Merry Christmas!

Here I am, after too long not posting, eh. Sorry about that.

Well, Christmas is in three days...
Actually, as far I'm concerned, it's only two days away. Christmas Eve is when we have the big gathering at our house with my side of the family. There'll be about 20 people crowded into our little house again this year. It should be fun, even if it is a bit "cozy". ^-^

In church Sunday, they were focussing on the "Jesus is the reason for the season" thing... but this time it was different. Many times, around this time of year, the focus is on the birth of Jesus, but this year the lessons revolved around both His birth and His life. They spoke of His teachings and the sacrifices He made for us. It was good to see.

As a Christian (Yes, Mormons ARE Christians...), I believe in the divinty of Jesus and the sacrifices He made for our sins. Yet, I find myself loving and respecting Jesus on two levels... both as the Son of God and as a man. As a man, He was still a person worth looking up to - even for those who cannot accept His divinity. He was the ultimate peacenick! He loved everyone, even those who were considered "unclean" by society. He brought to the world two laws: Love God and Love our neighbor. Who is our neighbor? Everyone is!

When I think of all the times that His name is used by politicians in support for or as an excuse for their wars, I can only imagine the depth of sadness it must bring Him! He showed us the way to peace... I keep hoping for the day when the world will finally listen... when people will sing of "goodwill to men" all year, and not just at Christmas.

In other news, I bought the JAM Project DVD last month. After a little trouble with the region coding thing, I've been able to watch it several times. It's a bit expensive, but it was worth it. Excellent high energy concert! The DVD also included a few extras: a bonus song, a behind the scenes documentary with interviews, biographical info on the members, and discography. Very well done! I'm already planning to buy the next one that's coming out February 23rd!

Also this month, I finally finish translating Yoshiki Fukuyama's "Jungle Lady" album. Now I'm trying to get the JAM Project songs caught up. This week, I've caught three songs in progress. They should be ready to upload by next week. ^-^

Yesterday, we went to Seattle again. There, I saw a very interesting street musician named Jim Hinde. His home page is at www.jimhinde.com. I added his war protest song "Shouting Down the Wind" to my Songs to Ponder page. Please, take a look at it.

Also added to Songs to Ponder is John Fogerty's "Deja Vu All Over Again". After all these years, he's still great, eh!

Well, till next time... Merry Christmas!
peace