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This is Christmas

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So this is Christmas–the day everyone’s been hollering about; scurrying around and shopping for; putting up decorations and spending their last ounce of energy for! This it the day that some thought would never come–and others wished never would; the day that some sleep in on, eat plates filled with food on, and stuff garbage bags full of colored paper on!

What is Christmas for? Is it for the kids? The merchants? The religious people? The party-goers? Who knows?

Before Bethlehem, what did the world do on December 25? What did they do without shopping malls, candy canes and chestnuts? What did they do before the First Noel–before Scrooge and the little elves? Before Santa Clause?

Before Mary fell writhing in pain onto a pile of hay in a dark stable corner–shaking and shuttering as new life squeezed through her loins, were there any silent nights? Did Christmas really start with blood and tears? With the smell of fresh dung? With a sense of disappointment and fear? With uncertainty? Did Joseph and Mary know it was Christmas?

How did we get from there to here? Who added the lights and tinsel? The, dashing through the snow? Perhaps we’ll never know. But one thing we do know is that everyone knows about shopping and spending money. At least they know about the Christmas they’ve been shown.

For me, the only Christmas that matters is the one we often forget. We may not call it Christmas, but it is that seed of hope that’s nestled next to despair–when your best friend dies; when life turns sour; when worries blot out the sun; when you’ve just learned that you have six months to live; when hope bleeds all over the floor and you feel like the dung in the stable–it’s then that you’re ready to believe and wonder! It is then that the baby, the blood and the star make the most sense!

This is Christmas!

Read more at the source: This is Christmas

Article excerpt posted on en.intercer.net from Spiritual applications.

FaceTime

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I’m getting to that age (aka, old-ness) when I find myself saying, “We didn’t have THAT when I was a kid.” I’m constantly amazed at how quickly technology races forward. Just the other day I was explaining to my teenager what a “Pen Pal” was. How I used to write letters—with paper and pen and envelope and stamp—and send them to a girl my age who lived in another part of the world. “Oh, like e-mail?” she said.

Uh, yeah. Something like that.

When my husband first deployed with the US Navy, we were newlyweds. I remember standing at the pier and waving as the ship moved into the harbor and watching all the children waving as well. It made me so sad to think of the months that would go by without even hearing the sound of their parent’s voice—let alone seeing their face.

But now we have video conferencing on our cell phones! On my iPhone, it’s called “FaceTime.” With a simple touch of the screen, I can suddenly SEE as well as talk to my husband. And when he deploys again next summer, my children will also be able to see and talk to him. This is so wonderful for children in military families who struggle to live without Daddy or Mommy for six to 12 months at a time.

It’s not as good as having him home with us, but it’s also a far cry from letters my grandmother wrote when my grandfather was serving overseas. Letters that would take months to arrive and more months for responses to be received.

I’m so thankful that we don’t need pen and paper or “FaceTime” to contact our heavenly Father. It is such a blessing that at any moment of the day, I can come directly to my Lord in prayer. I don’t have to navigate through any human intermediary, wait in line for a response, leave a message at the beep, pay extra for faster downloading speeds or check to see if “you’ve got mail.” I can speak to him right from my heart.

And one day, we’ll improve on “FaceTime” when we see him “face to face” (1 Corinthians 13:12).

Read more at the source: FaceTime

Article excerpt posted on en.intercer.net from Spiritual applications.

Don’t Eat the Pie

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As the wise man said, “Healthy laughter is better than Pepto Bismol” (Proverbs 17:22).

Roger and I were the hosts of an early morning radio show in California’s Napa Valley. Callers regularly bombarded our airwaves with stories that could have been on Comedy Central.

One holiday morning our first caller was the cook from a nearby Board and Care home. She was laughing so hard that she could hardly talk.

“Each year I make a dozen pumpkin pies for our residents and the families who visit,” she finally settled down enough to share. “I made the pies last night, and was really proud of myself for doing such a perfect job! Then, as every good cook must do, I tasted a thin slice, just to be sure they would be a memorable dessert.”

“My mouth was instantly on fire! I drank two glasses of water and one of milk, but nothing took away the flames!”

Now she was laughing so hard it took a minute or two to calm her down enough to describe the disaster.

“In my hurry to get the pies done, I grabbed the wrong container and substituted Cayenne Pepper for cinnamon! In twelve pies!!! And it’s nearly time for dinner!”

We all laughed till our sides hurt, imagining her surprise, and wondering how the guests would have enjoyed the pies.

An hour later the cook arrived at the radio station with one of the pies for us to taste “live.” It was far worse than she had described!

Later in the day, at a very special family holiday dinner, I set the remains of the “pepper pumpkin pie” among the desserts, along with a couple glasses of milk. The guests included cousins Debbie and John who were up from San Francisco…but since John played trumpet in the San Francisco Symphony and had a concert that evening…they had to leave early.

They mistakenly took two giant pieces of the pie with them, having no idea of the surprise to come. We waited, and hoped they had water, milk, and Maalox in the car. When they called, their hysterical laughter was from a pay phone at a Quick-Stop.

“We each took one giant bite of the pumpkin pie,” Debbie gasped, “and immediately discovered that there was no water in the car! It took us nearly ten minutes to find this store, and we’re surprised the car didn’t catch fire!! Whatever you do, don’t eat the pie!!!”

Eat well over the holidays, but watch out for the pumpkin pie!

Read more at the source: Don’t Eat the Pie

Article excerpt posted on en.intercer.net from Spiritual applications.

What About Tomorrow?

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It’s kind of strange how Jesus didn’t have much to say about tomorrow. What He did say is that we shouldn’t worry about it.

“Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don’t get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes” (Matthew 6:34, The Message). 

Someone eloquently said, “Today is the tomorrow you used to worry about!”

When dwelt upon, tomorrow’s unknown fears can impact the way you live in the present. Like a scorching fire, fear burns up your energy and vitality. It devastates your hopes and eager expectations, cripples faith and can ultimately destroy your health.

God’s Word is a good antidote for fear. That’s not to say that when it’s read it holds some kind of hocus pocus magic that instantly dispells all our fears. Such an expectation would be naive and unrealistic. Rather, God’s promises are like the anti-venom that neutralizes the poison of a deadly bite. Suddenly healing is within reach. Try reading these passages and note how you are affected: Psalm 23; Psalm 91; John 14:1-3

“I’m absolutely convinced that nothing—nothing living or dead, angelic or demonic, today or tomorrow, high or low, thinkable or unthinkable—absolutely nothing can get between us and God’s love because of the way that Jesus our Master has embraced us” (Romans 8:38, 39, The Message).
 
Questions About Your Future

One of the best ways to plan for tomorrow is to proactively seize today’s opportunities for learning and personal growth. Here are some questions to consider. Your answers will help provide a glimpse into what your future may or may not hold:  

1. What are you doing today to limit tomorrow’s potential medical expenses?

2. Are you putting any money in savings for future needs?

3. What skills are you honing today to make yourself more marketable in tomorrow’s workplace?

4. What do you want to be doing five years from now?

5. What are you planning to do five years from now?

6. What is today’s most pressing personal challenge?

7. What do you think tomorrow’s most pressing challenge will be?

8. What are you doing to master this anticipated challenge?

9. How much time do you invest in other people (family, friends and others)?

10. There are many things we cannot change. What can you do today to influence your sphere of influence in a positive way?

Read more at the source: What About Tomorrow?

Article excerpt posted on en.intercer.net from Spiritual applications.

Window Shopping

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I remember the first time I saw her. It was 49 years ago, and we were in the college cafeteria just after semester break. She was a new face on campus and being not “socially attached” to anyone at the time, I immediately began to plot how best to impress her and get a date.

I determined this venture was worth spending some of my hard-earned cash on; so, throwing caution to the wind, I purchased two tickets to a Victor Borge concert at Constitution Hall. Since the concert was sold out, I was offered provisional seats on the stage itself just inches from the maestro. The cost was exorbitant, but this only served to convince me that this would surely make the hoped-for-impression.

It must have done the trick. That young lady and I are still dating each other. We’ve also been married for 47 years.

Dating is exhilarating. Everyday is new and exciting; feet walk on clouds, hearts skip beats, life looks beautiful through those rose-tinted glasses. Is that normal? Absolutely! Is it wrong? I hope not. Dating is, in fact, part of our Great Physician’s plan. He fully intended that His children grow up, mature, and seek companionship. “It is not good that the man should be alone,” He told Adam in Genesis 2:18, KJV.

We’re attracted to other people by many things. It could be as whimsical as a smile, or as basic as a feeling of security. But the final selection process—the process that ends with a nervous “I do” uttered before witnesses—must be carried out using issues far deeper than looks and feelings.

Dating is a time for discovering which is the right person for you. It’s a time to get to know what makes us tick; what we like and don’t like; how we spend money; what we believe in; what our habits are.

Dating is a grand experiment, and that may be as far as some couples want to go. But the man and woman who desire to deepen their relationship must make a commitment. They become more and more exclusive until, finally, they pledge to love, honor, and cherish “until death do us part.”

There is Someone who loves you very much. This person has had His eye on you ever since you were born, and He wants to be first in your life. I wonder if we are as fair with Him as we are with one another. In short, are you committed to God, or are you just “dating” Him?

Are you window shopping—looking here and there for someone who will bring you the most benefits? If God promised to make you rich, beautiful, or famous, would you attend church more often?

Is God your blind date—the stranger you hardly know yet who you expect to meet all your specifications? Is He on your heart’s short list only when you can’t find anyone else?

Are you trying to double-date with God? Instead of making Him first in your life, do you expect Him to share time with your career or many social engagements?

Maybe you think you can “go Dutch” with your Creator—He takes care of His obligations, you take care of yours. That way, you won’t be “beholding” to Him for anything.

Perhaps you consider yourself “going steady” with God, but not willing to move up to the next level—being totally committed to Him “until death do us part.”

The ultimate cad in the dating scene is the two-timer—one who pretends to be committed to you while maintaining developing friendships on the side. Have you ever said Yes to God, then returned to your old way of life?

The Bible says that our Great Physician is a “jealous” God (Exodus 34:14). That means He has chosen you, and He doesn’t want anything or anybody to take you away. Like any serious suitor, He longs to spend time with you because He has invested everything He owns in your relationship. He has paid every bill, including your ticket to heaven. No, He’s not trying to impress you or make Himself look good. He’s simply saying, “I have loved you with an everlasting love;I  have drawn you with loving-kindness (Jeremiah 31:3).

How could anyone resist a love like that?

Read more at the source: Window Shopping

Article excerpt posted on en.intercer.net from Spiritual applications.

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