BERNARD SHUFORD

It appears that DSL is finally coming to the Shuford household.

In theory, this is a really good thing.  We can finally lose the dish off the top of the building and it won’t matter whether there are clouds or trees or rain or snow.  Vewwy nice.  Thank you, Markus Haider and AT&T.

Of course, the last time we got “faster internet” so that we wouldn’t have to spend as much time on the ‘net to do the same stuff, we wound up compensating by simply doing more stuff.

This does, however, make it MUCH simpler for Karma Shuford Photography to upload pictures to the web so the world can see and purchase them.  It also makes it much simpler to use SmugMug as a photo backup service.  It probably means that I’ll be able to blog more often.  Or play more Mafia Wars, or something.  We can learn more skills by studying them on YouTube – satellite is NOT good at YouTube, even though it sorta works.

And no more upload / download limits.  WildBlue / DishNET was a tremendous improvement over dialup, but the step to FastAccess Ultra will be wonderful.  We’ll hope that it actually works that fast, but we may get a slower connection.

It will still beat that dish all to pieces.  Satellite lag is an aggravating beast.  Yeah, we’ll have to pay a penalty for cancelling out of our contract, but AT&T even helps with that with a cash incentive reward that might even show up sometime in the next 6 months…

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Thanks to the sweet wife for the totally humbling post about 41.

Thanks to the kids for allowing me to go out with their Mommy on a date to Cheddarz.  Yum.

Thanks to all my Facebook friends who so graciously wished me well.

Thanks to Mom and Dad for new socks and repairing the van.

Thanks to God for another year.  In 1998, I was told I only had a couple more years if I didn’t get my heart repaired immediately.  While I think that doctor was full of bull, I still want to give all the glory to God for the 11 years since. 

So many things to be thankful for.  Wow, “41″ isn’t a big enough number to cover them all.

Thanks to YOU for reading.  I’m blessed to know each and every one of you.

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So many things are disrupted right now for me.

Our church doesn’t have a pastor, and everything about that ministry is disrupted for me.  Everything.  Music, Sunday School, worship, you name it.  Major disruption.

My employer is having a hard time keeping employees busy.  I am one of the least busy employees, in one respect.  Except for the fact that I contribute to the sales effort significantly, I’m pretty sure that my life would be disrupted by the lack of employment.

Of course, my arm is VERY disrupted.

Praise God for my wife.  THAT isn’t disrupted at all.  She rocks.

And the TarHeels are currently winning…

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As of June 2, 2009, I will be eligible for New Every Two from Verizon.

This will hopefully be my next phone.

Blackberry Storm

<karmat rolls her eyes…>

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I must say that I really appreciated reading RC Sproul’s take on the Christmas season.  Comforting to know that a man I respect greatly sees things through such calm and wise eyes. 

Christmas is such a great time of year for me, and yet so frustrating in many ways.  The people that I love have become so busy, and I have become so busy, that we hardly know each other any more.  There seems to be little hope of remedying that.  Quite honestly, without the technology of Facebook and MySpace, I would have virtually no contact with many people I once saw regularly.  Yet, somehow, in the magic of Christmas, I find a hope and a long lost sense of reconnection. 

So much of my memory is tied to Christmas.  Karma and I began dating around Christmastime.  December 10, 1993, as a matter of fact.  I remember many wonderful Christmas mornings, family get-togethers, hunting trips, snowy days, warm days, four-wheel drive trucks, Christmas carols, Christmas musical events, fireplaces, and other rushing memories. 

I could quickly cover a lot of ground if I were to really stir up what is filed under “Christmas” in my memory banks. 

And it’s all important.  Giving gifts is important.  I’m not frustrated by commercialism, because it’s encouraging to think of the kids that will get something from Mom and Dad that they have wanted for a long time.  And they’ll thus feel the magic that is Christmas.  Families will be reunited, all too briefly, and in those moments show love to each other in a way that never crosses their mind during the rest of the year.  Without the magnetism of Christmas, many families would fall apart all together.  Isn’t all that part of the message of Christ?  Isn’t the fact that the body of Christ is a family enough of a reminder to us that families should love each other and fellowship with each other?  If we can’t love those closest to us, how can we claim to love those far away? 

I’m always disappointed by the efforts of some to “remove” gift-giving from Christmas.  I think it’s a terrible shame.  I understand that many are unable to give, and I want them to feel no pressure to do so.  But those of us who are able to give gifts should not be condemned for doing so.  And more of us should try to give more.  Not JUST to the poor – but to our friends, family, and those we hold dear.  Let’s not be guilt-tripped out of doing good things for each other.  There’s nothing “anti-Christian” about it.  I think celebrating Christmas with all the pomp and glory that we can invent is the greatest thing we can do as Christians.  It’s a core event!  It’s the root of our victory!  Without Christmas, there would have been no Easter.  At Christmas, Christ came to bring peace to ME – to Bernard Shuford!  I’M HAPPY ABOUT THAT! 

Because Christmas reminds me to love, it allows me to more fully enjoy the love of others.  Because Christmas reminds me of grace, it encourages me to be more gracious to others.  Because I’m reminded of the greatest gift of all, I can find it easy to let go of things and give to those I love. 

So let’s celebrate, Christians!  In every way possible!  Party (alcohol and drug free, of course!)!  Enjoy!  Rejoice!  The KING has come!

NOBODY can take Christ out of CHRISTMAS!!!!

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