December 8, 2012: Christmas every day.

December 8, the day after Pearl Harbor Day, does not go down in infamy. Isn’t it odd how single days become so crucial? December 7, 1941 changed the world. FDR needed an excuse to enter WWII; the Japanese gave it to him. But December 8^th, well, it’s just the next day and it may be incredibly important to some. A father or mother may have been born on December 8^th, a loved one may have passed on December 8^th, but for most of us it’s just the next day, like July 5^th or December 26^th. I’ve always loved the fact that my birthday is July, 7^th, 7/7, but if I were in England, that date is akin to September 11^th in America. Days become pivotal in history but the most pivotal day in history is sort of fuzzy. Christ’s birthday is almost certainly not December 25^th; Christ’s birthday is probably closer to September. The important thing is not the exact date but that we remember, and the thing that we really need to remember is not that He was born but that He died and just could not stay dead; God, living as a man, dying as a man but rising from His death as only God could.

My daughter wants to marry Matt Thiessen; it has something to do with making sure that redheads do not disappear from the Earth. Matt Thiessen wrote my favorite Christmas song and every year my brother-in-law, James Vanhoose, has to put up with me saying, “Hey, you want to hear the best Christmas song ever written?” The song is called “I Celebrate The Day” and it ends with this line,”and I, I celebrate the day, that You were born to die, so I could one day, pray for You to save my life, pray for You to save my life, pray for You to save my life.” I hope the Christmas season is kind to you and yours and let’s help make it kind to others.

Speaking of mysterious dates, Joel Chandler Harris was probably born on this day in 1848. Or maybe he was born in 1845. Or maybe he was born on December 9^th. Most agree that this is the day and it’s as good as any. Joel Chandler Harris wrote the wonderful Uncle Remus stories and in 1946, Walt Disney immortalized them in the film, Song of the South. When Walt Disney World was built, the stories were shared in the tableau that is Splash Mountain. We love Splash Mountain. Our normal routine upon arriving at The Magic Kingdom is: 1. Stand atop the entrance at the Train Depot and look down Main Street, USA at Cinderella Castle. 2. Get on the train and ride to Frontierland. 3. Get Splash Mountain Fast Passes. 4. Have a nice day! Why don’t you do the same?

Remember, your best excuse is always: waiting for your dreams to come true.