Sentiment (Luke 2.8-14)

Good morning all,

The word of the day is “sentiment.”  Over the years I have had a ton of favorite Christmas movies.  But one that continues to stand out is A Charlie Brown Christmas.  It never gets old.  When I was a little kid, I loved it.  And, I love it now.  What is amazing to me is that right smack dab in the middle of it, Linus reads straight out of the Bible.

"And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not; for, behold, I bring you tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you: Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace and goodwill towards men." ~Lk. 2:8-14

My question is: what is Christmas to you?  There is a lot of emotional power that comes with this specific holiday.  Even though it is a religious observance by about 2 billion Christians, much of the world celebrates with us.  That gives us an open invitation to help others understand what we believe, and why.  My prayer is that you take the next few days and pray for someone that needs to experience the miracle of Christmas.  After all of the presents, cookies, family gatherings, and sentiments that come this week… remember it is the Savior we celebrate this season.  And so, as Linus would say, “That’s what Christmas is all about, Charlie Brown.”

Praying for you,

MO

Christmastide (Luke 2:1-20)

Good morning all,

The word of the day is “Christmastide.”  This being the day of our Savior’s birth we can look back and think of our own lives, and when we first began to follow Jesus.  The Christmas story is one of awesomeness and miracles, worthy of our respect.  I love to read these verses each year and try to put myself in the place of each of the characters, and wonder what they might have been thinking.  Whatever it was, I wonder if they knew how we would be celebrating so many years later.  That their actions in history would be forever remembered.

“So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them.” ~Luk 2:16-18

My question is: what does the season mean to you?  There are a lot of things that call for our attention.  Family, presents, stress, and everything else that goes along with this season can sometimes take center stage.  My prayer is that you approach the Christmastide this year a little bit differently.  Take the next several days and instead of just thinking about how you are going to take down all of the decorations, remember that Christmas doesn’t end at the end of today, but is representative in our lives daily.  Continue to spread joy and extend the season!

Praying for you,

MO

Consanguinity (Isaiah 7:1-16)

Good morning all,

The word of the day is “consanguinity.”  Christmas is the season where people often remember that we are all connected by one commonality, and that is the relationship that each of us share with our Lord and Savior.  I love looking at the nativity scene and wonder what it must’ve been my way back at the first Christmas.  It’s pretty exciting to know that those of us who are Christians can celebrate this holiday together.

“Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.” ~Is. 7:14

My question is: What do you celebrate most during this season?  I know that I am especially thankful for friends and family with whom I share a belief in God.  Without that understanding this season becomes full of self-centeredness and a lack of understanding for what this season is really about. My prayer is that you stop and remember your Savior in the midst of all the hustle and bustle of shopping, food, family, and trees.  Each of us have given our lives over to Jesus celebrate the consanguinity of adoption by God.  Let’s let others know why that is such a wonderful thing.

Praying for you,

MO