Monday, November 26, 2018

Cyber Monday

Genesis, Chapter 19, Verse 30

Since Lot was afraid to stay in Zoar, he and his two daughters went up from Zoar and settled in the hill country, where he lived with his two daughters in a cave.

We cannot soar if we are afraid of Zoar. I have the strength to face all conditions by the power that Christ gives me. (Philippians 4:13) Our fears can, at times, be like a handicap. Fears can either immobilize us or if we are up to the challenge, they can propel us to greater heights. Are we going to be like Lot afraid to Zoar or more like a Helen Keller[1] or Tom Dempsey? Dempsey set a 43-year NFL record for the longest field goal, yet he was born with no right fingers and half a right foot.

I thank God for my handicaps, for through them, I have found myself, my work, 

and my God. (Helen Keller)

Justly we await the revelation of our glorified bodies: Christ Jesus by his birth, death and resurrection made us dead to the handicap of sin and alive to God.

Advent and Christmas

The Advent season in the Northern Hemisphere is normally cold, dark and the days are short. Traditions such as Thanksgiving and Christmas have been established to help dispel the psychological fear that develops as a result of the darkness. However, in the Southern Hemisphere the days are long and warm.

This is a good time if you have the means to take a winter’s break and go to a warmer climate to give you a chance to create a brighter spirit. However, if this is not possible, we can greatly reduce our fears by getting some sun for 10 or 15 minutes a day. Try to walk at the brightest time of the day, or if you have a sun window to sit in the sun. This would also be a good time to pray.  Through prayer the Holy Spirit strengthens us from the inside and the sun charges us from the outside.

Also spending some time exercising daily will definitely dispel our fears. We are both physical and spiritual and having a balance of physical, mental, emotional and spiritual activities will make us resilient to the darkness in the world. I find hiking a wonderful anecdote to the blues and fears. I hike as often as I can; using the Beatitudes as discussed in the Preface as a meditation as I hike.

It is also important to reach out to others. We can strengthen ourselves by being with and for others. No matter what your cultural background this season will provide many ethnic opportunities to celebrate together. Think of the giant Redwoods they are the largest trees in the world. These trees survive by intertwining their roots because the ground is so hard the Redwood cannot strike a taproot to hold itself up but by supporting each other they become the largest trees in the world.

Cyber Monday[2] (another secular event)

This Christmas season when you make out your gift list try to give a gift to those you love that truly helps them to prosper!

Cyber Monday seeks to sell massive quantities of goods through online stores at a sale price. Marketing companies created the term Cyber Monday as a catchphrase to persuade people to shop online. In 2014, Cyber Monday sales were a record 2.68 billion dollars, making it one of the biggest shopping days of the year. Cyber Monday is not an official holiday, but it is an international day recognized by consumers. The term Cyber Monday developed naturally overtime as online sales following Thanksgiving spiked. This was seen as an opportunity to brand the new shopping occasion; much the same way black Friday was years earlier. Cyber Monday was first originally held November of 2005. The day it is held varies from year to year, but it is always held the Monday following Thanksgiving in the US.

Cyber Monday Facts & Quotes

Since 2010, Cyber Monday has been the highest online spending day in the year in the US. Sales numbers on Cyber Monday have gradually increased by at least $100 million each year since the term was first coined. According to a survey by the National Retail Federation, 90% of online shoppers surveyed said low prices were the most important part of their shopping experience on Cyber Monday. The top 3 products purchased online on Cyber Monday are: Apparel, books/DVDs/Videos/Games and Consumer electronics. You may have heard of Black Friday and Cyber Monday. There's another day you might want to know about: Giving Tuesday. The idea is pretty straightforward. On the Tuesday after Thanksgiving, shoppers take a break from their gift-buying and donate what they can to charity. – Bill Gates, creator of Microsoft.

Cyber Monday Top Events and Things to Do

Buy something! You can buy just about anything online these days, so treat yourself or a loved one to something you have been saving up for. Chances are it is at a reduced price on Cyber Monday! Fill your online shopping cart with all the things you were thinking of buying at all retail shops. Total up the cost of all the things you were going to buy, and instead of buying them, donate that exact amount of money to a charity of your choice. Spread awareness on social media by using the hashtag#CyberMonday, #CyberDeals and #DealsDealsDeals. Promote your favorite retailers over social media using their hashtags and by reposting their posts. Save your money today and wait until Giving Tuesday tomorrow to donate it all or use it to purchase items for donation.

  

The Way[3] Heart

"Read these counsels slowly. Pause to meditate on these thoughts. They are things that I whisper in your ear-confiding them-as a friend, as a brother, as a father. And they are being heard by God. I won't tell you anything new. I will only stir your memory, so that some thought will arise and strike you; and so you will better your life and set out along ways of prayer and of Love. And in the end you will be a more worthy soul."

Detachment. How hard it is! Oh, to be fastened by nothing but three nails and to have no more feeling in my flesh than the Cross.

Daily Devotions

·         Drops of Christ’s Blood

·         Offering to the sacred heart of Jesus

·         Pray a Rosary Every Day for a Year

·         Consider supporting this ministry by purchasing the winter edition of "Be Not Afraid"

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[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helen_Keller

[2]http://www.wincalendar.com/Cyber-Monday

[3]http://www.escrivaworks.org/book/the_way-point-1.htm