Presence = Happiness!

On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold and of incense and of myrrh. (Matthew 2:11 NIV84)

I hate shopping as a regular activity. It's painful. But, I love going Christmas shopping, by myself, on Christmas Eve, and looking for that one special gift. I was just watching a YouTube video about Money vs Happiness. Here it is:

I have never really thought my Christmas presents would bring happiness. The act of giving does bring happiness and I love giving gifts on Christmas. The wise men offered "Treasures". These are not just gifts, they are TREASURES. But, what ever happened to these gifts? I'm not a Biblical scholar so their could be some mention of these gifts I'm not aware of. But, in my Christian life, I can tell you, after Christmas we never talk about these gifts again. Many gifts I've given end-up like this gold, incense, and myrrh.  My gifts aren't all that memorable. It's not about the gifts. It's not about the shopping. It is about the act of giving. It's the act that we take the time to find that one special gift, treasure, to share with the ones we love. The gift is the act of giving ourselves.

When the wise men came to worship Jesus, the gifts weren't as important as their presence. Many of us have been blessed with God given gifts. It is so important we use those gifts for God. But, the gifts aren't the important part. God doesn't really care about the gifts, he cares about us. No, he doesn't just care, he LOVES us. He loves us so much, he wanted to come down to Earth to be with us. He didn't have to, he chose to come down to be with us. Then he took that Love to the Cross.

This Christmas don't get so wrapped up in the Gifts. (no  pun intended)

 Get wrapped up in the act of giving, the precious time with the ones you love, and the relationships with family and friends. They will forget the presents you bought for them. They will never forget the time spent with you. That's what God treasures more than Gold, Incense, and Myrrh.

What will we learn this Christmas?

David Taylor came home from school sad and discouraged one day in early November. With tears rolling down his freckled cheeks, he told his mother that his teacher told him that he couldn’t sing in the Christmas program. “She said that I am awful and that I sing too loud,” David explained between sobs. David’s father was sitting in the living room reading the afternoon’s paper and overheard his son’s heartbreak. Mr. Taylor was indignant and furious. How could any teacher do this to a child? Mr. Taylor decided to help his son learn how to sing. After dinner that night, he took David into the living room and had him stand beside the family piano. Mr. Taylor began to play the familiar melody of “It Came Upon a Midnight Clear”. As David opened his mouth, a cat-like screech came out. “David, part of singing is listening. Listen ... then sing,” instructed the patient father.  David’s second attempt was worse than his first! But when the father was tempted to give up, he thought of the unfeeling teacher and realized, “If a father doesn’t do this, who will?”  The days of November faded into December, while Mr. Taylor and David spent every evening at the piano going over and over and over the melody to the song. “Peace on the earth good will to men ...”  When the day came that David sang for his teacher, she said that he could be in the program! David was front and center in the third-grade Christmas concert. He was angelic and on pitch as the song ended with the glorious thought, “The world in solemn stillness lay to hear the angels sing!” On Christmas Eve, Mr. Taylor looked out the window and saw his pajama-clad boy in the front yard looking toward the sky. The father quietly walked out the front door and put his arms around David without saying a word. The son leaned into his father’s chest and said, “The world is lying still, Dad. Just like the song says.” “Do you hear them, Dad? Do you hear the angels singing? I hear them ... do you, Dad?”  -- The father thought that he was teaching a little boy to sing a sweet song at Christmastime, but what had really happened was that the little boy had taught them both to listen ... to listen for the angel’s 
song. 

 I got this from my YouVersion Bible Ap,  "Joy to your World" , daily devotional. 

Now that school is out for Christmas break, my world slows down for two weeks, two weeks of peace, joy, and stillness. During these next two weeks I get the joy of giggling grandchildren, the wonder of hugging my kids, family laughter, dedicated time with my wife, the stillness of a peaceful morning, and extended time with God.

Oh, how I cherish this time of year, if I could only capture it the other 50 weeks of the year, I would be a lucky man. The gift of Christmas teaches us so much more than we could ever imagine. Just like this father teaching his son to sing a simple Christmas song. If we truly listen to the words of the Christmas carols, if we truly read the message of the special night in Bethlehem, if we truly listen to the choir of angels, we hear more than our ears can capture. We hear the peace, the joy, and the hope of eternal life through our loving Savior. Christmas is so much more than the hustle and bustle of shopping, Christmas lights, Trees, and packages. Christmas is the peace and stillness of a simple Christmas Carol. Christmas is the joy and laughter of family and friends. Christmas is PEACE ON EARTH, GOOD WILL TOWARD MEN! 

IF we will just take the time, the simple story of Christmas will fill our hearts with the grace and hope that will last the whole year. 

Praise God for this wonderful time of the year.

Living in Fear is not living at all!

I know this is my third post dealing with Sandy Hook. There is so much to say about this tragedy and so much pain. I have heard constant talk about what we do to stop this from ever happening again. Arming teachers, building prison like schools, removing kids to be home schooled, stricter gun laws, mental health care overhaul and countless other solutions have been offered. Fear has some people paralyzed and frantic. Everyone of my classes wanted to talk about it. I assured them how very rare theses incidents are and how our faculty and staff are committed to doing everything to protect them. I also encouraged them to NOT live in fear. Do not let evil win by being paralyzed in life. I had similar discussions with some of my fellow educators.

Life living in fear is not life at all.

In reality, as a Christian, if my worst fear is death, I have no fear at all. Because I have been granted eternal life, God alone will choose my death. He alone will determine the time and place. Until then, I will choose to live a life filled with active service for him. I will love and share regardless of the potential pain or even death. I'm not going to carry a gun. I'm not going to change what I do, where i go or who I meet. I will continue to live life for Christ and Will Not Fear Death! If anything, it has become even more apparent that I need to try to save the lost. I need to be an even more vocal and visible witness in a world captured in the grips of fear. I have nothing to fear because of my wonderful Heavenly Father. He has built my permanent home and if I die, even a horrible and senseless death, I get to spend eternity with him. That alone brings joy to my life and overcomes all fear! Praise God I have nothing to fear and eternal life is mine by the grace of Jesus!

The loss of a life filled with anticipation.

Everyone who heard this wondered about it, asking, “What then is this child going to be?” For the Lord's hand was with him. (Luke 1:66 NIV84

When John was born. Elizabeth and the entire community wondered what this baby would grow up to be. We would eventually find out he was the messenger of the arrival of the savior of the world. At his birth no one knew. He was given a great honor and his life was full of purpose and meaning. The entire community anticipated the future for this new born child.

 The birth of a child is so exciting, but part of the excitement is anticipating the future. we never know what the future holds, but we look forward to the adventure as it unfolds. God knows. Evil may have won in those classrooms of Sandy Hook Elementary, the gunman took away the excitement and the mystery of so many young lives. Their parents and families will always wonder what they would have been. That pains all of us. We know they would have suffered loss. They would have struggled just like the rest of us. They would have had a long hard life here on this Earth before seeing Jesus. 

Now, they get to skip all that pain and suffering and go straight to the reward.

 We grieve the earthly loss, but rejoice for the victory they receive in Heaven, at the feet of Jesus. They will know no more pain, no more sorrow and no suffering. They will be at peace forever.

Praise God for his Love as he wraps his arms around those who have suffered such a tragic loss.

How can we celebrate Christmas?

The tragedy at the elementary in Connecticut is so heartbreaking. I just watched the ABC interview with one of the first grade teachers. She huddled her 15 students into a small bathroom to save them. Her story is both heroic and traumatic. How can this small town move forward to celebrate Christmas? I pray for their peace and healing through this great tragedy and loss. I can't imagine even going to sleep in the midst of the horror of the days events. So, what would God have us do? Strangely enough, in the midst of overwhelming dispair we are to turn to God and Praise him. When Mary was pregnant with Jesus, she praised God. Her life was in turmoil. Uncertainty and public ridicule were everywhere. Yet, she praised God. When Jesus met his painful death on the cross and the torture leading to that death, he praised and worshipped his heavenly farher. In tough times we are called to him. He will comfort. He will heal. He will lift our burden and he is the only one to bring peace in such turmoil. In the face of tragedy, we need to turn to him. And Mary said: “My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant. From now on all generations will call me blessed, for the Mighty One has done great things for me– holy is his name. (Luke 1:46-49 NIV84)