December 24, 1941

On this day, 69 years ago, Elton (Jiggs) Ritchey and Louise Bond drove to Waurika, Oklahoma, near their hometown of Ryan, to be married by a Justice of the Peace. I've heard stories that my dad's brother didn't even know they were married until the next morning, which would have been Christmas Day. Now, these many years later, I sit at my computer remembering my beloved parents and how they would have enjoyed watching how our family has grown.

Every Christmas Eve my dad bought poinsettias for Mom on their anniversary. I'm not sure when that custom for them began, but I think I might have had something to do with it.  If I thought Daddy was not going to get Mama an anniversary gift, I told him he had to buy her something. So, any gifts he once bought, evolved into the annual buying of the Christmas flowers. Mama planted them next to the house in their back yard where they continued to grow and bloom for a few years after each Christmas.

I have no memory of my parents ever celebrating their anniversaries other than by simply being with family on Christmas Eve. My uncles, aunts and cousins, accompanied by my mother's parents would often come on Christmas Eve.  We would all tear into presents we exchanged with each other.  Back then, no one drew names or worried over what to get for everyone. There were a lot of presents under our tree for everyone.  Then, on Christmas Day, Santa Claus would leave his unwrapped gifts for us kids.  Though I always knew Santa was my parents, and I was not allowed to tell my cousins, some years I wondered.

My brothers and I may have given our parents an anniversary gift sometimes, but I doubt it would have been every Christmas Eve. I do remember that we bought them an engraved silver platter for their 50th wedding anniversary.  Why I thought they would want such a nonfunctional gift I don't know, but they made out like it was beautiful. They didn't want a big party and by then, Daddy was beginning to lose his memory. So, at their home in Port Neches, with engraved napkins, cake and punch, we celebrated the 50 years Louise and "Jiggs" Ritchey had spent together as husband and wife.

Every Christmas when red poinsettia start making their appearance in florist shops, I still think about my parents and their Christmas Eve wedding anniversary.  Then, I miss them with a heavy heart and tears.  I can still picture how Daddy would get such pleasure out of watching my sons play and be silly.  In fact, he was as much a big kid as they were and often got down on the floor to play along with them.  I can still see Mama's joy as she dressed my boys in pajamas she had lovingly sewn for them,  or as she stood in the kitchen cooking all our favorite foods.  It brought them both great joy to indulge their children and grandchildren for whom they loved dearly, with these acts of love.

Today, on this Christmas Eve, I am remembering Mama and Daddy, their lives and all the generations who followed their marriage on December 24, 1941.

Mama and Daddy, I miss you every day.
Happy Anniversary and Merry Christmas!

Improving My Technology Skills

My natural talents do not lean toward the maths and sciences. Although, working with computers and smart phones is a little like figuring out puzzles and "I like". Completing challenging puzzles with definite solutions is very satisfying.

First, back in the late '80's, we purchased an Apple computer with the old green and black monitor screen with basic word processing and spreadsheet capabilities.  Then, came email and it was only getting better.  I used to think I would have no real need for a computer. Wow! Was I ever wrong!  I sit at this computer practically all day!  Please, now, don't judge. Ha!

Kim upgraded his iPhone for Christmas this year. Lucky me because I got his hand-me-down.  I never thought I'd have a need for an iPhone, opting for a less expensive cell phone.  Then, as the result of an online search, I discovered that an iTouch would do the things I wished my current cell phone can't do easily.  So, when Kim told me that his old iPhone would be much like an iTouch. Hey!  "That's a cool idea!", I thought.

Now, my initial thought was to use the iPhone like an iPod for my iTunes. My little Nano served its purpose quite nicely, but it was time for an upgrade. This used iPhone can hold all of my iTunes library with room to spare!

However, it didn't stop with iTunes and I began downloading apps to access Facebook, Twitter and email.  What a revolution!

So, now I've upgraded my blog design and I'm enjoying a new email address that I can access with my used iPhone and I watch YouTube in bed. Ha! I'm liking this digital age, math and science skills aside; I think I'm doing pretty good with my new technology skills.

When I save up my dollars and cents the next move on this technological road will be to upgrade my Mac laptop and get my own NEW iPhone.

Christ Was Born On Christmas Day

“We’re going to do something a little different” were the words spoken by a minister I was listening to online. Those words thrill me when I hear a preacher say them. Those words mean a preacher or other church leader is shaking things up a bit. Those seven words invite us as church practitioners to practice our craft. We stand up out of our comfort zones during a worship service to shake one another’s hands, pray with our neighbor, offer a word of encouragement to our fellow travelers along this journey of life and there in our midst, Christ is with us. What joy there is when we "do something a little different!"

A pastime I’ve grown to love is listening to some great church leaders online. Randy Frazee, Max Lucado, Rick Atchley & Phil Ware speak for congregations in San Antonio, Ft. Worth & Abilene, Texas. Since I live too far to drive to their congregations every Sunday morning, I have to rely on the Internet to bring me their messages each week. Strong messages about living a Christian life, listening to God, obeying His leading and recalling Bible stories like the one describing the night Jesus Christ, Immanuel, was born. That holy night when God came to earth and dwelt among us as one of us.

While so many Christians are concerned that greeting each other with “Happy Holidays” is taking Christ out of Christmas, I am concerned that many of my beloved brothers and sisters don’t put enough Christmas into this season. Its one of those quirks about growing up Church of Christ that I am glad to say appears to be fading away in most of our brotherhood. Though still, there are some traditionalists who think nothing of the Sunday before Christmas as anything special. Sunday worship usually continues as if nothing different was happening outside the walls of the building in December.

Last Saturday, our family Christmas gathering was held at our house with our three sons, their wives and children. My mother and father in law were also here and we had a grand time laughing, singing and enjoying the Christmas cheer of the season. A special activity I wanted all of the family to share was to attend church on Sunday morning in the congregation in which our sons had grown up. To have all three boys and families in one place at the same time are rare and for that gathering to be at church was almost extinct! So, I was anxious for them to visit this particular day because I was certain there would be no special reference to Christmas. True to what I thought, that was the case, save a single carol, “Hark the Herald Angels Sing”, which was sung first before all by kids and boys arrived to hear it. (With that many getting ready for church in the same house, they were a little late.) Our family loves to sing and we do a decent job of it, so it was somewhat disappointing that we didn’t sing more seasonal songs of Christ’s birth. However, the most disappointing part was the message delivered by a visiting missionary who preached on fearing God. “Fear God!” should have been, “Christ is born in a manger, let us worship and adore him! Glory to God in the highest!”

Advent, anticipation of the Christ’s birth, should be part of our traditions. We don’t have to know the exact date of Christ’s birth to celebrate and since the rest of the free world has chosen December 25^th as that day, why do we not join them?

Many Churches of Christ have already joined the majority of Christians in celebrating Christ’s birth at this time of year. My Internet worship is evidence of that fact. Many of their pastors talk on Sunday mornings before Christmas about that holy night and the days leading up to the host of angels singing. So many Churches of Christ has long ago become followers of Advent for the entire month of December. Perhaps one day the place where I have worshiped for 35 years will also move toward Bethlehem with anticipation of Christ’s birth at this time of year in a more corporate worship manner.

Parties are nice and fun, but usually focus more on Santa and not as much on Jesus' birthday. Santa, as my mother used to tell me, is a fun character to read about in pretend stories, but we need to remember he is not real. Jesus is real. A real baby, our Savior, was born in a stable to a virgin those many, many years ago in Bethlehem. My prayer is that soon all will come and adore him as Christ, the Savior during the Christmas season.

Christmas Blessings

This Christmas I have felt a happiness that had left me for many years during this season of joy. Maybe it is because we have 3 wonderful grandchildren who will be coming to our house this year along with our 3 sons and their wives. The house is decorated with Christmas stockings, Santas, snowmen and two Christmas trees. Christmas shopping is done and the gifts are almost wrapped to put under our Christmas tree. I even purchased a Fisher Price Nativity action toy for the kids to play with and a storybook with its beautiful illustrations entitled, “The Christmas Baby”.

Christmas music has been playing since December 1st. I've added to my library of holiday music with purchases of one new album (Straight No Chaser is fantastic!) and some singles from iTunes all under the genre of Christmas. I love Christmas music; it is so happy and cheerful. How can anyone be blue when listening to the Muppets sing “Little Saint Nick”?

This year’s Christmas picture card are four snapshots of us two, the 3 boys, wives, and grandkids. Not a group photograph, but separate pictures of the 11 of us. Our family has grown into a fun group of people whom I love very much. I'm very excited about spending some quality time with all of them this holiday.

Already this season Kim and I have been to a nice festive Christmas parade, church services, concerts, and the play A Christmas Carol at the Alley theater; we even got to see our grandson in his Christmas program at school. I have also read some about Advent and the anticipation of Christ’s birth this year. The church I grew up in did not join most of the world in the belief that Christmas is a time to celebrate Christ’s birth. There were normally no poinsettias decorating the front of the auditorium. Although there was the year Kim and I were married on Dec. 21, a Saturday night, in my church building, and I'm sure the flowers were still there the next morning for Sunday services. Even though, I didn’t grow up with Advent as a religious observance, it has been a satisfying education to read about the practice of Advent. It is something I hope to observe more in future Christmas seasons.

Early next week I have the opportunity to help in the distribution of food to those families finding themselves in the position of needing assistance from the church and community. As I put food into grocery bags and give it to those families, I will thank God for all He has provided to my family and me. “There, but for the grace of God go I”.

May this holiday season find you in good health and with people you love.

Merry Christmas!