Isn't There Anyone Who Knows What Christmas is All About?

I've been listening to Adventures in Odyssey my whole life, and over that time I learned many important things. Even though the cassette boxes say that it's for ages eight through twelve, and I'm fourteen, it continues to remind me of the most basic things. Brace yourselves. I'm about to be the most cliché person ever.

Even now, as a teenager, it is so easy to forget what Christmas is about. Now, I've seen enough cheesy Hallmark movies and VeggieTales to know that Christmas isn't about gifts or decorations, but with the commercialization around Christmas, it's easy to forget. I had a debate tournament this past weekend, so Christmas has been far from my mind, so I've been listening to Christmas Adventures in Odyssey to catch up on the spirit of the season.

It's easy for all of us to forget the point of Christmas. The secular culture has chewed it up and spit it out as a time for big sales, big trees, and big gifts. I think we all need to take a break from the commercialization and watch A Charlie Brown Christmas. It's not about gifts or decorations. It's about family and friends, being with people you love. It's about the greatest gift ever given- Jesus Christ. I pray we never forget that.

"'And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.' And that's what Christmas is all about, Charlie Brown."

Merry Christmas to all, and may all vote affirmative.

Kitkats and Impromptu (ballots)

Ever since I started this blog (in May), I've been waiting to come across the perfect picture for it. Preferably the impromptu topic 'Kitkats.' I would take a picture of the topic and post it on here. Unfotunately, I never drew that topic. But then my super duper awesome friend gave me a Kitkat and I was struck with inspiration. Vote affirmative, for my extreme creativity.

When You're Stuck on What to Say During Tournament Conversations

This year, my persuasive is about 'the impact you can have through a conversation.' In it, I encourage people to introduce themselves to people they've never met before, because you never know the kind of impact you can have on someone through a simple conversation. Sometimes it's really hard to figure out what to say after 'hello, my name is -insert your name here-", but there are a few good conversation starters that are perfect tournaments.

"I Like Your Suit"

This comment, when said to a girl, will often result in a shpeel (shpeal? shpele?) about how many hours she spent looking in thrift stores looking for a cute suit, only to discover that her older sister had some perfectly adorable ones hidden in the depths of her closet. Or she'll just say thanks, and probably compliment something you're wearing.

"What Case Are You Running?"

Not only is this a good conversation starter, it's also a great way to learn how to destroy them when you hit them about your new friend's opinion on the resolution. ;)

"Where Did You Get Those Shoes?"

"Oh, you mean these little flats that look so cute and innocent but are actually the most horrendous things to walk the planet?" "Yes, those." "Target."

"How Many Siblings do You Have?"

Not 'do you have siblings?' How many. We're homeschoolers- it's a given that we have siblings. There's no telling how many siblings one has, when in the homeschool world. But if someone answers 'none,' you have every right to gasp in horror and ask why.

"What Club Are You From?"

This year the answer to this question will be more varied than ever. Maybe one day I'll figure out what all the Tyler club names are. But probably not.

"How Long Have You Been Doing Speech and Debate?"

"This is my second year, but I've been around S&D for seven years." "Okay... wow..." "And I did juniors for a year. I like, won first place, but then I got last place and gave up on speech for four years. Then I wrote a speech about it..."

"What Tournaments Are You Going to?"

Be sure to remember their answer to this, so that at the end of the tournament you can say 'see you at -insert clever tournament name here-!'

"What Speech Events Are You Doing?"

This question will inevitably lead to the following questions:

1. What is your persuasive/OO/expos on?
2. What is your DI/Duo/HI/OI/Storytelling?
3. Do you prefer abstracts or quotes for impromptu?
4. Isn't extemp the event boring people do?
5. Why aren't you doing any interps?
6. Just debate? That's lame. What's your case?
7. Do you have something against impromptu?

"Vote Affirmative"

Okay, that's a really horrible conversation starter. But it's a good affirmative rebuttal ender. And blog post ender. So... Vote affirmative. And if you have any more tournament conversation starters, tell me in the comments. :)