Greetings Dearly Beloved Fans, Friends, Fiends and Foes,

‘Tis the season and just like all of you I have been keeping pretty busy.  There are some of you that would like an update on what's all going on with me so I will tell you all about it.

I also have a clip that I would like to share with you.  I received this clip from one of my former Sunday School students and thought it was just absolutely incredible.  She works on Capitol Hill and one of her main interests is in the way our Veterans and Wounded Warriors are treated when they come back.  She believes, and I agree, that spouses and family members should receive equal compensation with outside caregivers.  She also says that our vets and wounded are too-often neglected.  She is a fiscal conservative, as am I, but since the government plans to rob us blind anyway, they could at least spend it on something worthwhile, even if it means giving up important research into the sex life of the South American Swamp Rat or any of these: http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/editors-choice/2008/08/09/how-dangerous-is-sword-swallowing-and-other-stupid-research-86908-20690273/ (Yes.  Thank you.  I know these are not all American research projects, but you get the general idea this way.  You know what I mean.)

This video clip is not really about politics and is not preachy, just pretty awesome, whether you are a hopeless romantic looking for the definition of true love or an old warhorse-horse-soldier, looking to read about brave men and women.  After the clip, which comes after the "read more" button, for those of you in either Rio Linda or Clintonvile (Dropped an "l" on purpose)city government, I will have a bit more to tell you about what's up with me.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FaAGaBnc4Ps

I am still working on the book project but along with fleshing out the first four installments, I have decided there are at least three more chapters to really complete it, so it is taking a bit longer than I had first thought.  When I started writing the original blog entries I had made some notes on things I had looked up and things I knew, which I had thought possibly to make into an introduction of sorts.  Since I hate most introductions on books but some of this stuff was interesting to me anyway, here you go, some of my raw unedited notes for your perusal.  Whether there is an introduction or not is not a concern at present and you will notice that none of this stuff has been rewritten since I am working on the actual book part of the project.  You may or may not notice that some of the info does not jive with the story when it comes out, but that is because I have done more studying since then.  It's mostly correct though.  There is also a first part of the story I had started to write, just to get the creative juices flowing, which I have mostly trashed.  If it's boring or junky or just plain hokey, don't blame me, well, it's mine, I guess I have to take the blame, but anyway, you have been warned.

Herb's Notes:

I think the introduction should be limited if at all

I grew up in a religion that didn't believe in any celebrations of any sort, especially Christmas, so it is still a magical time for me.  I am constantly filled with awe and wonder at the story of the Creator of the Universe being born among us.  Not as a king, but as a common man.  I am awed by the practical side of the story, too.

I like to imagine different parts of a story as I get ready to teach it to my Sunday School children.  The Christmas story is especially fun.  You can take every aspect of it and make something special and interesting, and often funny, out of it.  The holiday we celebrate now is a tradition and much of our knowledge of it is from tradition.  I did not try to write a traditional story, I tried to write an imaginative story of what a man might think and do.  This is not a history book but I have tried to keep the salient points lined up with the Scriptures.

( I am aware that the name "Jesus" is a Greek transliteration of the Hebrew, Joshua, but I am a believer in Jesus and wrote this story from that perspective.  Most people wouldn't notice or care, but if I were reading such a story, it is a comment I would make in passing.)

I personally disagree with the critics who say it could not have been December 25th because of this or that reason.  We really don't know, but we do know the angel visited Mary in the sixth month, which would be Adar, equivalent to our March.  Besides, the date we have been using for the last 1700 years or so seems fine with me.  I know there is no real indication of the time or date, so I picked one, reasoning that the Romans would put some sort of deadline on such a major decree, which fits best in my imaginative telling.  Betrothal was second in seriousness only to being married, leaving only the consummation to take place.  Unlike our immoral modern times being casually "shacked up" was a serious offense and getting "knocked up" could be cause for a public stoning in some circumstances.

I live near the Rocky Mountains and occasionally travel up the Interstate from Colorado Springs to Denver.  75 miles does not sound far, but thousands of people live in Denver who work in The Springs and vice-versa and every single one of them seems to always be running late.  This is not a trip I enjoy.  Then I had another thought.

What if you lived in a time when the best of roads was a dirt path?  You do not live in a free and elected democracy, but under a foreign king?  He issues an edict that everyone should travel back to the town where their ancestors originated to be counted in a census and properly taxed.  You live in a small mountain community and make a living fixing broken chairs and mending chicken coops.  Perhaps occasionally you are called upon to build one of the hovels that pass for a house in the village.  You might help repair the olive press if it breaks.  You are a descendant of the house of the mighty King David, but so what?  Who isn't?  It seems that everyone has some link or claim to ascendancy but it really doesn't matter.  There is no royal house any more; your country has been occupied by the Roman Empire.

Perhaps you were sick of life in the big city and dealing with the Romans and their arrogance every day, so you moved north, to a quiet little mountain town where you can have some peace and quiet.  Nazareth is 75 miles north of Jerusalem as the crow flies although by trails it is likely 90 or more and then Bethlehem is about another 5 after that.

rise in elevation of over thirteen hundred feet, which means something if you have ever hiked in mountains.  Nazareth is 1830 ft and Bethlehem 2500 ft 

Winter temps according to Palestine and Israel tourism websites wet climate varies between 9 - 18 Celsius or 48 - 66   temp of  12 or 13 C in Dec = 53.6 - 55.4  Not too cold for sheep on hillside  Similar to Riverside, CA?  Lat similar

http://www.sheep101.info/201/housing.html  Argument I have heard all my life, too is that the sheep can't stand winter but appears they can since they can graze through 12 in of snow.

So what if it happens on or near pagan holidays?  Not valid argument.  Makes no difference.

As to the wise men, a heavily burdened camel can travel 25 desert miles in a day, so a trip from modern day Baghdad to Jerusalem (543 miles) would be a little over 21 days.  Kabul to Jerusalem (1968 miles) 78 days. Tehran to Jerusalem (975 miles) 39 days.  Riyadh, Saudi Arabia (856 miles) 34 days.  Islamabad Pakistan (2200 miles) 88 days.

,

Probably caravan = important citizens like Daniel, Shadrach, Meshech, Abednego (find Hebrew names again) armed caused big stir on arrival asking for king of Jews talking about star  Comet when Alexander born - someone else in their memorable time.  Julius Caesar?

Herod political ally of Augustus - Agrippa saved Augustus fat from the fire.  Rewarded as "king"  Evil.  Paranoid.  Murdered 3 sons and wife known by history - josephus also wife's 80 yr old grandfather - others "Better to be Herod's hog than his son"

Herb "It could have happened that way" Thiel