Too Busy to Open our Bibles?

By Janet Morris Grimes –

How old were you when you first realized that Christmas was about Jesus, and not Santa Claus?

As a child, it was difficult to focus on anything other than Santa, and how could I possibly understand the correlation between the two. As an adult, I still struggle at times to focus on Jesus. From the twinkling lights, the television commercials that tease of all things extravagant, my internal ‘to-do’ list that constantly reminds me of what is left to be done, I fail to remember why I am doing it to start with.

I add to my calendar an appointment to be at church on Christmas Eve for the annual candlelight service. And I go, probably because our family has made a tradition of it, and those few, precious moments together on the church pew remind me of years gone by, when they were babies, trying to keep their hair and fingers away from the dancing flames. I countdown the moments that we can be still, and together, side by side at the fireplace. I crave the excitement of Christmas morning, and surprises, and hugs from loved ones not seen often enough.

It could be that I’ve grown to worship our traditions, more than finding a way to marvel at the way the birth of Christ truly changed the world.

To be honest, I find it hard to worship at Christmas.

Satan probably loves that; the way he can manipulate something that is supposed to be about Christ into something that keeps us from Him. Are we too busy to open our Bibles to recall why we bring gifts to those we love? Are we victims of the PR Campaign of the latest gadget that everyone else is getting?

My goal for this Christmas is to focus on what matters, long after the season is over.

BIBLE VERSE: “My people will live in peaceful dwelling places, in secure homes, in undisturbed places of rest” (Isaiah 32:18 NIV).

PRAYER: Dear God, show us where we belong here on earth. Establish places for us to dwell that are indeed peaceful and honor You at all times. And thank You for creating a place for us in eternity.

Mary’s Willing Heart

By Carin LeRoy –

Christmas is a time of busyness: shopping, gift-wrapping, parties and family time. I love to decorate the house, put up my nativity scene and celebrate the season with many past traditions. But in all the season’s activities, do we give ourselves time to reflect on the events that occurred for Jesus to be born of the Virgin Mary? Do we stop to think about what birthing Christ meant to her?

She was probably a teenager when she became pledged to Joseph. This pledge meant she belonged to Joseph even though they were not yet married, and it was more binding than our modern-day engagements. Only a written divorce could separate their agreement. When the angel of the Lord appeared to Mary to tell her she would miraculously give birth to Jesus, her response was, “May it be as you have said,” (Luke 1:38 NIV).

She was willing to take on public humiliation as an unwed mother, to risk Joseph misunderstanding or not believing her and to let others in the community look down on her. God had looked on her with favor and selected her for a task that many others might have rejected. She chose to let God use her to accomplish a much bigger purpose – even though it meant personal suffering for a time.

Do we have the same submissive spirit as Mary? Will we respond with the same quick answer? As we celebrate this Christmas season, let’s also remember that Christ could only come to earth through the willingness of a young woman, named Mary, who chose to suffer for a time for God’s greater purpose. “May it be to me as you have said,” should be our response, too, to a Savior who might ask something difficult of us. May we have a heart as willing as Mary’s to heed the voice of God.

PRAYER: Lord, give me a heart that is willing to heed Your voice, even if it might mean personal suffering. Help me to see that You may have a greater purpose and desire an impact far greater than my own comfort.

BIBLE VERSE: “‘How will this be,’ Mary asked the angel, ‘since I am a virgin?’ The angel answered, ‘The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be barren is in her sixth month. For nothing is impossible with God.’ ‘I am the Lord’s servant,’ Mary answered. ‘May it be to me as you have said.’ Then the angel left her” (Luke 1: 34-38 NIV).

O Tannenbaum, O Tannenbomb

By Hally Franz –

Red wire ribbon and cardinals—that might be my first choice. Given recent events, and the fact that I am geographically a member of “Cardinal Nation”, I need to clarify that I am referring to  the beautiful winter bird rather than the team. Although, I know of one family who may very likely have a tree dedicated to this year’s World Series Champions.

If not the red tree, I’d like a gold and silver one with lots of shiny balls and bling. And, it would be fun to have a miniature tree in my kitchen, all decked out with tiny copper cooking utensils. Truthfully, each year as I visit Christmas stores, I admire the fabulous, themed trees. They are color-coordinated works of art. Some of them are so stunning they look good even hung upside down. Imagine that! So, each year I lament that one day I will have a themed tree in addition to our humble Franz Family tree.

What our tree lacks in design, it makes up for in variety. There are airplanes and apples, reflective of the careers my husband and I have had in aerospace and education. There are a few pickles, symbolic of an old German tradition, which I can’t accurately remember now. Some ornaments are souvenirs from summer vacations, a pair of kopeli from Arizona and twin pirate ships from the Outer Banks.

Though it is not fashionable, it could be functional. If there were an accident nearby, it would double as a first-aid kit. There are countless cotton balls and tongue depressors available by simply cannibalizing a few of my children’s handmade crafts. Of course, I would hate to do that, but what choice would I have in an emergency situation?

Our tree is not coordinated, but maybe that makes sense. Perhaps there is symmetry in the fact that this secular symbol of Christmas is humble and simple. After all, our holy symbols reflect the humble and simple scene of Christmas. Each year, as we place our nativities around our home, we are reminded of the birth of Jesus, which was anything but fancy. It was, however, beautiful and designed to perfection.

Does humble equal stunning, simple equal fabulous, and lowly equal grand? It may not when we are talking Christmas trees, but, where God is involved, you bet it does!

PRAYER: Father God, remind Your children during this holiday season of the eternal beauty in the lowly birth of Your Son, and in all the wonders of Your hand.

BIBLE VERSE: “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” (Luke 2:7 NIV).

Where am I Going?

By Cheri Cowell –

The first thing I do when I’m going on a trip is decide where I want to go. Come on, you might be saying. That is obvious. I wish it had been more obvious or I wouldn’t have wasted so much of my life trying to go somewhere I didn’t really want to go. I didn’t understand that if my ladder were leaning against the wrong wall, I wouldn’t be where I wanted to be when I got to the top. It wasn’t until recently that I began to ponder the real questions of where I wanted to go. Who did I want to be when I got there? What did my life stand for? Do I have a bigger purpose?

In order for us to prepare for the Advent journey we are taking on our journey to Christmas, we need to decide where we want to end up.

Zechariah lived in Judea at the time of Jesus birth. He and his wife Elizabeth lived an obedient life. They loved God with all their hearts and served Him in the Temple. The Bible calls them “upright in the sight of God.” However, all was not perfect in their lives. They were childless, which in those days was a disgrace. I’m sure they asked the same questions you and I do about what their lives stood for, where they going, and what it all meant? While they wondered, they never wavered in their devotion to God and their desire to be all God wanted them to be. So, when God searched the earth for the parents of John the Baptist, the one who would prepare “the way” for Jesus, He found them…Pure, willing, obedient, and humble.

“In the time of Herod king of Judea there was a priest named Zechariah, who belonged to the priestly division of Abijah; his wife Elizabeth was also a descendant of Aaron.  Both of them were righteous in the sight of God, observing all the Lord’s commands and decrees blamelessly” (Luke 1:5-6 NIV).

PRAYER: This is my prayer; that when God combs the earth looking for the next vessel to do His work in His world, He will find me “upright in the sight of God.”

THOUGHT: What path do you have your life on? What wall is your ladder leaning against? Ask God to help you make Him become your purpose.

Characterology

By Rosemary Flaaten –

I love learning new words, especially when they have fifteen letters in them. I recently heard the word “characterology”. I immediately was drawn to understand its true meaning. “Ology” refers to the study of something and “character” could be described as the combination of features and traits that form our individual nature. So, characterology is taking a good hard look at who we truly are, especially when no one else is around or watching us.

This resounds with the psalmist David who cried out to God to study his character. “Search me, O God, and know my heart, test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me and lead me in the way everlasting.” (Psalm 139:23-24 NIV).

One of the Holy Spirit’s roles is to illuminate sin in our lives. Sure we’d rather call them character flaws, but things like pride, envy, and deception are not just imperfections, they are sins. Like Adam and Eve, we will try to hide our sin from God, others and even ourselves. I often make the study of my character as superficial as possible. I skim over actions and attitudes that fall outside of God’s desires for my life, choosing to slough over them rather than confess and change them. I cheapen God’s grace by ignoring the repentance to which He calls me.

All too often the study of my character is at a third grade level rather than a more advanced level of spiritual maturity. The hard work of characterology, involving true study, will bring about maturity and transformation. Being a student of the character of Jesus will help me become more astute at discerning and responding to the Holy Spirit’s revelations of the offensive ways in me.

Characterology is more than a big word. It is an advanced class in spiritual formation into which we can to delve wholeheartedly with God’s guidance.

PRAYER: Lord, I ask for courage to delve into the study of my character.  Thank You for Your love and grace in the midst of my mess.

BIBLE VERSE: “Surely you desire truth in the inner parts; you teach me wisdom in the inmost place.” (Psalms 51:6 NIV)

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