Badger Benson

The Badger Den’s first ever Deck Your Den Contest! My guest panel (TBA) will judge the entries. The winners will be announced on my Christmas Eve Show. They will earn a Griswold Award (aka The Grizzies) and few small prizes: $25, Glenn Beck’s Snow Angel book, ornaments, or a 3 month subscription to the Jelly of The Month Club.
Categories:
Best Exterior Illumination (Cash)
Best Interior Illumination (Book)
Best Tree (Ornament)
Worst Decoration (Could be anything from tree ornaments to plastic Santa’s with punched in noses) (Ornament)
Best Chronicled Decorating Process (series of video or pictures) 3 month subscription to the Jelly of the Month Club.
Send your entry to brandon@badgerbenson.com
Feel free to post them here for everyone to see. The final collection will be posted on the web site. Looking for everything from nice to off the wall. Originality will go far! Keep it PG people.
And for the love of Grace (bless her heart she died 30 years ago) do not hurt yourself! (And if you do at least get it on tape.) Brandon Benson, Benson Creative Services, and the Badger Benson Show will not be held responsible for any injuries or damages to yourself and/or property. You have until December 22nd to submit your entries.
Now get busy! If you’re interested in being on the panel, send me an email. I’ll get a crack staff together for the judging and announce who they are in the coming weeks.

https://www.facebook.com/events/249395895116071/

if you’re a friend on my Facebook page you’ve noticed over the past few weeks I’ve been sharing snippets and insight from a faith perspective on the Charles Dickens Christmas classic “A Christmas Carol”. The material I’m using comes from Stephen Skelton who wrote a special edition to “Carol” with footnotes and discussion questions on the Christian themes and aspects that Dickens used in “Carol”. It’s a great read and makes for a wonderful seasonal study for a church or small group.

On Facebook and Twitter I’ve been posting daily messages from the footnotes about the story. I’ll do this each day for the entire book up to Christmas Day.

Also, the Christmas Series of Shows this year will feature each Stave from “A Christmas Carol”. Join me this Friday night at 7 PM as I kick off the study on the show at blogtalkradio.com/badger-benson

Here is what I have posted so far: I like to call them “Scroogies.

11/18 The term "Carol" we use for any Christmas song. But Dickens was using the context of his time, a carol meant a song celebrating the birth of Christ. Thus he divides the book into "staves" instead of chapters. A stave is a stanza of a song.

11/19 The colloquial word "scrooge" means "to squeeze". Dickens point to use it as a name is to underscore his main character’s primary sin: greed.

11/20 Scrooge’s catchphrase "bah humbug" was the common term for non-sense. We think of him saying it a lot. Actually it is said very little in the story, and even by the end of Stave One he can barely get it out, as one of the first signs of transformation, and it’s never said again in the remaining four staves.

11/21 Marley’s death is "7 years ago this night" (Christmas Eve). 7 often seen as a Holy number. Also we celebrate Christ’s birth on Christmas Day. The implication is that Marley never knew Christ in life; and foreshadowing a rebirth for Scrooge.

11/22 Note that the first two spirits appear accompanied by light, but the third arrives shrouded in darkness.

11/23 Marley appears to Scrooge as "still agitated by the hot vapor from an oven", an obvious reference to hell.

11/24 Now in Stave Two: "He resolved to lie awake until the hour was past; and considering he could no more go to sleep than go to Heaven." Dickens gives a dual purpose with the words in Carol many times, this being one example.

11/25 "It is required of every man," returned the Ghost, "That the spirit within him should walk abroad among his fellow-men, and travel far and wide; and if that spirit goes not forth in life, it is condemned to do so after death. It is doomed to wander through the world-oh, woe is me! And witness what it cannot share, but might have shared on earth, and turned to happiness!" Dickens was having Marley speak of the Great Commission.

11/26 Scrooge is so consumed by money at start of Stave 2 that if the sun were blotted out his biggest concern is that people who owe him money will not be able to count the days to pay him in a timely manner. Two purposes in this: The extent of his greedy nature; and also the blindness of those who live in spiritual darkness even when surrounded by light.

11/27 The appearance of Ghost of Christmas Past is based on the German character the Christkind – according to legend was a heavenly messenger said to have announced the birth of Christ. Other stories say it is a child who brought gifts to infant Jesus. In parts of Germany and other countries it is this character who brings children their toys on Christmas and not Santa Claus.

11/28 "Good Heaven!" says Scrooge. A notable change early in Stave 2 from his earlier "Bah Humbug!"

11/29 When the First Spirit says he is there for Scrooge’s welfare, the worldly minded miser thinks of his physical well-being, causing the Spirit to clarify it is "reclamation", emphasizing a spiritual rehabilitation.

11/30 "It would have been in vain for Scrooge to plead that the weather and the hour were not adapted to pedestrian purposes; that bed was warm, and the thermometer a long way below freezing; that he was clad but lightly in his slippers, dressing-gown, and nightcap; and that he had a cold upon him at the time." Dickens seems to satirize a list of excuses for not following the spirit. In our own lives we might compare this to a cold Sunday morning when we’d rather stay in bed than go to church.

Tomorrow morning is the Thanksgiving Day Show! Join me for a short Thanksgiving Day message. It starts at 9:00 AM.

Before that join me for a special edition of Morning Prayer on the Badger Benson Show. That starts at 6:30 AM.

Have safe travels and a happy Thanksgiving!

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/badger-benson

Time for this years nominations for the Golden George Awards!

I started the Golden George Awards last year out of inspiration of the town of Wilmington, Ohio that was in the news this time last year. The town was on hard times after DHL and other businesses closed. But people and businesses came together, supported each other and kept the town going. The story was featured by Glenn Beck and other news outlets.

I decided on the name Golden George after the character of George Bailey in the Christmas classic "It’s A Wonderful Life". The purpose of the awards are to recognize those people who are the George Bailey’s of their communities. People who best espouse the Christmas spirit. They might be your neighbors or family members. They might be the richest person in town or the poorest. Young or old. It could be the smallest gesture of kindness to running a homeless shelter.

Whatever it is, you know who they are and they’re doing great things for others, and they likely don’t require thanks to do it. They just do it because that is who they are…and such people make the places we live a little bit better, especially this time of the year.

If you know of such a person nominate them for the Golden George Awards. Email me at brandon@badgerbenson.com telling a little about them and why they deserve the award.
You can view last years winners here: http://www.badgerbenson.com/americans-vs-americants/2010-golden-george-awards-announced/

Last year the top two spots went to my Grandmas…I’d argue they both certainly deserved it! But with only family making nominations that’s just how it ended up. I managed to find little stories from around the country like Wilmington for the rest. This year I hope to see more nominees!
The final list will be announced on my program, a pre-recorded show on Christmas Day.

The Badger Den’s first ever Deck Your Den Contest! My guest panel (TBA) will judge the entries. The winners will be announced on my Christmas Eve Show. They will earn a Griswold Award (aka The Grizzies) and few small prizes: $25, Glenn Beck’s Snow Angel book, ornaments, or a 3 month subscription to the Jelly of The Month Club.

Categories:
Best Exterior Illumination (Cash)
Best Interior Illumination (Book)
Best Tree (Ornament)
Worst Decoration (Could be anything from tree ornaments to plastic Santa’s with punched in noses) (Ornament)
Best Chronicled Decorating Process (series of video or pictures) 3 month subscription to the Jelly of the Month Club.

Send your entry to brandon@badgerbenson.com
Feel free to post them here for everyone to see. The final collection will be posted on the web site. Looking for everything from nice to off the wall. Originality will go far! Keep it PG people.
And for the love of Grace (bless her heart she died 30 years ago) do not hurt yourself! (And if you do at least get it on tape.) Brandon Benson, Benson Creative Services, and the Badger Benson Show will not be held responsible for any injuries or damages to yourself and/or property. You have until December 22nd to submit your entries.
Now get busy! If you’re interested in being on the panel, send me an email. I’ll get a crack staff together for the judging and announce who they are in the coming weeks.

Check out the event on Facebook. https://www.facebook.com/events/249395895116071/