OK, seriously...enough with the damn Christmas commercials already. I cannot stand them. I even saw a Christmas commercial the day before Halloween this year. That is ridiculous! I know the economy right now sucks, and people are not spending the usual gratuitous amount of money they think they have, but give me a break. I love Christmas...I really do. But the stupid commercialization during this time of the year, when it may nice to think about what is important in living, is awful. It makes me vomit when I think about how retailers take advantage of the obsession our culture craves for gift buying! Not to mention that I somehow think that this is not what God had in mind when he blessed his Son with life that night. It's as if the commercialization of the holiday is saying, "Happy Birthday Jesus...thanks for making us money off selling loads of crap to the faithful!

I love the intimacy of Christmas, the need to re-evaluate my own life and how people simply become five all over again. For me, Christmas is a time of emotion, hectic schedule, and exhaustion. It's busy and this year is no exception. I don't mind though. But, Christmas makes me really all the more sensitive about how people become very greedy, very narcissistic, arrogant, and selfish! I think about how people would rather be happy than be faithful. I have heard that you can be both... But, I have also heard that "you can save money, but money can't save you." If money truly makes people happy, than I would hate to see what's really in their soul. If a person's heart is not changed by living a life that at least tries to see how generosity can change a life, then I would question their priorities.

For me, it all comes back to how retail companies fight for every last dollar they can squeeze out of the willing who scour the ads, watch the commercials, and crave the excessive giving and acquiring. I guess the almighty dollar's voice speaks the loudest for people who cannot hear the voice of God speaking up for the poor. I guess I am already tired of hearing the music, seeing the colorful blurs, and hearing the voice overs asking me to come and buy crap to make my Christmas the most meaningful. The ad above makes me sick...the manger scene with young parents, their newborn, and surrounding them is the latest in camping gear including the tent they are in... Trite and shallow imagery gets me to spend my dollars! Thanks you fat, sweaty guys who sit around all day, sucking down Dunkin' donuts, drinking bold coffee, taking amphetamines by the handful who love asking the question, "what would make me want to buy more?" Dinks! More later...