Santa and The Nativity of Jesus Christ

When Santa was still living my world was simple and life was less complicated. I remember those days well. My dad worked and my mom stayed home. Most afternoons and weekends were spent playing with neighborhood kids.
      Back then, if we kids had differences, we worked through the problem without shooting each other, and if I had gotten out of line at a friends house, I prayed his parents did not call mine, or else I would have had a serious problem upon returning home.
     We still had the Christmas play which featured Joseph, Mary and Baby Jesus. The school held no concern about being strapped with a lawsuit for portraying the genuine reason for the season. Christmas break lasted two weeks and the expectation grew like a giant crescendo each day in class with lots of singing. Some of the songs were found in church hymnals and others were traditional seasonal tunes about a Rudolph, Santa, and Dashing Through The Snow.
     The Christmas Tree was a big deal in our house.  And every year presented a humorous story of going into the woods, cutting one down and bringing it home. For example, the year my dad forgot the saw and whacked  a spruce with a butcher knife. When his arm grew tired, he dropped back a few steps and through a flying tackle on the thing. When that failed, he refused to be defeated and got in the old Ford, started the engine and ran over it. Then tied a rope to the bumper and jerked it out of the ground.  (True Story.)
     Both Charlie Brown and the Grinch were welcome in our house. I laid on the living room floor and watched every year as Charlie Brown learned he had not ruined Christmas and the Grinch discovered it could not be stolen.
     Come to think about it...Christmas was hard to mess up. I can't remember a bad one. Some years were lean, while others were fat, but it always had a way of showing up... even during the difficult times. It was magical.
     I am 52 years old and have just come through a very difficult year. I will not delve into the details, but suffice it to say, it has been a long one. I would say, I'll be glade when it's over, but...I would rather not rush Christmas. I am going to slow down, take a breath and worship the Babe in the Manger.
     I'm also looking forward to Santa stopping by our house to leave something special for a couple of precious little boys named David Benjamin and Abram. You see...they are coming into that age where belief and imagination still has the power to make all things possible.
     I remember the year my parents sat me down and told me something about Santa being a myth. Though I was not surprised, because I had my own suspicions, I remember it being a real downer. It was like something was lost. My dad told me it was part of growing up and now I could help him put together a Barbie House and some other stuff for my little sisters.
     We all are endowed with memory. For some, memory is a place of precious keepsakes, and for others it is not a pleasant place to visit. If you happen to fall in to the later category, I'm sorry. My Christmas wish for you is that peace comes to your troubled spirit and healing takes place.
     As for me, I am thankful for memories the Christmas season holds. They are precious keepsakes. And in the words of Longfellow, "Our today's and yesterdays are the blocks with which we build."  When sifting through the building blocks of my yesterdays, I find there are many keepsakes that I'm still holding on to. Some of them are sitting around a Christmas Tree with my mom, dad and two sisters.
     Others are from another time when I'm sitting around a Christmas Tree with my wife and our children, while living 5000 miles from the place we called home. In all of those memories The Nativity was present, and so was Santa.
     I believe Jesus was born in a manger in Bethlehem of Judea two thousand years ago. I believe he was conceived of the Holy Spirit and born of a virgin. Though this has been one of those difficult years, I can testify it has been good. You see, good is never easy, but hard is always difficult. The difference in those two is often found in our attitude.
     I also believe in Santa. He was always good to me, and still is, though the gifts he sends my way usually come through one of his many different Elf's.

     I am off work today and sitting at Chaney's drinking coffee and rambling. I hope this finds you doing well on this first day of December. May The Lord bless you this Christmas season, and through the magic of imagination and belief, I hope Santa is very near.

Merry Christmas.

Cam
    
    

Thomas Aiman: Writer of Dystopia from a Christian perspective.

http://www.amazon.com/American-Apocalypse-First-Attack-Dystopia-ebook/dp/B00OR5RAI4/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1415030678&sr=8-2&keywords=American+Apocalypse

Thomas Aiman is an acquaintance I recently made who beat me to the punch in writing the granddaddy of all end of the world Doomsday/Dystopian short story's. Coming from a Christian perspective, American Apocalypse is the introduction his Days of Dystopia series.
     In eight pages he blows up 6 major cites, kills off 20 percent of the American Population, shares the testimony of how a Muslim converted to Christianity and became a pastor who lost his family to a violet act of terrorism.
     He goes on to draw a picture of how the world is caught in a vacuum when America goes down. He delves into the Mark of The Beast with an interesting twist on the mystery of  666.
     In case you haven't figured it out, I am stoked about the up and coming series and this is a personal invitation to readers, friends and family to give the intro  a look. I was left hanging and hoping for more.
     As promised a few days ago, I will be interviewing Thomas soon and posting it on the Blog.

Amazon's New Fire

I recently made a decision to upgrade my phone, and justified the purchase by telling myself it was more of a need than a want.
     I was persuaded by the psychology which was reinforced by the fact of my old 3g iPhone being on the brink of extinction. Then AT&T made it easy with their Next Plan.
     Then once I made the decision to buy, I had to decide which phone to purchase. I had heard the buzz ab out Apple's new i6 pulse coming out and thought I wanted one.
     Untile Amazon introduced the Fire Phone and threw in a free year of prime to boot. This complimented matters a bit because I am an Amazon freak, or something like that.
     You who follow me on the blog and Facebook already know I publish with Amazon on their Kindle platform and read a tremendus amount on my Kindle app.
     I wanted a phone that integrated my reading  App and KDP (Kindle Direct Publishing) material as seamless as possible. So, with that I squeezed the trigger and walked away from a long and loyal relationship with Apple.
     Once the purchase was made and I walked out the door, I began to second guess myself. It was not buyers remorse, but more like, "Dang, hope I made the right choice."
      Two and a half months after the fact I must say.."THIS PHONE IS AWESOME! " It intergrates everything I do with Amazon wonderfully and  the year of prime membership gives me a million songs, tons of books, at no cost and free shipping.
     Now that Apple has responded by not allowing people to browse the Kindle store from the Kindle app thats downloaded to the iPad and iPhones leaves me really happy with the decision I made.
     The Amazon Fire Phone has a larger screen that makes for easy reading and...blogging.
     Yes, this is written and posted from my phone.  And there you have it.... Apple's Iphone, or Amazon's Fire? For me... it's the Fire hands down. No regrets and never looking back.

 Until we meet again,

 - Cameron 
    

   
   
   

American Apocalypse: Days of Dystopia

Those of you who know me and follow this blog may remember I was recently considering writing a post apocalyptic dooms day story. The reason being, there are so many people into the genre and I had given thought to what the grand daddy of all dystopian scenarios would look like.

Well, I think someone may have beat me to it. I recently read Thomas Aiman's American Apocalypse: Days of Dystopia and must concede he is much more capable. So my hat is off and I am recommending his first installment  You can find it here: http://www.amazon.com/American-Apocalypse-First-Attack-Dystopia-ebook/dp/B00OR5RAI4/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1414623089&sr=1-2&keywords=american+apocalypse,

He actually reads this blog and initiated contact with me first. I was blown away in that he and I were on the same page. If you choose to read it, you will be most surprised by the twist he puts at the end, which serves as more of a personal testimony.

American Apocalypse Days of Dystopia includes a little historical fiction for you history buffs, Theology for those who may be interested, terrorism ..... in light of the word in which we live and bewilderment.

If you will but pull up the above link and click on: "Look Inside" it will sale itself.  Personally. I'm looking forward to his next Installment. He has agreed to do an interview with me, which will be included on the blog in the very near future.
He has granted me permission to offer this teaser... hope you enjoy.

     "Tyranny and terror have been walking hand in hand across the pages of history for a very long time. As the epic battle of good versus evil plays out in an arena of the human condition, each will find a face and secure a willing partner.
     At the dawning of the twentieth century transportation was undergoing huge innovation; moving from horse and buggy, to iron rail locomotives. By the close of the same century, man was walking on the moon. It represents a strange dichotomy of unparalleled progress, branded and tainted by the memory of two World Wars, and the Holocaust.
     Evil lurked. It whispered in the dark, appealing to the depraved and sowing seeds of destruction to the likes of Hitler, Himmler, Goring, and Gobbles. They each put a face on evil. Yet, during that time, goodness became evident in the lives and convictions of people who took it upon themselves to provide safe haven to a suffering population. And, in turn, were persecuted to death, for the goodness they bestowed.
     What you’re about to read is an account of how evil put on a face and secured willing partners, to bring about the destruction of modern civilization, as we knew it.  They truly were, and continue to be, days of dystopia.

The Mark of The Beast
“Let him who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of man:       666.”   (Revelation13:18)

On July, 4^th 1776   Fifty Six men signed the declaration of Independence. 
On July, 4^th 1826   Thomas Jefferson and John Adams died, only five hours apart.
On July, 4^th 2016   Hell was unleashed."

Once again the link: http://www.amazon.com/American-Apocalypse-First-Attack-Dystopia-ebook/dp/B00OR5RAI4/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1414623089&sr=1-2&keywords=american+apocalypse

- Until we meet again

Heart Conditions

A couple of weeks ago I posted a note on Facebook stating: "Either I'm in labor and having a really long contraction, or else, I'm passing a kidney stone."
     I posted it as a joke, while on the way to the hospital thinking I was actually passing a stone. As it turned out, the joke was on me. No, I was not the first man in labor, but I was not passing a kidney stone either. Shortly after arriving to the hospital, an ER doctor ruled out a kidney stone and suspected a heart attack.
     I was surprised, to say the least, and suddenly felt it was no laughing matter. A couple of cardiograms and three blood test later I was informed I had not suffered a heart attack that evening, but it appeared that I had experienced something called a silent heart attack in the past.
     I questioned what that meant and was told something had happened to my heart, and at the time, when ever that was, I did not know it. It was like a heart attack masking as acute indigestion, or fatigue.
     Long story short....I went to see a cardiologist last week where I had a video and 97 pictures taken of my heart and function. It appears, the plumbing is in working order, but there seems to be a problem in the electrical system. It gives me a visual of being compared to an old building and renovation project. I will be talking to the cardiologist again about the next course of action.
     In light of current events I've been giving some thought to my heart and concluded that it truly is an amazing organ. The doctor told me that when my problem occurred, the heart found a way to compensate.
     Think about it. Your heart beats X number of times per minute and never takes a break. During the sonogram I watched the actual valves open and close and thought to myself, "What a work horse... look at that thing go."
     I'm fairly certain, that during the course of my life, I've consumed an enormous amount of beacon, sausage and cheeseburgers, that in turn, have produced enough cholesterol to plug the Columbia River. Yet, my old heart keeps ticking. It has been abused, taken for granted, and severally wounded a few times, but never complains. Yes, the heart truly is amazing.
     I've also given consideration to my other heart. That heart of which the Scriptures speak when you read, " Love the Lord your God with all your heart,"" Blessed are the pure in heart," and "You shall find me when you have searched for me with all your heart."
          When the Bible speaks of the heart, it is not making reference to that muscle beating in the left side of your chest, but rather to something burred deep within the soul of every living being. Dr. Bob Moeller defines it as, "That place where you give and receive love."
          I was siting in a chiropractor's office in Traverse City Michigan a few years ago when I noticed a large flat screen monitor mounted on the wall scrolling fun facts about health and wellness. One of the notes grabbed my attention. It was a question that read:  "Why is your left lung smaller than your right ?  Answer  :"To make room for your heart." 
     I read that fun fact and thought, "When  God designed mankind, He made room for the heart. Then I had a question of my own:  Have we made room for God in our heart of hearts? And to personify and come a little closer, "Have I made room for Him...in that place where I give and receive love? And, If I have, what does it look like?

Until we meet here again...

- Cam

Grace: What does it look like through the eyes of a child?

Grace has been defined as:" Unmerited favor." It's been described as a free gift. The Scripture declares, "By grace we have been saved through faith, and that not of yourself, it is a free gift. Not of works lest anyone should boast..."

Ephesians 2:8 has become a foundational corner stone within the Christian Faith. Like John 3:16 it is one of those verses we followers of Christ cling to when everything else in our world is falling apart.

Theologically speaking, we understand grace is a property of God that goes before his judgment. It was by grace, that he offered up His Son on Calvary's Cross 2,000 years ago to receive the punishment for the sin of this fallen world.

Question: What does grace look like through the eyes of an eleven year old boy. How do you communicate in terms of experience the principal of grace. Is there a working platform, or model out there, that takes a subject so deeply grounded in Christian principal and breaks it down to a level children easily understand.

When I was eleven years old and in the fifth grade at Sumner Elementary School, I experienced grace and have never recovered. I've published the story with Amazon and call it, The Note.

It is being offered for free all day tomorrow, Sept. 19th. I am in the process of changing the cover. If you have already red the story, you will notice the cover has changed. It is a work in progress and until we find one that fits.

You can find the story at Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Note-Graceful-Reflection-Cameron-Dockery-ebook/dp/B00KPCJ87O/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1411074065&sr=8-1&keywords=cameron+Dockery

More on the End.

In preparation for my next short story I've been blogging about Apocalyptic/Dystopian literature. As Previously stated, I've never been into the genre, but Hugh Howey's success and current world events have got me to thinking.  And with that, I have tried to envision what the sum total and grand daddy of all apocalyptic scenarios would look like.
     Being an American, I thought in terms of local context, in light of a world event. In short, if America goes down due to a catastrophic event, what will be the resolve of those who survive, and how will the world respond?
     American influence and position in global markets suggest, that if we go down, there will be a ripple effect. I'm no economist, and am not versed in international studies, or social sciences, but it would appear, that if we as a nation go down, or should be taken out, the stability of the world, as we know it,  will be seriously compromised.
     For example, if America defaulted on her debt, to the point of NEVER being in a position of repaying her obligations, what would that mean for China. One would think it to be an almost insurmountable blow, but according to Harvard economics professor, Dale Jorgenson, maybe not. For he recently said:
     “The United States will need to come to terms with the fact that its prevalence in the world is fated to come to an end....This will be difficult for many Americans to swallow and the United States should brace for social unrest amid blame over who was responsible for squandering global primacy...”     MIT's Simon Johnson has recently suggested,  “The damage from the financial crisis and its aftermath have dealt U.S. prominence a permanent blow." He went on to say,  “The age of American predominance is over,“The (Chinese) Yuan will be the world’s reserve currency within two decades”
     The impetus for my up and coming Short Story is based solely on a Doomsday Apocalypse, but those in the know are suggesting, an unavoidable financial apocalypse is already underway.
     And while it's obvious that America has propped Herself up by selling out to the Chinese, it is also true that the holders of our debt are left venerable.
     I 'm curious, where such a scenario leaves The Middle East? Namely, OPEC. China, is home to a population of 1 billion people, who are becoming more and more oil dependent. They have also had the foresight to recently purchase huge sums of gold. That alone leaves me wondering if  the U.S. Dollar, for what ever reason, is no longer the standard currency, and for some unforeseen reason, the Yuan does not become the reserve currency, then the Chinese are positioning themselves with the oldest Measure in the history of trade.
     If predictions from Harvard and MIT scholars prove true, in twenty years I will be 72 and living in a world where America is no longer the leading influencer at the table of international policy. It's hard to imagine, even a little scary. It may be wishful thinking, but something in me finds it hard to believe. Is it possible for the largest economy and strongest military on the globe to falter and fail into insignificance?
     When 9/11 came down, the Chairman of The Federal Reserve, was aboard a flight from Switzerland to D.C. While on that flight he received a phone call from President Bush and was informed of the attack. He was then asked, "What is our worst case scenario, as far as the economy goes?" Greenspan responded, "A complete collapse of our financial infrastructure." He went on to explain, "All that's necessary for our economy to fail is for people to stop spending money."
     At the height of her power, Rome had conquered most of the known world. Left in her wake, were no serious contenders.  Yet, as Daniel predicted, She fell...and The Dark Ages ensued.
     I am convinced the possibility of a fallen America is no far fetched idea. Should it happen, this world would be a very different place. Those we support, in terms of aid would be cut off. Those who depend on Federal and State assistance, would be left without. Martial Law would be declared and congress would no longer hold the power. The military would take over the responsibilities of governing the nation
     Their chief Modus Operandi would be two fold. First,  they would preserve and protect the constitution, while defending our boarders. Everything else would be secondary. Under Martial Law the "New Government,"  would have the authority to make unilateral decisions, that could not be challenged. This alone would change DNA of the country. For example, in the name of national security,  the military could, and probably would,  authorize the drilling for oil, in places that have previously been shut down and declared off limits. In such a doomsday scenario we would have to rely on our own natural resources.
      Since the dollar would no longer be the standard currency, it would be greatly devalued, ensuring a complete collapse of our financial infrastructure.  9/11 derailed us, but the doomsday scenario takes us out. The economy would be so hyper inflated due to the over printing of money we would resemble Germany following WWI when people went to the market with wheel barrows filled with devalued money.
    Chaos will break out and the military will be forced to squash it with an iron fist. Those who plotted our demise will find the reciprocating consequences hard to bear. Not necessarily because of our response, but due to the shake up and ripple effect of a planet falling apart.
     The world will become more primitive.  While 9/11 is reduced to a warning shot, as compared. So The Great Depression would look more like a hick up as compared to the fall out of the Doomsday Scenario. A study of history reveals WWI was followed by the Roaring Twenties. Then the Great Depression, opened the door for the second World War.
     That being the case, can you imagine how an apocalypse like I've just described, would play out here at home and abroad.
    
Until we meet again,

Cameron