Well, I’ll say it like my president… Merry Christmas. I’m so glad that that is politically correct again… of course I never stopped saying it to anyone that looked at me. I’m a big believer in Christmas, it’s traditions, it’s decorations (gaudy=good) and especially it’s food !! My Thanksgiving leftovers were delicious… but they are sadly gone.

I’ve been paying attention to things more this year. This country has turned inside out and it’s dirty drawers are showing. I never thought I’d live to see the level of disrespect for our country, it’s flag, it’s anthem and pretty much everything that is right about it. People screaming at the sky because they didn’t get their way. Boy, I’d have one sore butt if my daddy even thought I participated in some of the ‘protest’ I’ve seen this year. When I grew up that could have been considered justifiable homicide by belt. Our veterans are treated like criminals while so called ‘celebrities’ are now the knowledge bearers of what we can do, say, eat, drink, breath and think. Their credentials are the number of tickets sold or golden golems they collect. I wish someone could explain to me how and why this has happened. The media has gone off a cliff… let’s don’t worry about the truth… let’s just be first with what ever we can cobble together that sounds exciting/disgusting/sensational/unbelievable… and if that doesn’t grab them… make some crap up !!! and all from unnamed sources.
My theory is that it began when moms went into the workplace. The one group that actually gave their offspring a sense of purpose and ethics untied their aprons and the world started falling to the floor with that apron.
Along with the work ethic and responsibility for one’s own action disappearing, the thing that is the most troubling is the decline in moral standards. Nothing is sacred today… NOTHING. I need Mr. Peabody’s ‘way back’ machine badly. (??? Google it) It gives you a feeling of helplessness and despair just seeing your country crumbling around you. It’s almost enough to make you scream at the sky !!!

I can’t make any changes to all this major crap… nothing I can do can alter the road we’re all rolling down… with 4 bald tires and bad brakes and a serious situation is waiting for us to crash into it… it’s too big….. BUT I can still have an impact in my little universe. A quote I keep in the back of my foggy brain “if you have a choice between being right and being kind… be kind” !! That to me is a powerful sentence. I see lots of folks making that wrong choice. I really try to do this all year but slip at times. At this time of year I try to make up for it.. double down on it. I’ve seen it work. I’ve seen a simple ‘thank you’ or just looking in someone’s eyes when you say ‘have a nice day’ sincerely make a difference in how someone greets you. They are totally surprised… it’s fun to do. This world and this country in particular NEEDS kind people… more now than ever. It needs kindness, politeness, generosity, concern for others, patience, forgiveness, understanding, empathy and happiness. It needs people who will put others first in their life instead of always thinking of ourselves as THE most important thing in the world. I’m making an effort to do that… if nothing else I can hold a door and let someone go through first… or let the guy with a loaf of bread and two bananas cut in front of my buggy full at the Walmart. It ain’t that hard to do but it takes a conscience effort. Crap people…!!! Choose to be kind. !!!!!
Another one of my favorite quotes for you “Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a battle you know nothing about”. People all around you are living dreadful lives and you haven’t got a clue what they had to deal with just this morning… be kind !!!
I’ve had this one work some karma on me when I jump to conclusions or fail at understanding someone else’s life.. Everyone needs to feel a little kindness to get through this life. I can’t imagine how it must be to be a lonely person… to have no friends to share your life’s journey with.. I think about a forgotten grandparent, a neglected child. I hurt for a child that never hears a word of praise or love… is never encouraged or complimented…. How heartbreaking that must be.
I hope that all who read this take it to heart… do ONE kind thing a day for someone else and for no other reason than to just be kind. Another quote “Character is how you treat those who can do nothing for you” Another is “you can judge a person’s character by how they treat the waitress”. So, just do one thing today, then tomorrow do another… it’s habit forming and before long you’ll be looking for things you can do for others. That’s my goal for the future. It might help no one else… but it will help me. I hope you will join me.
I always end my epistle with the same collection of words and this year I’m doing it too… some of our younger or newer members have never seen it.

First … take care… first is to take care of my family… both close and extended. They really are all you have you can claim …I need to treat them better. I hope you do the same.. if your relationships are broken or bent… Mend whatever fences are damaged. Bear Bryant is claimed to have said “Call your momma… I wish I could” good advice.

Second….Help…I’ve had far more blessings from others than I deserve. And I can never repay those so I'm always looking for opportunities to help friends (and strangers) when needed. Today more than ever there are far too many people really suffering and pride keeps them from asking for help. Illnesses and Job losses… financial problems and emotional stresses and it seems just a general depression have fallen on so many good people… I hope God shows them to me. We've all said ‘let me know if I can help” but never gave it another thought, it’s just something we say. But this year when I say it, I'll make sure they know my offer is sincere and follow through. One of the hardest things I’ve had to learn is to accept help. Pride is my enemy here. I’ve learned your real friends want to help when you need it and it’s a blessing to them if you let them. This is something every one of us can do… even in small ways, help one another.

Third… Pray. (and that really should be #1 ) There are so many sad or tragic or insane things happening in this world and it seems those in a position to fix them are only adding to the problems and enabling the very ones that are trying to do us harm or bring down our country. I can’t make major changes in policy or protect our country like it should be. There aren’t many things on old dude can do… but I can pray. I'm trying to pray more and for more people… both friend and stranger. My pastor points out often that the need for prayer is greater than ever. I’ve seen what miracles come from prayer, both in my family and others. One of them calls me “Granddaddy”. Sadly today, hardship is a way of life for many people now. I know I can’t always help them physically or financially but I can pray like crazy for them. The old timers on FTE will tell you that prayers work… They did a heck of a job on my grandson !

Fourth… Be Positive… I watch the news every morning and sometimes try to count the good things that are reported… that number is smaller than ever. There is so much gloom and doom and depressing news that it is sometimes overwhelming. One of my biggest challenges is trying to keep a positive attitude… this is difficult sometimes. There is no way around it… sometimes life just dumps a bucket full of ..it on you… it happens to everyone and when that happens to me I tend to get in a negative state of mind ( I can do ‘poor me’ with the best of ‘em) and it reflects in what I’m doing (or not doing) poorly ! … But…I've tried to find something positive to concentrate on and pretty soon that bucket full doesn't smell unbearably and it truly makes me feel better physically and mentally.

Fifth… Be responsible for yourself…. In the last year there seems to be a lot of ‘victim’ mentality. Everyone is offended or the subject of discrimination. We’re afraid of offending someone or some thing !! We’re disrespecting the rights of shrimp when we eat at Red Lobster… My feelings are being hurt because someone said a word I didn’t like. People… stop whining !!! I do it too over some perceived wrong done to me or mine… Well…Pull up your big girl/boy pants, get a life and live it. Take some responsibility for yourself and stop depending on someone or some group to take care of you or to validate you. You are an individual who should be responsible for yourself. Think how great everything would be if everyone contributed to the common cause and lived by the Golden rule. Wow ! wouldn’t that be amazing. Your momma told you a hundred times … do right ! Start today! (I started a long time ago, but had to start over a few times ) I’m trying to do right to everyone and everything around me… although this one is sometimes a major challenge.

Sixth… Smile…This is an easy one. Hell, it ain’t hard and it helps. Oh sure, you can say… I’ve got it hard and you just don’t know… Well, maybe you do and maybe I don’t but God created your body so that it takes less effort to smile than to frown. And you can do that even if you do have it hard and I just don’t know…It will improve how you feel, even if it’s hard and it can help other people too when they see YOU smile on a crappy day. AND a extra benefit of it….. it will drive the people that are trying to get to you crazy. I’m smiling more.

Seventh… Don’t forget you. Those that love me and some that don't have convinced to I need to take better care of myself physically. My campaign against my addiction to junk food is ongoing and don’t give enough thought to diet and exercise. I need to change that if I plan on living long enough to finish my truck ! That’s my incentive ! I fuss at family and friends about smoking or drinking but don’t fuss at myself enough… time to change. I’ll bet there are things you could change that wouldn’t kill you… literally.

Last one… Love ‘em…..This is an important one. Make those people that mean the most to me know they mean the most to me. Not by buying them big gifts but by just loving them beyond measure and making sure that they know that you do…

That’s about it… but it’s really a lot and I need a lot of work on some areas… maybe you do too ?? Every year I end my epistle with the same thing… a request for my friends. I want each of you to do something for me this year.

Enjoy your Christmas completely. Gather together with family and friends and have an excellent time. YOUR TASK IS TO MAKE IT AN EXCELLENT TIME. Make it special.

Do something foolish or funny, act like a kid… do you even remember how ???

Kiss an ugly cousin and tell them you love them and how great they are looking. Hug every child in your family and tell them you love them. Get down where you are eye to eye and hug them and say ‘I love you”

Walk up to a total stranger and say Merry Christmas.
Do everything you can possibly do to make this Christmas special…for your family and everyone around you.

BE the spirit of Christmas this year . You can never know the one person who really needed to hear you say those words or needed that hug. It happens… it happened to me more than once and I had no idea.

Hopefully, you’ll be totally exhausted from it. You won’t regret being tired.. it will give you the best Christmas ever. I promise.

I’ve said this in the past and it suits me to say it again…there are lots of new folks that haven’t been subjected to my blather yet.

My Christmas and New Years wish for all of my FTE family…

I hope that you and your families are in good health and spirits.
I hope that you are close to all of them and share good times often.
I hope if that isn’t the case and it's your fault that you fix it …. Soon. And even if it's not your fault… fix it…. SOON.
I hope that you can't begin to count all your friends. Not just your facebook friends… real people !
I hope that you have a God that you believe in and TALK TO.
I hope he listens to you and answers your questions and prayers.
I hope you thank your friends for being your friend and tell them how much it means to you just to have them in your life.
I hope you'll share these Christmas wishes and thoughts with every one you encounter, both friend and foe, loved one and stranger.
Be politically incorrect and wish EVERYONE Merry Christmas!!

REMEMBER WHO’S BIRTHDAY IT IS !!!!!

I hope you'll drop a dollar or two in the Salvation Army Bucket… make that bell ringer feel useful AND stick a couple of bucks in their pocket or a Starbucks gift card to get themselves a couple of hot chocolate on you.

Perform random acts of kindness to strangers… tip big occasionally… take a dozen donuts to the firehall…stop and shake a policeman’s hand and say thank you sincerely.

I hope you'll send a Christmas Card with a check in it to the local mission or to Toys for Tots, or pick up a gift for an Angel Tree child. My favorite charity is St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital… they do good things with your money.

I hope you’ll pray for our service men and women who won’t be home this Christmas.

I hope everyone here at FTE has a wonderful Christmas season. Be safe in your travels, be sincere in your expression of friendship and abundant in your love for those around you… especially the little ones. Show them the way to celebrate these special days. Teach them it ain't about the x-box or the I-phone…and prove it by how you act.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all my friends and family at Ford Truck Enthusiasts.

 

Well said as always, John. Merry Christmas and God bless!

 

When the first Advent candle is lit at church, you know that John's annual Christmas epistle is going to be showing up soon. Thanks John for reminding us once again what being a follower of Jesus looks like in the day to day struggle of life. Blessings everyone as we prepare to celebrate another Christmas! Like John, let's all remember to spread a little joy along the way.

Jim

 

Excellent as usual, John. Thanks for sharing.

 

Sadly, way too much truth in the first part of the epistle... Still the best country there is, but like you said, it sure ain't the way it used to be.

Merry Christmas!

 

Well said John. Merry Christmas to all and may your stockings be full of parts! Steve

 

Few will read this I fear, and fewer yet will understand. So I will consider myself banned and blacklisted.
https://www.snopes.com/2017/11/29/the-war-on-christmas/

 

That's how I try to live my life. Thank you for your post, John, Merry Christmas!

 

A friend shared this yesterday, and it really hit home. This is a time of giving thanks, and sharing what we have. Helped to remind me of some good things.

Local Charlotte Church Released A Christmas Video That's Going Viral With Over 4 Million Views - Charlotte Stories

 

When I saw your post I had to top up my coffee and take time to sit and enjoy its wisdom. Christmas is and will always be my favorite holiday; the lights, the smiles, the food, family but mostly because people will make an effort for a day or two to behave in a way that we should on a day to day basis. I used to start my retirement days by grabbing a coffee and sitting down to acquaint myself with the daily news. I have changed that habit now, as I find that I get too stirred up by it.

We all need to be reminded that we have choices in this world, some possibly more than others, to play the hand we are dealt. The next generation has a tough road to hoe; I hope they are working on their skill sets, they will need them. Lead by example.

Great advice and insight as always John. I too plan on staying around for a while; to work everyday to be a better person, but mostly in hopes that I will see your truck on the road!

To all members of FTE, and to you and yours John, have a very Merry Christmas.

 

I completely agree with what John said!!


Merry Christmas to all!!

 

that a boy, Tom... and I'm like you on catching up with news... it just starts your day wrongly.

j

 

I'm glad I dropped in again in time to read this. It's a great tradition, and all who read it may get some good from it.

Thanks again Jon. I think you're right on the mark. Merry Christmas.

 

Wonderful words, I have only actually met a few of our members, but I love you all. Thank you John, and may God bless you all.

 

Merry Christmas to all. Please remember the guys and gals in the military that will not be home for Christmas as they are serving this great country overseas. I am always amazed how many step up and serve no matter what the political climate is as they put that service first. God bless all of them and those that served in the past, especially those that did not come home. Peace.