It seems there is no escaping Black Friday.
The emails began on Wednesday, trickled through yesterday (Thanksgiving), and hit in full force this morning.
It is the Friday after Thanksgiving and the official start of Christmas shopping (buying) season. Thanksgiving is a US holiday (on this date anyway). Yet, my messages have come from Europe as well as the US. Perhaps even Asia.
First up this morning was a message from the Polish developers of my “Getting Things Done” app offering four free months with a one-year renewal for Black Friday. I’ve had messages from France, Germany, and the UK. Maybe more.
I know that retail is a tough business. Unless you’re WalMart, you’re not making large amounts of profits. Business plans are often built around a spike in sales in December.
Consumer buying supports the country’s economy. It enables worldwide manufacturing and distribution jobs.
It is your patriotic duty in many countries to buy.
This all conflicts with my natural inclination toward the spiritual discipline of simplicity. Although, giving is also a spiritual gift. But, how much must we give for Christmas? And there is financial discipline. Don’t spend more than you have.
We began our Christmas season with the annual watching of “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation.” Let the holiday music begin…
Faith Venture 
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