Messiah (Handel): "But who may abide..." (Emma Kirkby)

A Musical Merry Christmas from The Metaphysical Peregrine

But who may abide the day of His coming?
And who shall stand when He appeareth?
For He is like a refiner's fire.

Christmas and Criticism

One of the things about criticism is one should be or do better, or have something better to offer than what one is criticizing. Every year at this time intolerant, narrow and closed minded anti Christian bigots mouth off. The way they mouth off is rude and aggressive. One would think if attacking Christianity, which strives for love, hope, charity, peace, caring and compassion, the criticizer would show the same and then some.

Unless, I guess, these people are advocating for hate, selfishness, war, personal conflict, and not giving a damn about anyone else.

If these secularists, humanists, atheists and the like think they are superior human beings because the reject God, that they can live better lives, how does the disrespect and rudeness they attack Christians and Christmas every year a reflection of that? How does mockery show superior knowledge and behavior?

There are, and have been through time, billions of us who have felt in our lives the presence of God. The personal influence, the miraculous transformations in our lives, the linkage of everything in the design of the universe, are all so apparent to those billions of people through time. In the lives of those, incredible philosophy, writing, thought, architecture, music, charities, hospitals have been created.  

What have the insulting and mocking secularists, humanists and atheists contributed but more hate, narrow mindedness, intolerance and bigotry? What personage among them has changed thinking and history, even a little bit, as Jesus and the Apostle Paul?

Because they have nothing to offer, they demand crosses be taken down all across the land, Christmas and Easter be taken off the calendar, nativity scenes be removed from the public square (that term implies it belongs to all citizens, not just atheists), no mention of Christ in public, no prayer in public. All as if removing and denying the existence of something that brings love and goodness to billions of people is a good thing, then offering intolerance and hate as a replacement benefits culture and relationships improves people and civilization.

I'm going to be rude in turn here. The people that think that are stupid.

Saint Nicolas, Santa Claus, Atheists, and Christmas

Saint Nicolas

This is the time of year when most of us celebrate God, Love, Family, Sharing and Giving. It’s also the time of year when Atheists and Bigots celebrate Intolerance and Hate. To do that, there have to be a lot of lies. The one that is gaining momentum is Santa Claus is a Christian religious icon. This was news to me. Don’t find him mentioned in Scripture, the Desert Fathers didn’t write about him, no mention of him at Pentecost, none of the early church leaders, none of the early apologists wrote about him. Martin Luther didn’t write, preach or teach about him.

The connection given is Saint Nicolas that became St Nick that became Santa Claus. This can’t even be a tenuous connection; there are not two more antithetical characters to be found. We have a jolly fat ad man and a reportedly mean yet pious tough guy that was really skinny.

Nicolas was born about 280 years after Jesus in the town of Patara. He got in fights. Reportedly at the Council at Nicaea, Arias, who didn’t think Jesus was Divine, ticked Nick off and Nick rose, walked across the room and popped him a good one, knocking Arias down. For his passionate display, he’s sent to the dungeon. He got really skinny there.

His being a really thin and hard man had much to do with the amount of times he was beaten and tortured during the “Great Persecution” of the early 300’s CE. When Constantine came to power, and Christianity was made acceptable, he fought against corruption and injustice. Didn’t make many friends for that either. He certainly didn’t have any children fitting into this story. Two events are reported to have happened relating to children. One was his giving money to a father with daughters, and the father used to money for dowry’s to keep them from having to make a living as prostitutes. The other story is about a tavern keeper that robbed a man, kidnapped his three children and hid them in a pickle barrel. Nick found them and returned them to their father.

This causes some cognitive dissonance; in the Middle Ages he became known as the brawling saint, but became the patron saint of children. An odd confluence.

Early Santa Claus

Santa Claus came about by merging a lot of pagan, Nordic and other mythologies to create a composite character, along with some novels later on.

Atheists and other intolerant people, if they want to continue being intolerant bigots, is just say they hate Christians and Christianity, and reject the ideals of Love, Charity, Sharing and Giving. They are Christian ideals after all; pagans, those that existed before Christianity didn’t have these ideals (with the exception of the Jews). That they exist at all goes primarily to Jesus the Christ and the Apostle Paul. Christians spread these ideals from Jews to Gentiles. Pagans then just hated Christians and Christianity so much there was a lot of killing, imprisonment, torture and slavery of them. Fortunately, our modern pagans live in a Judeo-Christian culture that forbids such things. (Such things do still go in Islamist countries though. Try badmouthing Allah and Ramadan to them.)

Atheists, bigots, intolerant ones; once a year people that celebrate something you despise, and you attack attack attack and lie. The rest of the year you have it your way. Give it a rest. 

Ronald Reagan Christmas Address (12/23/81)

The Christmas Pageant

THE CHRISTMAS PAGEANT

My husband and I had been happily married (most of the time)
for five years
but hadn't been blessed with a baby.

I decided to do some serious
praying and promised God
that if he would give us a   child,
I would be a perfect mother,
love it with  all my heart
and raise it with His word
as my guide.

God answered my prayers
and blessed us with a son.
The next year God blessed us 
with another son.

The following year,
He blessed us with
 yet another son.

The year after that we
were blessed with a daughter.

My husband thought we'd
been blessed right into poverty.
We now had four children,
and the oldest was onlyfour years old.

I learned never to ask God
for anything unless I meant it
As a minister once told me,
"If you pray for rain,
make sure you carry an umbrella."

I began reading a few verses
of the Bible to the children
 each day as they lay in their cribs..

I was off to a good start.
God had entrusted me
with four children and
I didn't want to disappoint Him.

I tried to be patient the day
the children smashed
two dozen eggs on
the kitchen floor searching
for baby chicks.

I tried to be understanding...

when they started a hotel for
homeless frogs in the spare bedroom, although it took me nearly two hours
to catch all twenty-three frogs.

When my daughter poured
ketchup all over herself and
rolled up in a blanket to see
how it felt to be a hot dog,
I tried to see the humor
rather than the mess..

In spite of changing over
twenty-five thousand diapers,
never eating a hot meal
and never sleeping for more
than thirty minutes at a time,
I still thank God daily for my children.

While I couldn't keep my promise
to be a perfect mother -
I didn't even come close...
I did keep my promise
to raise them in the Word of God.

I knew I was missing the mark
just a little when I told
my daughter we were going
to church to worship God,
and she wanted to bring
a bar of soap along to
"wash up" Jesus, too.

Something was lost
in the translation when
I explained that
God gave us everlasting life,
and my son thought it was
generous of God to give
us his "last wife."

My proudest moment came
during the children's
Christmas pageant.

My daughter was playing Mary,
two of my sons were shepherds
and my youngest son was a wise man.
This was their moment to shine.

My five-year-old shepherd
had practiced his line,
"We found the babe wrapped
in swaddling clothes."

But he was nervous and said,
"The baby was wrapped
in wrinkled clothes."

My four-year-old "Mary" said,
"That's not 'wrinkled clothes,' silly.

That's dirty, rotten clothes."
A wrestling match broke out
between Mary and the shepherd
and was stopped by an angel,
who bent her halo and lost
her left wing. 
I slouched a little lower
in my seat when Mary
dropped the doll representing
Baby Jesus, and it bounced
down the aisle crying,
"Mama-mama."
Mary grabbed the doll,
wrapped it back up
and held it tightly as
the wise men arrived.
My other son stepped forward
wearing a bathrobe 
and a paper crown,
knelt at the manger 
and announced,
"We are the three wise men,
and we are bringing gifts
of gold, 
common sense
  and fur."

The congregation
dissolved into laughter,
and the pageant
got a standing ovation. 
"I've never enjoyed a Christmas 
program as much as this one,"
laughed the pastor, 
wiping tears from his eyes
"For the rest of my life,
I'll never hear the
Christmas story without
thinking of
gold,
common sense
and fur."

"My children are my pride
and my joy and my greatest
blessing," I said as I dug
through my purse for an aspirin.

Jesus had no servants,
yet they called Him Master.

Had no degree,
yet they called Him Teacher .
Had no medicines,
yet they called Him Healer.

Had no army,
yet kings feared Him.

He won no military battles,
yet He conquered the world.
He committed no crime,
yet they crucified Him.

He was buried in a tomb,
yet He lives today.

Feel honored
to serve such a Leader who loves us.

Christmas Now and Then

This has entered the NPR annual Christmas rotation, beginning in in 2007.


The Secularist bigots at National People's Radio join in the bashing of Christmas and Believers in the Baby Jesus. Of course they are open minded and tolerate people.

The true meaning of Christmas

You Better Not Be Spreadin' Any of That Christmas Cheer

Secularists and Statists working to make everyone as miserable as they are. They impoverish financially by reducing income through fees and taxation, and impoverish joy and happiness with stunts like this.

 “The candy canes could be used as weapons by sucking on them and making them have sharp points,” says administrator.

 Administrator to parent “…not everyone wants Christmas cheer. That suicide rates are up over Christmas, and that they should keep their cheer to themselves, perhaps.”

This cost the kids detention and they had to pick up the candy canes some of the students dropped.

The Anti-Christmas Federal Reserve

We do know that our current government, run by secularist Democrats and a President that, at best, detests Christianity, will do pretty much anything to put the kibosh on all thing Christian, including Christmas.

Ugly National Christmas Tree

In addition to what may be the ugliest Christmas tree ever, the National Christmas Tree, Obama’s recent takeover of much of the banking system lent itself to trying to remove any Christmas symbols from a bank.

The bank is the Payne County Bank, Perkins, Oklahoma, and the Federal Reserve abused its power by telling the bank it couldn’t use any religious symbols in the bank. Using a clause of Regulation B of the bank regulations: "...the use of words, symbols, models and other forms of communication ... express, imply or suggest a discriminatory preference or policy of exclusion," was its justification for its act of intolerant bigotry.

The people, who are supposed to be the government last I looked, didn’t find any problem with the Christmas symbols in the bank.  The self important knuckleheads from the Federal Reserve come around to banks every four years to inspect and had told the bank it must remove their Christmas decorations.  

No bank employee had a problem with it, no customer had a problem with it, and no town citizen had a problem with it.

Who did have a problem with it were anti-Christian bigots that represent the secularist Washington DC elites, not the people.  When the Democrats and Obama took over most of the banking system, controlling the financial structure of the country wasn’t the only thing on the agenda. Part of it is controlling the culture and making people submit to the State.

Fortunately, the people were able to overrule the Federal Reserve anti-Christmas thugs, and the bank was able to keep their Christmas decorations. 

ITALIAN CHRISTMAS TIME

Atheists, Boycotts, and Christmas

 Is it wise to boycott or even engage atheists anymore in their annual attack on Christianity during the Christmas season?

The Fort Worth chapter of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference is beginning a boycott of the buses of the Ft Worth transit authority because of signs from an atheist group with the message, “Millions of Americans are Good Without God" they are putting on the buses.

I don’t know how effective this boycott will be since most bus riders are of limited means, and the bus system is all they’ve got to get around. There’s also counter campaign signage going on the buses, “Jesus is the Reason for the Season”. That should suffice.

I heard on a talk show some atheist putting up billboards denouncing the Season and Christianity’s celebration of the birth of the baby Jesus. He was challenged to show some courage and go to Muslim communities and put up anti Muslim and anti Allah billboards. Of course he won’t because he and his fellow bigots are cowards. Islamophobes.   

Regarding the atheists’ idea of being good without God, where do they think the values of fair and loving treatment of all people come from, all the values of truth, fidelity, not stealing, not murdering and all the rest? The Judaic-Christian value system. All the things atheists value as good are faith based, religion based. This annual attack has little to do with Christianity, it has a lot do with something lacking in their own lives, and rather than being responsible for their own state of beliefs, they lash out, attack and try and make themselves victims.

Neo-atheism is about expressing intolerance and bigotry, about establishing victimhood. One of the women on TMZ went on a rant about hating the season, that it shouldn’t exist, that she would rather work on Christmas Day, that she shouldn’t get paid for having that day off and some other stupid stuff. She attacks the culture and its celebration, rather than taking responsibility for her own actions. She can work that day. She writes for an entertainment online magazine and TV show, and she can still be home and write. She can go work at a homeless shelter that day, or any other charity that’s open then. She can take her pay and give it to someone in need; she doesn’t have to accept the pay. It’s obvious she’s a Statist anti-Christian bigot; she should just own up to it, and take responsibility for her own actions during the Christmas season rather than attacking and wanting to end what brings millions of people love, happiness, family, sharing and joy.

That should be true of all atheists. Traditional atheists have it right. They don’t believe in God. That’s it. They’re done. This using non-belief to attack a cultural and religious tradition is about something else altogether. They need to look to what’s in their own hearts. 

The Father, The Mother, Christmas

My mouth shall speak the praise of the Lord, of that Lord by whom all things were made and who was made [flesh] amid all the works of His hands;

who is the Manifestor of His Father, the Creator of His Mother;

Son of God born of the Father without a mother, Son of Man born
of a mother without a father;

the great Day of the angels, small in the day of men;

the Word as God existing before all time, the Word as flesh existing only for an allotted time;

the Creator of the sun created under the light of the sun;

ordering all ages from the bosom of of His Father, from the womb of His Mother consecrating this day;

remaining there, yet proceeding hither;

Maker of heaven and earth brought forth on this earth overshadowed by the
heavens;

unspeakably wise, wisely speechless;

filling the whole world, lying in a manger;

guiding the stars, a nursling at the breast;

though insignificant in the form of man, so great in the form of God that His greatness was not lessened by His insignificance nor was His smallness crushed by - His might.

When He assumed human form He did not abandon His divine operations, nor did He cease to reach from end to end mightily and to order all things sweetly. When clothed in the weakness of our flesh He was received, not imprisoned, in the Virgin's womb so that without the Food of Wisdom being withdrawn from the angels we might
taste how sweet is the Lord.

Sermon 187~Augustine

Advent (vid)

Christians and Our Accomplishments vs Atheists and Theirs

We're getting into the Season, beginning with Thanksgiving, where we acknowledge what freedom, liberty, democracy, and Judaic-Christian values and principles have provided us. It is also the time of year when intolerant bigoted proselytizing atheist fundamentalists began attacking Christianity. I thought this year I'd jump in first. A comparison piece of accomplishments if you will.

We Christians certainly understand our sins. We understand we fall short of the ideal. We also understand we help each other work toward being Christlike, and reach out to others not of our faith in the process.

It was Christians that helped the poor in ancient Rome, that protected babies. In ancient times infanticide was prevalent. Don't want the kid, throw it out. Not just Rome, but this was practiced throughout the world. Christians stopped the practice.

During the plague in the middle ages, the sick and dying were helped by Christians organizing to do so.

Also during the Dark Ages, when western civilization fell apart, all the knowledge of the time was saved (recommend "How the Irish Saved Civilization" by Caldwell).
Monasteries formed centers that provided education and agriculture to the people.

Hospitals were created by Christians organizing to build these.

The fight to end slavery, a practice accepted world wide at the time, was opposed by Christians, led by Wilberforce. The end of slavery in the US, the underground railroad, organized by Christians.

The Suffrage Movement was begun by Christian women organizing.

The Civil Rights movement of the '50's thru '60's organized by Christians, led by Martin Luther King, a Christian minister.

I remember an interview with an atheist in the aftermath of Katrina, saying he had to hand it to Christians; they turned out in droves to help. Atheists didn't organize to help or raise money.

Currently millions of Christians worldwide are helping the sick, feeding the poor, with massive amounts of people and money helping AIDS patients in Africa. Christians are providing millions of dollars reaching out to the less fortunate. Thousands of Christians are on the scene, sacrificing their time and bodies to help.

All these good works, and the danger and sacrifice, is the result of Jesus Christ, God entering our world, and being an example of right and righteous living that is the foundation of all these good works.

It would be nice if this year atheists would let us have our celebration of our Lord's birth, without the nastiness of bigotry, intolerance and lies. As shown in these accomplishments, much good has been done by Christians. What good has atheism brought to us? Nothing, because they have nothing to offer, and when there's nothing to offer, there can only be the tearing down of what is good.

We're not asking Atheists to believe, just be nice for a change. You've benefited from all that Christian's have accomplished, we pose no threat. Just let us sing our praises, worship, and do our good works.

A Christmas Note

A Christmas Note

This evening when I put my computer to sleep, it'll remain so until the first of the year. A philosophy book I'm reading now,"The Black Swan", at the end of the chapter I've just completed, makes what turns out to be a serendipitous observation reflecting what I'm thinking and doing regarding this. "I propose that if you want a simple step to a higher form of life, as distant from the animal as you can get...shut down the television set, minimize the time spent reading newspapers, ignore the blogs. Train your reasoning abilities to control your decisions. ... This insulation from the toxicity of the world will have an additional benefit: it will improve your well-being. You do not have to do much more in order to gain a deeper understanding of the things around you." This appeals to the erudite autodidact hermit in me.

I'll be spending time with my brother (who gave me "The Black Swan") and fiance' in LA, talking about ideas, art and music. We will share meals and have soaring conversation. This will help me remove some of the toxicity of the world from my intellect, emotions and spirit. There are things now in my life not right, and are troubling me. My Christian friends say put these things in God's hands; they are quite right. It is also right that we must make decisions, based on God's guidance.

When I get back on line, I'll be writing about the Crusades (not what you were taught about them), Islamism, atheism, and the "dark ages" (not what you were taught about them), and evil (some people think there is no such thing), and of course theology, and the spirit filled life. Of course there will be my silliness, fun and humor too.

I thank everyone that takes the time to read my blogs. There are many, and I'm humbled. To all I wish a Holy Christmas, full of fun, family, food, and fellowship. For the new year, may it be a fulfillment of what you need, want and desire for yourselves and your loved ones. May the Lord bless you and keep you; The Lord make His face shine upon you, And be gracious to you: The Lord lift up His countenance upon you, And give you peace.

Christmas - The Word

The word "Christmas" is from the Middle English "Christemasse", and in Old English "Cristes mæsse". The compound meaning of these is "Christ's Mass" and was first used circa 1030 AD. "Cristes" is from Greek christos and "mæsse" is from Latin missa. In the early Greek testaments, 'X' is the first letter of Christ, which I guess some could use to validate their use of the spelling 'Xmas'. I'm sure that people using this form learned it from studying ancient Greek.

T'was the Month Before Christmas

*Twas the month before Christmas*

*When all through our land,*

*Not a Christian was praying*

*Nor taking a stand*

*See the PC Police had taken away,*

*The reason for Christmas - no one could say.*

*The children were told by their schools not to sing,*

*About Shepherds and Wise Men and Angels and things.*

*It might hurt people's feelings, the teachers would say*

* December 25th is just a ' Holiday '.*

*Yet the shoppers were ready with cash, checks and credit*

*Pushing folks down to the floor just to get it!*

*CDs from Madonna, an X BOX, an I-pod*

*Something was changing, something quite odd! *

*Retailers promoted Ramadan and Kwanzaa*

*In hopes to sell books by Franken & Fonda.*

*As Targets were hanging their trees upside down*

* At Lowe's the word Christmas - was no where to be found.*

*At K-Mart and Staples and Penny's and Sears*

*You won't hear the word Christmas; it won't touch your ears.*

*Inclusive, sensitive, Di-ver-si-ty*

*Are words that were used to intimidate me.*

*Now Daschle, Now Darden, Now Sharpton, Wolf Blitzen*

*On Boxer, on Rather, on Kerry, on Clinton !*

*At the top of the Senate, there arose such a clatter*

*To eliminate Jesus, in all public matter.*

*And we spoke not a word, as they took away our faith*

* Forbidden to speak of salvation and grace*

*The true Gift of Christmas was exchanged and discarded*

*The reason for the season, stopped before it started.*

*So as you celebrate 'Winter Break' under your 'Dream Tree'*

*Sipping your Starbucks, listen to me.*

*Choose your words carefully, choose what you say*

*Shout MERRY CHRISTMAS ,

not Happy Holiday !*





Please, all Christians join together and

wish everyone you meet during the

holidays a

MERRY CHRISTMAS
Christ is ʽThe Reasonʼ for the Christ-mas Season!

A Different Christmas Poem

A Different Christmas Poem


The embers glowed softly, and in their dim light,
I gazed round the room and I cherished the sight.
My wife was asleep, her head on my chest,
My daughter beside me, angelic in rest.
Outside the snow fell, a blanket of white,
Transforming the yard to a winter delight.


The sparkling lights in the tree I believe,
Completed the magic that was Christmas Eve.
My eyelids were heavy, my breathing was deep,
Secure and surrounded by love I would sleep.
In perfect contentment, or so it would seem,
So I slumbered, perhaps I started to dream.


The sound wasn't loud, and it wasn't too near,
But I opened my eyes when it tickled my ear.
Perhaps just a cough, I didn't quite know, Then the
sure sound of footsteps outside in the snow.
My soul gave a tremble, I struggled to hear,
And I crept to the door just to see who was near.


Standing out in the cold and the dark of the night,
A lone figure stood, his face weary and tight.
A soldier, I puzzled, some twenty years old,
Perhaps a Marine, huddled here in the cold.
Alone in the dark, he looked up and smiled,
Standing watch over me, and my wife and my child.


'What are you doing?' I asked without fear,
'Come in this moment, it's freezing out here!
Put down your pack, brush the snow from your sleeve,
You should be at home on a cold Christmas Eve!'
For barely a moment I saw his eyes shift,
Away from the cold and the snow blown in drifts..


To the window that danced with a warm fire's light
Then he sighed and he said 'Its really all right,
I'm out here by choice. I'm here every night.'
'It's my duty to stand at the front of the line,
That separates you from the darkest of times.


No one had to ask or beg or implore me,
I'm proud to stand here like my fathers before me.
My Gramps died at 'Pearl on a day in December,'
Then he sighed, 'That's a Christmas 'Gram always remembers.'
My dad stood his watch in the jungles of 'Nam',
And now it is my turn and so, here I am.


I've not seen my own son in more than a while,
But my wife sends me pictures, he's sure got her smile.
Then he bent and he carefully pulled from his bag,
The red, white, and blue... an American flag.
I can live through the cold and the being alone,
Away from my family, my house and my home.


I can stand at my post through the rain and the sleet,
I can sleep in a foxhole with little to eat.
I can carry the weight of killing another,
Or lay down my life with my sister and brother..
Who stand at the front against any and all,
To ensure for all time that this flag will not fall.'


' So go back inside,' he said, 'harbor no fright,
Your family is waiting and I'll be all right.'
'But isn't there something I can do, at the least,
'Give you money,' I asked, 'or prepare you a feast?
It seems all too little for all that you've done,
For being away from your wife and your son.'


Then his eye welled a tear that held no regret,
'Just tell us you love us, and never forget.
To fight for our rights back at home while we're gone,
To stand your own watch, no matter how long.
For when we come home, either standing or dead,
To know you remember we fought and we bled.
Is payment enough, and with that we will trust,
That we mattered to you as you mattered to us.'

LCDR Jeff Giles, SC, USN
30th Naval Construction Regiment
OIC, Logistics Cell One
Al Taqqadum, Iraq