And a little bit of holy ...which is not wholly what it could be. Yet, it'd seem best not to try to be, but instead look to the One who is.

From a single paid day off ...to several days of remembrances & recognition.

Yes, most adults would wish that those days important to them ...would be joyfully anticipated by children also.  

Oh, by the way, no one seems offended if we just hide the fruitcake ...as long as you aren't referring to an embarrassing relative of yours.  Relatively speaking, they actually are often much easier to persuade of the truth of a matter ...than the worrisome type, like many of us.  They enjoy watching bicycles flying through the air ...whether it be the Wizard of Oz, or E.T. (and flying reindeer pulling a sleigh, while delivering everywhere at once is not a bother to their imagination either).

And yes ...who wouldn't dream of eggs filled with chocolate ...or colossal chocolate eggs!?!? 

Those other types of eggs, well, let the yoke be on the adults.

But, adults don't want it to be a laughing matter ...they want the children to be happy, and to fill their innocent imaginations with fantasy.  

Yes, if fantasy can bring happiness, then why not also that which is real ...since through the ages it was not uncommon to find pleasure in the knowledge of things even harder to believe than fantasy, which later proved to be untrue ...and if not considered a fantasy, could we say, just another fancy fallacy??

Fantasies demand other fantasies to entertain and maintain staying power ...while what is real requires a little more depth, a bit of mature self-reflection, and often a humble step back. 

We stand and cheer for that which is real for others, helping push them forward ...but, our imaginations tend to mature to a point where our realisticness comes close to losing its usefulness. We constantly weigh possibilities for the likelihood those events could take place, and diminish their chances of surviving beyond our own minds . 

On the other hand, we see the achievements of others ...and though they say it is because they never gave up on their dreams, we may dream even harder, while crying ourselves to sleep each night.  Our 'Big' day just never seems to arrive ...and others tire of hearing their endless stories and dandy dreams. Many times our failures are just as spectacular, but the successes get the attention. After all, who really brags or gives a motivational speech about being average. 

Mediocrity is an everyday event ...and it doesn't warrant a call for, "Stop the presses!" Most everyone struggling with the concept of being average, would likely welcome the chance to face the problems of those who've crawled from under and climbed the ladder. "Who wouldn't chance leap at opportunity," they'd say, "at any cost?"

Yet, there are many different forms of opportunity. The most intriguing often comes in the form of knowledge ...or so we are told. We must learn and we must accept certain things, or learn to accept these certain things.  If we are to succeed ...we are to first join, to acknowledge we are one of them.  

And for the first time in a long time we must face a much forgotten thing.  Our maturity had caused us to doubt ...but, now we can again soar into the realm of imagination.  Yet, this time our imagination must be more mature ...and directed, by knowledge.

Knowledge always seem to soar so fast, that if we don't keep up, by soaring with it, we will be left behind.  We must absorb the energy to allow us to soar ...and the only way to do that is to not question the knowledge we are to retain.  Questioning only creates a drag ...and sends us spiraling downward.

At the peak of childhood wonder and excitement, was the acceptance of Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny.  But, we are mature now ...and don't believe in those stories anymore.  We must accept facts ...those of the educated and successful.  And the stories we are to believe are even more spectacular than those we believed as a child.  We are to believe that something came from nothing.

Yes, this is more difficult than believing in the good and the bad of most fantasy worlds. Though Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny no longer fascinate us ...we still enjoy other fantasies, those which cause tension and drama.  These fantasies ---which are supposed to be more entertaining for the more mature mind ---give us much to choose from.  They include vampires, warlocks, aliens from outer space, and even special untapped forces within ourselves.  That is to only name a few ...yet, what most of these all have in common is this: A spirit world.

We have outgrown the childhood fantasies, now allowing ourselves to be entertained by this struggle between good and evil ...but, not allowing ourselves to really believe in it.

But, we should.

God is difficult to imagine, and to think a Supreme Being would sent His Son ...to be born as a baby, is to most of us just an extension of the childhood fantasies, or feel-good stories. There was no real conflict to entertain us ...except perhaps the 'naughty or nice' phrase that we know doesn't really exist, because we are loved either way.  Well, at least that comfort should exist in every home. 

No, we seem to presently need more of a challenge. The old way there was no evil force going about breaking eggs, only compatible rabbits and chickens ...until someone dreamed up the Angry Bird stories of thievin' pigs.  

               And there was no stealing of Christmas gifts ...until the entertaining Grinch.


No, today we seem more interested in the Who's Who, than who lives in Whoville.

So, we have to convince ourselves of our maturity by being able to distinguish between that which is considered entertainment and what is peer review accepted knowledge.  But, it seems like we entertain ourselves with the thought of a spirit world ...and we label knowledge as all those things that are merely entertaining our imaginations.

Why does it seem more logical for something to come from nothing, than for complete nothingness to have never existed?  And if we believe there was something which we could imagine to have always existed, then would we find it easier to imagine for that something to be very small, or very big??

So, if we accept, which I do, that the Bible is God's Word to us ...is that all we need to discover the truth.

Is the Bible like a guidebook for life?  

I have heard of it referred to as such.

And if a guidebook, is it then sort of like the simplicity of a cookbook?  Are we to just follow step-by-step what it says?

Are we to look at it as a recipe, with the Book of Genesis containing the ingredients?

Then do we look at the Book of Leviticus as the measuring out of each ingredient, to the proper proportions?

And is the Book of Judges the directions of what to add first, and how we mix it.

Then the Books of the prophets would perhaps be like the pre-heating and cooking directions.

And the New Testament writings would then perhaps be thought of how we serve ...that which we have followed by the recipe, and is ready to serve.

Or are we to contend that perhaps we are not to follow the Bible??

If we look at the Old Testament and the New Testament as merely a guide to the step-by-step directions of how we are to live our lives, then I guess it would be rather difficult for my children to understand.

Imagine me setting out the ingredients out on the counter ...inclusive of a book with a picture that would make my children's mouths water.

They watch as I carefully measure out each ingredient ...perhaps looking back at the picture and wondering what is taking me so long.

They see me add each ingredient to the bowl as I precisely should ...and they may even ask if they can then help with the mixing, and perhaps will be allowed to even lick a bowl.

Then their only window to the world becomes that oven door ...keeping the oven light on, so they can see their imagination grow into something real and delicious.

Then when I finally take it out of the oven, the aroma almost too much to resist ...I watch their jaws not open for the delight of tasting this new creation, but drop open in quivering shock and disappointment as I throw it in the trash.

Yes, how would they respond??

Perhaps if I was cooking spinach and liver, they may be relieved if I throw it in the trash and tell them we are going to McDonald's.  But, though relieved, they may be no less confused if this were my daily routine.

We look at the Old Testament of the Bible, and it may seem like we throw it away at the celebration of the new ...understanding that the birth of Jesus, brought us a new way as He matured and taught us of the way to go.

But, we are not to throw it away ...we are to understand it, as we understand history, lending to the knowledge of who God is, and how the pinnacle of the ministry of Jesus and His death has put everything in the past into proper perspective.

If I was to be asked one seemingly simple question, on whether I follow the Bible ...then I would have to say, "No."

Of course, as 'following' goes ...we seem to follow a bit of good, and also have occasion to follow a bit of bad.  And sometimes we even have difficulty defining the two.  We often find ourselves doing what we don't want to do, and not doing which we had perhaps imagined we should do.  

We are all sinners, so none of us follow to the letter anything that we initially set out in our minds ...yes, even in the areas that we would like to. So, if that seemingly simple question was to be rephrased as: "Do I want to ...desire to...or try to follow the Bible?" 

The answer would still have to be, "No."

If I was a missionary, and I merely handed a tribal person a Bible written in their own language ...leaving them with the simple suggestion to 'follow' it, then I would fear they'd open the Bible to the Book of Leviticus and read the part about stoning someone to death.

I'd say the Bible is rather to be understood ...than followed.  And many may need help in understanding it.

Let me give an example of something a bit different:

If an airplane carrying 200 people crashes, and everyone dies ...then rightfully that is considered tragic.  Quickly, many people come together to try to discover the reason why ...and many others simply throw about theories, perhaps even some conspiracies. Meanwhile, one person driving a car has an accident ...and dies. Yes, that is tragic too ...yet, not considered on the scale of the airplane crash.  Statistically speaking, car travel is over 70 times more dangerous than air travel. Yet, if someone dies in a car crash, though painfully, we more readily accept it ...but, a plane crash leads us to spend way more time and effort looking to place blame (except, in the case of a drunken driver ...where blame is readily placed).

Let's switch to the arguments for war.  And I'm not talking about the warring within a person.  

I'm speaking of the deliberate violent confrontation between peoples and nations. That sort of killing seems never to be short on reason ...though reason would still ask why we choose the most horrific ways to settle what had often begun as mere mild disagreements.  It may escape reason, but the people cannot escape ...and though the disputes and events grow in frequency and magnitude, becoming too ugly or too massive to ignore ...the truth is ignored, and the ones holding the reins always find a way to further legitimize themselves.

So, like the airplane and car ...what is worse??  If there are those bent on killing ...and killing ...and more killing, then do we provide a resistance to this??  If a couple hundred have already died, what if a couple hundred more are likely to join them in dire death??

If thousands die ...should we soon accept a thousand more, perhaps growing to each day.  How can the killing be stopped?? What if it reached a quarter of a million people??

What if the horrifying tragedy was drawn out over many years ...and 500 times as many people ended up getting killed??  Would you settle for the horrific alternative of ending it quickly ...and likely saving not 500 lives, but 500 times as many lives??

This is the decision that President Truman was faced with ...as he granted his directive to drop the atomic bomb ...and then a second one.

I don't like having this conversation ...and don't blame you if you hate having it either, yet, the hate is what drives nations to not learn, but to engage again.

And it is the same kind of understanding we must have if we are to read of events like the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, the catastrophic Flood of Noah's day, and going back even further ...the rebellion of the angels.  Preservation is perhaps the word for all of this, but not of the type we hear being discussed around today.  It is not the preservation of the earth itself, but of the people in it ...and more specifically, the preservation of their souls and destiny.

We are destined on a grand scale for this ...or that.  We have choices, and those choices are a mixture of good and bad.  We often are a mixture of what could be considered a bad recipe.  But, that is not saying if we are a bad cookie we are going to be tossed away.  And the trash is the lie of a proclaimed destiny of no hope. We have a hope and a future ...and our future is of our present choosing.

The future doesn't choose itself, and the past doesn't choose the future.  Nor does our present struggle define our future.  Our future is of the ultimate choosing of our discretion ...of who we want to follow.

I may wander from the path, but it's like signing up with a company of those who will seek you out and bring you back to the right path if you go astray ...because you have designated who you are going to follow.  

Jesus is who I want to follow. I learn from the Bible ...and I don't walk the walk of Jesus, I try to walk where He will have me.  No one can fill His shoes, nor step His steps ...and we are not meant to.

We are to walk our steps with Jesus in our hearts ...not just figuratively, but with a mind of understanding.  Not understanding everything, mind you, but understanding who He is and that He loves us.  And that love should compel us to live in a way that we feel rather confident that our life is not in blatant and deliberate opposition to what He has for us ...and at the same time, understanding His allowance for us, in having died for us and in forgiving us.