As 2022 comes to an end, I feel the Spirit urging me to write a post that I believe would best be called “The Holiday Blues”. Do you have the Holiday Blues? Only you know how 2022 has gone for you, as for me it has been a whirlwind of a year. My prayer for you is that by the time you get to the end of this post you will realize that the Holidays can be filled with all the colors of God’s creation.
According to Wikipedia, Blues is a music genre and musical form which originated in the Deep South of the United States around the 1860s. Blues incorporated spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts, chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads from the African-American culture. Over the years, I have listened to a few songs in the Blue’s genre. The majority of those songs I heard dealt with loss or sadness. Like this song about hating to see Christmas coming around, which unfortunately if you have lost a loved one during the Holidays you may feel the same way.
Since Melinda and Bill went home, the Holidays (Thanksgiving / Christmas / New Year) have been different. Their leaving has not changed my love for Christmas. It may have even made it stronger as each Christmas reminds me of God’s love for me by sending his son to earth. It saddens me to see so many that have lost or have never known the true meaning of Christmas.
This year I watched all my Christmas favorites, “A Christmas Carol”, “It’s a Wonderful Life”, “Elf”, “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation”, “Die Hard” (Yes, it is a Christmas Movie), and many more including some new ones, such as “A Christmas… Present”. If you have not seen it yet, I highly recommend it. I watched it on Pureflix, a streaming service you should spend your money on.
I think that “A Christmas… Present” may be the best Christmas movie I have seen this year. Without giving away any spoilers, it reminds us that we should not be upset about those that have gone home to be with Jesus. It also reminds us that while we are here we need to be “PRESENT” with those around us. The Holidays may remind us of loss, but we should rejoice with those still here and enjoy the beauty of God’s world.
Whirlwind of a Year
Why do I consider 2022 to be a whirlwind of a year? In 2022, I sold my house in Temple; traveled to Arkansas; got engaged; purchased a house in Fort Worth; got married; traveled to South Padre; consolated two households into one; traveled to Galveston and San Marcus; moved my daughter to Dallas; traveled to Tennesse and Alabama; and finished up December with trips to New Mexico, Fredricksburg, and Houston. Some say that getting married and buying a home are some of the most stressful things a person can do and I did both in 2022. God willing 2023 will allow me to see more of the beauty He created.
Here are a few images that can not truly capture the colors of God’s creation.
I pray that if you do not know Jesus that 2023 will be the year you meet Him. It is not complicated to know Jesus. I can not imagine living this life without Jesus by my side. My New Year’s resolution will be to continue the one I started years ago to never have a New Year’s resolution. It is the only one I have been successful at. Outside of that, I hope you will join me in reading the Bible more, enjoying more wholesome content on services like Pureflix, and strive to be present with family and friends. I believe if we all do that then 2023 will be a great year for all.
