Category: Christmas

These posts are about searching for Jesus during Advent. From decorations to Christmas songs, we can see God if we look for Him.

Beacons of Light

Posted on by Wendy
All Christ followers have access to the light.

As I sit here typing my last post of the year, I remember that it’s December 21st, the longest night of the year. We have more hours of darkness on this day that any other day of the year. Starting tomorrow, the time of light gets a little longer everyday and the time of darkness gets less.

I think that today is a perfect day to reflect upon this past year. There are many that would argue that 2017 has been absolutely horrible. We have been barraged by hurricanes and ravaged by wildfires. We have suffered mass shootings. Our political landscape has been nothing but anger and hate spewing from both sides, and it seems that every time we turn on the news, there’s another sexual harassment scandal.

Yet, in all of that darkness, there’s been light as well.

Every disaster that hit us also bred stories of mercy and kindness. Strangers used boats, cars and everything at their disposal, to help those in need. They stood in lines; wrote checks and gave their own blood for their fellow Americans.

The sex scandals have at long last, resulted in justice for many people who have been victims for a long time.

Perhaps it’s by design that the longest period of darkness occurs right before the light bursts forth. Perhaps it’s important to truly acknowledge the darkness in order to fully appreciate the light.

There will always be a certain amount of darkness on this side of eternity. God’s people have an enemy who will see to it. Yet, we are called to remember that just the tiniest flicker of light can dispel the darkness and all Christ followers have access to that light. We also have the means to spread it.

Just yesterday, when I was out doing some last minute Christmas shopping, it was pouring down rain. An older woman stepped out of the store and dropped something out of her bag. No sooner than I had commented to my daughter about her misfortune, another woman came up and helped her get her things back in her bag.

Yes, there are beacons of light everywhere.

The longest night and a rain storm reminded me that wherever we find darkness, we have an opportunity to shine the light and make no mistake, the light wins. Perhaps you needed reminding too.

Have an awesome day! Have a Merry Christmas! Have a Happy New Year! See you in 2018!

Wendy 🙂

Power Outage Inspiration

Posted on by Wendy

http://www.fox5atlanta.com/news/stranded-traveling-football-player-gets-help-from-total-strangers

Last Sunday, the Atlanta airport lost power for eleven hours. It happens to be the busiest airport in the world. You can imagine how crowded it was. You can also probably imagine thousands of angry and frustrated, stranded passengers. Keep it mind they couldn’t even buy so much as a bottle of water because all of the cash registers at the shops were down too.

This story reads like a recipe for disaster. I mean this is a apocalypse, movie type of scenario, but as I was reading about it, not one, but two stories jumped out at me that I just had to share.

The first one was that at about 10:00 pm, that evening, the mayor of Atlanta reached out to the management of Chic-Fil-A and asked for assistance. This company is well known for being closed on Sundays so that its employees can worship with their families. Their management is also known for being strong in their Christian faith and values.

I wonder why the mayor reached out to them.

They sprang into action asking employees who worked or lived near the airport to help. They ended up handing out over 5,000 sandwiches to hungry passengers. Corporate America rarely does much worth bragging about when it comes to helping others, but Chi-Fil-A continues to impress me because not only do they talk the talk; but they walk the walk.

My heart was already warmed as I read the next story. It had tears rolling down my cheeks.

There was a freshman football player, Luis Lebron, for Colorado State University, who was one of the stranded. After he waited for close to seven hours, he began walking, looking for a place to stay and something to eat. He had been to seven hotels that were completely booked. Does that remind you of any other people who were weary travelers and could find no room at the inn?

Luis just happened to come upon a live local newscast and he told his story. Within minutes, people began to show up to help him. He was offered food and a place to stay. He was so very thankful to the people of Atlanta. The newscaster said in all of his years doing the news, he had never seen anything like it.

As we journey through Advent, awaiting Christmas and what it means to us, may we seek out Immanuel, which literally means, “God with us;” and may we remember that He is always with us. May we be inspired to share the light when all seems dark.

A power outage inspired me. Perhaps you needed a little inspiration too.

Have an awesome day!
Wendy 🙂

A Gift from the Heart

Posted on by Wendy
I will never forget the two little girls who presented me with this ornament.

Last Friday was our last day of school for the year. I work in a school office where we have lots of generous parents, and my coworkers and I got little gifts all day long. We got lots of homemade goodies. We got gift cards. We got Christmas cards and handwritten notes. All of the kind wishes and tokens of appreciation were all very heartwarming.

But, I suspect the gift I will always remember the most, was a little handmade paper ornament from two sisters. They have had a rough year. They lost their dad and they come into the office on the way to the clinic, frequently. They usually seem to be looking for just a little extra attention, which our nurse is more than happy to give.

My Friday morning began as it often does, with an early morning visit from them. But, when I saw their little stack of ornaments, I had to fight the tears. Each one was decorated specifically for the recipient and had a hole punched in it with a carefully tied gold chord through it.

They had quite a stack and I’m sure it must have taken them a while to get them all made. When they proudly presented mine to me, I felt like I had received a true treasure.

I immediately thought of the Christmas song, “The Little Drummer Boy.” The child had no expensive gift to bring to the Baby Jesus, so he brought what he had, his ability to play his drum.

A grown up Jesus told His disciples when He witnessed a widow giving only two small copper coins, that her gift was greater than anyone else’s there, because she gave all she had.

In God’s economy, it’s never been about the size of the gifts we bring. It’s about the place they come from. It’s about the hearts who are giving them.

May we take this time in Advent as we await the coming of Christ, to purify our hearts and give to Jesus from that place. In the “Little Drummer Boy,” Jesus smiles at the little boy, showing approval of his gift. When we give what we have, no matter how big or small, with a pure heart, I know that He smiles on us too and blesses us as well.

I saw Jesus in the faces of two little girls and a homemade paper ornament. They reminded me of the true meaning of Christmas. Perhaps you needed reminding too.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

Christmas Preparation

Posted on by Wendy
Advent is a time of preparation.

Earlier this week, the faculty and staff at the school where I work, joined together to have a baby shower for one of our own. Now, it’s been a long time since I have spent much time with a pregnant lady, so spending the last few months watching a young, excited, happily married, mother-to-be, grow a life has been incredibly heartwarming.

As I looked around the shower at all of the preparations that had been made, from the punch bowl with rubber ducks floating in it, to the beautiful cake decorated with favorite book characters, I was struck at how beautiful it is to celebrate life.

We all came together to contribute just an individual thread in the very beginning of a tapestry that will be this child’s life. We came together to help the future mommy prepare and celebrate, and while a baby shower is not an uncommon event, I truly can’t think of a more positive one, or anything more appropriate to lead into Advent.

Today marks the first day of the Advent season, a time when we are called to prepare the way of the Lord. We are called to prepare our hearts and minds not only for the Christ child, but also for His return.

Most expectant mommies have themes for their nurseries. Some choose animals, flowers or a favorite story. The people who come to baby showers to help her prepare, will often buy something that has to do with the theme or something off of a gift registry.

I think that if Advent had a theme, it would be peace, love, joy and light. The registry would have things like forgiveness, kindness and patience.

If we were attending an Advent themed shower, how would we go about achieving those things? How would we find peace? How would we seek the light? How would share the light? How would we find and give forgiveness? How would we find joy? How would we learn to love freely?

The answers of course, all point to Jesus. Through Him we are able to have and reflect all of those things.

A baby shower reminded me that to truly appreciate Christmas, we need to take the time to intentionally prepare during Advent. We need to intentionally prepare the way of the Lord. We can take some daily quiet time during this busy season to remind ourselves why it is that we celebrate.

Then, on Christmas Eve, we too, can truly celebrate with the angels.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

Just As We Are

Posted on by Wendy
The manger calls us to come just as we are.

Next Sunday afternoon at our church, we will have our 2nd Annual Family Christmas Pageant. All of our members and anyone else who wants to come is invited to participate. We have a designated Mary and Joseph, two teenagers and we have some wise men, a few adults. Everything else is up for grabs.

We will have readers read through the Bible story of the birth of Christ and as people hear their parts, they join Joseph, Mary and the baby Jesus at the manger. We will sing “Silent Night,” “Away in a Manger,” and “Hark the Herald Angels Sing, accompanied by guitar music.”

There are very few costumes or props. Last year, our wise men and shepherds were in bathrobes. We had an adult show up in a cow costume. We had a couple of angels who were eating cookies. It was a menagerie of mismatched, imperfect people, coming together to pay tribute to the birth of Christ and I’ve no doubt that the residents of Heaven smiled on us.

It was simple. It wasn’t practiced or polished. We all came as we were, and approached the manger with what we had, no spectacular solos, or beautifully written soliloquies, just humble believers attempting to retell and relive part of the greatest story ever told.

Last year’s experience touched my heart in such an unexpected way. I’ve helped direct and write my share of Christmas pageants with great costumes and characters, but there’s something so genuine and raw that comes from approaching the manger just as we are.

Isn’t that what the meaning of Christmas is? Jesus left Heaven and all of glory and became one of us, a simple, frail human, so that we can approach God, just as we are. We don’t have to have the best clothes. We don’t have to have a great singing voice. We don’t have to have eloquent words.

Because of that baby in the manger, we are able and encouraged to come as we are, young and old, broken and ragtag, sick and well, happy or covered in sadness. We are called to come and witness and participate in the birth of love’s true light.

It’s so easy to get caught up in the Pinterest worthy perfection of this season. We tend to have a drive within us to seek out perfection, but we won’t get it this side of eternity. What our souls really seek is the perfect love that comes from Christ.

Taking some time this season, to remember that God’s own son wasn’t born in a castle and wrapped in fine linens, but was born in a stable and placed in a feed trough, should be enough to make us take pause and reflect that perfection is not what God seeks from us.

What He seeks from us, is our hearts and our true worship and He calls us, just as He did those shepherds so long ago, just as we are.

A simple Christmas Pageant reminded me. Perhaps you needed reminding too.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

Remembering the Heart of Christmas

Posted on by Wendy
May we always be heart ready for Christmas.

Working in the office at an elementary school, I interact with lots of parents and grandparents, and visitors in general. This time of year, I have observed one regular question.

The question my co-workers and I often get is, “Are you ready for Christmas?”

It’s a common, polite question, and for most people, it means on a physical level. Have you finished your Christmas shopping? Have you wrapped your gifts? Have you decided what you are serving for Christmas dinner? Have you shopped for that meal? Is your Christmas tree up and decorated? Is your house clean and ready for guests? The list of proper Christmas preparedness, goes on and on.

But, Christians are called to remember that we are spiritual beings as well as physical and we are also called to attend to the spiritual.

Perhaps the more important question is are we spiritually ready for Christmas? Are we prepared for light to enter into our darkness? Are we prepared for the, “Wonderful Counselor, the Prince of Peace,” to meet us wherever we are on our journey, and to take us by the hand and lead us to something bigger and better than we can possibly imagine on our own?

Are our hearts ready for the peace and joy that come from knowing the truth about that baby in the manger? How can the answer ever be “no,” or “not yet,” or “almost?” How can the answer not always be a resounding “yes!”?

I totally get the physical stuff that goes along with celebrating Christmas. I have gifts to buy and wrap just like everyone else. But, this year, the regular question about being ready for Christmas has given me a new outlook. I have decided that I’m always ready for Christmas because this year, I have decided to focus on the heart part of Christmas, instead of the physical.

I have to admit, it’s been a very peaceful phenomenon for me. Perhaps you would like to try it. May we always be ready to celebrate the entrance of Christ into our midst.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

 

Leaning into the Light

Posted on by Wendy
Our souls yearn for the light of Christmas.

During our sermon last Sunday, our pastor pointed out that Christmas is a time when our joys seem much brighter than usual. He also pointed out that our sorrows are much deeper. I don’t think anyone would disagree with that statement.

Many people feel much happier at Christmas than any other season. Sometimes it’s the lights or the hustle and bustle. Sometimes it’s knowing that family will be coming together once again. People just smile more during the Christmas season.

The other side of course, is that people who are mourning a loss, feel it much more deeply during the Christmas season than any other time. We become deeply aware of what we don’t have. We become deeply aware of what’s missing

I thought about my pastor’s statement long after the sermon was over. Maybe the reason that we feel everything so deeply during the Christmas season is that it taps into our spiritual side. We know that we are spiritual and physical beings, but we tend to give much less thought or attention to our spiritual selves than we do our physical selves.

We think about the spiritual when we are sitting in church and possibly when we pray, but other than that, for most of us, it gets very little thought.

But, Christmas is huge in the spiritual realm. It’s the single moment in time when Heaven touched earth and God became one of us. Angels sang. Prophecies were fulfilled. Darkness began to unravel. How could spiritual beings not feel the spiritual?

And as bright as the story is, darkness will not go down without a fight. We have the luxury of knowing how the story ends; Jesus is the light and the light wins. But, the darkness will try to claim what it can.

So, perhaps during this time of year, when the barrier between the physical and the spiritual feels so much thinner, we need to give more attention to our spiritual side. We need to remember that what our weary souls long for the most is the peace and joy that can only come from Jesus.

Nothing else we seek will satisfy that need. Nothing else we try to create will truly end the oppressive darkness.

If we find ourselves particularly joyous this year, then we should give prayers of thanks. If we find ourselves in despair this year, we need to truly open our hearts and souls to the truth of the baby in the manger. Joy does not come from perfect Pinterest pictures, or Facebook posts, or even from the perfect family.

Perfection does not exist on this side of Heaven, no matter what anyone tries to sell us. Joy comes from Jesus and when we truly accept that on a spiritual level, darkness doesn’t stand a chance.

Sometimes I need reminding. Perhaps you needed reminding too.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

The Peace of Christmas

Posted on by Wendy
Advent calls us to lean into the wonder of the birth of Christ and the peace He offers.

We are in the second week of Advent and our focus as the “Church,” is supposed to be on peace. The concept seems almost laughable at the moment, with protests and division all around us. I’ve read more than one account of families actually cancelling their Thanksgiving dinners because the rift and division caused by the election was just unbearable.

Now that Christmas is so close, I’ve read that there will be families that follow suit with their Christmas plans too. How did we get here? How did we get to a place where the outcome of a single presidential election becomes more of a focus than all we are thankful for or in this case, the celebration of the birth of Christ?

While the entire idea of families cancelling Christmas, parents not seeing their children, grandparents not seeing their grandchildren, families intentionally choosing to embrace bitterness and division just baffles me, I don’t know why I’m surprised.

Jesus said “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life and have it to the full.” John 10:10

That sounds kind of like what’s going on with families being torn apart. Destruction is not Jesus’ mantra, but it is Satan’s.

Isaiah 9:6 is probably one of the most quoted verses during Advent. “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. He will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Counselor, Prince of Peace.”

And there it is. During Advent, Christians are reminded that we are supposed to be preparing our hearts for the arrival of the Prince of Peace. There will still be strife and division. We live in a broken world and on this side of Heaven, there will always be tears and mourning at one time or another.

But, the Prince of Peace offers us a different kind of peace, the peace that settles deep in our hearts and souls and simply cannot be shaken by anything of this world, not sickness, not loss, not even death, and certainly not from the outcome of an election.

Christmas is a time when we are called to lean in very close to that baby in the manger and reflect in awe on His birth and what it means to all of us. We are to reflect on the skies full of angels praising His name. We are called to remember that because of that baby a time will come when, “He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” Revelation 21:4

This year we need Christmas more than ever. We need the young virgin and her story, and the shepherds and theirs, and the three wise men, and all of the angels involved.

But, perhaps most of all, we need to remember that even though man made no room for God, He came anyway. He will always find a way. Perhaps you needed reminding today.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

Living with Purpose

Posted on by Wendy
Advent is an ideal time to intentionally do all we do with Jesus in mind.
Advent is an ideal time to intentionally do all we do with Jesus in mind.

As my hubby and I were walking into Walmart last weekend, there was a bell ringer there for the Salvation Army. I have a ton of respect for those guys, standing out in the cold or the rain or sometimes both. They stand there ringing a bell, for hours on end, for a cause much greater than themselves.

But, this guy, well, he was a picture of pure joy. He was wearing a red Santa hat and he had Christmas music playing. He sang along and danced and wished everyone who walked past him, coming or going, a hearty, “Merry Christmas!” He was all smiles too, seriously joyous.

When I walked past him initially, I promised myself I would dig in my purse and find something to drop in his kettle on the way out, but as I thought about it, I stopped right inside the door and felt lead to give right then. I looked until I found something to give. (Isn’t it interesting when we truly search for something to give to others, that we always find something?)

I walked back outside and had a difficult time placing my dollar in his kettle because it was crammed so full. I was not at all surprised. His enthusiasm was contagious and God was clearly blessing him for it.

I thought about that man for the rest of the day and a Bible verse kept springing to my mind. The associate pastor at our church shared it at a recent meeting I attended. She was talking about the different jobs at a church and doing things we are passionate about. She said there was one verse that she tried to apply to her life daily.

“And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.” Colossians 3:17

She said that simply means to do everything that you do like you are doing it for Jesus personally, with excellence. In other words, it doesn’t matter if you’re answering phones, creating spreadsheets, changing diapers, driving a bus or anything in between. We are called to do our daily tasks to our best ability, like we are serving Jesus, openly joyous and enthusiastic, with thanksgiving.

I wonder what the world would look like if all Christians embraced the idea that we are sometimes the only Jesus that those around us get, our co-workers, our neighbors, the cashier at the store, are all part of the mission field where we have been sent. How well are we doing on that mission? Do those who we cross paths with feel a little closer to Jesus after spending time with us? Does our joy and enthusiasm encourage them to maybe give faith a chance?

A Salvation Army bell ringer at Walmart, reminded me of the beauty of doing all that we do with excellence. He also reminded me of that blessings that come from doing so. Perhaps you needed reminding too.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

 

December Reflections

Posted on by Wendy
Perhaps the best gift we can give this season is prayer.
Perhaps the best gift we can give this season is prayer.

Today is the first day of December. The Christmas season is well underway. I’m hearing Christmas songs playing on the radio. I’m seeing houses decorated with lights. I’m seeing cars, with trees strapped to the top. That always makes me smile.

I have seen a huge board outside our cafeteria, full of wishes of children for Christmas, in our Secret Santa program. There is everything from socks to bicycles on that board and all kinds of things in between. I saw many parents take an item at our Thanksgiving feast and then when an e-mail went out appealing for help with all that remained, I saw some of those same parents come and pick another item.

I have seen amazing generosity at the school I am blessed to work in. I have seen God at work in this season.

I have also seen an incredible amount of tragedy this season. Gatlinburg, Tennessee, is in ruins. A wild fire burned a huge portion of it. Many people lost their homes and some even lost their lives. But, I also saw the rain all Southerners had been desperately hoping and praying for that eventually helped to control those mountain fires.

I find it kind of interesting that while a good portion of the fires blazing in the Georgia, Tennessee and North Carolina mountains appear to be man-made; it took the power of God to finally get the best of them.

In my own little town, there have been two families who lost a father within a week of each other and another family who lost a daughter. When a co-worker came by my desk with a post it note to ask me to pray for one of those families, I could see God at work. When my pastor’s wife asked me to pray for another, I could see God at work and when a brand new Facebook friend, asked for prayers for the third family, I could again, see God at work.

We live in a broken world on this side of Heaven. There’s sickness, and death, and tragedy here. There are wild fires that sometimes burn out of control. But, there’s beauty here too, and generosity that sometimes brings me to tears. Sure, there’s plenty of hate, but there’s more love and love trumps hate every time.

As I think about the celebration of the birth of our Savior, I find myself wondering if this season isn’t perhaps a season that the enemy seeks to attack us the most. The birth of Christ was really the official beginning of Satan’s demise and since deception and destruction are his mantra, wouldn’t he use this time to target believers?

I feel a deep urge to pray in this season, to pray for the people of Tennessee, and the people who are struggling with sickness, and the people who are struggling financially, and for the people who are mourning.

I pray that those who feel lost and alone, will find the comforting arms of Jesus. Maybe this season, what our country needs more than anything, is some prayer warriors, people who are willing to stand in the gaps for people who are too weary to pray for themselves. It’s possible that in this moment in time, it’s our opportunity to, “Prepare the way of the Lord.”

Perhaps you would like to join me.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂