The Skip Ad Button: The Weekly Hodgepodge

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From This Side of the Pond 

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Do you struggle with the commercialization of the holiday season? What helps you keep your focus when the season’s busyness and commercialism start to take over?

Quite honestly, I'm bombarded with so many advertisements in my daily life that I've become irritatingly numb to it all.  No, seriously, I can't play a game, watch a video, listen to a podcast, partake of any social media, or even enjoy come calming music--even if I bought it--without being jarred mercilessly by some goober screaming at me to buy something I don't want, need, or care about.  Thank the Lord for the occasional "Skip Ad" button.

I don't know if it's because of a lifetime of fighting abject poverty, or having practical parents who reared us by the words of the Rolling Stones, "You can't always get what you want.  But if you try sometime you'll find you get what you need," or a combination of both, but the attitudes of excessive consumerism and overconsumption present not only during Christmas but year-round depress me--they literally hurt my soul.

I know it's become a cliche, but I've learned that having things isn't wrong, but when things have me, I'm in deep trouble.  When having the next big thing is more important than connecting with a neighbor, when standing in line at 4:00 in the morning and pushing people out of the way to buy a tumbler that costs more than a tank of gas when you can buy that same tumbler for $13 at Hobby-Lobby without the famous name on it means more than showing up at 9:00 a.m. to worship God, and when having friends is based on who looks good and has goods takes precedence over who is good to others, this person's existence is one dimensional and quite sad.

What keeps me grounded are the words of Agur:  "Two things I ask of you, Lord; do not refuse me before I die: Keep falsehood and lies far from me; give me neither poverty nor riches, but give me only my daily bread. Otherwise, I may have too much and disown you and say, ‘Who is the Lord?’ Or I may become poor and steal, and so dishonor the name of my God" (Proverbs 30:7-9, Holy Bible:  New International Version). My goal in life is to have enough to be well taken care of so that I can be more generous to others in need.

What's one small thing you want to savor before the year ends? 

 

Time with people.  I had a good friend here in Colorado suddenly pass away the day before Thanksgiving.  It was tragic and totally unexpected.  She'd invited me to spend the holiday with her family, but it wasn't to be. This makes my desire to savor every minute of every face-to-face interaction with people more crucial.     

December 9th is National Christmas Card Day. Do you still send Christmas cards? If so does yours include a photo or is it a more traditional card, or maybe homemade? How do you feel about the tradition of exchanging cards at the holidays? If Hanukkah is the holiday you celebrate in December do you send cards to mark the occasion? 

Ah, here's where I can safely ask the question that's been a burr in my saddle for a number of years.  I do enjoy sending/receiving cards whether homemade, customized through a printing service, or storebought.  Having family photos as part of, or an addendum to a card is nice.  However, I've got a real dilemma about the yearly "newsletter" type cards. 

Stick with me here.

If we're friends and see each other's events on social media and/or in-person, I find a family newsletter redundant (and depending on who it is and how it's done, tacky). The ironic thing is that I don't get those kind of updates from anyone I'm not as closely connected to (where they would be welcome and informative).  This is where my question comes in:  would it be tacky for me to create a kind of yearly wrap up to send to my friends and family back home who may not see (or take time to read) a blog post or social media post?  No, I don't have cute kids, pets, or men to show off, and I don't have the self-inflated idea that my life is all that memorable or important.  In all honesty, I don't want to be forgotten and want to share even the little joys of my life that add up over the year with the people I love.

What's your least favorite holiday related task? What's your favorite? 

Sometimes decorating can be a pain, but not something I dislike.  I'm just not great at making my decorations look like a Normal Rockwell painting or a Hallmark card...and I don't care.  My favorite "task" is anything that I can create for the holidays, whether it's and arts/crafts project or a recipe.

Speaking of the holiday:  Instead of the 40 days of thanks I normally do on my blog, I'm doing a 30 day photo challenge over on Instagram.   Check it out if you're interested...or bored (at this point, I just appreciate the interaction).

Insert your own random thought here.

In case you missed it:  

• My previous Hodgepodge post "Plating It Up" is here.
• My latest Weekly Digest "Where Have All the Flowers Gone?" is here.
  
• My latest First Line Friday post: #40: Put Your Dream to the Test by John C. Maxwell is here. 
• My "25 for 2025" challenge is here.  (Updated regularly)
• My "2025 I Can Only Blame MyShelf Reading Challenge" is here. (Updated regularly)

First Line Friday #40: Put Your Dream to the Test by John C. Maxwell

 

Thanks to Carrie at
Reading is My Superpower
for the Link-up

 

 

Title:  Put Your Dream to the Test
Author:  Dr. John C. Maxwell
Genre:  Leadership/Personal Development

    〰First Line〰

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What is your dream?   Will you achieve it in your lifetime?

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Synopsis:  (From Amazon) 

Do you dream big? Now you can put your dream to the test and bring it to life!

What's the difference between a dreamer and someone who achieves a dream? According to best-selling author and leadership expert Dr. John C. Maxwell, the answer lies in answering ten powerful, straightforward questions.

Whether you've lost sight of an old dream or you are searching for a new one within you,?this book provides a step-by-step action plan that you can start using today to see, own, and reach your dream. Dr. Maxwell draws on his forty years of mentoring experience to expertly guide you through the ten questions required of every successful dreamer.

In Put Your Dream to the Test, Maxwell will help you:

• Discover and define what your dream should be
• Create a blueprint for a path to achieve success
• See real-world examples of what success could look like for you

It's one thing to have a dream. It's another to do the things needed to achieve it. If you're willing to put your dream to the test and do what's needed to answer yes to the ten dream questions, then your odds are very good for seeing your dream become reality.

Don't leave your dream to chance. This book is a must-have and can make the difference between failure and success.

〰First Thoughts〰

I bought and started this book back in 2023, but put it on the back burner because I didn't feel ready to tackle it.  This isn't a speed read through, say "oh that was nice" in my notes, and move on type of volume.  This is in-depth; what I call a "Crock Pot" read.  To borrow a phrase from Bob Ross, the old clock on the wall is telling me that I'm not getting any younger and my dreams cannot continue to sit and fester like a boil.  Sure, some of my dreams are slowly coming to fruition.  However, I believe that there is so much more growth and accomplishment in my future.  

When I first purchased the book, I skimmed through to get an overview of the ten questions Maxwell asks.  They are thought-provoking exercises that will take more than a few minutes of journaling to complete.  I'm trying to keep my expectations low for this book.  Not because of the subject matter or the author; as I intimated above, Dr. Maxwell's books are excellent resources.  However, I don't have access to pick the author's brain, so to speak, and I'm sure I'll have questions that the book does not answer.  Hopefully I can either get suitable answers from others (mentors, etc.), or the questions can simply wait and their lack of an answer doesn't impede my progress.  We'll see.

So, what's the first line of the book you're currently reading?