This has been a hard season for everyone. With the COVID-19 quarantine and the mandated stay at home orders that most people are facing, care and communication are very important right now. How do we do that without being able to get out? Well, we need to rely on technology to help us during these times. But just like COVID-19 so many people are afraid or have a hatred for technology.
In 1965 Charlie Brown, after being terribly frustrated with the consumer mentalities around him, and how badly things are going with the Christmas play, he belts out the most provocative question of the season: “Isn’t there anyone who knows what Christmas is all about?” A Charlie Brown Christmas holds a sentimental spot in my heart, as I have always enjoyed the characters and the special. Every year countless households tune in to watch as Charlie Brown and the rest of the Peanuts gang pondered the meaning of Christmas.
The Christmas special was originally believed to be a failure back in 1965, but has now become as much a part of “Christmas Americana” as other well-known favorites like, “It’s a Wonderful Life,” “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer,” and “How the Grinch Stole Christmas.”
In walks the most unlikely character to give Chuck a speech of the true meaning of Christmas.
Continue reading “Isn’t There Anyone Who Knows What Christmas is All About?”
Thanksgiving and Christmas are the times of the year that we might we joke about overeating and getting stuffed on turkey, hams, and pies. While it is a festive time of year with all the lights, colors, presents, gatherings, music, and let’s be honest “baby Yoda” on Disney +’s Mandalorian there is still a large population of people struggling with depression.
This is usually due to feeling empty on the inside. When our stomachs are empty and we need energy, we eat….sometimes a little too much. Just like our stomach, our souls need to be feed, but not just on anything, but something wholesome and good. I’m not going to blame videogames, Netflix and social media for all of our problems, but just like our stomachs, we can’t live on Pepsi and Ice-cream alone. So how do we fill our soul? Below are 6 ways to feed your soul during this season.
Disney’s live-action Aladdin is due to hit video release here in September. While I have not seen it, I do know that I, as a child in the 90’s, loved the original animated movie, so I’m willing to give this a shot. If you have never seen either one of the Aladdin movies then I don’t know what you are doing with your life, because the animated is a movie classic that had some really great talent and takeaways. Anyways… I bring this up because I have been in a lot of conversations lately about prayer, and what it really means to pray to God. You may be asking yourself “John how does Aladdin have anything to do with prayer?” Allow me to explain. I believe how we view God, reflects how we interact with Him. I have a lot of analogies on how a lot of people view God, and one of them is the view of God as this all-powerful genie that is here to grant us wishes.
Aladdin: You’re a prisoner?
Genie: It’s all part and parcel, the whole genie gig.
[grows to a gigantic size]
Genie: Phenomenal cosmic powers!
[shrinks down inside the lamp]
Genie: Itty bitty living space!
This week is my 4th wedding anniversary! Our marriage is really good, and if you are new to my story, at first glance you would never know that 4 years ago we were also struggling to stay married. Let me tell you, marriage is a rad and beautiful thing, that God entrusts us to manage and maintain. It’s not easy at times, and no matter how much you love your spouse, if you neglect even the smallest things in your marriage you are risking throwing it down the drain. As I said, I know because I’ve been there.
No one goes to bed saying “I’m going to trash my marriage. I invited another person into my life to live with me until death does us part, and I want to destroy this person now.” If you did go to bed saying this, then there are some underlying issues somewhere in your life, but for the most part, this is not a normal thought.
I have loved my wife for a long time, and I never thought that I was ever going to be one of thous statistic. 40-50% of marriages end in a divorce, and that is crazy stupid. So, as mentioned, a few years ago my wife and I were about to split shortly after we got married. Long story short, I was not properly tending to my marriage like I should, and it is only due to God’s grace and mercy that saved it. It was one of the hardest times in my life and I never felt so afraid.
My wife and I have reconciled, and have been working together to make our marriage the way God intends it to be, and everything is great! When we broke up I tried to fix things my way but was only making things worse. I was digging myself deeper and deeper and the only way out was to give up. So I gave up on trying to do it alone, and I gave my marriage to God and trusted that he was going to take care of us. I spent those months not only praying and fighting for my marriage, but studying what it means to love someone, and how to take care of it. I would now love to share all the information that I have came across over the years of studying a Godly marriage because I would never in a million years wish that pain on anyone.
Continue reading “Is Your Marriage Rad or Bad: 10 Tips to Help”
John Johnson Does Stuff 