Newspaper Page Text
Page 4A, The Lee County Ledger, Wednesday, December 20,2023
That Togethery Time Of Year
Special to the Ledger
By Kate Scarmalis
This is a time of year
for cheers and tears.
Christmas cheer for
some means eggnog, but
for others perhaps more
spiritous indulgences.
For the part where the
eyes become instanta
neously blurry, there is
the traditional flick-fest.
Take your pick: It’s a
Wonderful Life, Miracle
on 34th Street, Home
Alone, Elf, or maybe
a plethora of Scrooge
reclamation dramas.
Since you’ve asked,
though you certainly
did not, where I am
concerned, Alastair Sim
will always own the part
of Ebenezer Scrooge.
He was stellar playing
his part as described
by Charles Dickens, “a
squeezing, wrenching,
grasping, scraping,
clutching, covetous, old
sinner! Hard and sharp
as flint, from which no
steel had ever struck out
generous fire; secret,
and self-contained, and
solitary as an oyster,”
transforming to a man
who finally embraced a
new life of charity and
generosity.
Perhaps some peo
ple would prefer to
adopt the lifestyle of a
Scrooge at Christmas
time. According to a
Reddit poll (2022), the
question was asked,
“What is your least
favorite holiday?” The
results showed defin
itively that those who
responded did not take
kindly to Christmas
celebrations.
Perhaps these were
people who in general
weren’t religious, or
were from other reli
gious persuasions. The
“study” (if you could
call it that) entertained
this possibility by
including a choice that
read, “Do not celebrate”.
Other inquiries on the
topic have found similar
results. Christmas fell
at the top of the lists
as the least popular
holiday, followed by
Thanksgiving.
How can people not
like Thanksgiving?
Most of us are still
loosening our belts from
that particular gorge-
fest.
What’s not to like?
One undeniable factor
is that of stress. Just
to think about all of
the rushing around to
prepare for the big day,
along with the gaggle of
relatives that one must
entertain - not to men
tion some to tolerate.
The cost? Factoring in
the Bidenomic reduc
tion in cost (to the tune
of $3 less) this year,
still and all, people are
struggling to keep up.
Having to watch the
amount that people have
been charging on their
credit cards for basic
necessities piles on even
more stress.
And now we are look
ing down the barrel at
Christmas.
According to one
American writer in her
famous work, “What is
Christmas? It is ten
derness for the past,
courage for the present,
hope for the future. It
is a fervent wish that
every cup may overflow
with blessings rich and
eternal, and that every
path may lead to peace.”
Or, perhaps it’s just
humbug after all.
Interestingly enough,
there was a time when
my parents decided
to Scrooge their way
through Christmas.
For the previous two
seasons, they did every-
Kate Scarmalis
thing that they could to
make everyone around
them mis
erable.
Perhaps
it was
something
called
seasonal
depression
- a time
when the
demands
around
people tell
them that
they are
supposed to be happy.
Christmas music is bus
ily flowing all around
while the media cranks
up nonstop Christmas
joy in the form of Hall
mark’s sugary program
ming.
When others are
happy but we are feeling
very much the opposite,
what’s to do? Well,
you do what you can
to make others feel as
miserable as you do
Our parents discour
aged any attempt to
cheer them up. They
moped and grumped
through their days, com
plaining that, “Christ
mas is just for
kids.” '
We weren’t
kids any
more, but
Christmas
still held its
joy for us.
The rest of
the family
came to think
of this period
as “our dark
noel”.
After two
years of listening to
their vapors, our par
ents chose at last to
pass the Rubicon. They
informed us that they
didn’t intend to cele
brate Christmas that
year. It was going to
be like every other day
for them. They were at
a loss for words when
our simple response was
something like, “Okay”,
followed by “You got
anything to eat?”
We kept our Christmas
at home, and frankly,
we had a marvelous
time. We weren’t into
Sharing the Word
By Harry R.
Martinez, Ph. D
Unto Us is Born, Pt. 3
There are things that
occur in life that have
no human explanation.
That certainly is true of
supernatural events that
must be attributed to
Divine acts. The proph
et Isaiah announced
an occurrence that
defied science, human
possibility, and under
standing. Writing some
seven hundred years
prior to its fulfillment,
the prophet spoke to
the nation of Judah ...
“Therefore, the Lord
himself will give you a
sign: The virgin will be
with child and will give
birth to a son, and will
call him Immanuel” (Isa
7:14 NIV).
This was a most un
usual message, for this
young woman would
be pregnant while still
in a state of virginity.
Matthew, in his gospel,
provides the details of
this conception ... “This
is how the birth of Jesus
Christ came about:
His mother Mary was
pledged to be married to
Joseph, but before they
came together, she was
found to be with child
through the Holy Spirit.
Because Joseph her
husband was a righteous
man and did not want
to expose her to public
The Lee County Ledger
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disgrace, he had in mind
to divorce her quietly.
But after he had con
sidered this, an angel
of the Lord appeared to
him in a dream and said,
“Joseph son of David,
do not be afraid
to take Mary
home as your
wife, because
what is con
ceived in her is
from the Holy
Spirit. She
will give birth
to a son, and
you are to give
him the name
Jesus, because
he will save his
people from
their sins.” All this took
place to fulfill what the
Lord had said through
the prophet: “The
virgin will be with child
and will give birth to a
son, and they will call
him Immanuel”- which
means, “God with us
(Matt 1:18-23 NIV).
The exactness of
Scripture cannot be
denied when one reflects
on the prophetic predic
tions and their accurate
fulfillment. In fact, the
test of a true prophet
was determined as to
whether his message
became a reality or not.
Dr. Luke offers details
regarding the birth of Je
sus. “In the sixth month,
God sent the angel Ga
briel to Nazareth, a town
in Galilee, to a virgin
pledged to be married
to a man named Joseph,
a descendant of David.
The virgin’s name was
Mary. The angel went to
her and said, “Greetings,
you who are highly fa
vored! The Lord is with
you.” Mary was greatly
troubled at his words
and wondered what kind
of greeting this might
be. But the angel said to
her, “Do not be afraid,
Mary, you have found
favor with God. You
will be with child and
give birth to a son, and
you are to give him the
name Jesus. He will be
great and will be called
the Son of the Most
High. The Lord God
Harry R. Martinez
punishing our parents
for their choices exactly,
but we made no effort
to visit or to even give
them a call. It was just
like “every other day”
in every way.
The following year,
we all waited for the
“big decision”. Were
our parents going to join
their family, or “cele
brate” alone, Scrooge-
style? And, again, they
chose to go it alone.
“Okay, no problem,”
and “What’s in the
fridge?”
Again, alone in our
homes, we had a fine
old time, wrapping
and opening presents,
decorating the tree, and
making and eating a
fine holiday meal.
Year Three. The
parents caved, admit
ting that it was just too
depressing to try to get
through the holidays on
their own.
Harsh as it may sound,
my parents were obliged
to learn Scrooge’s
lesson in the final part
of “A Christmas Carol”.
They learned that their
isolation and silence had
become their own cross
to bear.
Christmas is the joy of
that child who was born
so many years ago, who
grew to be the man, the
son of God, through
whose love mankind
can be connected.
Christmas is light,
love, and connection.
I’d love to receive a
very special present this
year, or maybe the next.
All I want most is to
celebrate a Christmas
when this nation is not
in the middle of a war,
when our young men
and women spend their
time at home with their
families - where they
are supposed to be.
Together.
In the words of that
little sage, Tiny Tim,
“God bless us, every
one.”
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will give him the throne
of his father David, and
he will reign over the
house of Jacob forever;
his kingdom will never
end” (LK 1:26-33 NIV).
Not surprisingly, Mary
expressed
a very
normal
thought
... “How
will this
be,” Mary
asked the
angel,
“since I am
a virgin”
(Luke 1:34
NIV)?
God would
bypass
the normal means of
procreation so that this
pregnancy would be
free from the sin nature
passed on to mankind
through the male seed.
Again, it was Luke who
recorded God’s Divine
process in bringing the
Savior into the world.
“The angel answered,
“The Holy Spirit will
come upon you, and the
power of the Most High
will overshadow you.
So, the holy one to be
born will be called the
Son of God” (Luke 1:35
NIV).
The Divine Plan of
redemption, designed
and sealed in the Eternal
Councils of God prior
to the creation of the
worlds and man, was
ready to be revealed in
the Person of Christ.
God would take on flesh
and, in His humanity,
come into the world ... to
seek and save what was
lost” [you and I] (Luke
19:10 NIV). Never early
or late, but at the right
time in human history,
God presented His mar
velous gift of the Savior,
born in Bethlehem.
Editor’s note: Dr.
Martinez is an ordained
minister and was a
professor and head of
the music department at
Florida State University
School from 1975 to
2003. He is the father of
five adult children and
resides in Lee County
with his wife, Sara.
The University of Georgia • Cooperative Extension Service
Resurrection Ferns
Doug Collins, Lee County
Extension Coordinator
Putting |Cnowledge toWorkfi
Aft
Resurrection ferns have “come to life” after
the rain received over the weekend.
Resurrection Ferns
Resurrection ferns are
very noticeable right
after a rain. With the
foliage from pecan and
other trees gone, the
green foliage of the res
urrection ferns stands
out.
Resurrection ferns live
on the bark of hardwood
trees. They can even
live on rocks or road
banks. These ferns do
not hurt the tree at all.
They obtain all of their
nutrients from the air
and water and materi
al that collects on the
surface of the bark. The
fern attaches itself to the
tree with a rhizome.
Ferns do not have
flowers, but reproduce
by spores that are pro
duced on the underside
of the fern’s fronds in
structures known as
sori. These spores float
in the air and land on
moist tree branches.
Resurrection ferns wilt
during dry weather and
are a dull, unnoticeable
color. Resurrection fern
fronds can lose as much
as ninety-seven per
cent of their moisture
and still survive. Most
other plants would die
if they lost a tenth as
much water. In reality,
resurrection ferns only
lose about seventy-six
percent of their mois
ture during dry spells.
The fern’s fronds will
appear dead during
dry spells. Within
twenty-four hours of a
rain, the fronds will be
rehydrated and have a
rich green color, even
in cold temperatures.
It is estimated that a
resurrection fern could
survive 100 years with
out water. Resurrection
ferns can be dark green
one day, and wilted and
brownish-gray a few
days later.
For more information,
call the Lee County
Extension Office at
759-6025 or email me at
collinsd@uga.edu