LIFE in Christmas Pt. 2: What's the Point?

In these busy days filled with shopping, cooking, eating the cooking, parties (not to mention regular work days and/or managing our homes and families) I have to ask the question…why?  Why the running, the excessive sweets and full calendars?  Seriously, as basic as it sounds… sometimes it is to basics we must return.

I have to remind myself, not to mention my little one, about the famed baby, the ‘reason for the season’.  The God incarnate, Jesus Christ, came, fully God, fully man, to live among humanity in perfection on this Christmas Day!  Rejoice, Rejoice! Emmanuel has come to the Oh Israel!  (you know the song)  This is our Christ, whom we profess as Lord, if we know Him, destined to die on a cross as a payment for all sins, for all man kind, to be raised from the dead, and conquer death once and for all!

Whew!  Praise this King of Kings!  Can you picture the scene of our God in a manger? Can you imagine what Mary and Joseph must have been thinking?  I must wonder what angelic music must have resounded… as they rejoiced in seeing God’s deliverance take human flesh.

SO THEN fellow Christmas Fighter, how do we carry this glory message with us in the Christmas season?  We must remain intentional, or we will surely drown in the ocean of holiday demands.

Here are some tips I hope and pray will help us all (myself included!):

• Turn off the TV and Read through Luke chapter 2 as a family.  Oh my word, good stuff people.  Bring on the tissues.
• Take a little time and money to give to a charity as a family and share together about God’s love.  For example, this year, Alice and I made a box for Operation Christmas Child for a girl her age.  It was such fun and she really got to connect with giving…so precious.
• Bake a batch of Christmas cookies for that neighbor who drives you nuts, and talk through forgiveness and God’s love together. (Luke 6)
• Have your kids act out different characters from the Christmas story…Mary, shepherds, wise men…etc.  Maybe you can even get your husband to be your choice of barn animal :) ?
• Clean out old toys as a family and donate them to families in need, praying over the toys as you go and the children who will be blessed by them!
• Try giving each of your children a couple of dollars in quarters and allowing them to give to various holiday collections they choose, and then take time talk about it as a family.  Ex: How did that make you feel?  How do you think that blessed God’s heart?
• Check out this poem to go along with a piece M&M candy…share it together over a bag one night!
  
  Tell the poem as you hold these candies in your hand and as you turn them, you will see the M becomes a W, an E and a 3.
  
  
  

M&M Nativity

      By Pam Ridenour (I think, correct me if I'm wrong)

They tell the Christmas story,
it's one I'm sure you know,
It took place in a stable,
a long, long time ago.

The E is for the East where the star shines so bright.

The M is for the Manger
where baby Jesus slept that night.

The 3 is for the wise men bearing gifts,
with haste they came.

W is for Worship, angels sang praise to His name.

So as you eat these candies
or share them with a friend,
Remember the true spirit of Christmas
and never let it end!

LIFE in Christmas Pt. 1: Holiday Nourishment for our Spirits

NO! No, no, no! Or the ever-popular, drawn out with tears nnnnnnooooo! All too regular responses from our precious 2-year-old, Alice. What about in your house? Isn’t it interesting how easy our little ones can say “No,” and how difficult it can be for us big people?

It can come from many places, friend. For some of us, the adults in our lives modeled burn-out, and we feel intense pressure to follow suit…maybe even from them. For others, we struggle with jealousy and comparison, and are plagued with fighting to keep up with some “super-woman” perception…You know her... the one can do it all, in heels, without a single bead of sweat on her brow. (She doesn't exist, btw) For many of us, there may just be a lot of things we enjoy, find pleasure doing, so we have a hard time using the word, “No,” in a sentence.

Among one of the many things I love about my Jesus is His intense, intimate relationship with His Father…Our very same Father. He was all about the Father’s business. Check out John 4:34, “…My nourishment comes from doing the will of God, who sent me, and from finishing his work.” Wow. His very nourishment! I am so struck by that, are you? Take a moment and breathe that truth in, dear ones!

So, if we are called to imitate Christ (1 Corin. 11:1), and if Jesus is telling us the truth about Himself, then we get to be nourished just by doing the will of God by finishing His work?! That’s what He said, so I’d like to believe so.

What in the world does this have to do with the Holidays?

Glad you asked. As a participant of various dress-up eateries, keeper of the cheek book and shopper of the Christmas gifts, (did I mention regular life demands?) we have a unique opportunity to be nourished this Christmas season. That’s right, nourished. Not drained, strained and spit out only to recover sometime mid-January…nourished.

If we imitate Our Savior (you know, the one who came in mere humanity at Christmas, fully God, the One who all this is for anyhow), as Paul tells us, and live as Jesus lived…being in the Father’s will, finishing His work…we will receive His very nourishment.

So we pray. In all occasions, in the Spirit, through the power of the Spirit (the very One who raised our Lord, available to you and me!), as we plan our budget, our schedules, while at Target, at Sam’s, at Aldi (just to name a few of my hot spots). Lord, help us with our calendars! Help us know where to spend, and where to say, “No”. Show us where to volunteer with Your joy. Show us where we are over-committing out of performance for others and pleasing man and are out of Your will!

Holy Spirit, Show us if there is any Holiday offense in us, and lead us to the way everlasting!            (Ps. 139:24)

Friends, if we are about the Father’s business, there will be nourishment. I have to believe we will not overspend, we will not be over-tired! I have seen Him provide miracle sales, open up time where gatherings looked impossible when I stop and listen for that still, small voice. (I've also seem my self worn to a nub when I hear Him say "No" and proceed anyhow. Are you like me?)

Let’s pray for each other...and joyfully expect miracles and refreshment, because we are about the Father's business this Holiday season.