What is Christmas to you?

We often get caught up in this fast paced world and find it hard to slow down. We also get caught up in it's everyday expectations.  That includes Christmas.  

I encourage you to not get caught up in the commercialism of the season.  Instead, focus on what's important this time of year.. Which brings me to my post question, What is Christmas to you?

I stole this from one of our pastors who talked a little about it this past Sunday.  Have you ever asked yourself what this holiday means to you?  Is it only about Friends, Family, Parties, Food, Gifts?  Or is it something more to you?

I have an issue with this, we are surrounded by so much commercialism and expectation of the season. It really brings me down. Which is why every day during this season I have to re-focus on what is really important to me this time of year, and that is Jesus.

Now, don't get me wrong.  There is absolutely nothing wrong with gifts during this season. But, I think we need to ask ourselves why we give gifts?  Are we doing it out of obligation?  Are we doing it with a giving spirit and heart?  Are we doing it because Jesus is our ultimate gift and we want to show that to others?

I encourage you this season to slow down, re-focus and ask yourself : What does Christmas truly mean to me?  Then ask yourself, what does is mean to those around me? Will this spur a discussion this Christmas for you and yours?

I encourage you to read through the Christmas story again.  Put yourself in each of the peoples shoes(or sandals in this case). 

I pray that this season would bring you peace knowing that the Prince of Heaven came down to be with us. To show us the way and to ultimately show the greatest sacrifice so that we may live forever.

Luke 2:6-7
While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.

Merry Christmas vs Happy Holidays

Are either of these pictures offensive to you?  They are both pretty and cute and sweet to me.  I find that this time of year a lot of people share things on social media about how Merry Christmas has taken a hit over the last 20 years or so.  In some ways this might be true, but I think in the most part the whole Happy Holidays thing is not a direct hit on Christmas, it is more of a way to encompass all holidays that are celebrated in December, including New Years.  

I know that a lot of people are cringing right now when they read this.  My point of this post is to tell you that if you choose to say Merry Christmas to someone and they aren't a Christian, more than likely they are not going to be offended.  They are going to see it as a kindness, you are wishing them well.  Especially if they are an acquaintance or a stranger, how would you possibly know if they celebrate Christmas or not.  And, if you are in the United States and a lot of other countries, more than likely they are going to be celebrating Christmas whether they believe in Christ or not.  It has become a secularized holiday and it's been this way for a long time.

If someone says Happy Holidays to you, say thank you and realize that for the most part they are just wishing you well during this season.  They aren't trying to cause you strife by not acknowledging your Christianity.  Kindness is often taken very well by strangers.  You would be surprised by what a smile, a nod, a quick hello or a season's greetings can get from a stranger.  

I encourage you this season to try something out.  Next time you are in the store, grocery store, mall, where ever you shop or go: Say one of the following; Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, Seasons Greetings and smile.  Switch it up and see how people react.  I am guessing that most of them, if not all, are going to smile back and say thank you, return the sentiment or state something like "you as well". 

Now, you might get some grumblers-some people just don't care for the holidays and they get into a funk this time of year.  If you are one of these people(believe me I've been there and struggle with it every season) try focusing your attention outward to someone or something else that is in need.  You might find that will help your attitude a little.

Focus on the real reason for the season for us Christians.  Maybe it means staying away from all the commercialism. Maybe it means changing up your Christmas song list to something more Christ focused.  It certainly means more prayer and more time in the word.  Enjoy the little things that bring you happiness in this season.  Choose the light and not the darkness.  

We recently received snow here in New Hampshire.  One of the reasons I do not like this season.  However, as I look outside this morning, I choose to see the beauty in it.  It blankets everything so it looks fresh and white.  It reminds me of how Jesus' blood washes us white and clean.

So in this 3rd week of Advent, find Joy in Jesus.  This will look different to each of us. Some it may mean excitement, some peace and others something else.  But know, that no matter your emotions about this time of year, lean on the Joy;

Matthew 9:26

Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”

And during this season of busyness, crazy politicized greetings, commercialism and emotional upheaval: remember that if you are a Christian, this time of year is really about the birth of Jesus.  Emmanuel: God With Us!  

Why Christmas Trees?

This is our little fake tree this year. Don't mind the mess around it, this is how we live. Also, you see the ghost hanging to the right? Well instead of telling you that it's a left over Halloween decoration I prefer to call it the Ghost of Christmas past.

When do you put your Christmas tree up or do you even have one?  

Depending on where you live and how you were brought up makes a difference on this holiday tradition.

Up until our son was born I didn't really care with finding out exactly what was with all these traditions.  I just went with the flow.  Growing up we would usually put ours up the weekend after Thanksgiving.  Some years it was a fake tree but mostly it was a real one.  It was a constant mess to try to keep the cats away from knocking down the tree and ensuring they didn't eat any tinsel(for cat owners you know what I mean 😉). We had a lot of Siamese cats growing up, my mother used to breed them.  So we did a lot of wrangling at times.

Ever wonder about the history of the Christmas tree?  Here's some information from one of my favorite sites History.com.

However you do this tradition or don't, I wanted to share with you how as a Christian a simple Christmas Tree or branch can exhibit the characteristics of Christ.


***The following are excerpts(paraphrased) from one of my favorite books: Stories Behind The Great Traditions of Christmas by Ace Collins

Even for those who didn't know about or believe in Jesus, in what is now Scandinavia, the vikings would have brutal winters. They would often bring in evergreen branches as a sign of hope and strength to get them through those harsh times. The evergreens not only survived the winter but also seemed to thrive when times were most bleak.  Many other people groups throughout Europe has somewhat of the same tradition. 

In the seventh century, St Boniface, a monk from Crediton, Devonshire, England constantly traveled across Europe as a missionary. It has been written that on one of his many treks he came across a group of men that were gathered around a huge oak tree. One of them had a small boy with them that had been selected to be given as sacrifice to the god Thor. When Boniface saw what was happening, he demanded that it stop at once. When they refused, he walked up to the huge oak and struck it with his fist. In an act seen as a miracle, the oak shuddered and fell to the ground. As everything settled, a tiny fir tree became visible just behind where the oak tree has stood tall. Boniface pointed out the fir tree, explaining that the evergreen was the Tree of Life. He explained to them that the evergreen tree that even winter couldn't kill, stood for the eternal life offered to them by Christ. Then pointed out the triangle shape of tree and stated that the fir's three points stood for the Holy Trinity of God the Father, Son and Holy Ghost. Each of those men supposedly gave their lives to Christ right there where that little tree stood.  Five centuries later this story became legend throughout France and Germany, where evergreen trees were hung from ceilings as a symbol of Christianity. No one really knows why they were hung upside down.

In the 1500's Martin Luther was walking home one dark night and noticed how the stars shined brightly through the evergreen trees. He went home and tried to re-create that in his home by attaching candles to a tree. It is believed that this is how adding lights to the Christmas tree became a tradition. 

For what is Christmas if not about a savior being birthed into the world to be the Light of the world.

John 8:12

When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

How do you FEEL about the month of December?

This time of year, especially in the Northeast where I live, it's hard to not feel cold and a little bit off.  We often have fall/winter weather that bounces around like one of those old fashioned bouncy balls I had when I was a kid.  One day it's nice and warm(50s) and sunny and the next day it's biting cold and windy with frost everywhere. Enter in the lack of sun, the change in weather that isn't consistent and the obligatory cold that my youngest brings home from school and presto-the above photo is how I FEEL about December.  Yes, it's beautiful in it's own way. The colors contrast nicely, the change of seasons are a beauty to behold, BUT it makes me feel cold inside.

As a child I don't remember feeling this way until my parents got divorced, when everything went topsy-turvy. There were arguments about who would see who on what days and money was hard for quite awhile after that. Things didn't seem merry and bright like they did when I was about 6.  When people ask me what age I would like to return to, I always think right around 6 would be nice.  When you notice your parents arguments but for the most part you are able to escape into childhood blissfully and play all day long, explore the world from little eyes, show awe in every new thing you see and learn about.  Dance like nobody is watching, or at least don't understand enough to care that someone is watching.  You know that feeling I am talking about?

Holidays became a dark , depressing time of year for me.  I can look back and see that now and see how it has affected my holiday spirit. It's a hard thing to get over and it's a struggle each and every day from Halloween on through New Years.

This is how I really want to feel:

All bright and cheery.  But I know that I am not alone in these feelings, and that is sad.  

So, where am I going with this?

I want everyone who is reading this to understand that if you are like me you are not alone.  If you aren't like me and find brightness and cheer in this season that is AWESOME, just beware that there are others who have a hard time and try to do for something for them to help make them feel better.  Sometimes this means just letting them be after letting them know you are there if they need you and other times it means doing something small for that someone or something you may not know.  Prayer is always a good idea as well.

In this first week of Advent it is the week of Hope.  As a christian we have HOPE and that is something that can be held onto anytime of the year and through any circumstance.  It doesn't mean it will be easier but it does mean that we have something to hold onto until it gets easier.  Jesus is our hope.

1 Peter 1:3

“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead” 

What can we do to refocus on what's important during this season?

This is going to look different for each of us. Since our son was small we instituted a couple of traditions in our family for this season.  

1. We only give 3 gifts to each child.  One for fun, one for learning and one for spiritual growth.

2. We make either a cake or cupcakes and on Christmas Eve afternoon/night we light a candle and sing Happy Birthday to Jesus.

There are a lot of great Advent Calendars or activities to do with kids or for yourself.  Just go ahead and search for them online.  There are so many it's a bit overwhelming.  So I suggest you find something to fits your schedule and don't stress over if you miss a day or even a week.  Start small and go from there.

If you, like me, struggle with the whole Santa Claus thing over taking Jesus during this season: re-focus on Jesus with your kids.  Santa can be a fun thing and I'm not saying you shouldn't do that whole thing, but if Christmas is supposed to be about Jesus' birth then re-focusing helps.

Sometimes all it takes is getting into a Christmas Devotional and working your way through the scriptures towards the Nativity.  

Right now I am checking out Max Lucado's video devotional for Advent called Because of Bethlehem. You can sign up for the free downloads and check it out here.

This month on my blog I am going to try to share some ideas and thoughts with you. I am going to give myself a lot of leeway, so if you don't see many posts you'll know why.  But keep an eye out on my Facebook page as I might share things there instead of an entire blog post I've written myself.

Below is a song by Hillsong that really touches my heart this time of year.  My wish is that one day I can be bright and cheery like the photo above, but until then I will be more like this burning fire and I can still say that my HOPE is in JESUS.

Thankful for Jesus as my Savior

What are you thankful for?

As Christians we are called to prioritize God in our lives.  I find this very hard most days as I get caught up in the day to day grind of just life.  That being said, I always want to make God a priority, but follow through is hard.

With November and Thanksgiving here in the states, it's a reminder of all the things we should be thankful for.

My top reason I am thankful: God sending his Son, Jesus, to save us all.  Covering past, present and future sin.

If you are reading this and haven't fully committed to your beliefs, it may be time to dive deeper and find out what's holding you back.

Part of believing in a savior is knowing your need for him.  Do you realize how far from God you truly are and how much you need a savior?  I do, most every day I realize this fact and I am so grateful for his continuing Grace.  

When you are saved it's by faith alone, not Jesus AND, just Jesus.

That being said, we are called to move away from sin, leave those sins behind. To repent means to do a full 180 degrees, turn around.  As believers we should show some type of change.  Change isn't needed to be saved(except for the repentance aspect), but it certainly is a way to show that God is sanctifying you.

This topic is a big one, and I'm not going to get into it too much.  I will give you some good articles to read if you want to dig deeper.

How can I be Saved?

What is Sanctification?

Finally, if you are saved, how to you share that with others?  Check out my blog post here about sharing your hope in Jesus.


John 17:14-19

14 I have given them your word and the world has hated them, for they are not of the world any more than I am of the world. 15 My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. 16 They are not of the world, even as I am not of it. 17 Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth. 18 As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world. 19 For them I sanctify myself, that they too may be truly sanctified.


There are so many awesome songs about being saved, but today Forgiven by Crowder really spoke to me.

Thankful for Freedom of Religion, Freedom to Pray

Yesterday's post I put a link in to Voice of the Martyrs.  There are so many places today where you can't openly follow Jesus , to do so is to suffer persecution or even death.

I have a VOM calendar pinned to the wall next to me and I'll be the first to admit that I am not an on fire for prayer kind of person most days.  I have it there as a reminder to do just that, pray and most days I still don't.  I want that to change, so here goes putting it into practice today.  It's not that hard, it doesn't take a long time, but yet my selfishness gets in the way.  Do you see a theme here?

Anyway, today's prayer is for Myanmar, where a front line worker asks "Pray that I would be the man of God that He desires."  Oh such a prayer as this is so simple and I should be asking that daily for myself as well.  Knowing God's will can be complicated sometimes, other times it's written out for us in the Bible as clear as day.

Will you pray with me today for Myanmar and this front line worker, we may never know who he is , but God knows him and His heart?

....  Who else needs prayer around you?  Family, friends, co-workers, neighbors, people you see walking down the street next to you, people driving in front of you... there are endless people to pray for, pick one today and go from there.  Don't forget to pray for yourself as well.  Don't know how to pray, God lays out the foundation for it in The Lord's Prayer.  I never really liked reciting the Lord's Prayer because it felt very impersonal to me, that being said, knowing it allows to me to understand HOW God would like to see us pray.  Need more info on this, check it out here.

Who can you pray for right now, and for what?

1 Thessalonians 1:2
We always thank God for all of you, mentioning you in our prayers.

Thankful for Worship Music

I don't know about the rest of you, but for me, Worship music helps me to be in tune with God.  I know, that sounded corny.  There is something about tuning into a radio station needing a pick me up, only to find the exact right song playing for what you need. I was looking back at music I've listened to through the years and I've found something interesting.  When I look at what I listened to, I was very much affected in one form or another by what was going on in my life at that time and how I was growing or not growing spiritually.

Music reaches into my soul like nothing else seems to. There is this connection that I can't explain.  It wakes me up, it helps me feel, it allows some form of release.  Music helps me to pour out my feelings.

I am not a natural music talent in any form. I have managed to pick up a few things and pluck a string or two, or blow a note or two, I can even sing a little, but I am so far from being capable of anything good.  That being said, when the right song is playing, it doesn't matter what I sound like, it just moves me.  There are some songs that I just can't shake off and some that hit me so deep I can't even sing them.  There are others that help me shout things to the rooftops.

Right now there are a lot of those rooftop songs, but one of them is below.  What is your shout it to the rooftop song?

Psalm 147:7
Sing to the Lord with Thanksgiving; make music to our God on the harp.

Gratefulness: What Happened to Thanksgiving?

When did we stop celebrating Thanksgiving?  Here's a little rant.  I wanted to just put this out there, for years now it has bothered me that most stores go from Halloween into Christmas and forget about Thanksgiving altogether, unless it's a grocery store.  When did schools stop talking about the Pilgrims, now it's all Happy Harvest Day and stuff like that?

Being Thankful is something that we, especially in America, have forgotten how to do.  Do we realize how lucky we are compared to the rest of the world?

I'm just as bad sometimes, I turn my eyes inward, I'm selfish, ungrateful, spoiled, complain a lot.

This month I want to focus on being Thankful.

The number 1 thing I am thankful for is Jesus.

That He came to save us all. That he gave his amazing grace to us, but when we personalize this, He loved ME so much that He saved me from all my sin.  It really is Amazing Grace.

There are places in the world that people can't believe what they wish to believe openly, they are persecuted for their beliefs.  If you haven't read about Voice of the Martyrs you can do so here.

1 Chronicles 29:13
Now our God, we give you thanks, and praise your glorious name.

What can you thank God for today, how can you praise His name?

Happy Halloween & Reformation Day

My Hubby's Pumpkin this year(2017)

It's another Holiday.  Some of you might have been wondering where I've been since Columbus Day.  Well, my husband and I went on vacation-by ourselves!!!  Yes, we are spoiled.  No kids, no work, just fun and relaxation.  

We enjoyed a lot of alone time, lots of board games( I skunked him 3 times in our cribbage tournament-okay, he skunked me once, but although I technically won, we both won since we got to spend so much time together), watched several movies-most of which weren't very good, and spent a couple of days adventuring to find waterfalls when the weather was nice.

Onto one of my favorite websites, History.com for the History of Halloween.

Most of you have probably heard a lot of the history before, but it's always fun to watch a short reminder video.   

It's interesting, I guess I never thought that people didn't celebrate Halloween or struggled with it as Christians. You can check out this Focus of the Family article answering the Question:  Should my family celebrate Halloween? 

It might have been the way I was brought up, we only attended church periodically. I have fond memories of dressing up and trick or treating - all those Halloweens that were so cold your Mom would make you layer a lot and by the time you got home you were sweating from all those layers and all that walking. 

I also remember that our parents had to check all our candy.  And yes, sometimes that is funny because they would laugh and steal the candy saying it wasn't safe for kids, but then they would eat it.  That was mostly my Dad though.  But it was also serious, there were people putting razor blades in candy and kids getting sick.  

Me at Halloween when I was about 7, Yes I was dressed as a NUN!
My Mother made this costume for me.

Back when I was a kid people had Halloween parties for grown ups!  Can you believe it?  I wonder if anyone ever does that anymore.   We try to get together yearly with a group of friends to do Pumpkin Carving, that's been going on now for about 12 years.

When my husband and I had our son we just figured, he doesn't eat the candy why trick or treat.  So we brought him to family in the area to show off his costume, which really was just a sweatsuit made to look like a costume.  I miss the more simple costumes.

Then as he got older and we had our daughter, there wasn't really any trick or treating around where we live.  Nowadays, there are things like Trunk or Treat-mostly done at churches to give the kids a place to come that's safe, not scary and have some fun.  It also gives the church the capability to reach out to those who aren't Christians, to spread the gospel.

Speaking of:  Did you know that today is also Reformation Day?  The day when Martin Luther began the Protestant Reformation.

Here is one our friend's blog post about Halloween , I've shared about him and the organization he works for here in my blog.  

So, check out Mark Sohmer's tips for Reverse Trick or Treat.

Now, I realize that most of you have already done your festivities for this holiday, but I wanted to write a post about it anyway.  Sometimes it takes me a full year to get into the swing of things and try something new, so I hope that this was fun and helpful for you.

For our family it's about having fun and decorating.  For my daughter especially, it's about eating lots of candy.  In the end my take away is this:

Read the portion of 1 Corinthians 10:23-33 titled The Believer's Freedom but pointedly verse 33:

So whatever you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.

Vampires

It's October, the leaves are changing and the weather here in the eastern US is getting really chilly.  Although, while I write this today it's 64 F and humid, it's a little odd, seeing that it's been 32 F the last few nights.

With October comes all things creepy right, or at least it seems that way.  The decorations go up and more than likely you will find a vampire or many among the strung up things.

Ever wondered where the legends of vampires came from, check it out here, at one of my favorite sites!

Now that you've read a little history, let talk about how to keep those Vampires around us from sucking the life out of us, and from us becoming them as well.

Don't let things suck the life out of you, and don't turn into a life sucker either.

Blood is our life force, it's what makes things work in our body.  It's what God showed us in the bible as a sacrifice to atone for sin, even before Jesus was in the picture , He showed us the necessity to sacrifice through blood.  Leading the way for the ultimate sacrifice, Jesus' blood covering all of our sins.

There are a lot of great things in life. For me, entertainment and family outings are a couple of them. But, like any great things, too much and too often can be a bad thing because then it sucks the life out of you. It's exhausting, it gets us to a breaking point and we just wanna hide under the covers and cry for awhile.  Yeah, I've done this a lot in the past, and I'm sure I will in the future. 

If we don't find a balance with all things they can become our modern day vampires.  And, if we aren't careful, we can overstep our boundaries and become vampires ourselves, sucking the life out of others.  Finding balance is a necessity in life, it is so hard sometimes and requires a lot of daily mindfulness.

It's those closest to us that tend to be affected the most, family members, spouses, children and friends.  

I encourage you today to look at your life and see if you have any vampires in your life or if you've become one.  Evaluate things, and see if you need to strike some kind of balance in your life.  

God is in control, but we need to take up our cross daily. I saw a sign on a church the other day that said:  

No God, No Peace

Know God, Know Peace

Isn't that true.  When we strive to know God and what He wants for our lives, then it leads to peace.  No one said it would be easy, in fact it often isn't, but striving is part of the journey.

1 John 6-7:

6 If we claim to have fellowship with him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth. 7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.

Ephesians 2:13

13 But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ.

 

Palm Sunday 2003

I wanted to share with you a little bit about the upcoming holiday tomorrow and what it's significance means to me.

I had made a new friend at work that year and he seemed like he was always so full of joy. Back then I struggled with lack of joy. I asked him one day why he was the way he was and his straight forward answer slapped me in the face, but in a good way.  He said, "It's because of Jesus".  I had grown up in various churches and I had even been baptized when I was 10, but I had fallen away from the church for various reasons and never gave it a second thought. However, with a lot of turmoil in the previous couple of years at that time in my life, I had often prayed and thought about going back to church. I just didn't know where to start.  

So, I asked my friend where he went to church. He told me where he went when he was attending UNH, but that he was currently attending his parent's church.

That Sunday, I put on my best dress and went very early to the church.  My heart was beating in my chest and I was really nervous not knowing what the expect.  I walked into the doors of the downstairs of DEC and instantly I was calm.  This odd feeling came over me and I felt like I was supposed to be there. I hadn't felt that kind of peace in a long time in my life.  It was a bit overwhelming, like how silence can be deafening from time to time. 

I went upstairs into the sanctuary and sat in the very back row.  People smiled and said hello to me but no one asked me any questions or attempted to engage me in conversation-which I was glad for at the time.  As I looked around I realized I felt a little out of place as people started to flood the sanctuary.  I was really over dressed for the occasion. I guess I should have known this since half of the congregation were college students.  I fell in with the other half of older people who had dressed like I had when I was younger.  We always dressed up for church.

As the service started it was then that I realized it was Palm Sunday. I hadn't seen the reeds on my way in because I was so early to the service. A few minutes into service we all started singing Hosanna and the little kids had come up and were waving palms through the sanctuary. I felt myself overwhelmed and started crying, but although I was crying there was still this sense of peace and belonging.  

That Palm Sunday, which was April 13th, 2003 was the beginning of my journey back to God and what has shaped my life since. Every Palm Sunday I tear up thinking of that day and the little kids waving their palms are now mine. 

As a side note, 13 is my favorite number and always has been. Now I guess it has even more significance for me.

I also started to dress more comfortably the next Sunday for Easter and every Sunday after that.  Realizing that God wants to know our hearts, not our clothes. 

Ever wonder about Palm Sunday, here's a cool Explanation of Palm Sunday.

My favorite Palm Sunday song is Shout Hosanna by Passion ft Kristian Stanfill

If you want to know more about Palm Sunday and Easter and want a visual tool I would suggest watching The Passion of the Christ, but make sure you have a box of tissues with you.  Even if you aren't sure you are a believer, this one will tug at your heart strings a lot and if it doesn't then maybe you aren't ready to hear the Good news.

Until next time!  Always in awe of the cross and His sacrifice.

Matthew 21: 7-11
They brought the donkey and the colt and placed their cloaks on them for Jesus to sit on. A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, while others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. The crowds that went ahead of him and those that followed shouted,

“Hosanna to the Son of David!”
“Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!”
“Hosanna in the highest heaven!”
When Jesus entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred and asked, “Who is this?”
The crowds answered, “This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee.”