A Shekel For Your Thoughts, Mary

In Luke 2:19 it says "But Mary kept all of these things and pondered them in her heart". I love picturing this in my mind. I can just see this young teenage lady that has just brought life into this world. She does not have the comfort of a hospital or even a house to take care of her little baby, but she does the best that she can with what she has. She wraps him in swaddling clothes and in that manger setting she holds him close to her bosom and contemplates all that is going on. What is going through her mind? No one knows for sure, but I believe her thoughts were coursing a path from the beginning of this young child's life all the way to the end. Just like any new parent, there were many uncertainties concerning the future. But, with this being the Messiah, the Savior, the very Son of Jehovah God, she knew His future was mapped out from miraculous birth to majestic death. We can speculate all we want about Mary's thoughts that morning, but we will never know for sure what they were. Had God wanted us to know, He would have told us. But, He did choose to tell us that she remembered this event and mulled it over in her mind. I think God told us what Mary did because it is a good thing for us to do as well. Don't get caught up in the hustle and bustle of the commercialization and miss the true meaning of Christmas. Take some time to think about what we are celebrating. Receive the gift that God has given to you.

The Christmas Season Begins

I remember as a child growing up that the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade marked the beginning of the Christmas season. Now, with all of the commercialism, the smoke from the 4th of July fireworks has barely cleared before the stores are flooded with Christmas decorations. I love celebrating Christmas and I honestly don't mind starting early, but not in the same way nor for the same reasons that the world has chosen to do so. I am not a big fan of cold weather, but when the temps begin to fall, I know that it isn't long until I can turn on my Christmas music in the office. It's playing right now. Can you hear it? Like so many other holidays, we set aside a particular day of the year to celebrate a special occasion and then from that day on it seems to be lost until it comes around again the next year. We celebrate the Birth of Jesus Christ, God's only begotten Son, who came to this wicked world to save us from our sin. To celebrate the fact that He came is also a reminder that He is coming again. As we get closer and closer to His return, this Christmas season should be more meaningful to each of us. Christmas, is still 4 weeks away. In all honesty, we may not see that day arrive. If it does. this could be the last time we can use this season to tell others about the true meaning of Christmas. If you haven't already heard it let me be the first to say that I hope you have a "Very Merry Christmas".

Thanksgiving, What A Great Day

I hope you are having a blessed day today with family and friends. It would have been interesting to have been there at that first Thanksgiving Day feast as the Pilgrims and the Indians prepared to settle in for a time of feasting. Can't you just see the pilgrim ladies in their long dresses and bonnets along side the Indians in their traditional garb working feverishly around the fire outside, getting things ready, with the kids running around playing and getting in the way, while the men were in the cabin watching football. Okay, maybe they weren't watching football, but the other part is probably pretty close to accurate regardless of the time in history or the native country. Times certainly have changed and with them traditions that in some cases define our families. Regardless of how you may celebrate this wonderful day, we all have so very much for which we should be thankful. You may have had better days in the past, but at least you have today. You may be wishing for a bigger and better house to live in, but at least you have a roof over your head. You may have a turkey at the table rather than on the table, but at least you are not alone. Before you stuff your belly, empty your heart in grateful praise to God Who has provided all of that grand bounty before you. After all, it is Thanksgiving.

Hey, Is Tomorrow Turkey Day?

Very quickly, let me say a resounding "NO"! Tomorrow is Thanksgiving Day. I know, some of you are thinking that I am a little nit picky with nothing more that terminology, but to me it is just another way of showing our ingratitude rather that our gratitude. When we say, turkey day, we focus on what we are getting on that particular day. Where, the idea behind Thanksgiving was to remember the bounty of the harvest for the entire year. It is a day that has been set aside to remember all that God has so graciously blessed us with. We may not have a lot and it may not be as much as we would like to have, but it is more that we deserve. I hope you have a wonderful time with family and friends and I hope you waddle away from the dinner table and barely make it to the couch before you fall asleep. And as you lay there moaning and wishing you had room for just one more bite of dressing because it was so good, just remember where it all came from and thank Him for it. Take heed to the words of Job who said, the Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away. Don't forget in the parable of the talents that the good master took the one talent that was hidden and gave it to the first worker that had used his talents. If we are thankful for what we do have God can find a way to allow us to have less. And if you persist in calling it Turkey day, the real turkey is you.