A CHRISTmas Gift - the gift of Joy

In keeping with doing life differently I wanted to make CHRISTmas 2007 different not partake in the materialism of culture. This letter to my Grandmother should summarize how giving something from the heart is what Jesus wants us to do.

Dear Gram- 12-27-2007

A late merry CHRISTmas to you! The three DVDs you see in this package are pictures of our family taken over the past 40 years. I have scanned and organized over 2,000 photos dating back to the 1940’s. After having scanned all the paper photos to digital I then organized them loosely by decade. The next step was to put them into a format in which I could share them with anybody especially those who don’t have access to a computer. The DVD can be played on any DVD player that one has attached to their TV.

I wanted to also share with you the reason for making this project. It was about the Joy of the past. Photos are a great way to remember the GOOD in life, the joy of specials days like CHRISTmas, birthdays, births and family visits. It is our human nature to remember the bad parts of life; the tough days but we need something to remember the joy. I hope this brings tears of happiness to you as it did for me. It reminds of how blessed I am to have lived a life filled with great people such as you.

In making this project I wanted to show my kids the joys of my life as grew up. It is important that they see the people who shaped me. So as I show them these same movies they ask lots of questions and it is in those times I share with them the great and joyful memories of the past.

Lastly this project was about celebrating the birth of Jesus the way he would have wanted us to celebrate how his birth changed us all. I believe he wants us to share joy of his new covenanted; his new way of life and life that was so different then that of the Old Testament. Jesus showed us how to love everybody no matter what. In this season of CHRISTmas I celebrate in a new way, to give gifts to which tell them how much I love them. This means giving from the heart not the wallet. Its not about the material things its about gifts of love. To give something that means something or crafted by your heart means so much more than a shirt that goes out of style in a few years. A great example of this is the fisherman’s sweater you knitted and gave to me at CHRISTmas many years ago. I still wear it and it keeps my heart warm thinking about how great of gift and its memory of you and the time it took you to make it. Thank you!

In closing I am also sorry for not being present in your life. I promise to make in a priority to make it to Maine this summer with the kids so they may get to know you.

With great love I give this gift. May you remember the joy of time spent with us and the family you bore, a family that makes earth more like God’s intended kingdom.

Love, Michael

Here is a little 3 minute sample of the video I created using Microsoft PhotoStory 3.

Xmas Conspiracy! Are you a part of it?

Christmas has just seem all wrong to me for so many years. It just felt like it was about what each of us was going to get or give to one another. Its not like any of us in "cupcake land" need anything that is given to us or our gifts to others is really that meaningful at least thats my take. The time factor alone it takes to think and then acquire these gifts seems like a huge waste time or missed placed energy.

Is Christmas really about giving gifts to friends, family, co-workers or is about the birth of Jesus? Yes, thats right its to celebrate the birth of a baby that change the course of life for all of us.

How can you not be some what perplexed that on December 25 some 2,000 years a child was born that so changed the world you cannot name another moment in history that even comes close to matching the magnitude of life changing event. The material feeding frenzy so ingrained in our culture that most people have no idea what they are celebrating. This way of celebrating highlights our selfish human nature, the need or greed to satisfy ourselves is so immense I doubt that anything apart for the 2nd coming of Christ will every change the direction of our culture. Please take a minute to consider this website's message http://www.adventconspiracy.org/

Join the cause to reclaim Jesus's birthday. Let's give him the same birthday you would give your son or daughter.

This year I pledge to give gifts to my friends and family that not materialistic but memorable. After the New Year I will provide you a list of gifts I gave to everyone.
Merry Christmas and Happy Birthday Jesus