Things to be Thankful for

Yesterday was Thanksgiving day and I know most of you cooked a turkey, whether fried, baked or grilled and sat down at a table full of family and friends, said grace and partook in a really delicious meal while watching football.  You do this every year and then you go shopping and spend money you most likely don't have without thinking much about it.  It's what we all do during Thanksgiving.
 
I would just like to suggest an alternative to this wonderful craziness.  Why not cook your meal sit down with whomever you are closest to, family or the guy that works in accounting at the office, enjoy  your meal and talk during the meal, instead of turning on the television and having it blast whatever during  lunch or dinner. Turn it off and talk to the people around you.  Tell them you are happy they are in your life and maybe, instead of joining the mad rush at the mall, sit down in front of the computer and order what you think they might like for Christmas, or even start early and make them something.  If you do this you will have more time to spend with them, instead of in traffic or stuck in a line of frustrated people who expect great customer service on the busiest shopping day of the year.  You could even invite the people you spent Thanksgiving with over on Friday and have a Thanksgiving leftover party and have them help you eat all that turkey you have in zip-lock bags in the fridge.  Have some coffee and play a game, relax and enjoy their company.  Life is too short to join the madness and not tell the people you care about just how much you care.  You don't know when they will leave you, either through death or a job transfer.  Take the time you have and tell them you are thankful they are in your life and enjoy the holiday season together, without the chaos.

Gap Ad

I just have a few words to say about the ad Gap has running with the man in the turban and the woman at his side.  How beautiful is that?  I think it opens the doors for a whole new era of ads in the States and around the world.  Why is it that every time we see a man in a turban there is some negative connotation attached to it?  I think most men who wear turbans would appreciate a little positive publicity once in a while.  For one thing, not every turban-wearing man hates Americans and two, how would we know anyway?  How many Americans have been to an Arabic country or India?  Not very many and with that being said, let's just drop all the stereotypes. I don't know why the media portrays them all as American-haters, but it all needs to stop and this won't happen until there is a little more cultural exchange and a better economy in the countries/ regions where the few  people who hate the States actually live.  Instead of judging them, let's try helping them build strong international economies.  I realize this isn't easy; that there are political and cultural obstacles but simply judging people and not trying to understand their culture, or worse, imposing your own on them is not the way to go about accomplishing peace and acceptance.  I salute the Gap for portraying someone other than a white, very thin woman as it's model for the Christmas season.

http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/trending-now/web-responds-to-gap-s-defense-of-sikh-model-in-ad-campaign-185522447.html

Atheism in the United States

I read an online article today about atheist 'mega-churches' popping up in the U.S. and around the world and I have a few things to say about them and the people who call themselves atheist..  The first thing is, just because they don't believe in God or the Trinity doesn't make them inhumane axe-murderers who want to murder everyone.  Most atheist that I know are able to attend any religious service and get something out of it, whether it be a Southern Baptist church, a Pentecostal church, or a Methodist church. 
Every article that you read about atheism is negative and I would like to have that come to an end.  What are the people who call themselves "Christians" afraid of?  If they were true Christians they would live and let live and not judge people who belong to other religious or non-religious groups. 
One thing that truly irritates me is the preacher who gets up on Sunday morning and preaches to his congregation that drinking alcohol is a sin that you must ask  forgiveness for and then 2 hours after the service is sitting at home with a glass of red wine in front of him.  Is this not a bit hypocritical?  If this preacher were any good he would teach acceptance of others and their beliefs instead of teaching his congregation what horrible people they are because, if you look closely at  his life, chances are, he is only a human trying to make it in this world.  Judging others for their beliefs, or lack there of is just as bad as drinking a glass of wine after preaching that it is a sin to drink. 
If you are one of those people who believe that the United States is coming to an end because people are moving away from the church I have this to say to you.  Don't make laws that take others' freedoms away.  Just because you don't believe in something doesn't necessarily  make it wrong.  Don't be the one who invades other people's privacy and makes decisions, very private decisions, for them.  What goes on in their lives is none of your business.  If you don't want to drink, don't, but don't judge the man next door who enjoys a glass of wine in the evening.  The world would be a much better place if you would try and be a little more tolerant.