Category: Christmas

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Everlasting Father

I remember a time when I was about 6 or 7, I had gone to the grocery store with my Dad. Some how we lost sight of each other. I remember starting in the first aisle, and searching each row for my Dad. When I completed that search I went to the meat department and looked for him there. Finally, after what seemed an eternity, I went to the check out at the front of the store and with tears streaming down my face I told her I was lost and couldn’t find my Dad. She got on the intercom and said, “We are looking for Kristi’s dad. You are lost but if you come to the front register, she will find you”.

I was so glad to see him come around the corner of an aisle and head to the register. I was flooded with relief.

“ For to us a Child will be born. To us a Son will be given. And the rule of the nations will be on His shoulders. His name will be called Wonderful, Teacher, Powerful God, Father Who Lives Forever, Prince of Peace.” Isaiah 9:6 NLV

Or as stated in another version, Everlasting Father.

That experience was one of the first times I had a living example of my heavenly Father’s love. My Dad scooped me up, wiped my tears and gave me a big hug. I was lost but he found me!

That’s exactly how our heavenly Father treats each of us. He searches for each one of us; we are precious to Him, He scoops us up in loving arms, wipes our tears and calms our fears.

Maybe you’re like me. For a long time, I didn’t feel as if I was valuable enough to have anyone search for me. One day, I sat and read the story of the prodigal son. It was a story I had heard in Sunday School for years but it really hadn’t made an impact on me. However, this day I was sitting at my office desk, looking out the window, waiting for Dave to come home and when I read it I was overwhelmed by the Father’s love.

I could see in the mind’s eye of my imagination, the Father staring out the window and waiting for His child to come home. The Father came down the road to welcome the prodigal. As the face came in focus, it was mine! I could feel the Father’s embrace and hear Him say welcome home my dear child.

“‘… While he was yet a long way off, his father saw him. The father was full of loving-pity for him. He ran and threw his arms around him and kissed him…22 But the father said to the workmen he owned, ‘Hurry! Get the best coat and put it on him. Put a ring on his hand and shoes on his feet…24 For my son was dead and now he is alive again. He was lost and now he is found. Let us eat and have a good time.’” Luke 15:20-24 NLV

The story of Christmas is the story of the everlasting Father, searching for us, welcoming us home and wrapping us in His forgiveness. We were lost and now we’ve been found!

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A Son Is Given

We just spent four days with our son and his girlfriend, and it’s been wonderful! Yesterday afternoon he took us to the home of our oldest granddaughter and her family. It was the first time we had been in their home. Another wonderful time!

Have you noticed how hard it is to say good-bye after a particularly enjoying visit? Whether they come to our house, or we go to theirs, it’s hard to leave without a tug in our hearts. But they all have lives with their own set of responsibilities, so no visit gets to go on forever.

Now imagine…what if you said good-bye to your Son, for the first time. You had always been together, it was the perfect Father/Son relationship. Never a squabble, always together in perfect harmony and now He was going to leave, and he wouldn’t be returning for years!

“ For to us a Child will be born. To us a Son will be given. And the rule of the nations will be on His shoulders. His name will be called Wonderful, Teacher, Powerful God, Father Who Lives Forever, Prince of Peace.” Isaiah 9:6 NLV

Imagine even further that you were the One who was sending Him away. Sending Him to fulfill His destiny but that destiny would end with His death. God the Father gave us His Son freely.

“Anyone who belongs to Christ is a new person. The past is forgotten, and everything is new. 18 God has done it all! He sent Christ to make peace between himself and us, and he has given us the work of making peace between himself and others.19 What we mean is that God was in Christ, offering peace and forgiveness to the people of this world.” II Corinthians 5:17-19 CEV

Many times we look at the events of the Bible through a religious lens and don’t take it personally. However, giving His Son to the earth’s population was a great sacrifice. A sacrifice of love, a sacrifice made freely and without reservation.

A Son was given!

Given for our redemption. The first gift of Christmas was the gift of life, the gift of a redemption, the gift of the Son!

“ Christ became human flesh and lived among us. We saw His shining-greatness. This greatness is given only to a much-loved Son from His Father. He was full of loving-favor and truth.” John 1:14 NLV

Jesus came to show us how to have a loving relationship with the Father.

Unto to us a Son was given!

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Gift of Humility

Years ago, there was a silly county western song, “Oh Lord, It’s Hard to be Humble”, written and sung by Mac Davis.

“Oh Lord, it’s hard to be humble
When you’re perfect in every way
I can’t wait to look in the mirror
‘Cause I get better lookin’ each day”

Humility is something that we have all had to battle at one time or another. Pride takes a variety for forms from self-exaltation to low self-esteem.

Think of Jesus. He was at the creation of the world; heaven was His home. He had the ability to do all things, to rule all things and He came as a baby with no reputation.

Who else had angels filling the sky and announcing their birth? Who else had the wisest men in the known world searching for Him and bringing Him gifts of incalculable value? Who else had an angel appear to His mother for his baby reveal?

“…and His name shall be called “Mighty God”. Isaiah 9:6

I still can’t get my mind around it fully – that Almighty God came in the form of a baby and subjected himself to a human life. Why? Because of His great love. From that love came His desire to see us (mankind) return to our right relationship with the Father.

“The Word became a man and lived among us. We saw his divine greatness—the greatness that belongs to the only Son of the Father. The Word was full of grace and truth.” John 1:14

How many times in a week do we complain when we are asked to do something menial, trivial, beneath us? Clean a toilet, help a co-worker with a mess they’ve made, a job that’s “below” our pay grade…

Do we take the same attitude that Jesus took? What if he had said to Father God, “ya, I’ve thought about it and decided I’m not going to earth. Those people won’t appreciate what I’m doing, they will only expect more. They won’t realize who I really am; some of them will really hate me and spend all their time discrediting me and telling lies about me. No, I don’t need that kind of treatment – I deserve better than that.”

“In your life together, think the way Christ Jesus thought. 6 He was like God in every way, but he did not think that his being equal with God was something to use for his own benefit. 7 Instead, he gave up everything, even his place with God. He accepted the role of a servant, appearing in human form. During his life as a man, 8 he humbled himself by being fully obedient to God, even when that caused his death—death on a cross.” Philippians 2:5-8 CEV

When things get hard to handle and we feel underappreciated, remember Jesus, God’s own son – He left the perfection of heaven to come to earth – “mighty God” and became a servant to all. He gave to us the living gift of humility.

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Christmas Traditions

Some of you who have been reading my blog for the last few years know that I have a couple of Christmas traditions that will always be a part of my life.

There are the books that sit on my coffee table, the nativity that decorates my living room and the candy canes that sit in a basket at the door and make their way into my purse on each of my outings.

Even though we are in the RV and space is limited the nativity still graces the mantel, the books (we’ll talk about some of those in the next few days) are on the small table in the living room and I keep candy canes in my purse.

All three items tie together and are a part of my Christmas traditions.

Years ago, I mean many years ago, I was introduced to a book, “The Legend of the Candy Cane”. I was on staff at a Calvary Chapel in Encinitas CA when I found it on the shelves of their bookstore. I bought it and the coffee mug that was a part of the set.

Handing out Candy Canes with this little message is a great way to share Jesus at Christmas.

The story is of a candy maker who befriends a little girl while she helps him unpack the merchandise for his new stop. There are gum drops, licorice sticks, butterscotch drops, lemons drops and then there was a new candy she had never seen.

It was a red and white crook, like the kind a shepherd would use. The candy maker told her the crook was for the “Good Shepherd” who came to take care of us all. The white represented the sinless life of Jesus and the red for was the blood He shed to save us. When turned upside down, the crook became a J – the first letter in the shepherd’s name, Jesus.

No photo description available.

“I am the good shepherd. I know my sheep, and they know me. 15 Just as the Father knows me, I know the Father, and I give up my life for my sheep. ” John 10:14-15 CEV

Christmas is all about sharing the love that Jesus has for us. Giving out candy canes with this little message is just one way I do that.

“ I have not turned away from Your Law, for You Yourself have taught me. 103 How sweet is Your Word to my taste! It is sweeter than honey to my mouth! ” Psalm 119:102-103 NLV

I hope each of us will be an ambassador of the sweet peace of God’s love this season.

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Christmas Lights

Christmas is a time for remembering and for sharing the joy of times spent together. This morning I will tell you another grandchild story.

Our youngest grandson was just over a year old when his mom and dad came to visit us in Rio Rico. Dave and our son-in-law went out to the desert for an afternoon of shooting while our daughter, grandson and I went to Tubac, an artisan community, to shop.

Every shop we went in was fascinating to Sam. He is so taken with Christmas lights, and he wasn’t disappointed as we went from store to store. He would stare at the pierced metal stars that hung from the ceilings and he loved the “balls” so big and brightly colored. Most of the time I carried him, so his mom was free to look through each shop. We laughed and giggled, and the love and excitement Sam felt. It worked its way into the hearts of the shop keepers and shoppers.

Christmas through the eyes of children. The wonderful, the excitement, the joy!

When I was in high school choir we sang a song, “Christmas Was Meant for Children”, made popular by Sandi Patty

“Christmas was meant for children
Children like you and me
With mistletoe and holly
And toys upon the tree
The stockings by the chimney
And hearts so full of joy
Old Santa’s riding through the snow
For every gift and boy

So ring out the bells from the steeple
For the world in its mantle of white
Let the star in the East that lead us
Shine on your tree tonight
Always remember the infant
Away in a manger to see
For Christmas was made in heaven
For children like you and me

Those stars that captured Sam’s attention were a representation of the bright and shining star that led the wisemen to the Christ child. We place lights on our trees and outside our homes to give the warm glow of joy and love to all who pass by.

Our lives should be lights of love, joy and peace that will attract others to finding Christ. Jesus is our example of a life filled with light.

“Later, Jesus talked to the people again. He said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never live in darkness. They will have the light that gives life.” John 8:12 ERV

And then He gave us a command to be light.

“People don’t hide a lamp under a bowl. They put it on a lampstand. Then the light shines for everyone in the house. 16 In the same way, you should be a light for other people. Live so that they will see the good things you do and praise your Father in heaven.” Matthew 5:15-16 ERV

Let’s wipe the dust off our bulbs, trim the wick in our lamp, and shine. Shine with Jesus for all the world to see!

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Ring Out the News

I remember when our first granddaughter celebrated her first Christmas. She and her Momma were at our home because our son-in-law was in the Navy and his ship was out to sea.

Seeing the Christmas decorations through her eyes was such a joy!

She wasn’t big enough to walk so I felt safe in hanging my bell ornaments from the lowest branched of the tree and then would lay her on a blanket where she could reach up and touch them with her little fingers. She was occupied for long periods of time and it was so fun to hear the tinkle, tinkle of those little bells.

Don’t ask me why but that memory came back yesterday as I was reading Luke 1 when the angel, Gabriel, appeared to Zechariah, John the Baptist father, and told him his wife was going to have a baby.

“But the angel said, ‘Don’t be afraid, Zechariah! God has heard your prayer. Your wife, Elizabeth, will give you a son, and you are to name him John. 14 You will have great joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth,'” Luke 1:13-14 NLT

The birth of a baby is always a reason for great joy and this child was being given to a couple, well advanced in years. Elizabeth had been ashamed of her bareness and when she learned she was pregnant, she stayed in her house not wanting to expose herself to any more public ridicule.

Elizabeth had a cousin, a young girl named Mary. Mary went to visit her cousin and when she did, the two women experienced great joy!

“For even when I just heard the sound of your greeting in my ear, the unborn child leaped with joy in my womb.” Luke 1:44 TLV

These two women had both been blessed with pregnancies, but those miraculous conceptions opened them to ridicule. One was an older woman, well advanced in years and the other was a young, unmarried teenager.

“Then Miriam said, ‘My soul magnifies Adonai, (The Lord) 47 and my spirit greatly rejoices in God, my Savior. 48 For He has looked with care upon the humble state of His maidservant.
For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed.” Luke 1:46-48 TLV

Neither woman allowed the possible shame or public ridicule they would face to steal the joy of the blessing that God had given them. They both embraced the Lord’s blessing with grateful hearts.

Is there a blessing the Lord has given you that others don’t understand? Maybe the Lord has led you to make a move that is bringing criticism from your “friends”. Could it be that others might be jealous of something you know was the hand of God in your life?

Long before telephones, internet and text messages the way news was spread through a town was by a herald. He would walk through the streets of the city, ringing a bell, announcing the news.

Isn’t it time that we ring the bell and announce the good news of Jesus and His love to those around us?

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Peace of Mind

That was the message of the night when Christ was born. “Peace on earth, good will toward men”.

But what kind of peace? There was and has been unrest and wars, divisions between nations and people. Was God wrong to have the angels proclaim peace? Not hardly!

The peace that Christ brought to earth was a peace between God, the Father, and all mankind.

“When anyone is in Christ, it is a whole new world. The old things are gone; suddenly, everything is new! 18 All this is from God. Through Christ, God made peace between himself and us. And God gave us the work of bringing people into peace with him. 19 I mean that God was in Christ, making peace between the world and himself. In Christ, God did not hold people guilty for their sins. And he gave us this message of peace to tell people.” II Corinthians 5:17-19 ERV

What an amazingly, wonderful gift! Peace with God; God’s goodwill being poured out on us. It’s a heart peace, a freedom from worry. A mindset that God loves me, and I can trust Him with my life. I can trust Him to want good for me, I can trust Him to protect me. I can trust Him to give me peace.

“Don’t worry about anything, but pray and ask God for everything you need, always giving thanks for what you have. 7 And because you belong to Christ Jesus, God’s peace will stand guard over all your thoughts and feelings. His peace can do this far better than our human minds.

8 Brothers and sisters, continue to think about what is good and worthy of praise. Think about what is true and honorable and right and pure and beautiful and respected. 9 And do what you learned and received from me—what I told you and what you saw me do. And the God who gives peace will be with you.” Philippians 4:6-9 ERV

God’s peace will stand guard over ALL my thoughts – imagine that. Every thought guarded by peace!

I’ve heard it said that the war or battlefield we face as Christians is the one in our mind. I agree with that. Fear starts in our thoughts – the “what if’s”. What if I get cancer, lose my job, my kids rebel, my spouse leaves, I’m injured or killed? What if?

“We break down every thought and proud thing that puts itself up against the wisdom of God. We take hold of every thought and make it obey Christ.” II Corinthians 10:5 NLV

Replace the what ifs with things that are good, worthy of praise, true, honest, pure and lovely. This is why it is so important to have our hearts and minds filled with God’s word. The word of God is the sword that helps us fight the battle in our own imaginations.

God’s word has promised us protection, provision, a life of peace. We need to appropriate those promises.

The peace that the Father promised didn’t come in a big box wrapped with a beautiful bow, no. It was delivered on a normal night, in a small town, wrapped in strips of cloth and put in a feed trough. His name was Prince of Peace and He comes to all who will receive Him.

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A Child Is Born

I know some of you are probably getting up this morning with only a few hours’ sleep. Moms and dads work through the night putting presents under the tree and assembling others that are too big to wrap. We do this to see the joy on our children’s faces.

God knows about bringing joy to His children too. The most important gift of all was wrapped in humanity over 2000 years ago and then delivered by Mary and wrapped again in strips of cloth and laid in a manger.

The Father’s gift, planned through the ages, brings hope and peace to us even in our darkest times.

I have friends who are experiencing the loss of loved ones this year. Some just in the last few days and Christmas celebrations have been set aside to make room for grieving. Others have been diagnosed with life threatening disease. They’ve all had merrier Christmases than the one this year.

It’s easy to celebrate when you’re rested, strong and doing well. It’s something completely different to choose to celebrate in a time of sorrow, sickness and frailty. But you see, that’s the reason He came.

“For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.” Isaiah 9:6 KJV

He came to be MIGHTY in our weakness; He came to be PEACE in our turmoil and fear; He came to be WONDERFUL in our disappointment and He came to be COUNSELLOR in our grief and heartache.

“ I want you to know all about Christ’s love, although it is too wonderful to be measured. Then your lives will be filled with all that God is.” Ephesians 3:19 ERV

May you find all you need in Christ this Christmas. His life is what makes ours complete!

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God’s Good Will

It’s important when we read the Bible that we let what we are reading really penetrate our thoughts. Some of the stories we have heard for years and sad to say but after a while they fail to impact us – just one more time to hear it, one more time out of habit but without meaning.

As I told you yesterday, this year I took a new look at the story of Jesus’ birth from Luke 2. I prayed that the impact I received from Luke’s recording of the events would take on new life and meaning. I have not been disappointed.

“Mary was engaged to Joseph and traveled with him to Bethlehem. She was soon going to have a baby, 6 and while they were there, 7 she gave birth to her first-born son. She dressed him in baby clothes and laid him on a bed of hay, because there was no room for them in the inn. 8 That night in the fields near Bethlehem some shepherds were guarding their sheep.” Luke 2:5-8 CEV

Many Christmas cards, movies and books show Mary & Joseph arriving at night. Knocking on the innkeeper’s door and being turned away because there was no room. That may be the way it happened but when I read the verses above, I get a different perspective.

The shepherds had the angels appear to them at night that is true, but by that time Mary had already given birth to Jesus. So, they must have arrived in Bethlehem earlier in the day or even the night before. They had time to “settle in” when the pains of labor started. Joseph had to help Mary and they prepared the stable as best they could for the inevitable.

The birth of God’s Son.

Since Bethlehem was crowded and the inn was full, those staying there would have needed to tend to their animals. Did they come to the stable, hear the commotion, feed their animals and quickly leave? Did anyone ask if they needed help? Although there were no birthing facilities, I’m sure it was not common to give birth in a stable.

Did Joseph have anyone to help him care for Mary following the birth? Did the Father send an angel, disguised as a midwife, to assist them? And then how much time did Mary have to rest and suckle her newborn before the shepherds arrived?

Yesterday, I asked Everyone, Who’s Everyone. This morning I got a little more insight into that as well. The angels didn’t give the shepherds a street location – they had to search for Him, and they found Him, laying in a manger. The everyone could have been the people the shepherds spoke to, asking if anyone knew where there was a new baby who had been born in a stable. Yes, possibly that was who the everyone was.

Life’s events were not turning out as Mary had planned but in all of it, she trusted the Lord.

“Nothing is impossible for God!” 38 Mary said, “I am the Lord’s servant! Let it happen as you have said.” And the angel left her.” Luke 1:37-38 CEV

What is it that isn’t going according to your plans this year? Let me assure you that whatever detours life has been taking you on, trusting God with the circumstances will bring a course correction.

He is faithful and His plans are always for our ultimate good!

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Everyone? Who’s Everyone?

Each morning I read through the account of Christ’s birth in Luke 2 but there’s a phrase that has only started to impact my thinking the last couple of weeks.

“Everyone listened and was surprised.” Luke 2:18 CEV

Everyone! Who’s everyone?

The verses right before this have the shepherds running through the streets to find the baby they had been told about. The verse immediately following it tell us that Mary meditated on everything that the shepherds told her.

But who is the everyone?

“ So they went running and found Mary and Joseph. And there was the baby, lying in the feeding box. 17 When they saw the baby, they told what the angels said about this child. 18 Everyone was surprised when they heard what the shepherds told them. 19 Mary continued to think about these things, trying to understand them.” Luke 2:16-19 ERV

The “everyone” was obviously more than just Mary and Joseph. One translation says the shepherds told everyone they saw about what the angels said. This isn’t very religious but the image I get in my head is one from the old western movies when someone finds gold.

They run into the saloon, out of breath, ordered a whisky and holler out “I’ve found the mother lode”! And EVERYONE stops to listen. This message that the shepherds gave was of more value than finding the mother lode – the love of God is more precious than silver, more costly than gold!

But back to the everyone…were these people neighbors of Mary and Joseph? Did they finally accept that Mary hadn’t been a promiscuous teenager whose hormones had run wild? We’re they strangers who had come to Bethlehem and registered in the census, who had heard the stories of the coming Messiah and now were “lucky” enough to be in the right place at the right time?

I really don’t know but I do know the shepherds were thrilled with the message they had received and were eager to share it.

Let’s be like the shepherds – let’s share the message with our group of “everyone”.

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