippie-like”, but I don’t have a problem with gift-giving at Christmas time. I don’t think it’s un-Christ-like, I don’t think God’s against it. In fact, he probably supports it. After all, he gave his own son as a gift to us at Christmas time. And if it takes a national holiday to get people to be generous one day out of the year, maybe it will lead to generosity one week, one-month, or every day of the year. (In fact, the Christmas program I’m directing at church this year as a sketch that illustrates this very point.) So I’m not against gifts; they are a wonderful things. I just happened to believe giving gifts that are special and unique for the person, or in practical gifts that one can use, because honestly? I already have enough “stuff” around me.
Check to see if your state has a program like Grow Nebraska to help support local commerce. Or look for a 10,000 Villages store in your area. They are a fair-trade store working with artisans all over the world. Their retail employees all work on a volunteer basis in order to keep overhead costs down, so they can provide a fair trade with the artists they work with. I’ve found many wonderful and unique gifts there. Their products are well-priced, and they have a great selection. There isn’t a room in my house that does have something from that store in it -it’s all very cool stuff.
Call me a hippie. I’d rather be that than a yuppie.
A Small Glimpse
Tonight I got a small glimpse into my life if am able to go into full-time ministry. And it was good.
Wednesday has been church night for me for as long as I can remember. AWANA, youth group, praise team rehearsals, you name it I’ve done it. Tonight I was there for three reasons: the typical – praise team rehearsal. We meet at 8:15 once youth group is over because our drummer is still in high school. I was also there because the AWANA commander asked if I would lead “counsel time” tonight, which is a short 10 minutes lesson for the kids. Then I was working with some high school students on a sketch they are doing (see the bottom video on my side bar – we are re-creating that).
Counsel time was fun. I did a simple lesson about God’s word being a lamp unto our feet and a light until our path by cutting stones out of paper and making a pathway. I talked about how we don’t always know which stones to step on because they can be wet and slippery. Then we turned the lights out to demonstrate how walking in the dark is unsafe. Then I turned on a flash light and had some of the kids turn the stones over to see words I wrote on the back like “love” “hate” “joy” “cheating” “patience” “selfishness” “giving” etc. It illustrated that the light of God’s word shows us which path to take. Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path. -Psalm 119:105. It was simple, yet I had such a good time with it.
But the kicker of my night came when I worked with some high school students on the Lifehouse sketch.
The Lifehouse sketch is one that I love. (Take a few minutes to watch it if you have time.) The classic battle between good and evil is made relevant and modern, and it adds an emotional punch without being cheesy or over-the-top. And every time Jesus steps in to fight? My heart stops because I know what that feels like. Tonight as I showed the kids how to fight and struggle I was reminded of one of my favorite moments in literature – the moment when Peter is fighting the White Witch in The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe and it’s back and forth and seemingly has no end. He’s fighting and just can’t defeat her, then with a roar Aslan steps in and takes the White Witch down. And just like the Lifehouse sketch, my heart stops in that moment. My hearts stops… in relief.
I don’t have to fight my sin alone, and if I tried I would fail. Jesus steps in for me, gives me strength to overcome my sin, and reminds me he’s got my back. And to share that with a few high schoolers at my church is amazing opportunity and awesome experience I cherish with all my heart.
My heart is full of joy and I am grateful for his love.
The WGA Strike
I was talking with a co-worker today regarding the writer’s strike. I asked her if she knew what it was about, and she said, “They just want a bigger salary, right?”
No, actually, that’s not right.
If any of you download an episode of The Office, Grey’s Anatomy, Weeds, etc. – either from iTunes (where you pay for it) or from nbc.com, where it’s free – the writer’s don’t get a dime. The studios call this “promotional material” and are getting away with not offering residuals for the people that created the product. Promotional? I don’t think so. It’s estimated that digital downloads create over a billion dollars worth of revenue per year. And the writers of those shows DON’T SEE A DIME.
Join the writer’s strike by not downloading anything until the get what is due them. It will be there when the strike is over… you just might have to wait a while to see it. And the short videos I’ve included below give great explanations. This isn’t about a bigger salary for them. They just want a share of a profit the studio is going to make anyway.
By the way, the average writer’s salary is $200,000/yr. That’s a lot, but compare that to the studio executives that make 20 million a year and I wouldn’t cross the line, either. I can only be on strike in my little way. (I haven’t been able to watch Samantha Who? and it’s eating away at me. But I will not watch until this is resolved.)
The writer’s aren’t being greedy. They have earned this.
Pamela Ribon, one the writer’s of Samantha Who?, is keeping us all up to date on the strike activities on her blog. If I wasn’t a regular reader of hers, I would’ve have thought the same as my co-worker. So that’s why I’m posting this. Spread the word. No more downloads! Solidarity!
Stephanie Nelson 