Surviving Christmas - Life Changes

Heart of every man is a great adventure. Life doesn't usually feel that way. Jesus speaks of narrow gates wide roads masculine journey is filled with many twists and turns. How do we keep from losing heart trying to find a way when life feels more like a losing battle than something worth dying for, grab your gear and come on a quest band of brothers will serve as the guides we call masculine journey masculine journey starts here now. Welcome to the masculine journey radio join. Just today or in the midst I guess guys of this Christmas season. So many things going on around us. So many things to do, so many places to go. So many people to see and in the midst of all that we been talking about surviving Christmas and today I've got Andy I've got to get Jim here. We've got Robby and we got Sam on the phone, semi-many go to you first before he set up this first clip because we been talking about surviving Christmas and I think this week what were going to touch on is life changes and how that affects your your Christmas season.

Would you elaborate on that little bit force, why not everything changes letter that kids grow up with somebody that we love the Christmas will be around anymore or get married.

Now you're splitting time for different sets of parents are two different that the parents the case may be, job changes, there is help changes. There's all sorts of life changes that really can really affect you at Christmas.

Make it hard to get through. I don't know that we can touch on all those in the show were certainly going to give it a go. If you're listening for the first time we got we would like to illustrate our points through movie clips in the Robby's are resident funny guy with the cliffs. He likes to get in a funny clip start things out and use a little humor and this particular movie is is pretty funny. I seen it before, and those who know Stu well know that this is his half-brother. Elf and talk about your life changes. I mean if you grew up thinking that you're an elf, and you found out your human and mean it's devastating.

And clearly, Mr. normal that something to say about that.

And of course the guy you know Dale's father finding out that his life changed drastically, but the character arc in the movie is is one of the wonderful things that I love about Christmas movies is watching the father how he learns through the elf. You know how to love well, even his own son.

Even the sun that he knew about already, but of course we gotta have a listen to Steve half-brother's own set of custom, technically human, but I was raised by elves.

New Line Cinema presents the story of one who's coming home for Christmas. I go ice-skating sugar now but he's experiencing the world never knew existed as governing what it takes to fit in and going where no well for his family and Michael is thinking like forever cracker this holiday season and for tall tale of proportion close areas.

He's angry you.

I think that everyone needs an elf around for Christmas thoughtful problems when Robby it would get you for sure what what's that have to do with surviving Christmas lights will live here that I owe LITTLE BIT OFF SHORE.

JIM YOU EXPERIENCED ANY LIFE CHANGES LIKE THAT AT CHRISTMAS TIME.

THE MOST ONE OF THE MOST SIGNIFICANT MONTHS OF MY LIFE WAS DECEMBER 1999 ON THE THIRD. MY FATHER DIED ON THE 27TH. MY DAUGHTER WAS MARRIED AND IT JUST HIT ME WHILE WE WERE SITTING HERE THAT ONE OF THE WONDERFUL LADY COUNSELORS THAT OUR CHURCH ONCE TOLD ME THAT HER FAVORITE WORD IS BITTERSWEET AND I DIDN'T REALLY MAD. OKAY, I CAN SEE YOU LIKE BETTER GIVE ME SLEEP BUT THAT WAS A BITTERSWEET MONTH FOR SO MANY OF THE HOLIDAYS ARE CANDY FOR A MINUTE'S HORN THREE IS NOT AGGRESSIVE BUT REAL. IT WAS A WHILE AGO I STAYED WITH ME IS TAKING A WHILE, BUT ABOUT CHRISTMAS TIME FOR ME IS A TIME OF A LOT OF LAUGHTER A LOT OF TEARS A LOT OF INTROSPECTION, A LOT OF REACHING OUT AND TOUCHING PEOPLE LOOK, REALLY IS BITTERSWEET GOOD DESCRIPTION NOW IN MY LIFE. SURE WHEN ANDY WE'VE GOT TO USE ONE OF PROBABLY EVERYONE'S FAVORITE ALL-TIME CHRISTMAS MOVIES. IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE. IT'S BEEN ON SINCE WHAT THE 30S AND 40S. I THINK ONE OF THE NETWORKS ACTUALLY AIRS IT EVERY SINGLE YEAR AND I THINK WHAT ONE OF THE REASONS IS IT SUCH A GREAT STORY AND IT ENCOMPASSES SO MUCH OF SURVIVING CHRISTMAS NOT JUST THAT BUT BUT LIFE CHANGES BECAUSE FOR GEORGE.

HE GOES THROUGH QUITE A BIT HERE SHARED USED TO TEACH A SUNDAY SCHOOL. IT MADE SUCH AN IMPACT. FIRST, HURT, WATCH THE MOVIE AFTER YOU HAD HEARD A LOT ABOUT IT. PEOPLE GOTTA WATCH SO A SIGNIFICANT IMPACT ON ME, BUT THE CLIP WE HAVE COMING UP. BASICALLY, GEORGES HAD A BAD TIME IN HIS LIFE HE WAS LOOKING PLANT GOING TO BE A PILOT. I BELIEVE IT WAS. HE HAD ALL THESE DREAMS AND IS HIS BROTHER WAYNE IS THE IS FATHER WANTED HIM TO TAKE OVER THE BUILDING LOAN THAT KIND OF WENT BAD.

THERE WAS, I GUESS THEY PROTAGONIST OR SOME EVIL PERSON, KIND OF IN THERE THAT HE FIGHTS WITH AN EASE. HE GETS TO THE POINT WHERE HE'S DESTITUTE BECAUSE HE LOST ALL THE PEOPLE'S MONEY IN THE BUILDING ALONE AND YOU HAVE TO WATCH MOVIE HADN'T SEEN IT, BUT ESSENTIALLY HE GETS TO THE POINT WHERE LIKE I WISHED I HAD NEVER BEEN BORN AND IN AND IN HIS LIFE. HE HAD AN IMPACT SO MANY PEOPLE HE NEVER SAW THAT REALLY AND YOU'LL SEE THAT AS WE GO ON NOT TALK TOO MUCH ABOUT THE DETAIL BUT EVEN SAVING HIS BROTHER AT A YOUNG AGE HE SAVED HIM FROM AN ACCIDENT AND STUFF SO HERE THE CLIP ITSELF WOULD MAKE EVERYONE FEEL HAPPY ALL YOU SAY THINGS THAT AN IDEA I GOT YOUR WISH FOR SAM. YOU KNOW, I THINK THERE'S PROBABLY SOMEONE LISTENING OUT THERE TODAY THAT DURING THIS TIME OF YEAR.

MAYBE THAT THOUGHT CROSSED HER MIND BECAUSE OF THINGS THAT ARE GOING ON IN THEIR LIFE THAT THEY WISH THEY'VE NEVER BEEN BORN. I KNOW THAT YEARS AGO WHEN I WAS GOING THROUGH A SEPARATION AND DIVORCE WHEN CHRISTMAS TIME CAME I WASN'T THE HAPPIEST CAMPER AROUND AND I HAVE TO ADMIT THERE WERE TIMES I WAS THINKING YOU KNOW SOMETIMES I WISH I'D NEVER BEEN BORN. BECAUSE OF THIS SEEMS TO BE GOING SO WELL THAT MAKES IT PARTICULARLY HARD THIS TIME A YEAR, DOESN'T IT SOUND YOU IN YOUR SITUATION YOU ARE LATE FOR YOUR LONG REALLY HARD IF YOUR FORTUNE AND HAVE KIDS WITH YOU. SOMETIMES YOU CAN SHIFT THE FOCUS OFF OF THAT, BUT IT DOES MAKE IT VERY DIFFICULT NOT FEELING WHAT DIFFERENCE AM I REALLY MAKING IN LIFE. I THINK PEOPLE FEEL A VARIETY OF REASON.

NOW THAT I THINK THE THING THAT THAT MOVIE DOES REALLY WELL TO SHOW ALL THE LITTLE TOUCHES AND BIG TOUCHES.

WE ACTUALLY HAVE ANOTHER PEOPLE'S LIVES IN WITHOUT ANY OF THIS WORLD YOU GET TO THAT TO THAT BETTER SIDE AFTER THE BREAK Robby YOUR LIFE IS BEEN FULL SOME TWISTS AND TURNS. YOU HAD SOME OF THAT RECENTLY WERE THINGS OF GOING ON IN YOUR FAMILY. IT MAKES IT TOUGH THIS TIME OF YEAR TO HAVE THAT TRUE JOY THAT COMES WITH KNOWING THAT CHRIST IS BORN AND BEING WITH FAMILY AND ENJOYING THIS TIME THE SCISSORS PANELS DO IT FOR ME.

THE RIGHT DIDN'T ALWAYS KNOW THAT WAS THE PART THAT GEORGE DIDN'T SEEM TO REMEMBER WELL IS THERE IS A WHOLE LOT OF PEOPLE TO LOVE ON THE HEAT, HE PLAYED AN IMPORTANT ROLE YET YOU KNOW YOU SERVE.

HE PLAYED A GREAT ROLE IN HIS BROTHER'S LIFE AND YOU KNOW, MR. MORAN NEARLY EVERY HE SAVED FROM THE BAD PILLS AND ALL THAT STUFF. BUT WHAT'S GOING ON IS THERE'S A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT REALLY NEEDED GEORGE TO LOVE THEM WELL IN THE PRESENT TIME, AND NOT TO MENTION DONNA REED AND SHE DESERVED BRIGHT LIGHT ON THINGS. WE GOT MORE TO TALK ABOUT SURVIVING CHRISTMAS AND NOT GOING THROUGH LIFE CHANGES IN SURVIVING CHRISTMAS. WE INVITE YOU TO LOG ON TO MASCULINE JOURNEY RADIO.ORG WHERE YOU CAN FIND INFORMATION ON OUR UPCOMING BOOT CAMP CAN ALSO GO TO OUR PODCAST LISTEN TO ANY OF OUR PAST.

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You are so little cruise let your saying come back to the masculine journey radio show. That was the Frank Sinatra version guys you have yourself a Merry Little Christmas that one line is has always kind of gotten to me where he says now on your troubles will be out of sight, as if Christmas brings a time of no more trouble in your life and I will find that always to be true. Do you, Jim not only always probably never were always going to have trouble with this and Christmas is a time where looking at or should be looking at the one who has resolved all those problems. Happiness, life so you don't have. There's assignment bothers me says keep Christ in Christmas. We can't take him out. Central to it so that if that's your focus, your troubles will eventually be out of sight were within, not so much. I think that's the danger of this the focus of Christmas is on everything but Christ, that it's it it's kinda like when you call it, it's, like short-term gratification know it's good for day are really good for a few weeks and then you get back to your real life, because we don't really censor know that I'd I think about folks I don't know Christ when they come to Christmas time. It's like where they go with that. Now that the song that I hate hearing this time of year and it's like every fourth song played on Christmas right it was last Christmas I gave you my heart all way and that's all ever.

But that's how a lot of people see Christmas and that's that was your favorite Christmas song no one to George Michael Wamp thing figured I figured you probably did quite well. I have to turn the station every time I hear that we got another clip and this one is from my new favorite Christmas movie at had to say.

Now it's not. It's a PG-13's got some language in it. I must tell you got a couple scenes in it that are kind of interesting but I just found it fun and I told Sam a few nights ago I texted Amos a man, you gotta watch this movie I was laughing my head off. By the end of it. I was crying.

The movie is called almost Christmas now to come to set this up guys and then say mama to come to you after this clip because I think maybe you can shed some light on this, but it's really this family getting together for Christmas and it's the first Christmas without the wife.

His wife died 10 months earlier and they were truly truly in love and he thought the sun rose and sat with his wife. There's no doubt about that. The family comes in your mother's gone there grandmother's gone and that dad is trying to he's trying to put together this family Christmas, but the family comes in and they have all these different dynamics and things going on from divorce to running for office to everything that's happening in, and a son that's playing football and a lot of different things hear the clip that I chose was one where it really kinda set the hook that really kinda set for me with the whole movie was about throughout this movie the Danny Glover character who is the dad, Walter. He's trying to make her sweet potato pie recipe trying to make the sweet potato cry because it was perfect and he tries and tries and tries and he can't get it and they can't find the 10 day leave this room.

It's not the sugarfree out you have to go back in three a few years to hear that story about robbing the sugarfree pumpkin pie, but they can't find her mother's I can't find her 10 that has all the recipes in it so he's he's making he's trying this again.

I think it's his granddaughter that's told him to put the love in it and he's talking to his wife. He's actually got a picture of his wife there and is talking to his wife as his going through that. I think one of his daughters comes through. Listen to what happened to us this is family that is Christmas. I'm going to make it right and in and say is a knee is he assume I don't want spoil the ending for you on this movie before you see it, but let me decide the sweet potato pie turned out pretty good in the end in.it times I hear them say sugar. I never heard him say he was considering everything but the reason I wanted to talk about this moment. Sam is because you know you and Robby experience a loss of your mom's. My sisters passed away this year.

That's going to affect my parents greatly here at this time of the year I would survive Christmas with that loss. Not he's finding his way in doing that in the family does come together in the end, but that's kind of a movie ending. I mean, it doesn't always end like a movie. How do we survive Christmas move experience loss and that such a big change in our lives morning. The worst part of the morning you realm up loving others, loving others will believe that the great experiences last week and that I wrote it, talking about my mom was on her deathbed stepped on her hands together like she was kinda something together and we all knew what was stay together no matter what happens on all you kids stay together and we were all together this weekend in Florida made acts moving forward.

That same weekend every year at least.

The siblings will get together.extended family and love each other through our mom in a way and healing time. Years later used to live on through glass by honoring that's awesome that's really cool that loss is come something. This can affect the family.

Now Andy I want to go back to you because we want things up with this last clip from it's a wonderful life you knew George's been through this where he finds out what it's like to never have never been born. As no one knows him anymore.

Now we come back to a time where he's coming back to life and we see the other side of the story absolutely. Things finally get to put back in order. George gets his perspective back. He had to go through some time of looking seeing what life was like without his impact on and looking Robby mentioned earlier as we were talking about this is focus and become so much on the smaller story, but he got his big larger story perspective, and that's really what we need to do at times we are allotted during the holiday season. We focusing on here and fro to get the presents and make everybody happy or or dealing with our aloneness that that kind of thing but to really get a perspective on the larger story really what it's all about God story. It changes our our view of things please God let me live again and again you for George. You know me know you shouldn't all of her time trying to find your car, but I do not treat on your mouse usually all right.

That's what you were talking about Robby. I forgot all about that so so what I'm hearing here is out of out of all these life changes. Out of all the things that are too often the bad that are going on out of loneliness that something tremendous can come from that is Sam shared about his family and Robby is Jesus is 2020 birthdays been around 22,020 years and if he just think, you know, how would he want you to celebrate his birthday bring as many people to the party as possible and love just as Sam said, find a way to love the people in your sphere of influence. Well and and in doing so, you bring the true spirit of Christmas, which is Christ salmon closing thoughts will realize there are other people in our need. Our lab part their lives more than ever now will absolute and maybe it is something will find a way where they are. Thanks for joining us for the masculine radio show surviving Christmas will talk to you next week and told them a God be with you