Christmas time

Christmas time is here again

Well folks, Christmas is nearly here and, if my calculations are correct, this year marks the 2,055th year since the birth of our Lord and Saviour. That means over 2,000 Christmases have come and gone, but for most of us, I'll guess less than 50 since I don't actually know how young my MotoReaders are. 

Regardless of how many Yuletides this old world has seen, or how many each of us have experienced though, the sentiment remains the same. Christmas is a special time of year for the majority of us because it's a time that we can be a little better versions of ourselves. It's a time that we can get away with being a little goofier, a little merrier and a little nicer to each other simply because of the season. Christmas is a time for happiness and joy, a time for giving, spreading love and enjoying time with our families, friends and our favorite people. 

Christmas is also a great time to check in on those among us who aren't as blessed. A time to feed those who may otherwise go hungry and provide warmth and shelter to those who may not have a roof over their head. I would imagine that, in the Lord's divine grace and knowledge, Christmas being at the beginning of winter and on the eve of a new year, is no accident. After all, it's a great time of year to help our fellow man, feed them, clothe them, and help them, at at time when we are experiencing so much abundance. Being on the eve of a new year also is a great time to remind us to be better people as we go into the future. To resolve to keep up that momentum of giving, sharing and helping all throughout the year.

But how often do we actually do that? How long does our philanthropy last? How long does it take for us to regain our cynicism of the world? 

I remember, from what seems like such a long time ago now, when I was a kid, Christmas was the best time of year. School would let out for the rest of the year, the Sears toy catalog would be delivered and the stores were warm and full of fat guys in red suits. Bells were ringing everywhere you went, colorful lights lit up houses and big ornaments were attached to the street lights through all of the towns you'd pass through. People seemed happier back then. My family moved to the Gulf Coast from the Midwest when I was a kid, so I have Christmas memories of deep snow, puffy jackets, mittens and stocking caps, as well as, memories of warm, sunny Christmas mornings where a new bike could be ridden through the neighborhood, the tides being out leaving the bayous drained to a trickle (perfect for "treasure" hunting) and running around outside like fools with my friends and cousins until the sun went down.

The older we get though, it seems like the shiny magic of Christmas time fades, tarnishes and ceases to glow with the same brilliance as it did when we were kids. We get older, take on responsibilities, have to work, pay bills, navigate through heavier than normal traffic, and stress out over buying gifts and, sometimes, getting ourselves in debt trying to buy gifts for everyone in our lives.

The ironic part is, the best gifts that we can give, are usually the ones that we are least likely to give. Gifts of happy, joyous memories, gifts of spending time, good quality time, with each other. Gifts of our undivided attention with no phones or electronic devices to distract us from the moments. Gifts as simple as a "Merry Christmas" to the cashier at the grocery store, or a putting a sack of potatoes in the food drive donation box for a local church. Doing something as simple as letting a car merge in front of you in traffic, or letting someone have that really good parking spot in front of the store, doesn't cost us a thing. By being considerate of other people and remembering that they may be going through a difficult time, we can literally make a positive impact on each other, because such a simple act of kindness could be the one thing that changes someone's day for the better. 

A new year

As the Christmas bells of 2022 stop ringing and the new year draws nearer, the simple fact remains that the unrelenting march of time continues onward, ticking by in seconds, minutes, hours, days and months until we find ourselves here, in this most Holy time, once again. No matter what you did right, or wrong in 2022, you'll have an opportunity to make it right (or screw it up) in 2023 and, if you're blessed enough, again the next year, and the next year after that. 

The trick of it all though, is that we don't know how many Christmases or how many new years we will be blessed to see. So my advice to you is to live each day, as the day that you want to be remembered by. If today was your last day and your whole life were to be judged by what you  did, or how you treated people, today... what would people remember you for? Would they speak of your generosity? Your kindness? Your positivity? Or would they speak of you in some other, less kind, way? 

Christmas time charity and kindness doesn't have to only be once a year, but rather, it can be the beginning of a new year of kindness, charity and love for each other. 

Remember to always be kind, MotoReaders.

 

Amazing Appalachia... Video Series

Amazing Appalachia, Video Series, Chapter 1

After a long hiatus from doing videos, I decided to put the GoPros to work again, so I could share my trip to the Appalachian Mountains last September with my loyal MotoReaders. 

Chapter 1 takes you from The Gulf Coast of Mississippi to the Foothills of the Smoky Mountains in Tennessee in just over 3 minutes.

Please, click the link below and enjoy day one of my trip. 

Amazing Appalachia, Chapter 1

If you like the video, let me know by hitting the "thumbs up" button and if you want to be notified when Chapter 2 gets uploaded, hit the "subscribe" button. 

Thanks again and ride safe, MotoReaders!

HELLFIGHTERS!

The Hellfighters

Hellfighters... what a cool name, right? But who, or rather what, is the Hellfighters Motorcycle Shop? Check out their website by clicking here. If you're not really in the mood to do any more clickin', keep reading and I'll give you the MotoWriter rundown.

So much more than a motorcycle shop

Hellfighters is a motorcycle shop in Laurel, MS (<click the link for more info), but it's not just a motorcycle shop, it's a swap meet, a gun store, a gift and home store, a restaurant, a chapel, a Rhino Jeeps dealer, and a Christian Ministry, all wrapped up in a huge repurposed industrial building that has been beautifully converted to house it all.

The Hellfighters shop is truly a sight to behold. The last time I was there was several years ago and it was pretty cool then, albeit, relatively small and pretty cramped up. But on this latest visit, just a couple of weeks ago, I discovered that the old building was vacant and the new building, which is situated right around the corner, was clearly open for business... ALL of the business. The new building is over 83,000 square feet of awesomeness. Upon walking in, I saw a massive inventory of used motorcycles, with cool movie props spread around for our viewing pleasure. My wife perused the home decor section for at least half an hour, and my son and I got lost in the rest of the place. Then, after seeing the main section, we saw the swap meet. Let me tell you about the swap meet... it was a huge room, filled with every motorcycle part you could possibly need. I won't get into too much detail about the rest of the place, because honestly, I don't think I could do it justice by mere words. You really do need to go check it out in person. 

So, why is this place so big? Why is it so popular? How does a Christian Ministry turn into a motorcycle destination, especially in a modern society that seems to reject, or at the least question, God's existence? The answer, is God.

The Mission

When so many people are afflicted with pain and consumed by addictions of every kind, the Hellfighters Ministry is right there, willing and able to help them find their way to salvation. They are not only spreading the word of God, but they are actively practicing His ways and trying to help save as many lost souls as they can. According to their website- 100% of the profit (that is every cent) goes to Mission at the Cross in Laurel, MS so that men suffering from addiction can find recovery, and Jesus, for free. Mission at the Cross was started by the founders of Hellfighters, Richard and Gina Headrick back in 1998, from a little ministry service that they called "the Bum Ministries." Read more detail about it by clicking here- it really is a neat story and really proves that God works in mysterious ways, and often, He works through the most unassuming people among us, people that we might not normally notice or if we do, we might try our best to avoid.

Location, location, location

They say that location is everything and I'll agree with that. Laurel is a pretty nice place and, it's even gained notoriety from the extremely popular HGTV show, Hometown, which follows Ben and Erin Napier as they renovate one place at a time and ultimately revitalize areas of small, otherwise forgotten little towns. They do great work and show their love of small town USA, again and again in their efforts. I'm not really big into watching television, but I have seen their work in Laurel, MS and in Wetumpka, AL and I'm pretty impressed with it. They've really helped to revitalize these little towns and the small, locally owned businesses there are thriving. As for the location of the Mission at the Cross and the Hellfighters Shop, Laurel is, once again, an ideal spot on the map. It's close enough to be accessible from several larger urban areas, where problems with homelessness and addiction seem to be the worst, but it's far enough away from them to help those in need focus on their recovery. It's also right off of I-59 (and you can't miss the signs). 

Go check 'em out

Make a point to go visit the good folks at Hellfighters USA. Go check out the good work they are doing and, even if you don't need anything, buy a little something from them anyway to help in their mission of helping those poor lost souls to find salvation and recovery. You never know who you might be giving a second chance to. They are open most days from 8am until 5 pm (the others, they're open until 6 pm), except of course on Sundays, when they close the doors to rest, and give thanks to our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.

One thing I always try to promote here in my little corner of the interweb, is the encouragement to live your life in a good and just way, to be a good person and to live in such a way that honors God and spreads good will. I think that's why I like the Hellfighters so much, because they aren't just writing about it, they have the means to do good and are actively helping people become better versions of themselves, and I think that's a really awesome thing to do.

Ride safe, make good choices and help your fellow man if you can and, if you can't, then try to help those that are already doing it.

MotoWriter side note:

By now, this should go without saying, but I'll say it again- I'm not paid by the Hellfighters, the Mission at the Cross or any other entity for my posts. I just like to review different things and places that I see and, being that I like to stay positive on my blog, I usually only write about the things and places that I really like or that really make a positive impact on me. 

I've often said that I'd be happy to get on a company's payroll, but for this one, I'll forego my previous sentiments. You see, The Hellfighters' mission is not only an honorable endeavor, but one that serves to improve our society, spread the gospel of our Lord and save lives. Even if they did offer to pay me for my humble words, I wouldn't accept their money- I would gladly donate my time and my words in service to their mission. 

-Thank you for your time and support, MotoReaders.