"Stan Lee"

 Stan Lee would have been 99 today. Since his death three years ago, books have been written saying he was only the CO-Creator of the major Marvel heroes…as if being the CO-Creator makes you a “NO creator.” But here’s the thing…if he was only the CO-Creator of Spider-Man, The Avengers, The X-Men, The Hulk, and so on…doesn’t the fact that HE was the common denominator in all of them show that he WAS the “Father of Marvel Comics”?? This is not to diminish Kirby OR Ditko, but those guys did NOT have their paws in EVERY Marvel title like Stan did, and they couldn’t write worth a hill of beans!! People will attack Stan’s legacy now that he’s not here to defend himself….fine. Let them make a buck by exploiting him and BTW, I do know the guy WASN’T perfect!! But a CO-Creator of Spider-Man and the Fantastic Four surely beats the SOLE creators of “Kamandi, Last Boy on Earth” (Kirby) and “Squirrel Girl” (Ditko)!! ‘NUFF SAID.

Chetitorial: “In Defense of Amy Grant’s New Christmas Album”

 

THIS WAS WRITTEN IN DECEMBER 2016.

I have had my issues with Amy Grant over the years, I even wrote to her once rebuking her when I learned she planned to record John Lennon's godless song "Imagine" in the 90s (and she never did, BTW!!) But when I learned last night that "Life Way Christian Resources," the large Southern Baptist retailer, refused to carry her new Christmas album because they say it's not "Christian enough," well, I was UPSET. You may recall a few weeks ago that I bought the CD and wrote about it here on FB, praising Amy for its HONESTY because she acknowledged how some folks (even Christians) struggle with sadness at Christmastime. Apparently, this is the very feature that Life Way does NOT like, and I believe that is an unChristian perspective. The album DOES clearly share Amy's faith IN THE MIDST OF THE ACKNOWLEDGED PAIN AROUND HER. What's "not Christian enough" about THAT??

David, the "man after God's own heart," was VERY honest about the sadness and pain he and others experienced, and he recorded those struggles right in God's Word...is LifeWay going to refuse to sell Bibles with the PSALMS in them?? Those Psalms almost always end on a note of triumph, of trust in God, and so does Amy's album, BTW.

As you may know, I, myself, in God's Providence am going through the extended trial of a slowly dying wife, as well as the sadness of the anniversary of my unsaved dad's death on Christmas Day...and my prayer list is filled with names of godly Christians who are suffering GREATLY this Christmas season. Interestingly, the Bible commands us to "weep with those who weep" but it never says we should celebrate Christ's birth. So why should we suspend our weeping with those who weep, simply because it's......Christmas?? Why is an album “not Christian enough” because there’s a song “Melancholy Christmas” on it?? I wish to point out that the last four letters in MELANCHOLY are H-O-L-Y and God often uses suffering to sanctify us, to MAKE us holy people. Isn’t the real meaning of Christ’s Advent that He came into the world to save sinners and make us.....HOLY??

If GOD doesn’t shield us from pain at Christmastime, why should we seek to shield others and ourselves?? Shall we not display Hope in Him, in the MIDST of the pain....rather than deny the pain exists?? Which glorifies God MORE??

I posted this as a Note on November 25th.... https://www.facebook.com/notes/chet-jelinski/chetitorial-dont-forget-the-lonely-the-depressed-the-grieving-this-christmas-sea/10154194398273196

It's about not forgetting the lonely, the depressed and the grieving, at Christmas.

Amy's album is RIGHT UP MY ALLEY because it sounds the same note, and if anyone thinks I'm wrong for that..................fine.

I answer to God alone.

Amy's "Tennessee Christmas" is something the Lord MINISTERS to me through. "But Chet, she was DIVORCED...and so was VINCE GILL...they both left their spouses to marry each other, and they sing a duet on that album, how can the Lord MINISTER to you through.....THAT??"

A: It is not my place to judge them, I don't know WHY they got divorced and Jesus DOES allow divorce in the case of adultery. All I can say is I like this album SO much that I bought the SECOND version ALSO...the "Target" exclusive, with the two extra tracks.

No matter WHAT "Life Way" says, it's "Christian enough" for ME.

“Don’t Forget the Lonely, the Depressed, the Grieving this Christmas Season”

THIS WAS WRITTEN IN DECEMBER 2016.

Even though we’re now into The Christmas Season, my Aunt Jo is going to be very sad this month. You see, her calendar has many painful reminders of losses she’s endured...December is the anniversary of when she married RAY, her beloved late husband...in fact it’s also his BIRTHDAY that same day. The following Sunday is HER birthday, which helps a little, but a few days later it’s the 55th anniversary of when she lost her mom. Oh, I pray that Jo will get SAVED and start attending that good church near her...it will help an awful lot with the loneliness she feels!! But even if she DOES get saved, chances are she’ll still get sad quite often as she was happily married...and widowed...TWICE before.

Jo is alone from a marital standpoint but she is NOT alone in terms of being sad, for one reason or another, during The Christmas Season.

I’ve been a Christian for almost 42 years but as the anniversary of my unsaved dad’s passing, on Christmas Day, approaches again I, too, struggle with grief. And there are many people like this who will never tell you, verbally, that they’re hurting for one reason or another. We have to LOOK for them with a heart that wants to see, and help. Sometimes just letting them know we care helps.

Their pain is often compounded when they see “everyone” else in “The Christmas Spirit” and they feel left out, isolated, and, frankly, sometimes MISUNDERSTOOD. You see, everyone who’s not in a super bubbly mood this time of year isn’t necessarily a “Scrooge” or a “Grinch.” They might just be someone who is HURTING....someone who we should be reaching out to if we really want to honor The Lord Jesus Christ’s birthday.

But, sadly, sometimes it’s just easier to judge people as Scrooges rather than reach out and try to help them.

See, Jesus wants us to care for others more than He wants us to remember His birthday....that’s why His Word is filled with commands to reach out to orphans, widows and “the weak”, to “weep with those who weep,” etc. but there is not one mention of remembering His Birthday each year. No, not one.

We are commanded in Scripture to remember His DEATH for us...but never His BIRTH and that’s because He focused on OTHERS (those of us who have repented and believed), and not Himself. Let us go and do likewise, to honor Him!!

I close with a poem I wrote recently, from the perspective of one who is hurting this time of year (not me at PRESENT, though I was like this when I was a TEEN, and very lonely at times.) I hope it makes you think.

“I’M SORRY THAT I’M SAD”

I’m sorry that I’m sad

at this special time of year

when you all have Christmas Cheer

and I feel bad.

I’m sorry, so sorry that I’m sad.

I’m sorry that I’m sad

this month brings me such pain

as I relive, again

the good times that I had

with loved ones who’ve passed on

and joy just all seems gone...

I’m sorry that I’m sad..................................and can’t explain.

"The TherMOMeter"

When I was a kid, we were so poor that we couldn't afford a thermometer. When I felt sickly, or, Lol when I was FAKING sickness to try to stay home from school, my mom would feel my forehead with her hand. I look back on those times fondly now, referring to her tiny hands on my forehead as "The TherMOMeter."

For whatever reasons, my mom was not one to hug me or kiss me on the cheek or even pat me on the back when I brought home good grades from school. Maybe that's why the "TherMOMeter" days are such a good memory to me now, and why I'm glad we WERE too poor to afford a real thermometer!!

 

"The Real Meaning of Christmas"

 My letter got printed in our local paper...it explains itself....

https://www.jerseyshoreonline.com/opinion-commentary/christmas-a-time-to-forgive-others-even-those-who-steal-van-parts/

"Is The Devil Trying to Distract American Minds From JESUS This Christmas?"

 The other day, I was in a "stationary" store looking for a 2022 schedule and I drifted into the Magazine section. You see, recently I've been collecting these "Tribute" special edition mags, mostly of MUSICIANS (Lennon, Harrison, Dylan, The Beatles but also I bought one of of REAGAN). And I was hoping to buy ONE new magazine that day if one was "in." I was shocked to see the GLUT of NEW tributes on the rack!!

And unlike the previous mags I'd purchased, one at a time, these mags pictured above are all of  "action" stars. Admittedly, I'm a fan of all three above but it AMAZED me to see three of these at once for sale!! Yes, I bought all three because two of  them were down to only one issue left, and I didn't want to miss these collector's items altogether. But I am reading them SLOWLY...it'll probably take me till the end of December (maybe early January) to read all three.

Without a doubt, the impending CHRISTMAS holiday is the reason why there's this "flooding" of the Tribute mags....they make great stocking stuffers, for sure. But Christmas is SUPPOSED to be the time of year when we celebrate the coming of The Lord Jesus Christ, and it almost seems like the devil is trying to distract our minds from the REAL hero...JESUS...in a concentrated way this year. Look, I love Rocky, Spidey and Clint but they CAN'T COMPARE to Jesus my Savior!!

WHENEVER GOD IS FOCUSED ON, WORSHIPPED OR REVERED Satan is always busy trying to turn people's attention elsewhere. The mags in the picture are innocent in themselves and so are a million OTHER distractions in our entertainment-based society, but Satan will use ANYTHING to turn our minds from the fact that Jesus came into the world to save sinners!!

May all of us remember the REAL meaning of Christmas this year in spite of the gluttony, covetousness, and yes....IDOLATRY of people and things that keep so many from Jesus, "The Reason for the Season"!!