Tag: christmas

Christmas Funk

One week to Christmas! Are you excited? Thrilled with anticipation? Looking forward to time with family and friends? Singing Christmas songs while wrapping presents? Planning menus?

Or are you in a funk? Remembering that the season doesn’t live up to the ‘Hallmark’ hype? Not happy with the amount of presents under the tree? Wishing for more? Wishing for less?

I have been in a funk, for sure. But when I really focus on how I got here, it is pretty obvious.

I have been concentrating on what I DON’T have (or think I should have) instead of fixing my eyes on what I DO have.

What do I think I don’t have or I should have?

It’s not more presents (although I always like the unwrapping part.)

It’s not more get-togethers (although I enjoy seeing people but I don’t always spend my time with the people. Such a Martha!)

I know I would enjoy it if my kids/grands would come to church with us. I know I would enjoy it if they even acknowledged the invite.

I know I would love to give a thoughtful, personal gift to people that would be treasured and used.

What do I have?

Family and friends that love me and challenge me with truth.

A church that loves God and people and encourages me to do the same.

Health. Home. Work. Food. Clothes. Both for us and our kids and grands.

A daughter in law who did acknowledge my invitation to church and has visited in the past. A scheduled time for all of us to be together after Christmas.

I have a personal relationship with the God of the universe. He provided a way for my sins’ penalty to be paid. Now, I can live with Him in heaven for eternity.

And this relationship can be yours too. You can never ‘out sin’ God’s love.

God sent His Son, Jesus, to be born in a manger. He is Christ the Lord!

And if I focus on that, worship will come and the funk will disappear.

Thank you, Jesus!

‘Tis the Season

It is the season of more commitments, more food and more to do.

It is the season of much traffic, school band concerts and shopping over your lunch break.

Many people in grocery stores. Much food to prepare. Many things to do.

My prayer for you (and for myself) is that we take a few minutes every day. Do this several times a day and really slow down. Think on purpose about the true meaning of Christmas.

God sent His perfect Son to be born in a feeding trough. He did this so that His Son might one day die to pay the penalty for my sins. Your sins.

This is the Light we need to focus on. This is the Bread of Life we need to consume.

Thank you, Jesus!

Love or Self-Preservation

How many times do you extend yourself to others who either don’t respond at all or don’t respond in a positive way?

You may remember that our family is fractured. (See post “The Day After” from November 2023.) This is always magnified by the holidays.

I spoke with my pastor’s wife. She has family hardships too. What?!?! Pastor’s families aren’t picture perfect? That may surprise some but, as a pastor’s kid, I can tell you they aren’t. Everyone has issues – whether they are apparent or not.

But God is sovereign.

We often extend invitations. However, many times we either get zero response or a definitive NO. How many times do we keep reaching out?

How many times do we keep being hopeful only to end up disappointed?

We are called to be like Jesus. We are to compare ourselves to Him alone.

He kept asking, kept loving, kept forgiving. And He knew their hearts!

I want to know the highs and lows and everything in between in my families lives. I want to live life with them and not on separate islands. I want them to know Jesus and to have a relationship with Him. I want them to know how much they are loved.

So, we continue to reach out, to invite, to ask questions. As a wise woman once told me, “We can give (people) love. We just cannot dictate how they receive it.”

By the way, we did get two yes responses this year! We are hopeful for more.

“Merry?”

Yes, it’s Christmas. But is it ‘merry’?

To the one who is alone…

To the one who is sick…

To the one who has lost loved ones…

To the one who is wondering if their marriage will survive…

To the one whose family is so very fractured…

It’s still Christmas. And there is joy and peace and contentment. But, you have to search for it.

Think about those shepherds in the field. It’s night and they are the watchmen over the flock. Another mundane and routine night. Perhaps they were grumbling about their home life…their aches…their lost dreams.

Suddenly, there was light and a message from an angel! I doubt one of them said to another, “Nope, I’ll look for the baby tomorrow. No need to search tonight.”

Luke 2 states they said, “Let’s go!” and they hurried to Bethlehem to find the child.

I’m taking sometime today – in the midst of angst, disappointment and in the hard times to search for the baby in the manger. Remember what happened on that first Christmas. “To us a child is born…the Savior of the world.” He is our hope. In Him we find our joy and contentment.

Our lives don’t look like Hallmark movies. But our hearts can always be content when we anchor our hope on Him.

Merry Christmas!