Jesus is not the reason for the season.

And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me.”

Luke 22:19

I was recently asked why I don’t celebrate the birth of my Savior given that it’s a Christian tradition. And that’s just what it is: tradition, a man-made one at that, too as Christmas tends to undermine the birth of Christ. It is not biblical, it will never be biblical for God never changes. Why didn’t the early church celebrate the birth of Christ? I was looking up something on birthdays recently (another post, another time) and I wondered where in scripture did the Jews celebrate birthdays? Why shop until we drop? Why snowmen, elves, trees, lights, and a chubby man in a red and white suit trespassing into people’s homes by going down a chimney? Why do we do many things in His Name that are based on tradition and not scripture? Why celebrate His birthday as a man when He is not?

Someone else inputted, “But Jesus is the reason for the season”. For me, He isn’t. It sounds like a slogan drummed up by a pretty good marketing team to target Christians, so they can get into the Christmas spirit. 

See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the elemental spiritual forces of this world rather than on Christ.

Colossians 2:8

In “Do this in remembrance of me”, Jesus never directed anyone to celebrate or commemorate His birthday. Yes, I’ve heard the argument that “we give gifts for the giving of gifts comes from the wise men.” Yes, the wise men brought gifts, but they were not giving gifts for Jesus’ birthday. Rather, they were presenting gifts to a King and this event does not state that it was the King’s birthday. Rather, Jesus was already said to be a toddler when the wise men came to visit. 

“You are a king, then!” said Pilate.

Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. In fact, the reason I was born and came into the world is to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to me.” 

John 18:37 (NIV)

It’s hard to believe now, but I used to celebrate Christmas. I woke up one morning in search of the truth after celebrating it didn’t sit too well on my heart. I prayed and sought God’s guidance in the matter. All of this was before I got baptized by the way. The Lord led me to the conclusion that this holiday was not to be celebrated anymore, so I stopped. I don’t miss it at all. There are some pastors out here that also came to the same conclusion to stop celebrating the holiday, but they love to compromise by still placing lights as decorations around the church minus the tree. It doesn’t make sense. 

RELATED: That time of year

A great testimony & eye-opener by Sue Love!

Christ was never in Christmas for Christmas did not originate with His birth. He is not a sun god or a fairy tale, and He doesn’t deserve the silliness surrounding the hype around this time. He is not the reason for the season. You are. Jesus is not caught up in the commercial hype of the season; you are. Jesus is not interested in which gift is His underneath the tree; you are. When Jesus came to earth, it wasn’t for Jesus, it was for us, so we can gain salvation and everlasting life. Saying that “Jesus is the reason for the season” is like saying “Jesus was born for Jesus”. And if He was the reason for the season? Then Christmas would’ve gone a little something like this:

“The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favour.”

Luke 4:18

Jesus is the Word and the Word was always here. The Word is God and the Word was always with God and God has no beginning or end. No day, no month, nor year. He is Spirit, and He is Truth, and we must worship Him in such. The concept of Christmas seems like a golden calf to me.

***GIFs/Images that don’t belong to LPM are via Google Search (Right-click for original source)

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TGI Fridays: The Joshua Experience!

I don’t know why I take long to write these posts!

Friday 19, April 2019

Birthday lunch

I’ve always wanted to go to TGI Fridays on a Friday, so it’ll be more authentic and God made it happen this year… on a Friday as you can tell from the entry date. It was a blessed experience in the company of loved ones. The atmosphere was great, the menu terrific and if something wasn’t to our fancy on the menu, our host Joshua assured us that it’ll be made.

Joshua was part of our wonderful experience! He was warm, friendly, and everything a host should be in the hospitality industry. Although the food was super delicious, Joshua is the main reason we’ll be returning to the establishment.

Here are some of the delicious food we enjoyed:

My sister Denisia kicked things off with this refreshing triple berry (strawberry, raspberry, & blackberry) smoothie.

Leiya & Denisia had the signature burger. 

My other sister Denise had this yummy pasta!

Tams & I had this deliciously loaded buffalo chicken fries topped with green onions and shaved celery. The bleu cheese was a yummy touch!

Denisia had the pineapple rum cheesecake for dessert. 

From another angle. 

Tams had a brownie covered in chocolate fudge sauce, caramel sauce, vanilla ice cream (yum!) and chopped nuts.

***All of these photos were taken by Leiya, our beautiful sister in Christ. She was adamant that she took as many photos as she could. I asked her permission to upload these photos and to also put the logo on them. There was also birthday ice cream, but that photo didn’t make the final cut. 

July 15th: a special day! 💙

How have you been? I’ve been well and while things on my end are cooling down, I’m not sure if I’ll be returning to blogging full time as yet. Anyways, I’ll leave this for another time. I want to see how this week goes first. So, it’s July 15th and a very special day for me. 😄

Les Bleus

It’s exactly one year since Les Bleus won the prestigious World Cup. Going into that WC, France was not one of the most prepared team, but during the tournament, Didier Deschamps went from strength to strength with each game. Although France produces some of the world’s best players (ask the EPL and the La Liga), they were not outright favorites going into the tournament. Many were favoring Germany, Argentina, and even Portugal. Many fans rooted for Croatia in the final because society demands that we root for the underdog. What does that accomplish in football? 

Legend has it that I am still celebrating our victory… Okay, I’m not. I’m actually over it. 

Speaking of football, I am delighted that Antoine Griezmann is now a part of FC Barcelona! 🎊 With 5 French players on the team, FCB is slowly turning into FC Francelona! 😅

Lo estabas esperando. pic.twitter.com/v2KY2dNee8

— FC Barcelona (desde 🏠) (@FCBarcelona_es) July 12, 2019

This season of football is going to be interesting and I look forward to what Griezmann is going to bring to his new team. 😄

Birthday Girl

Another reason why July 15th is so special? It’s the day my best friend and little sis was born! You guys may know her as Tammy over on Godinspiredart, but to me, she’s more than just Tammy. She’s a woman after God’s heart, a ray of sunshine, an inspiration, my best friend and little sister! She’s multi-talented and she uses them all for God’s glory. 

One day, I’ll tell you guys how God made us meet. 💙😃

Joyeux Anniversaire, mon amie! May you continue to chase after God’s heart and may He shower you with blessings and grace in Jesus’ Name. All the best on this special day as you celebrate the gift of life which was given by the King and may today be one of the most memorable of the year! 💙🎂

“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you;
Before you were born I sanctified you;
I ordained you a prophet to the nations.”

Jeremiah 1:5

Photo belongs to Tammy. She was gracious in letting me use it. 💙

And since it’s the beginning of a bright and new week, happy Monday everyone! 

***GIFs via Google Search

Busboys!

Short Story #27

“Joyeux Anniversaire! Joyeux…”

Marcus scoffs as his and Ray’s friends – Benny, Justin, Ramses, and Hasan – cheerily sang birthday greetings to them. “Come on, guys, do you want the whole of Montmartre to know it’s our birthday?” 

“Aw, Marc, don’t be grouchy!” Ray positively beams. “We only turn eighteen once!” 

“Don’t encourage them!”

“We still love you, Marc!” Benny and Ramses chortled as the little party walked to the top of the district with Moulin de la Galette in sight.

“Eew! No! Love me less!”

The guys heartily laughed as they came to a stop in front of Le Petit Eiffel its blue and white facade beckoning potential patrons in. The twins had a reserved table for six two months ago and they were looking forward to spending the evening in good company. However, when they walked inside the Belle Époque inspired restaurant, the maître d was near tears and looked as if he was ready to quit.

The little party paused to take in the scene. One busboy was clearing a table of five, two waiters were trying not to crash into each other as they sped to the kitchen with orders and many patrons were complaining about poor service from such a fine establishment!

The maître d sighs. “It’s been like this for the past two hours. Monsieur Deschamps has broken his leg and left his nephew in charge, but Gregorie has not been nice to the staff and they had it to here and some of them quit earlier even the head chef.” 

“What can we do to help?” the twins asked in unison. 

The man was bewildered. “Are you joking? It’s your birthday! Your table is reserved and…”

“We want to help in any which way we can.” Ray was adamant. “La carte, s’il vous plaît.” He scanned the menu and grins. “I can cook everything except the frog legs,” he said making a face. “I’ll cook, Ramses can help, Marc and Benny can bus the tables and Justin and Hasan can be wait staff.”

Marcus frowns. “Why can’t I help you cook?”

“You’ll eat the dishes before they reach the tables.” Ray was already making a beeline for the kitchen. “All right, men, let’s go to work!”

***

Le Petit Eiffel had to turn away some patrons after word spread about the da Díxon twins busing tables. When the doors closed at midnight, everyone was exhausted. Marcus sat next to his twin munching on a pack of Lays he found abandoned in the kitchen cupboards. Justin, Benny, and Ramses were on the phones to their parents while Hasan hummed under his breath to an old Egyptian tune.

“Some birthday this turned out to be, huh?”

Ray smiles at Ramses. “At the end of the day, our expensive cologne and fancy clothes mean nothing. Tonight brought me immense joy and when I look back at the year I’ve had, I don’t think any memory will top this night. Being selfless as Jesus is my main priority and I love to serve whenever I can.”

Marcus nods in agreement and runs a hand through his wavy red hair just as Guy the maître d’ and the skeletal staff of the restaurant wheeled a cake on a trolley into the sitting area.

“Joyeux Anniversaire, jumeaux!” Guy happily exclaimed as everyone gathered around the cake. “Marcus, Ray, and friends, we thank you tremendously for your help tonight, especially on such a special occasion. May the good Lord continue to bless you.”

The twins grin at each other as the restaurant filled with the sweet traditional singing of “happy birthday”.

French terms used:

* La carte, s’il vous plaît – The menu, please.

* Joyeux Anniversaire, jumeaux – Happy birthday twins 

Inspired scripture: 

And whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant:
just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

Matthew 20:27-28

All grammatical errors are mine.

I must confess that I rarely write stories now. I only write when I’m inspired by God and lately, my focus is not on writing stories so I don’t know when another one might be published on this blog. This one was meant to be longer, but hey, the shorter version works, too. 

Blessed Tuesday and…

DQ v Pizza Hut: a lesson in customer service

I honestly set out to write this post as a journal entry, but it led to this. Also, this post was supposed to have been writing at the beginning of this month, but eh, I had other better things to do. 

Customer service in Trinidad has long been the talk of the town from city to country. Why? Because it’s hard to come by. I must say that the best service I’ve received is in San Fernando. The people there are nice, outgoing, friendly, and always willing to help no matter which store I may venture into.

The best service I’ve ever received from a restaurant is Rizzoni’s. The people there were pleasant and courteous. Customer service over the phone? I don’t always count on it, but my bank is great at this, so kudos to you, bank! 

Last month, we (as in my sisters, Tammy and I) visited Dairy Queen for my birthday after work. It was just a small intimate thing and I wanted a cold treat for it’s been a while since I’ve had ice cream. DQ had a special, I think it was 4 items for $40 or something like that, but it didn’t come across that way. We thought the advertised special was saying 4 sandwiches for $40 so we enquired of the cashier and she took time to explain the special thoroughly. 

We gave our orders and then sat down to wait. I was pleasantly surprised when a few minutes later, someone bought the sweets to our table. I had the strawberry cheesecake blizzard, but it was not what I expected it to be and I had to exchange with my sister who had the turtle peacan which was soooo delicious. I was actually surprised at how small the hamburger was and not to mention soggy. Although the food was not something to scream about and I don’t think I’ll return, I was pleased with the excellent customer service. They get a full five for going all out for the customer. 

Now on to Pizza Hut!

Whenever I’m in the mood for a delicious slice of pizza, my go-to options are Mario’s or Pizza Boys. Although I didn’t want to go, my sister wanted to treat me for my birthday at Pizza Hut and this time, it was 5 of us. Our waitor was slothful from the get-go and unwilling to explain something off the menu for my friend. When our orders came, he unceremoniously rest the food and the condiments at the edge of the table. If he could’ve dumped it, I am certain that he would’ve done so. The Maître D was also unpleasant and there was an instance where she was walking the floor, someone stopped her to ask a question, and she said, “Tell the person serving your table,” after listening to the question. 

The food and the company was good, but the service was dirt poor. Maybe it was an off night for the lad and management, but their attitude was offputting.

***Photos via my sisters and Tammykins 💙

Today is June 09th…

… and these things are happening:

^ It’s my girl’s birthday! Happy birthday Des and may you live to see MUCH more. May God bless and keep you. ❤

^ France is playing a World Cup qualifier against Sweden. ALLEZ LES BLEUS!

ALLEZ! ALLEZ! ALLEZ!

^ And Tom Cruise’s The Mummy drops today. Technically, I have to wait until it drops here next week to watch it, but go get ’em Daddy! Erm, I mean, Mummy! I don’t think he’ll rule the box office with this one, but he’ll be doing it overseas!

Happy 9th June!

Journal entry #4: Birthday vibes 💙

19th April 2017

I haven’t done one of these entries in a bit! 

Anyway, I have many things to be thankful for this beautiful month. It was a month fill with joy, laughter, and love, and I got to spend it with the best people in the world: my friends and family. 💙

I took a week vacation and during that time, I turned one year wiser. I don’t make a big deal of my birthday; I’m just always grateful to be alive when the BIG day arrives. I am not one to celebrate my birthday, but when in the company of loved ones, how can I pass this up? So on April 19th (nope, not my date of birth), we descended upon Rizzoni’s at Movietowne, which is my favorite hangout.

It was six of us and it was our first time there. I have to commend the service. Everyone was accommodating as soon as we stepped inside and our hostess was wonderful! In short, service was a 10/10 and we were given a waiting table to return. So whenever they call, we’ll definitely be there. 

My sisters took these photos:

I didn’t have this pizza, but it sure looked yummy!

One of my friends had this. I can’t remember the name of the dish, but she tremendously enjoyed it.

One of my friends just had to let our kind host know that I was celebrating a birthday, and I was serenaded by staff and presented with this delicious vanilla ice cream.

**GIFs/Images that don’t belong to LPM are via Google Search (Right-click for original source)

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