Author: Wendy

The True Magic of Christmas

Posted on by Wendy
This sculpture of Mary and the Baby Jesus is in St. Augustine.
This sculpture of Mary and the Baby Jesus is in St. Augustine.

It has often been said that Christmas has a certain magic about it. We love the Ebenezer Scrooge story and his transformation so much that a dozen adaptations have been made. Disney even got in on that one. From Miracle on 34th Street to It’s a Wonderful Life, we embrace the special magic that surrounds Christmas.

As I’ve said before, it’s almost as if God draws a little closer to us during this season. Of course, it may be that we draw closer to Him. Maybe the feeling of magic comes from the miracle of the Virgin Birth itself. It may stem from angels filling the sky and bringing all mankind tidings of peace and joy directly from heaven or from a star that shone so brightly that it lit up the entire night sky.

There are countless stories of Christmas magic, where the seemingly impossible is made possible by those trying to spread the love and peace of Christ. There are stockings that get miraculously filled, to bills that get miraculously paid. While many of these “miracles” do come from common people, not God; I’ll bet that very often these “miracle workers” are being led by the Holy Spirit. I would also be willing to bet that these people are true believers who have opened their hearts to God’s will for them.

One magical Christmas moment occurred on Christmas Eve and Day in 1914. World War 1 had been raging for several months and it was proving to be the bloodiest and most destructive war mankind had ever seen. On the western front, German soldiers began lighting candles. The British soldiers could see them from their trenches. The Germans began singing the Christmas carol, Silent Night in German. The British soldiers responded by singing the carol in English.

Picture that scene for a moment. It’s freezing and dark. You hate the guy on the other side. You are trying to kill him, but then you hear a tune you know and love in a language you don’t know. “Silent night, holy night, all is calm all is bright..” What do you do? They answered in their own language.

For a single day, there was peace among enemies. The opposing soldiers mingled and sat around fires. They sang Christmas carols and exchanged small gifts like food and chocolate. The truce didn’t last and it wasn’t on every front of the war. But, on that small stretch of earth, there was peace on the night that we celebrate God’s gift to all mankind.

The truce didn’t repeat itself the next year. The higher-ups were very displeased when they heard about it. Enemy soldiers were never supposed to mingle, but when candles are lit and voices join together in Silent Night, well, miracles can happen, there can be peace on earth, even if only for a moment.

When we open our hearts to the reason for this season, we can be transformed and that, my friends is the true magic of Christmas. What do you think about Christmas magic? Feel free to share.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

 

Seeing God in Christmas Decorations

Posted on by Wendy

In my quest to search for more of God this Advent Season, I decided to do a little research on Christmas decorations. Not surprisingly, many were created as reminders that Jesus really is the reason for the season. Here’s some of the cool facts I learned.

 

This holly bush has red berries and thorns.
This holly bush has red berries and thorns.

In the 15th century, in London, churches and homes were decked with holm (a type of tree), ivy, bays, holly and anything that was green. The heart-shaped leaves of ivy were supposed to represent Jesus coming to earth. The holly thorns are said to represent the crown of thorns Jesus wore during the crucifixion and the red berries represented the blood Jesus shed for us.

Candles in each window is an old Irish tradition. It is a sign of welcome in remembrance that Mary and Joseph could find no place to stay when it was time for Jesus’ birth. Candles in windows can also represent Jesus as being the light of the world.

The first Nativity Scene was actually created by St. Francis of Assisi. (He was also the guy who was so good with animals.) The story goes that he got permission from the Pope at the time, to set up a live scene in a cave in a small Italian village, with a manger, straw and two animals. He invited local villagers in and preached the Nativity Story. It was such a hit with the people, that Nativity re-creations spread like wildfire and within a couple of centuries they were all over Europe.

All Masses at the time were preached in Latin. Most of the common people didn’t understand Latin. St. Francis found a way to make the birth story real to them. Just one man, trying to communicate God’s love to others and look what he started! Do you have a nativity set in your home? Say a special prayer of thanks for St. Francis of Assisi.

The wreath is a never ending circle.
The wreath is a never-ending circle.

Wreaths are circles. Circles have no end so they are supposed to represent the  everlasting life that we have in Jesus. They are also usually made of evergreen which also represents everlasting life. The traditional Christmas colors are red, green, and gold. Red represents the blood of Christ. Green represents eternal life and gold represents the gift of gold from one of the three Magi who visited Jesus.

The Christmas holiday has become very commercial. Remembering the true meaning behind some of our common decor helps me keep the Christ in Christmas. I’m sure there is disagreement about some of these traditions and some may have started out as pagan like the Christmas tree, but my Christmas tree has stars, angels, the Baby Jesus and churches on it. There’s nothing pagan about that!

The truth is, if we look for God, we will find Him. We can see Him in all sorts of places. Why not start with Christmas decorations? What do you think? Feel free to share.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

Allowing Others to Serve

Posted on by Wendy
Friendship is as always as beautiful as fresh snow.
Friendship is always as beautiful as fresh snow.

Our washing machine died this weekend. It’s been limping for awhile, but the spin cycle finally stopped working completely and you know what happens then. The clothes come out literally dripping. I would have to go through three dryer cycles to get them dry.

Of course, this is the absolute worse time of the year to have to replace a major appliance. Furthermore, I had saved almost a week’s worth of laundry for the weekend, so there were piles in the laundry room as tall as I am. I had a ton of errands planned, so the last thing I wanted to do was shop for a new washing machine.

But, shop we did. We went to Lowe’s and found a set on sale, still ridiculously high, in my opinion. Although they offer next day delivery, they were booked due to Christmas, so they couldn’t deliver it until Monday afternoon. I kind of sulked on the way home at the inconvenience of it all. I realized that I would have to call a friend and ask her if I could do a load of laundry at her house.

Now, I love to offer help, but I hate to ask for it. I don’t know why. It’s pride I suppose. I just really like to feel completely self-sufficient. No one can live their life that way. We are not set up that way. We were created for community. We are supposed to depend on one another. It’s part of our design.

I called a friend as soon as we got home to ask the favor. She didn’t hesitate. Of course it was okay that I needed to use her washer. She had her own errands and crazy schedule and she wasn’t sure she would be around, but she would be happy to leave me a key.

Just like that, no questions were asked. It struck me at that moment that as much as I like to help others, they probably get the same enjoyment out of helping me. If I never ask for help, then I am depriving them of a chance to serve. Pride made the list of Seven Deadly Sins. I think I should probably work on that.

It turned out that she was home on Sunday afternoon and she made me a cup of coffee. We spent an hour or so catching up. It was relaxing and fun and needed. Sure, I had a bunch to do, but I’m working on putting people, not things first.

As I watch for God this season, I so often find Him, in the faces of friends who I have known for years. While I can’t say I’m happy about the washing machine dying, I can say that the entire incident has made me even more thankful for friendship. It has also made me ask myself how I am doing at allowing others to serve me. How about you? How are you doing? Feel free to share.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

A Parade Story

Posted on by Wendy
We didn't have a float this year, but we had a truck.
We didn’t have a float this year, but we had a truck.

This weekend, we had the Watkinsville Christmas Parade. It may not be the Macy’s Parade, but I’m here to tell you that our little Mayberryesque town, population 2,888,  turns out for a parade. Everyone with a John Deere tractor, plasters a big, red bow on it and drives it down Main Street. Seriously, there are usually close to a hundred entries. Everybody wants to be in the parade.

This year, no one in our church wanted to organize a float, so one of the members of an adult Sunday School class said he would drive his truck. I have walked in the parade, with our church for the past seven years, but I was really torn about walking this year. There are always so many beautiful floats and creative entries and I was really disappointed that we only had a truck. Furthermore, we were expecting rain.

When we first started participating, we filled up an entire float and had another thirty walkers or so. But, times are different now, and I just wasn’t sure about walking this year until I got a call from Anne, one of the members of our clergy. She was so excited that we were given the number 22 spot this year. Normally, we are way back in the eighties. Her enthusiasm was pretty contagious.

I had to admit to myself that I really do love that little parade. Getting to say Merry Christmas a thousand times and passing out candy to little kids is hard to beat. I decided to go.

When I arrived at the truck, it had the church banner on it. Then Anne had one of our youth to wind some beaded Christmas garland around the rack on the top. Meanwhile, one of our kids who we haven’t seen since the summer, showed up on his bike and after everyone hugged him, he quietly asked me if I thought he could ride his bike with us. I told him, “of course,” and we wound some garland around his handlebars and someone put some deer antlers on his helmet.

Three other boys decided they would like to be shepherds and so they put on shepherd costumes that Anne brought along just in case. We had eight or so people wearing reindeer antlers. We had a mom pulling a wagon and last, but not least the senior pastor, decked out in a Hawaiian shirt, was driving a dune buggy with a possum strapped to he hood. There were six people holding a red rope, wearing reindeer antlers, pulling the “dune buggy sleigh.” Did I mention there was a dog wearing Christmas attire and someone was playing a tambourine?

Dune buggy sleigh
Dune buggy sleigh

I hope you can picture this motley crew I have described, because as we started moving along the route, the craziness of our circus-like scene had me laughing so hard, I thought my sides would split. By the end, my stomach muscles felt like I had been doing sit ups. We were surrounded by so many lovely and well put together floats and we were, well, we were material for Jeff Foxworthy stand up.

Two of our three shepherds
Two of our three shepherds

I mean, if anyone ever said they were uncomfortable walking into a church of perfect people, then we were able to allay those fears. All we needed was a clown and a bearded lady. But, you know what? I could see Jesus in all of those fellow church members as we walked together  shoulder to shoulder. We have been through a lot together. We have celebrated births and mourned deaths together. We have taken each other meals and fed each other physically and spiritually. Walking with them was a blessing.

It really struck me that it isn’t about the what. It’s about the who, the who I was walking with that matters, not the what we were walking behind. Most importantly, it’s the who we serve. God doesn’t ask for perfect. He just asks us to give what we have and He will do the rest. I am intentionally looking for God this Advent Season and He was with us on Saturday; I have no doubt about it, and I suspect He was smiling; I know I was.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

 

If I Were Her, I Would….

Posted on by Wendy
Wouldn't it be nice if life came with clearly written signs?
Wouldn’t it be nice if life came with clearly written signs?

We have all done it. I’m just as guilty as the next person. When something bad happens to someone we know, we say something like, “If I were her, I’d leave him.” or “If my child did that I would…”

Whether we hear about someone’s spouse being unfaithful or someone’s child cheating on a test, we all are very quick to interject what we would do in that situation. We have all the answers or do we?

The truth is we never know what we will do if placed in a certain set of circumstances. We may think we know, but we can’t possibly know because we have not walked in another person’s shoes and we will never walk in another person’s shoes; so we can never truly make a judgement call about what we would or wouldn’t do, if we were that person.

But, we love to be armchair quarterbacks. I wonder why that is. Why are we so full of advice for other people when we have a hard time just running our own lives? Maybe other people’s problems seem easier because they are not our own. Our own lives are harder than anyone else’s. Right? That’s why it’s so much easier to tell other people what they should do, than to figure out our own situations.

Jesus showed a perfect understanding of our tendency to do this when he said, “How can you think of saying to your friend, “Let me help you get rid of that speck in your eye, when you can’t see past the log in your own eye?” Matthew 7:4 Ouch! This particular verse speaks to me. We really have no business giving unsolicited advice, period.

Jesus didn’t say not to help someone out who seeks your counsel. He specifically says not to go around telling people what the should do when we don’t have it together ourselves. Wise advice to be sure, but Jesus has always known our nature and chooses to love us anyway.

Paul tells us in 1 Thessalonians 5:11, “So encourage each other and build each other up, just as you are already doing.

So, as Christians, how should we react when we hear that someone’s life has taken a bad turn through no fault of their own? We pray for them. We offer support. We don’t gossip about it and we don’t give advice that they didn’t ask for. Support can come in many forms, but it never comes in the form of condemnation.

If someone asks our advice in a situation, then we should kindly and gently speak truth as best we can, but if they don’t ask it, we should zip our lips, keeping in mind that we never know when life will throw us a curve ball of our own. I think we would all do well to remember to “do unto others…”

What do you think about unsolicited advice? Feel free to share.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

 

Commitment

Posted on by Wendy
The rainbow is a symbol of God's commitment to mankind.
The rainbow is a symbol of God’s commitment to mankind.

Americans struggle with commitment. About half of our marriages end in divorce. We also have trouble committing to a healthy diet or lifestyle because around two-thirds of our population are overweight or obese. We aren’t very committed to our churches either. We church hop when something about our church doesn’t suit us anymore. We look for something better.

Whether it’s church hopping, job hopping or spouse hopping, the grass is always greener on the other side. We are always able to find greener pastures, for a time. But, after a little time goes by, we usually find that every person, every workplace, every place of worship has its drawbacks. The perfection we thought we had at last found, was a mirage of sorts. So what do we do? We usually look elsewhere.

We have become a type of nomadic culture, seeking perfection in an imperfect world. We want the perfect house, car, job, church, kids and spouse. We want the perfect body, but we’d really rather just take a pill instead of sweat and count calories. We want the Norman Rockwell painting and the Currier and Ives Christmas card. We want perfection and we will break every commitment we make along the way on our great quest.

Unfortunately, what we seek, we will not find on this side of Heaven. Life is not perfect and people, are certainly not perfect. We have perfect moments from time to time and that’s what brilliant artists like Rockwell are able to capture, but a life of perfection is a myth.

So, what are we to do? Are we to live miserable, unfulfilled lives? Absolutely not! However, I think a good start is to take a look at our current commitments. Do they line up with who we are and who we want to be? Are we over committed? It’s hard to have any sort of exercise plan if we have meetings lined up every night of the week. It’s hard to become a part of a church if we travel every weekend or are involved in some sort of sport every Sunday. It’s hard to devote time to our marriages if we line up commitments that keep us away from our spouses.

Next, we need to take a look at our faith walk. If we are committed to God first, these other commitments will fall into place or fall away, whichever needs to happen. We need to learn to say no to things that don’t line up with Biblical principles.

I think a faith mentor can be super helpful too. Pick out someone you know who seems to be walking the walk you would like to walk, someone who is living in close relationship with God. Ask them for help and advice. I’ll bet they will gladly help you.

Finally, we need to let go of the perfection fairytale. It simply doesn’t exist. We need to make a list of five commitments we are serious about and go to God in prayer and ask for help. If we turn back to Him, He will help us. Commitment is hard work, but the results are so worth it. Little by little we can become the nation of committed people that we once were. Who’s with me?

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

Christmas Traditions

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My sweet neighbor brought this Advent calender to my children several years ago.
My sweet neighbor brought this Advent Calendar to my children several years ago.

The Christmas season always makes me think of my granddaddy. That man loved Christmas. He loved the decorations and the music and he loved to carve a turkey. We always had a houseful of people visit on Christmas Day when he was alive.

My sister and I had the forty-five record of All I Want for Christmas is My Two Front Teeth, and he would play it for us tirelessly while the two of us danced around in circles. He was the sheriff of our Georgia county for twenty years, so when my mom was growing up, they always exchanged gifts on Christmas Eve because he never knew when he would get a call to go into work. Unfortunately, the holidays are always a busy time for officers of the law.

When my mother married and had kids, she continued that tradition with us. Granddaddy was always there for us to open gifts. He delighted in it. Now that I have kids of my own, I have added my own tradition. We attend church service on Christmas Eve and then we come home and eat some chili and then my kids and my sisters kids open their gifts.

Granddaddy has been gone for thirty years now and a tradition he started out of necessity, still lives on. The woman who lives across the street from us brings my kids an Advent Calender every year since we moved in. We have been here for nine years now and at the beginning of the Christmas season, she shows up at our door with two Advent Calendars. She has started a beautiful tradition that my children will always remember and it helps to keep the Christ in Christmas.

I will be sure to pass this on when my kids have kids or maybe when we get new neighbors with young kids. Great traditions have a way of living on.

One of the fabulous things about Christmas is that we can always start new traditions, ones that are meaningful. The best ones leave permanent footprints on our hearts. I still get teary thinking of Granddaddy and his talk of Santy Clause. I’ve learned to appreciate those tears. They are simply physical proof of the love he left me after he went home to be with Jesus.

I wonder what he would say about us continuing to do Christmas the way he started it. I wonder if my kids will continue that tradition when they have kids. I hope so. I hope they will continue to attend a Christmas Eve service too. There’s nothing like the reading of the Christmas Story and singing Silent Night by candlelight with over a hundred other voices, that makes me feel overflowing with peace and joy.

What Christmas traditions do you treasure? What traditions would you like to start? It’s never too late to start something new. You never know, it might be profound enough for your great-grandchildren to continue thirty plus years from now. Let’s make this Christmas one to remember! Feel free to share.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

Do Not Be Afraid!

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This is one of the many angels you are likely to see this time of year.
This is one of the many angels you are likely to see this time of year.

When we decorate for Christmas, we are likely to use an angel or two somewhere in our homes. Many of us top our trees with them. Artists and retailers have made angels to be beautiful and delicate. We think of them as comforting guardians who watch over us.

The Nativity Story gives us a different picture of angels. When Gabriel appears to Mary, he tells her, “Do not be afraid.” When an angel of the Lord visits the shepherds, the scripture says they were terrified. “But the angel reassured them, “Don’t be afraid, he said. I bring you news of great joy that will be for all the people.” Luke 2:10 It goes on to say that the angel was joined by a vast host of others, the armies of heaven.

Armies aren’t typically made of sweet, gentle beings. They are usually filled with warriors, ready to do battle. In the Elisha story in 2 Kings, Elisha’s servant kept asking him where their army was because they were alone. Elisha told him they had more on their side than the Arameans did. The servant was scratching his head, for he saw no one. Elisha prayed that God would open the young man’s eyes. God did and the young man could see the hillside was filled with horses and chariots of fire. 2 Kings 6:11-16 Elisha knew they were there. He didn’t need to see them.

Of course, there are also stories of angels who comfort. God sent an angel to make Elijah wake up and eat, twice. An angel appeared from heaven and strengthened Jesus in the garden before the crucifixion. Luke 22:43

Angels are mentioned at least 108 times in the Old Testament and 165 in the New Testament. We rarely get a physical description of them, but they are usually doing something to assist God’s people who are doing God’s work, like breaking people out of jail who were locked up for spreading the Good News.

I think they look like whatever God wants them to look like at the time, or maybe what we need them to look like so we can understand God’s message for us. You wouldn’t want that delicate tree topper to defend you in a fierce battle. But, you also might not be comforted by a ten foot warrior on a fiery chariot. Humanity has always had a need to try to tame God.

We desperately want to put Him in a box and wrap it up with a neat little bow. The Bible tells us the nature of God is just not like that. He has a plan, but His plan is quite unpredictable and often messy and scary. Sometimes, He may send angels to help us along in whatever ways He sees fit. We just need to be open to that and try not to figure out the specifics.

Isn’t that what faith is all about? If we do the best we can to follow His plan, we should be covered. The Bible says, “Don’t forget to show hospitality to strangers, for some who have done this have entertained angels without realizing it.” Hebrews 13:2

So, the takeaway on angels? Do not be afraid! God has your back.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

Oh Come, Oh Come, Emmanuel

Posted on by Wendy
Our Christmas tree is decorated.
Our Christmas tree is decorated.

Like many people, we put our Christmas tree up the weekend after Thanksgiving. That just seems to be the “right time” to decorate for Christmas. I just love meeting people on the road with a Christmas tree strapped onto their roof. I got behind several on the road over the past few days.Those trees always make me smile.

Now, I will be the first one to grumble when retailers decide to put their Christmas decorations up before I have finished eating my kids leftover Halloween candy, but the first time I enter a store after Thanksgiving and Christmas music is playing, well, that just warms my heart. I think that’s the time when I’m ready.

Yesterday, we celebrated the first Sunday in Advent at church and we sang the old hymn, Oh Come, Oh Come Emmanuel.  What is Advent anyway? Advent is the time that we are supposed to prepare our hearts and minds for the birth of Jesus. It’s a joyous time for us to remember what Christmas is really about.

The four weeks in Advent are for us to contemplate the enormity of God’s love for us. Emmanuel means, “God is with us.”  That’s a perfect short definition for Jesus. I am trying to intentionally, watch for God this Advent season and I would love it if you would like to join me.

My family went to Wal-Mart and Target the day after Black Friday and we were pleasantly surprised at all of the Christmas cheer we found. Both places were very busy, but everyone was so nice. There were a lot of “excuse me’s” and apologies for aisles being blocked. Almost everyone was smiling. Maybe all of the craziness happened the day before or maybe if you look for the good, you can find it. My daughter commented on the good cheer as well.

Yes, I’m going to buy gifts for my family to put under my tree, but I’m keeping my eyes open for ways to serve as well. It can be something as small as donating a gift for Toys for Tots or packing a shoe box for Operation Christmas Child. There are so many ways that we can share the love of Christ during this beautiful season. We can invite someone to church or to a Christmas service.

The point is not to get too terribly caught up in all of the commercialism and to remember the beautiful gift that all of mankind was given some 2000 plus years ago. Let’s don’t just remember it on the Sundays in Advent. Let’s remember it everyday over the next twenty-four days. Remind your kids what we are really celebrating. Remind yourself.  Santa and Frosty are fun, but Jesus is awesome and Jesus is forever.

I’m going to try to start each day during Advent with a prayer of thanks for that baby born in Bethlehem and then I’m going to watch for God’s hand in the world around me. He’s always here, but this time of year, He just seems closer. “Oh Come, Oh Come, Emmanuel.” I hope you will join me. Feel free to share any of your Advent God Sightings.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

It’s Black Friday

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Jesus is the reason for the season!
Jesus is the reason for the season!

The Thanksgiving meal has been eaten and the dishes have been washed and put away. I watched the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade and I saw Santa at the very end. It’s now official; the Christmas Season has begun.

Many people decide to start this season rushing around to all of the Black Friday sales. The economy has been tough for quite some time now, so I can totally understand the need to get a good deal. Christmas these days has become quite expensive. If you have kids, the older they get, the more expensive their lists become.

If you don’t have kids, there’s still brothers, sisters, nieces, nephews and/or parents to buy for. Then everything has to be wrapped. Besides all of the stress that the shopping can cause, there’s a general busyness that accompanies the season. There are parties to attend . There are Christmas cards to write and mail. It can all get exhausting.

While there’s nothing wrong with the hustle and bustle of the season, I’m going to try to remember this year, that we are really celebrating the birth of our savior.  We are remembering that we have a God that loves us so much that He left His home and became one of us.

We are remembering a teenage girl who was a virgin, who said yes to the Angel Gabriel and yes to God, when she was told she was with child. She must have been scared out of her wits.

We are remembering a man who believed in God and in miracles when he agreed to stand by that pregnant teenager who was betrothed to him, even though the baby she carried was not his.

We are remembering a humble birth, where the son of God was placed in a simple feed trough because man could not make room for Him.

We are remembering a group of shepherds, the modern-day homeless of their time, who God thought were important enough to send the good news of the birth of His son. He not only sent them a heavenly messenger;  He treated them to a sky filled with angels and a taste of the brilliance of heaven. They may not have been good enough for society, but they were good enough for God.

This is the season that we remember that we are a special treasure to our Maker and we celebrate the birth of His son, Jesus. So, with all of the running around that I’ll be doing, I’m going to try to keep in my heart that Jesus really is the reason for the season and all of the other Christmas stuff, really doesn’t matter so much.

Won’t you join me?

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂