Surviving Christmas

This is the Truth Network Welcome to Masculine Journey. This is Danny and we are having an interesting show I think because we're going to finish up topic from last week and dive into another topic. So, anyway, we're going to dive into, we were revisiting the Word of the Year last year and Jim, you want to... It's still this year, but barely. Well, last year's this year's something's year. So, you want to tell us what the Word of the Year is and then we can roll into you because you're going to do it because you weren't here last week.

You were out in the ocean somewhere or something. Yeah, the Word of the Year we've been doing for several years and Robby brought that to us and it's basically picking a word that God, well, it's God picking a word hopefully for you to focus on during that year. And since I tend to lose focus, I've used the same clip three years running and only had two words because I forgot the first one so I had to redo it. But the clip works for just about everything and I'm going to try to make that true by using that as a segue into Christmas. But this clip is from the outlaw Josie Wells and there are two of us that love that movie and one or two that cringe any time we bring a clip from it, but we're trying to get the whole movie in eventually.

I think we're close. There aren't too many great scenes that haven't been used there, but the only competitor for that I decided and we love this one too. In fact, it's one of my, both of these are probably my top 10 favorite movies, but secondhand lions and the bar scene may have been used more than this clip, but this clip is a chat with 10 bears and the Word of the Year for me this year. And I think I got a new one for next year already so we won't be repeating his integrity.

And this clip covered integrity quite well. I have heard. You're the gray rider. You would not make peace with the blue coats. You may go in peace. I reckon that I know where to go. And you will die. I'm going to die with you. Live with you. Governments don't live together, people live together.

Governments, you don't always get a fair word or a fair fight while I've come here to give you either one or get either one from you. I came here like this so you'll know my word of death is true. And that my word of life is then true. The bear lives here, the wolf, the antelope, the kamachi, and so will we. And we'll only hunt what we need to live on, same as the kamachi does. And every spring when the grass turns green and the kamachi moves north, you can rest here in peace, which are some of our cattle and jerk beef for the journey. The sign of the kamachi that will be on our lodge, that's my word of life. And your word of death? It's here in my pistols, there in your rifles. I'm here for either one. These things you say we will have, we already have.

That's true. I ain't promising to nothing extra. I'm just giving you life and you're giving me life. And I'm saying that men can live together without butchering one another. It's said that governments are achieved by the double tongues. There is iron in your words of death for all kamachi to see, and so there is iron in your words of life.

No signed paper can hold the iron. It must come from men. The words of ten bearers carry the same iron of life and death. It is good that warriors such as we meet in the struggle of life or death. It shall be life.

Technical difficulties. Ten Bearers and Josie and this are men of integrity. What they say is what they mean. And they're ready to follow through on anything that they do commit to. And that is a major part of integrity. I grew up and still am at heart a people pleaser. I want everybody to like me. And in my younger years I would sell my integrity cheap and often just to get in good graces with folks.

During the learning I've done in this adventure we have together at the Masculine Journey Radio and Wild at Heart, I identified quite strongly with the poser because that's basically what I was doing. And if you ask people if I was honest back then they'd say oh sure because I was good at being sneaky and deceptive. And I can still tell you something that's factually true but it doesn't point to the truth.

It's factually accurate but it's not really true. And I have worked hard to get over doing that sort of thing to impress people. But integrity was my word this year. I forgot it for a while but it was kind of funny because it often was brought up by God when I wasn't even thinking about that word.

So it was something that was very important to me this year and will be for the rest of my life. I'll stop talking whenever you're ready to. Well the computer's acting weird and it's got a weird operator back here too so it's kind of lagging. Isn't that a song?

Yeah probably a smooth operator. Oh okay that's not happening here. I'm not sure what it's doing at the moment but thank you Jim. The topic that we were going to transition into hopefully with the clips.

I'm nervous about the computer now so we may just talk. Robby threw this topic out to us called Surviving Christmas. And in true masculine journey form Robby's not here.

So the football got handed over here and I hope I don't fumble it. But you're talking about Surviving Christmas because this time of year is a wonderful time of year and a busy time of year. But it's not always a festive time of year for everybody. And it's kind of hard to keep that in mind. Everything's going smooth in your life and you're skipping and dancing and that kind of thing.

There are people who seasonal depression is a real thing and lots of different things to kind of survive. And schedules and all that kind of thing. So we just kind of wanted to throw that around a little bit and see where that went. And I've got to go back to the other topic. Because I promised you a segue into the topic and then I didn't give it to you.

Well segue it please. One of the things that really struck me as important in this both from the integrity standpoint of hearing those two guys talking things out in a life or death situation. And getting through Christmas is communicating with one person at a time.

Not trying to do everything for everybody all at once but really be there with the ones that... Be there with the one you're with rather than thinking about what you got to do next. And one of the things that I just got back from a cruise which I'm sure you heard about while I was gone. Unless they didn't talk about me at all which is also a possibility. But one of the things I love about that is I meet people from literally all over the world. And one on one I haven't run into more than one or two people that I just didn't want to talk to.

So many people are interesting if you give them your time. And we do that at Christmas. That's what love is.

That's what Jesus gave himself for all of us so that we can love one another. Not a great segue but I promised it and I want to keep my integrity here. Well I think we have talked about you being on a cruise as many times as we've used the outlaw Josie Wells clip this year.

I'm pretty sure it runs neck and neck I'm pretty sure. Thinking about surviving Christmas I've thought a lot about... I went to a Christmas play the other night and everything and I got kind of sentimental about some things. So I'm going to play my clip.

We may get to talk about it I'm not sure. And it's from a Charlie Brown Christmas and if you've never seen that then I don't know where you've been. But now it's hard to find.

Used to it came on CBS or something like that. Now you about have to pay for it. So I think that's well we won't even get into political ramifications of that I don't think. So we'll play the clip. Or not. I don't know what this computer is doing.

Anyway it's the scene from where Linus does the Luke the Christmas story. And it'll probably take off playing here in just a second. We were just talking about a new connection. We were just talking about a new connection or a new person. Yeah.

But new. One minute. Yeah. OK. Yeah. It's probably going to. I'm not sure what the computer is doing.

It's doing something weird. But you know watching those kids in the Christmas play the other night. And you know growing up I was always a shepherd.

And my dad actually made me my own shepherd's staff out of plywood made a nice shepherd's staff. And I thought one day I'll get promoted to wise men but I had to get grown to do it. Well we're coming to a break. We've got a boot camp coming up in the spring and if you want to know what's going on for the most part around us.

You can go to masculine journey dot o r g and you know register for boot camp or you know anything like that. So we'll be back at a break. Let me know that without him I'm nothing. I don't got nothing and I will be nothing. So I decided to come back and just right now for the first time like I've been through a lot of things like as you see me.

That was all over and everything. I've been through a war. So for the first time in my life in these on these camp I've been able to feel that peace in my heart. I haven't seen my family in over eight years now but I actually can say today that I'm OK with it. God is with me and he's been dealing with my heart on a way that I never experienced it before. I'm just thankful and grateful. Register today at masculine journey dot o r g. That song is from the.

Pentatronic pentatonic. I mispronounced it but you know that's not the only thing I mispronounced from time to time. That song Mary did you know is done by several different artists but I like that version of it. And then the phrase that jumped out to me was you know when you kiss your baby boy do you think you kiss the face of God. And you know during Christmas time I mean when we think about. I always think about Jesus leaving. Leaving the heavens leaving glory. And come and hang out with us. Emmanuel God with us.

And that is an incredible thought when you think about it because I don't think you know we hear sermons and messages on what heaven is going to be like and be with your loved ones. I don't even think we got a clue grant. What we're in store for.

I think I think we're going to be blown away. Live forward the past is done. That's right.

The. So I'm going to go back to this clip we've had to revisit the computer. We have a great computer. A great producer named Keith. He bails us out on many different levels especially when he's got a rookie in this side of the glass. You know I mean. Truly a joy ride tonight. Keith you know what I mean. I was shocked to hear they're using a version of Windows.

It's pretty close to the one that I supported 25 years ago. This has got lead caulking glass in the windows. I want to try to play this clip again. Well most of us could probably quote this from memory because we've seen it.

Time and time and time again. But I don't have my glasses. OK. Well we're going to roll on.

We'll be clipless in Seattle. How about that. So. You know Linus telling Charlie Brown basically. Does anybody know what Christmas is all about.

And I'll bet you if you surveyed people all of us have had those moments in our lives where we go you know what. Does anybody really know what Christmas is all about. Boxes and wrapping paper. Yeah. You know we start Christmas in June at Lowe's and Walmart and you know. We're back.

We're back. Here's the clip. Boy are you stupid Charlie Brown. What kind of a tree is that. You are supposed to get a good tree.

Can't you even tell a good tree from a poor tree. I told you we'd goof it up. You're not the kind you can depend on to do anything right. You're hopeless Charlie Brown completely hopeless.

Rats. You've been done before Charlie Brown but this time you really did it. What a tree. I guess you were right Linus. I shouldn't have picked this little tree.

Everything I do turns into a disaster. I guess I really don't know what Christmas is all about. Isn't there anyone who knows what Christmas is all about. Sure Charlie Brown I can tell you what Christmas is all about.

Lights please. And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field keeping watch over their flock by night and lo the angel of the Lord came upon them. And the glory of the Lord showed round about them and they were sore afraid and the angel said unto them fear not. For behold I bring you tidings of great joy which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you. You shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying glory to God in the highest. And on earth peace good will toward men.

That's what Christmas is all about Charlie Brown. You know several years ago I was talking about it in the pre-show. My buddy Chuck Powers had a vision about doing a thing called manger moment. And he laid it out for us and we basically had if you've ever been to like one of these things where they have stations of the cross. We had stations of the birth of Jesus. And people would walk through and read the scripture and I think it was really a cool set up. But the first year we did it nobody had ever done it before. We were notorious for doing things nobody had ever done before. And you know the plan was whatever it was and we had some folks that were out for injuries and stuff like that.

And we really run the gauntlet trying to get this thing ready to go. And we were going to do it for two or three nights or whatever I think. And by the time we got to show time I didn't want to see a manger. I didn't want to see an angel. I didn't want to see anything. I didn't even want to see my ministry team. I was just and I'm walking through making sure everything is set up. And I remember praying Lord maybe I'm the one that needs the manger moment.

And in that moment God met me there. And the cool part about the way that thing was set up was the end of it was Mary and Joseph, a live Mary and Joseph who would ask people is there something we can pray with you about. And you know I was supposed to be the director but you know what sometimes and so often in the way we do Christianity I think in our American culture we think the pastors and the leaders are the ones that got it all together and don't need anything.

But I think it's just the opposite. I think they're the ones that need us most. They're the ones that need us to lift us up in prayer and to make sure that you love on your pastor.

You love on your deacons, the ones that serve, your leadership. You know because if you don't it leaves lots of things unguarded. You know because warfare is real. I mean I think Satan is living in this computer over here beside me.

But that's kind of the thing it was. So anybody else got anything you want to share about surviving Christmas? We've got a few more minutes before. One of the things that really hits me as I get older and I was very, I talked to my son today, one that never talks to me. I mean he does but he's so busy and my wife had asked me to ask Stephen what he wanted for Christmas. And I sort of did my bah humbug because that's her thing more than mine and she does a great job of taking care of everybody so I don't have to. But Stephen came back with my response that I got everything I need. There's nothing I want.

They're in the process of tearing their house apart to rebuild part of it and they're packing stuff up. I said well we can come up and help you with that. He said well I don't think you should be cutting down trees and moving rocks and emptying closets. I said well I've got a perfect record with cutting down trees.

I dropped one in about an eight inch hole and I don't want to mess up my record but I talked to him some about that and it was a good interchange. But he recognizes that it's not about buying something to assuage your guilt or whatever motivation you have. And if you can get to that point of just loving on others, accepting God's peace instead of the frantic stuff the world has to offer, then Christmas goes a lot further and you don't get into Scrooge mode which I have a tendency to do. I have the antidote for that. If somebody says they've got everything they need or whatever, the answer is no, put a smile on, because you just paid for one for a kid that has a cleft palate.

There is nothing that you can do that will make you feel better than if you can contribute to the well-being through St. Jude's or Shriners Hospital or Smile Train, things like that. That's what Christmas is about. The wisdom of our sage.

That's right, our sage has spoken. Our buddy Sam who did not hear him and Robby are at different events tonight. He does something cool with his boys that has impacted my life. Instead of buying each other gifts, they book a trip and go somewhere sometime in the year and that's their Christmas. His premise behind it was, what did I buy you for Christmas last year? You don't know, you don't remember half of the stuff because it's just stuff. But memories are what makes the deal.

As far as gift giving, that has just impacted me because to spend time around the people you love, around you guys, around family and that kind of thing, and making memories and doing it in the name of Jesus, I don't know that it gets any better than that. Unlike the commercial years ago, the guys sitting around the campfire boozing it up, it doesn't get any better than this. Have you ever seen women or something? What is the deal with that?

But it does get better because that's... I think they probably have seen women. They probably have. It doesn't get any better.

They probably have. Just a strange statement I think. But that's the whole idea behind surviving Christmas.

And Harold, you're absolutely right. Doing something for somebody else, that's kind of the theme of Christmas I think. Because Jesus came to do something we couldn't do. To give us something we couldn't obtain.

There's no way we would have ever made it without him. And St. Jude's, we've been a part of Angel Tree, where a parent's locked up, and these kids ain't really got a chance at any kind of decent Christmas. So if you can find something like that in your community, that helps other people that are less fortunate, oh man, what a way to spend Christmas.

Put a smile on somebody's face. You can go register for bootcamp, masculinejourney.org. You can see a few things. There's a few blogs. If people still do blogs, we write one every now and then. You can see us on Facebook. Share us with your friends if you like what you hear. And love on your family over this Christmas holiday. This is the Truth Network.