The Most Anti-Climactic Day of the Year

Okay, here it is… Dec. 26th.



The most anti-climactic day of the year.


Discarded wrapping paper, boxes, assembly instructions, gift envelopes stuff bulging trash bags.


Abandoned toys, games, dolls sit askew under the tree and around the house.

Leftovers cram the refrigerator.


The frenetic pace has halted.

All of the energy that has been building for days, weeks, months has dissipated.


Carbon dioxide fills the homes as people everywhere release collective sighs of relief.






And --






Oh joy, it’s my birthday!






But I’m not bitter…






It’s not that my family doesn’t make an effort to make my day special. They do. But I don’t even feel like making it special either!


One year, my husband threw me a surprise birthday party on June 26th, my half-birthday.  That was a surprise, all right! And so for a couple of years we celebrated my birthday in June, but it began to get a little confusing. And my mom actually revolted, remembering the frigid cold day that she gave birth to her firstborn was not in June. So back to December we went!

All my life, even as a youngster when we didn’t celebrate Christmas in our Jewish home, I felt the letdown that is December 26th.


Today, I googled “December 26”. All I found was this “Drunk Santa mousepad” and many images of the 2004 tsunami, one of the worst catastrophes in history. Could we get more depressing?

Honestly, no one wants to do anything on this date! I should be writing a wonderful post recapping the 40 Day Focus. I have so much to be thankful for. But let’s face it. You don’t want to read it anyway!


At least not today…


Maybe tomorrow.


Lord, honestly I do thank You for my birthday, and for my spiritual birthday when I was born again into Your family. I thank You for being my heavenly Father, and for all those who have made my life so rich. I thank You for Your abundant grace towards me. May I serve You fully this coming year in everything You place in my path. May I be obedient to Your call.



Susan

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas! May today be blessed as we honor the incarnation of our Lord.

Today's post is from Greg Laurie, pastor of Harvest Christian Fellowship, Riverside, CA








"For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace." Isaiah 9:6



The real message of Christmas is not the gifts we give each other. Rather, it is a reminder of the gift that God has given to each of us. It is the only gift that truly keeps on giving, so I want to point out four things about it.



First, it is surprising. When Christmas rolls around, you often try to figure out if certain people have bought that gift you really wanted. Maybe you already know what they bought, because they didn't hide it very well. Or maybe you uncovered it by accident-or maybe not. But when the day comes and you open the present, you have to pretend you're surprised. Yet all along, you knew what it was. God's gift to us, however, was a complete surprise. It was not expected and, as you examine it more carefully, you realize how great a gift it actually was.



Second, God's gift came to us in the humblest of wrappings. What would you think if you saw a gift under your Christmas tree that was wrapped in newspaper and tied up with string? At first, you would probably assume that a guy wrapped it.



But think about God's gift to us. Jesus was not born in a palace of gold; He was born in a stable. He was clothed in rags. He was laid in a feeding trough. Yet these things do not, in any way, diminish the story of Christ's birth. If anything, they help us realize the great sacrifice God made for us. God's gift to humanity, the ultimate gift of eternal life through His Son, Jesus Christ, came in the simplest and humblest of wrappings.




Third, we don't deserve this gift. At Christmas, we give gifts to the people we care about, the ones who have been kind to us over the past year, or the ones who have given us a gift first. We don't give gifts to the person who has been slandering our name, or to the angry neighbor who never has a kind word to say. Yet God gave us His gift when we were His enemies. He didn't give this gift to us because we deserved it. In fact, it was just the opposite. The Bible tells us, "But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8 NKJV).




Fourth, the gift tells us something about the giver. When you want to give someone a gift, you start thinking about it ahead of time. Hopefully, you try to find what that person wants or needs. When God decided to give us the gift of eternal life, it wasn't something that He just thought of on the fly. Long before there was a town called Bethlehem, a garden called Eden, or a planet called Earth, a decision was made in eternity that God would send forth His Son, born of a woman, to redeem those who are under the law.



The Bible says that He was slain from the foundation of the world (see Revelation 13:8). Make no mistake about it: this gift that God has given to us was the most sacrificial thing He possibly could have offered.



So Christmas isn't about those gifts that you have under your tree right now. All of those things will be gone one day. All that will be left after this life is the human soul, and that will live forever. We will put so much stock in what we have, but this is all going to pass away.



Life is about what happens beyond the grave. Life is about knowing the God who made you and who gave you the greatest gift you will ever receive.



Merry Christmas!
 
Susan

What Do You Believe?

Despite pageants, stories and pictures to the contrary, there is no innkeeper mentioned in Scripture. Luke simply says it this way: “And she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.” (Luke 2:7)

The image of a cold-hearted scoundrel turning away the holy family is a part of folklore, but not part of the scriptural record.

The "Bethlehem Inn" was not like the Holiday Inns of today. Usually, the first floor of an inn was a stable for the animals owned by the travelers who stayed in the rooms above. There was little privacy at normal times, probably none during the census. The most private area for people would be the "fragrant" space reserved for animals. It was an act of kindness for Mary and Joseph to be allowed to share of corner of the first floor to deliver their Child.

What other images are part of our memory, but have no foundation in Scripture? Do you picture Mary and Joseph traveling alone from Nazareth to Bethlehem, a hugely pregnant Mary astride a donkey, solitary figures in dark silhouette against a blue background? It's highly unlikely that they would be traveling alone. It wasn't part of the culture. Bands of robbers roamed the highways. The other family members of Joseph would also need to be in Bethlehem. How about Mary running to see Elizabeth? Again, unlikely that she would be traveling alone from Nazareth to Jerusalem. Speaking of travelers, the magi are often pictured alongside the shepherds in a nativity scene, when they actually arrived up to 2 years after the birth of Jesus.

Those are just a few of the images that inhabit our minds that are not based on truth. The Scripture is silent about some details, and so our ideas are formed by popular culture instead.

But there's plenty that Scripture is not silent about, and because of our familiarity with the story, we miss important messages. In Acts 17:11, Luke commended the noble character of the people of Berea when he said, "they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true." I encourage you to search the Scriptures to see if what you believe is really true.  

In your search, you will find nuggets there that will speak directly to your heart, words that you might have skimmed over in the past. I had this experience a few years ago when reading Luke 1. I knew that after her encounter with the angel Gabriel, Mary hurried to see her relative Elizabeth. I knew that when Elizabeth saw Mary, the baby "leaped in her womb", and Elizabeth declared Mary blessed and herself favored because of Mary's visit. And then, Mary began her "song". At least, I thought she did. I totally missed a little statement by Elizabeth that spoke volumes to me 2000 years later. "You are blessed because you believed that the Lord would do what he said.” Luke 1:45 NLT 

Maybe it was reading in a new translation (something else I recommend), but seeing those words made me realize how blessed I am simply because I believe that God will do what He says. I need nothing else to be blessed. That verse was there all along, but I had skimmed over it for years. 

As you read these 4 chapters (Matt. 1 & 2, Luke 1& 2) this year, in your quiet time or with your family, won't you ask God to reveal something new to you?

I wrote a poem called "Mary Had A Little Lamb" which concludes:

For God did speak to Mary

And He spoke to Joseph, too.

And if you listen with your heart

God will speak to you!!

May He speak to You anew this Christmas season!

Susan

The Ultimate Gifts

Since our family is observing the Advent Conspiracy, we’ve been thinking differently about gifts. I shared in my 11/29/2009 post that my children, my husband and I will not be buying gifts for each other this year (other than stocking stuffers). We will be buying "gifts" from World Vision, Samaritans Purse or Touch The World to benefit those in need. We will be contributing to provide clean water, livestock and food for villages, and helping women learn a trade to support their families ravaged by AIDS.

This week, my husband said that the magi gave gifts, but not to each other. The magi’s gifts were given to Jesus. (How did we get the idea that Christmas is about giving gifts to each other on Someone else's birthday anyway?) Our family's gifts this year will also be given to Jesus because He said that “whatever you did for one of the least of these, you did for Me.” (Matt. 25:40)

What about the gifts that the magi gave? Gold, frankincense and myrrh… The magi didn't stop in Target or Walmart for these items. It is said that these gifts were not randomly chosen. They each have spiritual meanings:

Gold represents royalty, a symbol of His kingship on earth.

Frankincense is a symbol of priestship. The priests burned incense representing the prayers of God’s people, and Jesus is the great high priest (Hebrews 4:14).


Myrrh is an embalming oil or spice, and as such, represents death. Even at His birth, the reality is that reason He came was to die.


He is the King of kings and most deserving of receiving gold. But we are His children, joint heirs with Christ, a royal priesthood. So what can these gifts represent to us?

If gold represents His and our royalty, what noble qualities is He developing in us? Do we live like paupers, bereft of the riches that He offers us as His children? Are we growing fruit of the Spirit? (Gal. 5:22-23) Do we exhibit the peace that passes understanding, the result of thinking noble thoughts (Phil. 4)? Are we storing up treasures on earth or in heaven? (Matt. 6:19)

The Book of Revelation refers to incense as being the prayers of God’s people ascending to heaven (Rev. 5:8 & 8:4). We are a royal priesthood (1 Pet. 2:9) offering prayers on behalf of others and for ourselves. Our prayers can be hindered due to unconfessed sin or praying outside of His will. But sometimes, what seems like unanswered prayer is really an opportunity for His grace to be sufficient, for us to rely on Him instead of our own strength (2 Cor. 12:9). What about answered prayers? Can you testify about any prayers that God has answered in your life?

Anyone want some myrrh? Want to prepare for burial? The very thought is daunting I know, but there are things that we do need to die to: the deeds of the flesh, the attitudes of the heart, the things that Jesus came to give us victory over. These must be dealt the death blow.

May His gifts be yours this Christmas. May you experience His royal character. May your prayers ascend to heaven unhindered, a fragrant aroma to our King. May He reveal to you the those things that need to be addressed and confessed. And may the gifts that we will give be reflective of our royal relationship with the King.

Susan

Do As The Shepherds Do...

The shepherds were tending to their flocks...

The shepherds were doing their business, tending to their flocks. They were feeding the sheep, taking them to graze, buying their food, shearing them, keeping them safe, doing many the same things that we do to take care of our flocks.

Right now, you are probably buying food for your family’s daily needs as well as the holiday dinners and parties you’ll be hosting or attending, buying gifts, cleaning and decorating your home, going to work and taking care of business there.


The shepherds were interrupted from their daily routine by a heavenly chorus. Hearing the good news proclaimed from the angels led them to leave their chores and go and worship the King.

So the question is:


What are you tending to?


Are you willing to set it aside to worship the King?

Lord, May we cease our busyness and be about Your business. May we sense Your presence and set aside any activity, even the "godly" ones,  that keeps us from You. Feel free to interrupt us, so that we can worship You. May we be filled with the joy of Your coming, and may we release the stress that depletes us.

Susan

Longest Night - Blue Christmas Service

Today's message was written by my dear friend, Patti Niebojewski, at her request. Patti has had more tragedy in her short life than many have in a lifetime, but meeting her, you would never know it. Her spirit is one of hope and encouragement. Last year, alone she attended a Blue Christmas Service on Dec. 21st that changed her life. This year, she is sharing her experience with us.

Needed: rocks or coins, 4 votive candles to light

This day, the winter solstice takes place. According to Wikipedia, “The seasonal significance of the winter solstice is in the reversal of the gradually lengthening nights and shortening days.” In other words, each day’s sunlight will now be increasing and the night will be shortening by one minute each day! That knowledge alone makes me happier!


Susan’s vision of these 40 days included a category of “nothing blue” - all blogposts are to be positive and uplifting. But this date is known as the “Bluest”. I chose to share on this date because this date is normally known as the “longest night of the year,” where much grief, sadness and/or depression are emotions felt by many for many reasons. My prayer and hope is that you will sense God’s presence in your life as He lifts the darkness and pain in your soul and that you will soon find He replaced your soul full of light and joy.


Loss takes its name in many things; a loss of a loved one, a spouse, parent, child, pet, job, dream, money, health, home, marriage, possible memories, relationship and the list goes on.


Burden takes its name in many things; fighting illness and/or disease, financial burden, job stress, lack of job, overwhelming schedule, a need to forgive, a grudge, just to name a few.


What I ask for you to do is to think about all the loss that you have experienced this year and make a list of all these things that pertain to your life. Also add any burdens that you may have and add these to your list.


For each thing on your list, collect a rock or a coin whatever is easiest. Hold onto them until the end. They are your burdens. I will ask you to place this rock or coin on God’s altar to give it to God. Or, you may hold onto your burdens for as long as you need to, and when you are ready, please release them to God. You may see that the weight of these burdens is heavy. As you release them, my prayer is that you will feel lighter and at peace so that you may be able to enjoy the birth of Christ and rejoice with the angels of the ‘great tidings of joy’.


“Come to me all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30.


Please speak out loud:


As Jesus cried, “My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?" How come you do not hear my words or my groaning?


ALL: Dear Heavenly God, my cries are day and night and yet you do not hear me? I cannot rest!






Our forefathers who believed in you had faith in you. They trusted in you and you delivered them.


ALL: You knew me before I was in my mother’s womb. You know the very number of hairs on my head. I am written in the palm of your hand. You are my God.






There is no one to help me and trouble is near. Please stay close Lord.


ALL: I am not alone for you God are with me. Your rod and your staff will comfort me. You will not hide from me but you will shelter me with your everlasting arms, your infinite love and mighty power. When I cry to you God, you hear me. Thank you God!






Please pray with me:


Dear God you are mighty and powerful yet gentle and humble in heart. You are Holy and full of grace. I am not worthy of your love yet you have limited yourself for me. You know me and have searched my heart. You know that my heart is not full of joy, and I confess that I am holding onto my grief, my sadness, and my anger. I do not believe that the angel’s song of ‘great tidings of joy’ is for me. I believe this joy may be for others this year. It is difficult for me to participate in the celebration of your birth. Help me to receive your grace and love. Help me to release to you my grief, my sorrow, and my anger. Forgive me Lord for holding onto it. Forgive me for not realizing that you are walking with me Emmanuel, you travel with me, and you will help carry my burdens. Please restore my soul with light, joy and peace. In His Name, Amen.






The Lighting of the Candles:


We remember as we light the candles:


Candle #1 represents those we loved and lost.


Take the time to remember their names, faces, voices and the memories of them.


Pray: May God’s everlasting love surround them. (Envision them happy in His presence.)






Candle #2 we light to redeem the pain of our loss.


Reflect on the losses that we have listed. Acknowledge the pain of this past year.


Feel it. Now, offer it to God asking him to replace it with peace.


Pray: Lord, take my pain and restore my soul to peace.






Candle #3 we think about ourselves, and all the people who have supported us through our tough times, by prayer and fasting, hugs and kisses, handshakes and pats on the back, financially, dinners, and just stood by us. We are grateful and give thanks to God for them this Christmas season.


Pray: Thank you Lord that the Light outshines and overcomes the darkness.






Candle #4 represents the fire of our faith and the promise of hope that the Christmas story offers to us. The gift from God is the promise that one day we will live with God and he will wipe every tear from our eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things will have passed away. He is making all things new! Revelations 21:3-5


Pray: We remember God’s gift this Christmas season, the birth of Jesus Christ, our Savior and Redeemer, the Prince of Peace, the Great Comforter, King of Kings and Lord of Lords, the Great I Am, worthy to be praised. He is the Word who reveals himself to us in it. Praise, honor and glory be to you Lord Jesus Christ.


May God grant you renewed and continued Peace this Holy Christmas season.


Love, Patti Niebojewski


Dear Lord,
I thank you for speaking to Patti, and using her to speak to us. May you protect her on the journey she's on and keep her close to You. May you be with those who have suffered loss and won't be having a cheerful Christmas this year. May Your peace sustain them and give them hope. May the words above lead them to release their burdens to You.

For excellent tips on how to cope with Christmas while grieving, please check out this post by Stacie Ruth Stoelting on Lynn Mosher's blog Heading Home.

Susan

A C T S of prayer

For I cried out to Him for help, praising Him as I spoke.

If I had not confessed the sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened.

But God did listen! He paid attention to my prayer.
Psalm 66:17-19 (NLT)

Years ago, when my children were small, I learned a model for prayer that they and I have used ever since. It is especially timely during this season when it is common to hear the words, “O Come Let Us Adore Him.” But this model works all year ‘round helping us to keep our focus where it ought to be.

Using the acronym ACTS, we pray in the following order:

Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, Supplications.

A = Adoration

When we start by telling God how much we love and adore Him, it immediately changes our heart from a “me” focus to a “Him” focus. To adore God is to appreciate God in our heart and mind and to tell him so with our lips.

The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told. Luke 2:20

C = Confession

Confession is simply telling God what He already knows about us. It clears the way for honest conversation with God. The Spirit reveals to us our thoughts, attitudes, words and actions that are contrary to God’s best for us. Then it is up to us to confess and repent.

He who conceals his sins does not prosper, but whoever confesses and renounces them finds mercy. Prov. 28:13

If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1:9

T = Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is the key that opens the door to His presence. “Enter His gates with thanksgiving ....” Psalm 100:4 An attitude of gratitude enables us to recognize that God controls everything, not just the blessings, but the problems and difficulties too. Troubles becomes opportunities to exercise faith. Giving thanks is God’s will for us: “Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus."1 Thess. 5:16-19

I will praise God's name in song and glorify Him with thanksgiving. Psalm 69:30

S = Supplications

Supplications are prayer requests. Where Adoration, Confession and Thanksgiving have us focus upward, Supplication has us look inward at our needs and outward at the needs of others around us. It is partnering with God and asking Him to meet those needs.

Hear the supplication of Your servant and of Your people when they pray... Hear from heaven, Your dwelling place, and when You hear, forgive. 1 Kings 8:30

May my supplication come before You; deliver me according to Your promise. Psalm 119:17

I’ve found that when I start praying with my list of demands and desires, I can totally miss the fellowship with God that really is what prayer is all about. But when I start with my focus on the Lord, it puts my desires in proper perspective. It calms my emotions, clears my thoughts, and strengthens my faith.

For me, at this time of year, it is especially important to follow this model of prayer. I can get so caught up in my to-do list that my supplications go on forever! But when I read the Christmas account in Scripture, I see that adoration was the first response to meeting the newborn King. May it be our first response as well.

Lord, I love You.
A-You are worthy to be praised. I am in awe of Your might and of Your compassion. You, who the universe cannot contain, chose to humbly dwell with me and in me.
C-I confess that I am both impatient and a procrastinator. How is that even possible? Please forgive me. Forgive my sharp tongue and my delayed obedience.
T-I thank You for all You have done and still do for me. I thank You for my wonderful family and for friends who are like family to me. I thank You for Your provision, for healing, for miracles.
S-I need You. Please reach my loved ones who don't know You. Give me the right words to share at the right time. Make me more like You, so that they will see You when they see me. Help me to accomplish what You want me to do, and only what YOU want me to do, not what I want to do.

Susan

Seeking a Silent, Holy Christmas

Today's wonderful post is from wonderful Laurie Hock. Thank you so much, Laurie, for your wonderful words of wisdom.

Silent Night, Holy Night...


All is calm,


All is...what?


Did you just say all was silent, holy, and calm? Who are you kidding? Certainly that wasn’t how Mary saw it...or was it?


The town of Bethlehem was undoubtedly crowded. The stirring of census activities ordered by Caesar had everyone going this way and that. Yet, even in the midst of it, there was stillness to be found.


I believe the first Christmas night really was calm, though the circumstances may have you thinking otherwise. Where a woman of faith is fulfilling her destiny for the Kingdom of God, the supernatural peace of God’s presence soothes the soul.


Divine calmness covered Mary and Joseph. God knew the provision of peace was a must, right? How many other ready-to-deliver-any-day-now women would’ve tolerated a long, bumpy donkey ride, only to discover upon arrival that the room being held for her was not a suite, but a stable. I don’t think fresh linens were included. Certainly not complimentary soap and lotions.


Yet we do not see Mary complaining. She knew what her divine assignment was, and the delivery was near at hand. She embraced the circumstances leading up to this call. She knew God had chosen her for such a time as this.

The world may tell us the night in the stable was uncomfortable, unclean, and uninviting. That’s not how Mary and Joseph saw it. As the song proclaims, the night was a silent, holy night. All was calm, all was bright. For the Light of the World had just been birthed. Mary was right where she was supposed to be: in the center of God’s divine plan, relishing the warmth of His heart.



That’s true for us, too. Being used in God’s master plan for His glory brings a warmth to our hearts nothing can sever.
 Things may or may not look just right in your holiday season this year. But whether or not things go as expected or planned is not the real issue.


The beauty and magnificence of having a silent, holy Christmas is being where God wants you to be.


It’s making yourself available to receive Him.
It’s being there for Him to use and bless any way He chooses.
It’s completing what He’s set before you to do.


Adore Him. Worship Him. Fellowship with Him.
Welcome Him into your heart in a new way.
Love His people.
Give Him praise, delight and all the glory.

We cannot lose ourselves in the unpleasantries and distractions bound to arise. We have the authority in the name of Jesus to declare this Christmas a holy, silent season of awe and wonder over the birth of our Savior.

Look for the Christ child in unexpected places this year. Seek Him in the stillness. Let Him show you Himself in the holy and calm. May the serenity of the Prince of Peace be upon you.

The people rushing around Bethlehem on that evening long ago had a chance to glimpse God’s entry into this world as a babe. But in their hustle, they missed the subtle.


Will you let your Christmas be a silent, holy night this year?

Laurie Hock

Dear Lord,
May we, in our hustle, not miss the subtle. May we experience Your peace and calm. May we be where You want us to be, and be who You want us to be.

Susan

O Christmas Tree, O Christmas Tree!

For some, decorating the Christmas tree is hard labor. For me, it is a labor of love. A task that I usually do alone. My kids have helped occasionally, but they just aren’t that interested in adorning the tree. For me, it is a stroll down memory lane.

My tree and I have a beautiful relationship. As a Jewish believer, the tree is a blessed part of my new Christian heritage. Since I never had a tree, and therefore, no decorations, I held a trim-a-tree party 29 years ago, my 2nd Christmas as a Christian. I still hang all the ornaments from that first year remembering each of my sweet friends who have meant and still mean so much to me. 


Over the years, with every vacation, I bought an ornament that reminds me of those travels. I have received exquisite ornaments as gifts from family, friends, Sunday school students. Each one holds special memories.

Every year, I buy an ornament for each of my children that reflects what is important to them at that time of their lives. The children have made some adorable ornaments and have received some from other family members. They all have a special place on the tree, and when my kids have their own home, they will have a beautiful headstart on their first tree.


Some look at the Christmas tree as a heathen invasion into what should be a holy experience. I can understand that. It is all too easy to incorporate worldly customs in Christian traditions. And the Christmas tree does have its origin in pagan roots. The very idea of cutting down a healthy tree, bringing it inside and adorning it really is rather bizarre when you think about it. But I didn’t invent the idea. I am redeeming it.

My tree bears ornaments that are reminders of Jesus and the gifts that He’s given us. I have angels, shepherds, wise men and a crown of thorns. I have keepsakes of times gone by, tokens of love, remembrances of family and friends. I have started labeling the ornaments so that the memories don’t fade with time.


Others have their scrapbooks, I have my Christmas tree.

All too soon, Christmas will be over, and the ornaments will be packed away for another year. So let’s cherish the time spent with these memories accumulated over the years.

Do you have a particular keepsake or tradition that makes the Christmas experience special for you and your family?

Lord, I thank You for my family and the friends who have made my life so rich.

Susan

Jesus Is the Reason for the Season

My friend, Susan Reinhardt, from Christian Writer/Reader Connection is sharing today's message, a most excellent reminder to keep the main thing, the main thing.

Jesus Is the Reason for the Season

Growing up, my parents and I attended church a distance from our home. I recall waiting for buses and subways in the middle of winter. During December, the long rides never bothered me because my face was glued to the bus window. I’d count all the houses with cheery Christmas lights.


Yet my absolute favorite scene was a beautiful, lifelike nativity in front of a massive church. Every Christmas, my mind still travels that road although I have not been there in many years.


Our church always put on a Christmas Pageant. The tiniest child got a chance to say a one-line “piece” as they called them. Some of the older kids memorized long poems. The icing on the cake was the Christmas play.


While we enjoyed the big family dinners, shopping, presents, and cards, Christmas was about Jesus’ birth. He was and is the reason for the season.

Even back then, commercialization and distraction became an issue. A Christian group put up billboards saying, “Keep Christ in Christmas.” The fact is, without him Christmas doesn’t exist. Christmas without Christ is like a birthday celebration without the birthday boy.


As we spend time with family and friends, let’s make Jesus our first priority. Start a new tradition in your house:

1. Read the Christmas story on Christmas Eve or before the Christmas meal.


2. Play Christmas Carols and sing during the season.


3. Participate in Christmas activities at church.


4. Reach out to those less fortunate. Open your home to an elderly or single friend, who’d otherwise spend Christmas alone. Buy a toy for a needy child.


5. In your devotional time, think about the wonderful gift God sent us: His precious Son.

Stressed with the many details of Christmas? Relax, and have a talk with the One born in a Bethlehem stable over 2,000 years ago.

Copyright 2009 Susan J. Reinhardt

Lord, may we take note of Christ every time we see or hear the word Christmas. May our hearts quicken with Your presence as we contemplate the real reason for the season.

Susan

Burnt Snowmen

Many thanks to Susanne Scheppmann, from Proverbs 31 Ministry, who graciously agreed to be our guest blogger for today.

Burnt Snowmen

“For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands.” 2 Timothy 1:6 (NIV)

The snowmen dressed in red mufflers and black stovepipe hats stood cheerily on the dining room table. Amidst all the Christmas decorations, their presence brought the most oohs and ahs. Everyone at the party asked my friend, “Where did you buy them?”

I smiled. I had bought the snowmen candles for my friend as her Christmas gift. I thought to myself, “You did well!”


A group of us chatted around the dining room table. We nibbled on sugar cookies. Holiday gaiety floated through the room. We laughed together until, all of sudden, I noticed smoke emitting from all three of the wax snowmen candles. Before I could speak, flames spewed up and out of the stovepipe hats. The candles burst into flames, spreading into the other table decorations. My friend shrieked for help. Her husband, a firefighter by profession, ran into the room and doused the candles with the bowl of fruit punch that sat on a side table.


We sat in shocked silence. Instead of feeling pride over my gift, I hung my head in embarrassment. Now everyone wanted to know where I had purchased the fire hazard, because they didn’t want to buy anything of the same nature.


Thankfully, God’s gifts to us are never a fire hazard, but Scripture does tell us to allow them to burn brightly. The apostle Paul instructs, “I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you” . . . 2 Timothy 1:6 NIV). The Lord doesn’t want us to sit by quietly with unused abilities. He does not want us to be shy about His precious gifts. He wants us to use them to bless others.


We may think we do not have a gift. The truth of Scripture promises us, “But each man has his own gift from God; one has this gift, another has that” (1 Corinthians 7:7 NIV). We can’t argue with that, can we?

So what spiritual gift do you have that Christ wants you to use this Christmas season? Consider Romans12:6-8, “We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a man's gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith. If it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach; if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously; if it is leadership, let him govern diligently; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully” (NIV).

Let’s start right now with encouragement. Let’s encourage each other to allow our spiritual gifts to burn brightly during the Advent Season. And, as we fan our gifts into flames, let’s pray that others will recognize the glory of the Most High God who slept in a cold dark manger.

Dear Lord, thank you for giving me my spiritual gifts. Teach me how to use them, so that others may see You and desire to know You more. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

© 2008 by Susanne Scheppmann. All rights reserved.




It was Susanne who God used in my life to encourage me to use my spiritual gift. In her message at the She Speaks conference, Susanne spoke the words that God had secretly spoken to my heart the night before "Don't bury your talent." This is not talking about being talented. It's saying that if I chose to bury rather than use the talent that He gave me, I'd be a "wicked and lazy servant." When we invest the talents he gives us, we will hear "Well done, good and faithful servant." [Matt. 25, Luke 19]

Dear Lord, Thank You for the gifts that You so generously give, for the Greatest Gift ever given and for the spiritual gifts you give to us. May we invest them for Your kingdom. May You alone be glorified as we serve You. May the gifts we give this Christmas reflect the Giver of "every good and perfect gift." James 1:17.


Susan

10... 9... 8... 7...

10 Days until Dec. 25th...

10 days to shop
10 days to wrap
10 days to bake
10 days to decorate
10 days to attend children's programs
10 days to sit in traffic, wade through crowds, send cards, visit family & friends, ...
10 days

Yesterday, my friend, Adriane, updated her Facebook status to say, "This Christmas season I'm trying to focus on what's REALLY important!"

I couldn't agree more.

10 days...


We all have the same amount of time. We can't make time, we can only spend it.

So what can we do to focus on what's REALLY important? Share your thoughts, what you've done, what you still want to do...

Lord, You are what's REALLY important, and I pray that we would keep you in the forefront of our minds as we go about our activities over these next 10 days. Help us to eliminate unnecessary distractions, and to spend our time wisely. May You speak to us and through us.

 
Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord's will is. Eph. 5:15-17

Susan

The Real Christmas People

I received this devotion a last month from Ron Hutchcraft's "A Word With You", and thought it so worthwhile to share during our 40 Day Focus.

Nate Saint, better than anyone else I know, may have captured Christmas from heaven's perspective. I've stood on that beach where Nate Saint, Jim Elliott, and the others died at the hands of the Aucas. But today, the men who murdered them are leaders of the Auca Church, and many, including me, were inspired by their example to serve Christ. On the eve of his last Christmas on earth, Nate Saint wrote his perspective on Christmas, and I can't get it out of my mind. I hope you won't either. I believe this is the heart of God about Christmas.



Here's what Nate Saint wrote in his journal on December 18: "May we be moved with compassion as our Lord was. May we shed tears of repentance for these we have failed to bring out of the darkness. Beyond the smiling scenes of Bethlehem, may we see the crushing agony of Golgotha. May God give us a new vision of His will concerning the lost - and our responsibility." Twenty-one days later, Nate Saint died, attemping to rescue some of those very people.


His words are hard to hear in the middle of all our Christmas activity. Aren't they? It's all about a spiritual rescue mission that cost the Son of God His life. That mission was clearly spelled out to Joseph when the angel announced the coming of Jesus to him in Matthew 1:21, our word for today from the Word of God. "You are to give Him the name Jesus, because He will save His people from their sins." The very name Jesus means "the Lord saves" - that's "save" as in rescuers saving people from the rubble at Ground Zero, or a firefighter saving people from a burning building. Sin is the burning building we're in, trapped with no way out - except for heaven's Rescuer, Jesus Christ, who gave His life rescuing ours with the "crushing agony of Golgotha."


Following Jesus means living to join Him in His rescue mission to save others.


Maybe even in these countdown days to Christmas, you can pray for God to open up some amazing opportunities to tell someone about Him - why He came, why He died, and what He does when we open our life to Him. Because Christmas is all about a rescue mission - to intervene for someone who is, in Nate Saint's words, hurtling "headlong into a Christless night without ever having a chance." You can be that chance.

Jesus, may we see your children as You do. Help us to have the words to share, the eyes to  see, the heart to love, to courage to reach the lost. 
 
Susan

How Can This Be?

Has a phone call or conversation ever delivered incomprehensible news and you wondered, “How can this be?” You’re not alone…


A devout priest, Zechariah was a descendent of Aaron. When his priestly division was on duty at the Temple in Jerusalem, he was chosen to enter the Holy Place. A religious man, schooled in the Scriptures, he was in a religious place where one would expect to encounter God.


Yet, when the angel appeared to him, standing beside the altar of incense, Zechariah was gripped in fear. Gabriel comforted Zechariah, telling him not to be afraid and providing the reason for his visit. He was delivering good news. Zechariah’s elderly wife, Elizabeth, would bear them a son. Not just any son, but a son to be named John, who would be filled with the Holy Spirit and would prepare the people for the Messiah who was also coming to the world.


When Zechariah heard Gabriel’s words, he questioned him. “How can this be?” as he and his wife were well along in years and therefore could not bear a child. Gabriel discerned that Zechariah didn’t believe, and condemned him to silence until at the baby’s birth Zechariah demonstrated obedience by naming him John.

Mary also had a visit from the angel Gabriel. She wasn’t near the temple, but in a lowly village in Galilee, called Nazareth. She wasn’t schooled in the Scriptures. She was a simple devout young woman engaged to be married.

Gabriel greeted her, stating that she was highly favored and the Lord was with her. Troubled at his words (but not at the sight of him), he told her not to be afraid of what would happen to her, that she would miraculously bear a child. Hearing his words, Mary asked, “How can this be?” as a virgin cannot bear a child. Gabriel, discerning that she didn’t understand, explained to her about the Holy Spirit coming upon her, affirming that “nothing is impossible with God.” Mary responded in faith, “I am the Lord's servant. May it be to me as you have said."


Two appearances of the angel Gabriel
     -One is the place of highest esteem, the Temple
     -One in the lowest of villages (Can anything good come out of Nazareth? John 1:46)

Two expressing the same question, “How can this be?”
     -One an unbelieving, though devout, old man
     -One a believing, devout young woman

Two different responses by the angel to that same question
     -One was rendered speechless for at least 9 month
     -One was provided an answer to her question

So what can we glean from this?

Just because we are in a religious place doesn’t make us holy. You may have heard the saying, “Just because you are in a garage doesn’t make you a car.” Despite Zechariah’s expectation of meeting with God in the Holy Place, he was shocked and terrified at seeing the angel. Mary, however, fully experienced the presence of God in the humblest of locations. Unlike real estate, when it comes to experiencing God, physical location seems to be of little consequence.

What is of great consequence is the state of our heart. We can live a life as “devout and blameless” as Zechariah and still miss God. While it is fitting to “study to show ourselves approved,” it must not be just head-knowledge. The simple faith of a young virgin must inspire our desire to know Him, and to be willing to serve Him in whatever way He leads.

Fortunately, Zechariah’s song (Luke 1:67-79) makes it clear that he now possessed great understanding and belief in how his child would fulfill the Messianic prophesies. This encourages me to realize that even when I stumble, there always remains hope in the future to make it right.

In her song (Luke 1:46-55), Mary doesn’t appear to have the depth of comprehension that Zechariah had regarding the coming of the Messiah. What she does have is the simple understanding that she is blessed because He was “mindful of her, His servant.”

“Blessed is she who has believed that what the Lord has said to her will be accomplished!" Luke 1:45


Do you believe that He will accomplish what He said? Then you are blessed! When we ask the Lord, “How can this be?” let us be sure to ask with the heart of Mary, believing and trusting.


Susan

Happy Chanukah!

 

Today was the first day of Chanukah which began officially on Friday night at sundown. Chanukah was one of my favorites times growing up. 

• Playing dreidel games! 
• Eating potato latkes!
• Eight nights of presents!
• Lighting the Chanukah candles!

As the eldest child in my family, I was allowed to light the candles. The procedure was to the light tallest candle (the Shamash), and use that candle to light the others from right to left, lighting one the first night, two the next and so on for eight nights. As I lit the candles, I would say the following prayer:

 

Barukh atah Adonai, Eloheinu, melekh ha'olam

asher kidishanu b'mitz'votav v'tzivanu

l'had'lik neir shel Chanukah. (Amein)

which means:

 

 

Blessed are you, Lord, our God, sovereign of the universe

Who has sanctified us with His commandments and commanded us

to light the lights of Chanukkah. (Amen)

Little did I know what the menorah and its candles were a beautiful reflection of the Light of the world that was to bring me from darkness to light.

Chanukah is usually overshadowed by the many Christmas activities. It is not a particularly important Jewish festival, and not mentioned in the Old Testament. Chanukah, the Feast of Dedication is an eight day celebration commemorating the revolt and the unlikely victory of the Jewish Maccabbees over the powerful Syrian Greeks who had invaded and oppressed Israel in 167 -164 BC (the period of time between the Old and New Testaments).

Jesus observed Chanukah (John 10:20-30), and it was during this Feast that Jesus publicly declared Himself the Messiah by proclaiming "I and the Father are One."

Celebrating Chanukah includes the telling of the story of how the Syrian ruler, Antiochus, brutally oppressed the Israelites, forbidding the practice of Judaism and descrating the Temple by sacrificing pigs on the altar. Mattathias and his 5 sons, including Judah (nicknamed Maccabbee, the Hammer), led a rag-tag army in guerilla warfare for 3 years, retreating to the hills after each battle.

Finally, the Jews defeated the mighty Syrian army and returned to Jerusalem to find the Temple all but destroyed and the oil for the lampstand gone, except for a tiny amount enough for one day. The eternal flame of the Temple Menorah, central to the worship of Israel, had been extinguished.  Although it would take eight days for the priests to consecrate more oil, by faith, they lit the Menorah. Miraculously, the one day's supply of oil lasted those 8 days. Judah Maccabbee declared that these events would be commemorated annually at the Feast of Dedication, the Festival of Lights, Chanukah. A special menorah would be used that had nine candles, rather than the seven branched candelabra in the Temple, one for each of the eight days and one Shamash candle.

The lights of the menorah are symbolic of our relationship to Christ, the Light of the world. The tallest candle is called the Shamash which means "Servant." The Servant candle lights the other candles. Likewise, Jesus who "came not be served, but to serve" (Mark 10:45) imparts His light to us. He is the Light of the world (John 8:12), but He says that we are the light of the world (Matt. 5:14).

The Temple no longer stands, but God's Word declares that we are a temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Cor. 6:19) and the light of the word. How is our oil burning? Sometimes an oil change is necessary. Or perhaps we are simply a quart low. Maybe we feel like all we have left is one day’s supply. It is reassuring to remember that the Bible teaches that more oil is always available when the undying flame has been ignited in our souls.

 

Let us focus on the menorah, and remember that we have been illuminated by the Shamash, the Servant, and have an eternal supply of oil to keep the Undying Flame burning brightly in our hearts throughout the year.

 

Thank you, Jesus, for imparting Your light to us. May we reflect You, bringing light to people still in darkness. Thank you for the miracles You provided 2000 years ago, and still provide today.

 

Susan

Where You Gonna Get Your Fill?

Many thanks to Laurie Hock for this excellent post. After reading it, I just want to yell, "Fill 'er up!" Laurie and I met at She Speaks, and we are now part of a writer's critique group. She is a dynamic ball of fire for the Lord.

The weeks leading up to Christmas are best described as...full. Christmas parties, decorating, purchasing gifts, performances, programs, and other unmentioned clamor. There’s no arguing our holidays are jam-packed, plum full, stuffed to the max. But let’s pause for a moment and ask ourselves, “What what kind of fillers are these?”


Our hearts, souls, and minds naturally need to be filled, but with what? God created us with a need for Him, a hunger for the Holy. This hunger has been misinterpreted in our rush-rush culture of over-scheduled and overtired men, women, and children.

The majority of us aren’t getting “full” on daily doses of the presence of God, nor by fellowshipping with Him through prayer and praise. Instead, most of us end up stuffing our lives with commitments, busyness, and a lot of other eternal unnecessaries. These earthly and temporal fillers are fake. They distract us from our true God-given purpose. These can never satisfy us the way God can.


Fake fillers end up making our schedules fat but leave our souls starving.


We can’t afford to spend our energy filling up on temporal things while sacrificing intimacy with God. The world is stacked with alternative fillers the devil has disguised as good and seemingly godly. These may indeed be good things. But when these activities and obligations fill us up before we give God a chance to, we’re going to be running on empty. We’re not full at all in the way we should be. These fake fillers tend to take more out of us than they give to us.

God desires His children to depend upon Him. He is our ultimate satisfaction. He is the eternal fullness available for us to experience everyday here on earth and forever after. God is the answer to our every need and desire. Our hunger for Him must be quenched above all else. We must look to Him to get our daily fill.


It sounds spectacular to be filled by God, but perhaps intimidating, right? How do you begin to develop and deepen a relationship with Almighty God so He can fill you up? How does He become your fulfillment, your everything?

Psalm 81:10 gives insight. “I am the Lord your God...Open wide your mouth and I will fill it” (NIV).

It’s that simple. God asks us to ask Him. He responds with the promise He will fill what we set before Him. He is our satisfier. God exists to be our Father, our Provider, our Wisdom, our Grace and Guide. He holds all the answers, all the peace, and all of time. What better place to fill up?



Can you think of anything else that can offer you such satisfaction? Will you let God be your fill today? He will fill you up when you make time for Him. God fills us up when we start our day with prayer and praise. God fills us up when we show His love to His people.

God fills us up as we read, meditate on, and proclaim His Word and truth each day. God fills us up as we listen to songs offering Him worship and adoration. God will fill each of us the way He knows we uniquely need. To activate His loving power, we must tell Him that He’s where we want to get our fill. We must offer Him our heart, our time, our lives.

How do you need to rearrange the days leading up to the holidays so you can be full of God, His patience and love instead of stress, frustration and anxiety? Tell me... where you gonna get your fill today?

Laurie Hock

Years ago, my husband, Tony, wrote a song titled, Fill Me Up. Some of the lyrics are: "Fill me up, Holy Spirit. Fill my life to overflowing... that I might be a reflection of Your love."

Lord, Fill me up to the brim with Your truth, Your Word, Your peace, Your presence... that I might overflow and be a reflection of Your love. Thank you, Jesus, that You desire to fill us with Yourself.

Susan