I AM ONE OF 8.3 BILLION PEOPLE

 

     According to statistics, at the end of 2025 there are 8.3 billion people in the world. That just blows me away. And to think that our God loves every one of those people on planet earth is mind boggling. It makes me sad to think that there are thousands who don't even believe in God. There are also thousands who do not believe Jesus is the Son of God and thousands who feel the need to bow to an idol. Just think about this! There are thousands who, when December 25th comes, don't celebrate Christmas. at all because of their religion. To them it's just another day. A Buddhist, a Muslim, a Hindu and a Hassidic Jew are just a few of them. It's not Christmas, it's Thursday!

     I am one of those 8.3 billion people and so are you. As I type this, there is someone in Antarctica trying to stay warm. There is someone in Japan enjoying sushi in a restaurant. There is a man in Nigeria working on his farm to support his family and there is a surfer in Hawaii catching a wave and enjoying the sunshine. We are merely a speck on a satellite picture of this planet earth. We are all guilty of one thing. We all seem to feel the world we live in revolves around us. America especially is a self-centered country bar none!  My little "world" is in South Carolina where I live, work and go to church. Your little "world" might be elsewhere. I have realized many things in my life. God not only loves me. God has a plan for my life and God sent His son Jesus to this earth as a baby who would later be nailed to a cross for my sins and for yours. To think the God is concerned for my well-being and is on my side 24/7 just blows me away. To know that God can hear the prayers of all 8.3 billion people and answer each prayer according to His will is simple amazing, and amazing is putting it lightly.   

     I don't even want to think about if I did not put God number one in my life. In the last six months I have seen a lot of compromise amongst Christians. One foot in the world and one-foot following Jesus doesn't cut it. We need to be all in or all out in my opinion. To think that God is "all in" for all 8.3 billion people motivates me to say I need to be the same for Him. I'm sure it breaks His heart to know that there are many atheists out there who do not believe he exists. There are Muslims bowing to the east who worship Allah and refuse to believe that Jesus is the Son of God. They believe he is a prophet. I'm sure it is the heart of Almighty God to see all 8.3 billion people in this world turn to him. In the meantime, we are only one who can make a difference in this world wherever we live, wherever we work and whomever we are in contact with. It is my job as a Christian to let might light shine brightly for Him. I don't want to be self-centered ever! The world does not revolve around me! I pray a simple prayer:

GOD, GIVE ME A HEART FOR PEOPLE.

LET THEM SEE YOU IN ME!  

     I pray you are motivated just as I am. I have learned a lot this past year about myself. The world is a lost, crazy place where you see troubled people, happy people and self-centered people. I want to make a difference in my world. I hope you do too!

MERRY CHIRISTMAS EVERYONE!!

FROM A BABY IN A MANGER TO A FAT GUY IN A RED SUIT?? REALLY??

 

     I think I write this type of blog every year and the reason is simple ... it really does bother me what Christmas has become verses what Christmas really is. It is supposed to be the Birthday of Jesus Christ, but it has become a money- making season all around the world. Let's start with what Christmas is supposed to be.

     The Bible tells us that an angel sent by God visited Mary, who was a virgin. She was told she would be the mother of Jesus, the savior of the world and God's only Son. Mary became pregnant with baby Jesus so she and Joseph, a young carpenter traveled to Bethlehem, a small city to give birth to our Lord. I'm sure they expected better accommodations as they entered Bethlehem. As they tried to get a room at an Inn, they were told there was no room. This young couple had to stay in a stable, the very place animals dwelled to give birth to the savior of the world. After Jesus was born, the only place they could lay him was in a manger, the very place animals would feed out of. Imagine that! The savior of the world is placed in the same spot where animals eat their food. Historians tell us that Jesus was probably born in the springtime and not December 25th. There is also a theory that the Wisemen came much later to see baby Jesus than what was said. The bottom line is this. Christmas should be the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ and his Birthday. Unfortunately, it is not. The world has decided to change it and make it different. Now let's take a look at what Christmas has become!

     You are a young child, and your parents take you to the mall. You stand in line with many other kids your age and you are waiting to see a fat guy wearing a red suit with a long white beard. You sit on his lap, and you tell him what you want for Christmas. Christmas morning comes and underneath your Christmas tree are loads of presents. Santa has come! Everyone is excited and you can feel the magic. Hopefully you received the gift you asked Santa for, and hopefully everyone is happy. As soon as the Halloween decorations and items are removed from Walmart and other stores, you see Christmas decorations being displayed, even before the leaves have fallen from trees. It amazes me how much stores are making during Christmas but also how much money people spend on presents. We all enjoy December 25th. We love being with our families and there is absolutely nothing wrong with that. What bothers me is that we have forgotten what Christmas is really all about. It should be about Jesus, but it has become all about that fat guy in a red suit, unfortunately.

     As a child, Christmas had two meanings for me. Being raised in the Catholic church the first 13 years of my life, Christmas to me was part religious and part fun. The religious part if you will, was having to sit at Catholic mass which felt like 4 hours but was much less than that. We were in a very crowded church sitting on hard wooden pews, and the Priest would tell us about the birth of Jesus. It was Christmas Eve. I was bored as a young kid, so I would count the lights or daydream and imagine what would happen if the St. Peter statue, which was right in the front of the church, all of a sudden came to life in front of us. Mass would end and that would be the end of the "religious" part of Christmas. My family would go home, have our Italian Christmas Eve dinner with fish, spaghetti, clams, more fish, more spaghetti and more food. It's a special time and is still a family tradition!  

     Please know that I am not a "killjoy." I love Christmas, I love being with family, I love giving presents, I love looking at Christmas lights and I love putting up my Christmas tree, decorating it and putting icicle lights on my house (although this year I was not able to do that.) I love driving through town seeing Christmas lights on lampposts and Nativity Scenes at churches. I love seeing cars decorated and I recently saw one car decorated as Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer with a red nose in the front. I love hearing Christmas music while at home, on the radio in my car and while shopping. I even still laugh at the Christmas cartoons I watched as a kid that my brother and I have memorized to this day. All these things are fun and put a smile on not only my face but the face of everyone who enjoy this season. 

     With what is going on in our world today, people want, need and are searching for happiness. People begin celebrating Christmas as soon as we finish handing out the last of our Halloween candy. It's as if we try so hard to skip Thanksgiving and go right into Christmas. If you ask anyone on the street the question, "What is the real meaning of Christmas?", they will probably answer "It's all about being with family, having the 'Christmas Spirit,' spreading joy and love to everyone and getting presents." It saddens me that we have not given any recognition to the real honored guest, the real reason we celebrate ... JESUS! It's His Birthday!  Do you want happiness? It's simple. Follow Jesus and let Him be the Lord of your life. I did on December 6, 1977, and it was my greatest Christmas gift ever! In the meantime, let's remember that baby wrapped in swaddling clothes lying in that manger in Bethlehem. He would later on in life die on the cross for our sins. He deserves not only one special holiday to celebrate his birth, he needs to be celebrated every single day! 

JESUS IS THE REASON FOR THE SEASON! DON'T EVER

 FORGET WHAT THIS SEASON REALLY IS!!

             

ONE YEAR IN SOUTH CAROLINA!

 

     It is so hard to believe it's been one year since I left Long Island, NY at 3:50 a.m. during a surprise snowstorm on my way to new beginnings in the Columbia, SC area. It has been an amazing ride, a bumpy ride and a year of learning and stretching. I have learned a whole lot about the culture here in the south, but I am also continuing to learn what makes people "tick" here! Let me review my 365 days as a South Carolina resident.

     I started my job at Chick Fil-A on December 11th and the leaders there were impressed with how much I knew about the business. They were happy I did not need to be retrained. I got along and still get along with my fellow team members. My biggest adjustment was and still is trying to understand some of the southern accents when they order food, especially when I am on the headset. I was also surprised, but I should not have been how so many here have huge attitudes. It seems as though attitudes are everywhere, even in the "Bible Belt." 

     Speaking of the "Bible Belt," I have also noticed that Christianity is a culture here and not necessarily a way of life. What I mean by that is many people say they are Christians, but they only attend church when they feel like it. I am not saying this is every Christian but a good amount of people. It makes me sad that following Jesus is not a priority for some. But I do want to say that the many who I have met who love Jesus and have put him #1 are great people.

     Before I moved, I had heard that many from the south were not fond of New Yorkers or as we are referred to as "Yankees." I have seen this especially working at Chick Fil-A. Don't get me wrong, I have met extremely nice people, but there are a select few who are not happy a New Yorker has relocated. It has been a challenge trying to make new friends here being that I am not a southern guy. I have made "work friends" and I do like to talk to my neighbor across the street. I have also found at some churches I have attended that people are not very friendly. One church I attended we had several people say "hello" to me but in the larger churches it seems as though they wanted to get out of the church parking lot and beat the traffic. I also realize it's only been one year, so things do take time. 

     The summer I spent here was hot and I mean hot. Thank God for air conditioning. You didn't see a lot of kids playing outside or riding their bikes because of the extreme heat. You will see people mowing their lawns either in the morning or in the evening. Even working outside at Chick Fil-A while taking orders the weather was brutal and many people who grew up here told me it's the norm in South Carolina. It is very necessary to have central air in your home. If you don't you are in big trouble! 

     My first six months here I have to admit were amazing to say the least. Everything was coming together nicely but just like in everyone's life, I hit a few snags, bumps, frustrations and head scratching circumstances that I still wonder why which began in the summer months. I do not want to get into details about these things, but I will say when you are feeling down there is only one place to look and that is UP! I have learned a lot about myself, and I know if it was not for my relationship with Jesus Christ, I would have probably checked myself into a psych ward somewhere. But I do praise God that He pulled me through like he always does! 

     So here is to one year as a New York Guy living in the South. It's been a wild ride, and I know the ride will continue in 2026 with bigger and better things! 

THANKS FOR READING AND HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND!!!