The Reason for the Season

The Cat and the Christ Child

The cat crept into the cave. Stripy, she was, in the daylight.  But now, well past sunset and the settling of darkness, she was as black as any other cat.  The tabby's left ear twitched, cocked over her left shoulder as she heard the rustling in the straw strewn over the floor.  A great ox lying nearby snorted softly as he dropped his head to the ground.  His horn made a clack! as it made contact with the rock.  He exhaled.  His nares vibrated briefly then all was still.

The cat remained motionless.  Long moments dragged slowly by.  In the distance an owl called to its mate.  Then the rustling began again as the mice resumed feeding on the loose grain in the straw.  The cat's right fore paw inched forward, settled softly, then the left paw raised, advanced, soundlessly touched the rock, then pounce!  Her prize in her claw, then between her jaws, she nestled close to the belly of the ox and dropped the mouse.  Stunned and addled but still with a will to live the creature staggered and attempted to run.  But the cat casually reached out, dragged it back.  Again she released it, this time allowing the creature to "get away."  But the cat sprang, recaptured the mouse and lay down again.  She played her cruel game with the small captive for several minutes, but finally tired of it and overcome with hunger she crunched its skull between  her teeth, then dined on her catch.

So Stripy, sated, slept.

A ruckus arose within the stable.  A pair of human creatures shuffled into the space, one carrying a blazing fagot in one hand as with the other he supported the woman who staggered in and collapsed on the floor.  A donkey followed them.  Then entered a large nondescript dog close on the heels of the ass.  He went to the female human creature and started licking her cheek while the man wedged the torch into a notch in the wall that served as a sconce. The presence of the canine got the attention of the sleeping cat, which started and sprang to her feet.  She scaled the flank of the ox where she settled, thus attaining a full view of the goings-on.  The ox slept on.

Soon there was frantic activity, the man bustling around the woman, the woman writhing and screaming in obvious pain. All the creatures in the stable stirred restlessly, the sheep bleated, and even the ox raised its head and voiced his concern.  Following a protracted episode of heavy breathing and intermittent screams, everything fell silent for a few moments.  Then suddenly the mewling of a new man-child pierced the quiet.

The man patiently worked at cleanup chores, handed the infant to its mother.  Everyone except the man, the woman, and the cat finally went back to sleep.  Then the woman cradled the tiny human creature in the straw the man had laid in a manger. The tabby, her tail erect and switching from side to side drawing esses and zees in the air, left her perch on the ox and sauntered casually toward the small human.  As the cat approached the child, the dog lifted its head, raised itself up on its two forelegs.  The cat made not a sound but gave the canine the evil-eye.  The dog lay back down.  The cat circled the child and we might imagine that she was thinking, "Big deal.  Just another human." Then she went back and snuggled into the warmth of her bovine friend again.

 Which all took place before the gaggle of rough and ragged men began to fill up the space, babbling about a Heavenly Presence that came to them in the fields praising God and telling them that this child  in the stable was The Christ!

The cat was wrong.

Merry Christmas!

and let there be peace, at least between you and me. 

©David W. Lacy 2015

Emancipation Day

Today, June 19, is the holiday, Juneteenth. This celebrates the abolition of slavery in Texas, and in Texas it is a legal holiday. Thirty other states recognize the holiday, although they do not require closing of state offices as Texas does.

On June 19 ("Juneteenth"), 1865, Union general Gordon Granger arrived in Galveston and issued General Order Number 3, which read in part, "The people of Texas are informed that, in accordance with a proclamation from the Executive of the United States, all slaves are free. This involves an absolute equality of personal rights and rights of property between former masters and slaves, and the connection heretofore existing between them becomes that between employer and hired labor."  (Texas Handbook on Line)

Juneteenth is a day of jubilation. How about a good old- fashioned picnic in the park? A few fireworks and a band would be in order, too!

Labor Day

And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men;  Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ.  --Colossians 6:23,24 KJV

This weekend is a "long holiday weekend" and the traditional end-of-summer celebration.  Monday is Labor Day.  Labor Day is recognized and celebrated in a third of all the countries in the world.  At its inception the idea was to honor those who work.

Honest work has within itself the roots of dignity, for it is by the toil of one's body and mind that food and shelter for living are obtained.

Have you ever felt your job is a drudgery in which the only rewards are the end of the shift and the paycheck?  Even in such a job is dignity, for by the devotion to the task and the performance thereof, one puts food on the table for those for whom he is responsible; and should the checks be large enough to provide assistance in addition to someone less fortunate, then that laborer is blessed indeed.

Father pounded many things into my head in my youth.  (Yes, I was that hard-headed.)  A crucial lesson had to do with the obligation of the laborer to the employer.  Dad made it quite clear that if I sold my time to an employer it was my obligation to give him full value for the recompense he would give me.  To do otherwise is not honorable.  I believe the scripture quoted above supports this doctrine, for to do right by the employer is to do right in God's sight.

In whatever way you choose to celebrate, or relax and chill, here's wishing you a wonderful weekend, Monday included.

Merry Christmas 2013

Merry Christmas!

Our greetings, we had hoped, would be accompanied with a current picture.  The most recent such thing in which we both appear seems to have been taken on Easter Sunday, March 31.  So here it is.  We like to think we have not changed all that much in  the intervening nine months.

Easter commemorates the culmination of the Christmas Story, for without the crucifixion and resurrection of our Lord, there would be no point in Christmas, for God sent His Son to effect our salvation through his death on the cross.  In conquering death and the grave on our behalf, Christ provided atonement for our sins.  It is the greatest Christmas gift ever given, or that will ever be given.  The gift is ours to receive.

We wish you the very best, and the Merriest of Christmases!

Be Ye Thankful

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving Day in the US of A.  Now, everyday should be a day of thanksgiving, for scripture tells us,

" In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you."  (I Thessalonians 5:18)

Yet it is meet and right that we have set aside a specific Day of Thanksgiving, for it is a reminder to us that we should live with an attitude of thanksgiving.

And besides, there is football!

Happy Thanksgiving.  May all your days be richly blessed!

And do stop by here again on Thanksgiving Day.  I have a feeling Uncle Jep is fixin' to spin us a yarn of Thanksgiving on the High Plains.

95 Years Ago

Armistice was declared on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month of the Year of Our Lord, 1918 to effect the cessation of hostilities in the "war to end all wars".

That war, now known as WWI, officially ended the following June upon the signing of the Treaty of Versailles.

In 1919, November 11 was declared by President Wilson to be "Armistice Day". It was made a legal holiday by an Act of Congress in 1938. In 1954, the day was declared by an Act of Congress and a Proclamation by President Eisenhower to be "Veterans Day" in honor of all who served in the Armed Forces, since the 'war to end all wars' had failed to accomplish the goal of ending all wars.

The Uniform Holiday Act of 1968 attempted to catch Veterans Day into the "Monday" federal holiday program, and Veterans Day was celebrated on October 25, 1971. It quickly became apparent that the American people would not stand still for this confusing slight to a much respected and honored holiday. Thus, in 1975, President Ford signed an Act of Congress into law which returned the celebration of our Service People to November 11, and since 1978 it has been so observed.

To all who served our country in the Armed Forces, thank you, thank you. Were it not for your sacrifices, we would be enslaved and impoverished. You stood up for us when we needed you.

Please thank a veteran today.

Reworked post from a previous November 11.

Labor Day

 Labor Day was established in the latter part of the nineteenth century* in recognition of laborers.  It has become a holiday, presumably a day in which the laborer can lay aside the burdens of his work for at least that day.

Here's an irony.  Now we have that probably one-quarter of all laborers in the US work in retail concerns.  Retail sales on Labor Day have become such a large part of the industry that the day is second only to Black Friday in dollar volume.+  Now who makes the transactions? Why, the laborers who work in retail. And not only do they work on this, their holiday, but many of them are required to work extended hours!

Happy Labor Day, y'all!

*1894
+Or so I read somewhere.

Ditch New Years Resolutions Day

Today is the day to ditch the New Year's resolutions which you made under duress, or from a sense of obligation to yourself or someone else.  Today is the official day to rid yourself of these unnecessary burdens.  Get rid of the resolutions you have already broken. (Yes, I know.  It has been  2-3/7 weeks since the year began.)  Too, you should dump the ones you will break later on.  Do it now and save the aggravation of carrying them any longer.

If you are one of those righteous souls whose efforts toward your avowed goal are intact and you are feeling mighty good about yourself, good for you.  Soldier on.  You are under no obligation to observe this day in the practice, so observe it in the breach.

No one seems to know the origin or the originator of this holiday, but trust me, it is real.

Have you made any resolutions which you are still keeping, and intend to keep?

Happy the-rest-of-2013!