I first wrote about the great purposeful foreboding last year. I never thought it would apply to a second advent. Essentially, this foreboding narrative stems from a political message promoted this year by a godless joy-sucking White House: “A winter of death” awaits the unvaccinated. Seriously?
Seriously! Stop for a minute. Just stop.
Stop and think about the purpose of that narrative, and then ask yourself, are you succumbing to it?
This is the day of great joy, the greatest joy of all. A day when we celebrate a loving and purposeful blessing provided to us by our Creator. The universal truth. The pure perfection of a loving Child born in the most ordinary fashion for us, to us, to guide and share the most blessed and purposeful message that could ever be delivered to mankind: You are Loved.
Pause amid the human distractions. That message of love is pure.
Stop and sit in peace, and join together in the joy.
Yes, it is true, all around us is this great sense of foreboding ugh, and it’s not just connected to a virus; it’s everything before and everything since. Everything being created around us is weird, everything created around us is less comfortable, everything created around us is intended to project less joy – and as a consequence, it requires an intensity of thought just to carry on ordinary events.
Christmas, the day we celebrate the birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, is tonight and tomorrow. Yet, almost everything created around us seems purposefully placed to distract from that joy – and focus our attention on what joy we are missing. At the heart of that effort is an anxiety, a sense of foreboding. A sense of fear and worry, and a sense of trepidation.
In our daily lives, we encounter ordinary disconnects now. Masked faces are disconnecting our sense of interaction, our human connection. Unfortunately, and as a natural outcome of these challenges, we are accepting disconnect and creating a void inside ourselves. At the same time, COVID is physically disconnecting people from their families.
Many families will not gather this year to celebrate the joyous event of Christ’s birth. Many parents and grandparents will not see their adult children for the first time in years, perhaps ever. Many destabilized families are disconnecting as they succumb to fractures, instructions, created by people who appointed themselves as leaders.
It is almost unbelievable when you contemplate the damage. Politicians, yes P.O.L.I.T.I.C.I.A.N.S, have created terms and conditions, instructions for you and me, with the expectation that somehow we will adhere to their fiats or accept their aspersions.
I reject this.
I reject this effort with every fiber of my being.
Division, regardless of intent, is not a term or condition that I will accept. However, amid all of this bombardment, flux and ugh, even simple tasks like decorating the Christmas tree feel somehow senseless, seem less joyful.
Perhaps financial worry, again driven by the outcomes of man, stems the joy in shopping for family and friends. Perhaps the shine within the cheer is slightly dimmed, because all around us is something we cannot quite describe, yet we feel it.
Perhaps tears flow at times, and we struggle to understand what this unusual anxiety is all about. Then, we begin to struggle with the feelings of shame or guilt for being weak and allowing our humanity to pour out of our human selves. Then, at the worst possible time in the year, our faith organizations are slow to understand the importance of fellowship and community amid an upheaval that has taken our center from under our feet.
The insufferable lack of regional leaders standing tall only makes the anxiety worse. Where are the brave?
Where are the purposeful few who know the benefit of larger messages? I do not fault their absence, because their void reminds me to stop, look at that face I see while brushing my teeth, and remember the greatest strength of all is from within. Nothing has the capacity to remove the strength provided by a loving God unless we allow it to; unless we allow them to.
As our grip on our familiar surroundings becomes more tenuous, we are faced with dictates and mandates that only exacerbate the issues our community faces. Meanwhile, this ridiculous media drumbeats an incessant noise intent on destabilizing us. Perhaps we cannot quite put our finger on why the impact is worse now…. but it is. This effort of theirs is more impactful. It is all ugh. It is all just ugh.
If you find the assembly of these simple words familiar to your current sense, first understand YOU ARE NOT ALONE. Second, understand there is nothing wrong with you. This blanket of anxiety is laying across our entire nation, indeed the entire world, and no matter where we stand – we are all sensing a various level of this ‘ugh’ with some familiarity. However, that said, it is important to know this is transitional. We will not be in this place long. This too shall pass.
How do we shake these destabilizing feelings and emotions?
How do we reconnect to the core-spirit we carry in our lives?
These are the questions we should use to leverage ourselves back to a center of peace and hope. These are the questions that empower us to recharge our sense of purpose and life within the lives of others, including our community, family and friends.
♦ The first way we shake this ‘ugh’, is to give to others without reservation. Giving with purpose is the true spirit of human contact. The giving is not related to money or wealth, the giving is related to our human purpose. Perhaps we give a smile. Perhaps we give a kind word. Perhaps we give a compliment, or perhaps we just give time to another.
You could give a more valuable gift this year to anyone simply by reaching them. Perhaps send an email; or better yet, write a letter to a dear friend or family member, or just pick up the phone. Reach out and tell them they matter and express why their place in this life of yours is important. Remind them of your specific thankfulness, and connect to the purpose of why we endeavor in this thing we call life.
Years from now, it is unlikely anyone will remember that thing they unwrapped. What they will remember, what will have much greater impact, is a message from YOU to THEM that they matter, that they are loved. That moment, perhaps those moments, provided by you, will NEVER be forgotten. That look in your eye or sound of your voice that reached into them and emphasized their value, their worth, their importance. That is the gift they will remember in great detail, forever.
The important thing is to give, and to do it without any other intent or purpose than to fill your own heart.
♦ Within the giving, remind yourself what this journey is all about, and look around to recognize how fortunate we are to have this life. Choose to cherish the ultimate gift from a loving God who wants joy and hope to permeate our human sense.
Hope is the one necessary human element beyond all other facets of life. Give the gift of hope and light to those you love by first reminding yourself of the gift that a loving God has given us all. It is too easy in our human sense to forget the biggest gift we have been granted, the gift of life. The ability to live and choose how we engage in the lives of others.
Remind yourself of the kind of purposeful HOPE that would leave the most glorious throne to be born into a manger as a baby, only to grow into a Man willing to lay down His everything for the flawed people amid humanity. Why? Because that hope is pure. That love is perfect.
No politics or false sense of security can overwhelm the message of HOPE that a loving God has provided. No effort of man or human disposition can surmount the greatest love of all. The message of Christ’s birth is bigger and greater than any virus or legislative battle.
“No power of hell, nor scheme of man” can come close to the purpose of God’s intent and love for you as a unique person qualified to receive that love.
Wrap yourself in the blanket of that unconditional love. Stop what you are doing.
Pause in the peace of this moment… set down your troubles, LISTEN and FEEL.
“Long lay the world in sin and error pining, til He appeared and the souls felt its worth. A thrill of HOPE; the weary world rejoices, for yonder breaks a new and glorious morn…”
Let the tears flow, and with them release the foreboding. Engage in the next moment with a loving purpose filled with the HOPE that He provides. Fall forward to the centered purpose of your life, a very special life, and reflect on the gift we are too quick to diminish.
“Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth passed away, and there is no longer any sea. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, made ready as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is among men, and He will dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself will be among them, and He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away.” And He who sits on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” And He said, “Write, for these words are faithful and true.” Then He said to me, “It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give to the one who thirsts from the spring of the water of life without cost.”
Revelation 21:1-6
Abiding love to all.
Steadfast,
~ Sundance
Thank you!! And as unseasonal as this sounds, this whole scourge upon us now reminds me of the Veggie Tales song, ‘God is bigger than the Boogie Man.’ We cannot fathom the depths of our Father and His love for us. So choose to be joyful! Thank you to all here at the TreeHouse and Merry Christmas. You all help me learn, keep perspective, and remind me of the importance of godly priorities. Blessings to all!
Beautifully done, thank you Sundance.
A Holy and Happy Christmas to all !
I, like many, experienced great sorrow and loss of loved ones during my life for various reasons. They are sorely missed on the important days. A little bit of me was very saddened over their loss during those times. Unfortunately, more so now. 😞
I look forward tonight to playing some of their favorite music and thinking of something funny we shared 😊
Id like to think they can hear me and are looking down from heaven and smiling at me, approving of my choices of music.
It’s my way of sending a message that I love them. Sometimes I think I can feel a hug 🤗
Thanks for allowing me to share my coping mechanism with my cth family! Merry Christmas 🎄😘
I too share your sentiments. You said it much more eloquently than I. God Bless us, every one!
I have felt the hug too. It’s real my friend!
A Merry Christmas to you.
I am right there with you tonight feral cat. Keeping our long held humble Christmas eve traditions, honoring those who once gathered at our table. It seems every year there is another empty place, but like you, I eat their foods, play their music and remember the absolute joyous dinners, full of love, laughter and the warmest memories.
Tonight, anticipating the loss of my mom, I am grateful and blessed to attend service with my grandson as an acolyte. My hope is the younger ones will carry it forward.
Blessings to all.
Thank you, your words are an incredible blessing.
I reject those leaders and officials who have repeatedly lied and betrayed the American people!
Well written sundance reply of Hope and Faith to another dark message from the Dark side political party.
Ad rem–I’ve tried to donate to CTH via the non Pay Pal option but it repeatedly responds:
“Oops something went wrong. Try again later.”
Is this lefty sabotage or what? I will have to try the Pay Pal option I guess which I didn’t want to do. My card is definitely updated and functional otherwise.
Sorry Ocelot….I’ve heard this from a couple of others in the email. I don’t have an answer either. 🙁
You have so many gifts Sundance…encouragement being one of your greatest.✝️
May you and yours be blessed as you have blessed us.
All praise be to our Father, our Lord Jesus Christ, and our wonderful Holy Spirit. God bless you all, in Jesus’ Name, Amen and Amen!
Lovely Sundance, simply lovely.
let’s take this sentiment and once again become We the People and throw off the shackles of We the Goverened
Thank you. I am home alone with Covid this Christmas, missing my family. But, Jesus my Saviour is with me!
A thrill of Hope, the weary world rejoices….
Blessings to you, hope you have a speedy recovery.
I hope you have a speedy recovery and will be back with the family soon.
The weary world rejoices….
Merry Christmas. Prayers for a quick recovery.
Do you have ivermectin on hand? If you can’t get a prescription, get durvet ivermectin 1.87% from the feed store or Amazon and follow the early outpatient protocol on FLCCC website. It’s very easy to dose. Just double or triple your weight and dispense that amount under your tongue after a meal, once a day. Take for 5 days or more until you are better. Praying that you get well soon and Merry Christmas.
Just use ivermectin with caution if you are asthmatic.
✝️🙏🏻❤️ Quick and safe recovery Chris.
Thank so very much, Sundance! Beautiful, meaningful, and uplifting in spirit. We are not alone, we are legion, and we are so fortunate to have our faith in God. We will triumph, even if in my lifetime it doesn’t happen. I believe.
Here is another version of the same song by David Phelps. Thank you Sundance for your major part in keeping hope alive by your writings as well as your dedication to the community of Treepers. We still stand, like a city on a hill
https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=o+holy+night+david+phelps
y’know, 80 years ago some 400,000 young men celebrated Christmas, most likely with family and friends, not knowing that they would never see Christmas celebrated during peacetime again. This was my father’s generation and sadly few remain to celebrate this wonderful and miraculous occasion. When I see the snowflakes and just plain flakes that we are left to deal with in this century, I mourn what we have lost and pray for a renewal and revival of the American spirit. God bless all those who dwell on the branches of CTH…it truly is the modern Tree of Liberty…Merry Christmas!
Me too
A prayer of St. Francis De Sales:
Do not look forward in fear to the changes in life;
rather, look to them with full hope that as they arise,
God, whose very own you are, will lead you safely through all things; and when you cannot stand it, God will carry you in His arms.
Do not fear what may happen tomorrow; the same understanding Father who cares for you today will take care of you then and every day.
He will either shield you from suffering or will give you unfailing strength to bear it. Be at peace, and put aside all anxious thoughts and imaginations.
Merry Christmas all.
Anointed with Sundance’s wonderful words. So many have been lost to evil. Yet it because God’s Prince of Peace that we may discern evil and turn away from it. We were taught by Jesus to be our best, for each other, and ourselves. What a wonderful gift we have received.
Peace be with you, and joy to the world!
Between personal loss and the loss of our beloved country, 2021 has been worse than 2020. It is so easy to feel hopeless and helpless. What a perfect scripture Revelations 21 is to remind us of the hope of a new world that is promised to us by God!
Prayers and blessings to you Sundance and to everyone who visits here. Merry Christmas! Don’t let Satan steal your joy!
“Almighty and most merciful Father, we humbly beseech Thee, of Thy great goodness, to restrain these immoderate rains with which we have had to contend. Grant us fair weather for Battle. Graciously hearken to us as soldiers who call upon Thee that, armed with Thy power, we may advance from victory to victory, and crush the oppression and wickedness of our enemies and establish Thy justice among men and nations.”
* * *
“To each officer and soldier in the Third United States Army, I Wish a Merry Christmas. I have full confidence in your courage, devotion to duty, and skill in battle. We march in our might to complete victory. May God’s blessings rest upon each of you on this Christmas Day.”
– – – G.S. Patton, Jr, Lieutenant General, Commanding, Third United States Army, 08DEC44
<http://www.pattonhq.com/prayer.html>
WOW! Thank you Sundance. We needed that!
God’s Blessings
Merry Christmas
A Merry Christmas to all my fellow treepers and a special blessing to Sundance and Menagerie
Merry Christmas! I’m happy to remember why we celebrate at this time of year – even though it might not be the actual time of His birth, but that He WAS born – God in the flesh. Happy birthday Jesus and thank you for coming to this world to bring me back to the Father!
The first thing that came to me in prayer when all this mess started almost 2 years ago was John 3:16, 17. God so loved the world…He sent His only begotten son into the world not to condemn, but to save the world. This is all he sent and it is enough. He certainly did not send anything harmful into the world. We need have no fear of media-produced pictures of little pink and purple spiky balls supposed to have power over us. God is all-power and His perfect love casteth out fear. Well that is what came to me early on and it has stayed with me. Merry Christmas, All!
God Bless Sundance & Team! Merry Christmas & Happy Holidays (this word holiday, comes from the word Holy) ! Thank you all…:)
God bless you, Sundance.
“If you find the assembly of these simple words familiar to your current sense, first understand YOU ARE NOT ALONE.”
Powerful writing, brought me to tears as what you wrote is exactly how I’ve been feeling.
I wish you and your family a Merry Christmas.
Like a preacher said today on the radio: “have a merry, merry, blessed and holy Christmas”. Amen.
Thank you Sundance for a great sermon on Christmas Eve. Merry Christmas to you and your family.
May God bless you Sundance, Menagerie and all your helpers this Christmas.
Amen, and Merry Christmas.
This describes exactly how I and many I know have felt, but couldn’t put into words. Thank-you. God Bless and Merry Christmas
A VERY Merry & Blessed CHRISTmas Sundance. You have faith & hope and expressed it better in this article than any philosopher could. THANK you for giving us HOP!
Well done Sundance. God bless and a very Merry Christmas to you and your family.
Beautiful. Thank you Sundance, and Merry Christmas.
This message of hope and steadfastness should not be limited to Christians, but to everyone suffering under the oppression of The Junta and its sinister removal of the Rule of Law. This fellowship can grow to include all faiths and, hopefully, a wider spectrum of ideologies as even people of the Left begin to realize Evil is not on the side of their health and security. If there was ever a need for a Big Tent, it is now.
Thank you Sundance. You provide narrative to our unspoken feelings. You are a holy messenger. There are angels among us. I believe you may be one. Merry Christmas!
“Perhaps financial worry, again driven by the outcomes of man, stems the joy in shopping for family and friends.”
This is demonstrably true for those who are facing termination of employment this new year because they desire the liberty of medical autonomy. A sword of Damocles hangs over their head and it is hard to see the light through that threat. Losing your employment and the ability to provide for one’s family still means something, at least to part of America.
How many mothers and fathers now are totally reliant on nine judges to determine whether they can continue to work because the majority of Americans did not stand up and say no? Either we are free or we are not, but if we do not stand together, then I can tell you which it will be.
Please pray for the workers I’ve mentioned and their children; and whether you are vaccinated or not, support their decision to choose. Because CHOICE is what they want to take away from all of us.
god bless you for your strength and purpose. To all, Merry Xmas and may god’s love and grace give you health, happiness, family and success in this holiday season and in 2022. Keep the good fight! Cheers
Don’t let Marxists sieze our day and our families. Stop voting for Marxists
It isn’t fair to blame us. We never voted for Marxists. I never even voted for a Democrat.
Sundance, thank you for this Christmas article.
I am an Emotion/ Intuitive Empath.
This has nothing to do with negative or dark spirits, as some people believe. People fear what they do not understand. It is how God made me.
I think at times Sundance is not only a brilliant, futuristic analyst and researcher …… Sundance may also have one or several Empathic abilities.
You know just WHEN and HOW to balance the emotion of the Treehouse
to overcome the constant EXTREME negative winds swirling around us. You inform us, get our attention by punching us in the gut with reality BUT then you wrap your arms around us with posts like the one above. Thank you for watching our six!
You are also hilariously funny. You are a treasure ☺️
I have been swinging from the Treehouse branches for 6 years and do not post often. Visiting this Last Refuge is good therapy.
Today I wish peace, happiness, good health to all the Treehouse swingers.
Merry Christmas ….. God is Good and leading us on the right path.
It must be said, over and over and over again, until the people get it and stand up to this tyranny – otherwise it will continue.
God bless you, Sundance, for this message for all that you do for us. Merry Christmas!
📖🐑✝️🎄❤
Then peal the bells more loud and deep, God is not dead nor does He sleep! The wrong shall fail! The right prevail, with peace on Earth, good will toward men!!
Sundance we can change everything with an election. The problem comes when the election process fails to bring the sought-after change. How long until the free shit wears off and people can’t put up with it anymore? When do we say that’s enough? What are you prepared to do about it?
Thank you for this post👍Merry Christmas 🎄🎁
In Genesis 3 God promised the serpent:
And I will put enmity* between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel. Gen 3:15 KJV
In Hebrews 2 God explains how Jesus “bruised” Satan’s head:
Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil; Hebrews 2:14 KJV
An illustration: a woman’s daughter had a habit of stealing. It broke the mother’s heart, because the mother was an honest person. She could see her daughter’s character changing. She told her that if she didn’t stop, she would stab her in the hand, and she jammed her knife into the kitchen counter.
For a few weeks, there was no more stealing, but then the daughter got caught again. The woman took her trembling daughter’s hand, and raised the knife. The girl closed her eyes, and then she heard a loud thump! But she felt no pain. When she opened her eyes, there was the sharp knife stuck in her mother’s hand.
That’s how God showed his love for us. Our selfish, rebellious heart led us away from him, and even though we have hurt people, and failed again and again to make the right decisions, he took the justice he demands and fulfilled that justice on the cross. Only a completely innocent man could take the place of the guilty.
But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 5:8 KJV
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. John 3:16-17 KJV
*hatred
we celebrate Jesus and his birth…today..
in so doing, we HONOR GOD for our salvation.
one we do not earn nor deserve.
that’s how much LOVE God has for YOU.
his ONLY son, a perfect unblemished sinless man, whom would pay THE FULL PRICE AND TORMENT of every single sin that YOU will ever commit. you, meaning everyone… every single one.
think about that. deeply.
you can’t ever redeem yourself…it’s just not possible to solve your sin. only God can do this.
the act and the power to solve this for you by God is one that demonstrates infinite power, sovereign power…based on one single promise.
God loves you.
and he always will.