Posts Tagged ‘Materialism’
Taming Envy
His name is Mr. Grinch—incurably green with envy, that unlovable Dr. Seuss character who cannot bear the sight of someone enjoying himself. When that happens, he bites himself. Envy is a sin of the emotions. According to the dictionary it is “a feeling of discontent and resentment aroused by a desire for the possessions or…
Read MoreThe Real Black Friday
Immediately following Thanksgiving day, our whole nation is thrust into the “C” word — Christmas. The stores are filled with people trying to buy the most expensive gifts at the cheapest prices of the year. We call it “Black Friday,” and it is a great memorial to materialism. The earliest evidence for Black Friday seems…
Read MoreA Wise Holiday Ambition
The annual, year-end holiday season from Thanksgiving to New Year’s Eve provides a wonderful opportunity for Christians to shine as lights in a dark and bungling world. During this time, as the bitter cold and darkness increases, the behavior of nonbelievers increasingly reveals their spiritual darkness and blindness towards God. Lampposts in the Snow A…
Read MoreProsperity and Poison
Aaron Blumer Prepare your heart for Christmas … and Black Friday! Last summer our garage acquired a new addition to its collection of lethal chemicals: a bottle of fungicide now adorns a high shelf. The chemical’s intended purpose is to keep the tomatoes alive and prospering, and it has proved to be wonderful stuff. But…
Read MoreChristmas … Again?
Wally Morris Before entering the ministry full-time with pay, I worked for almost 13 years for Kmart. I learned a lot about working with people. Sadly, the hectic and unrelenting drive for sales also diminished my enthusiasm for Thanksgiving and Christmas.
Read MoreBlack Friday Possessions
Jim Oesterwind And Jesus said to them, ‘Take heed and beware of covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses’ -Luke 12.15 Covetousness is nothing new, but it is steadily tearing our country apart. Ron Colone wrote an op ed piece in the Santa Ynez Valley News. His…
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