World's Worst Christmas Gifts...

Five and a half weeks to go until Christmas Day. (What? Thanksgiving is only how many days away?)

Hold on...I'm catching my breath because when I see it in writing, my heart races.

My blog readers have become a valuable source of not only encouragement to me, but also a source of information and help. So here's the deal - as I get serious about Christmas shopping, instead of asking for suggestions or what is on your list this season, I am asking for the worst gift you've received in the past.

You know, the ones I should avoid (like nose hair clippers - very practical, not very romantic).

I did see the Obama Chia Pet and was thinking that my ladies study might get a kick out of that...but then again, maybe not. (After slicing my thumb open on the Pampered Chef apple slicer, I don't think I'm giving those away either - it was like playing with a razor...)

So, help me out here. What's the worst gift you've received or even given? (A weighted doctor's scale sends a specific message, don't you think?) What gifts initially look like a great idea but turn out pretty bad? (I never could get the Leap Frog reader hooked up to the computer for my children...)

Thanks, in advance...

Are You Excited to Go to Church?

Psalm 100

"Shout joyfully to the Lord, all the earth.

Serve the Lord with gladness; come before Him with joyful singing.

Know that the Lord Himself is God; it is He who has made us, and not we ourselves.

We are His people and the sheep of His pasture.

Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise.

Give thanks to Him and bless His name.

For the Lord is good; His lovingkindness is everlasting and His faithfulness to all generations."

I love this Psalm. It is my heart checker as I get ready for church on Sunday mornings. Let me explain. As a little exercise, how do you answer these questions about going to church:

• Do I serve with gladness? What am I glad about?

• Do I come before Him with joyful song? Or am I more worried about whether the style of music suits me?

• Am I thankful for who God has made me, or do I still take credit myself?

• Do I consider myself a sheep? Who's pasture have I been hanging around in all week?

• When I walk in the front door, am I praising or complaining? Is what I say out loud consistent with what is being said in my head?

• How can I bless the name of the Lord today?

Now, I don't always mark a perfect score. Sometimes the weight of the world hinders my joy, and I'm not proud to admit that. But that's really no excuse, unless church is all about me. If it's all about Him, then with eyes set on Him, the gathering of the body of Christ can truly be a time of praise and worship.

Best of all, despite whether or not I am in the right frame of mind, the last verse remains true: The Lord IS good, His lovingkindness IS everlasting as well as His faithfulness. That truth in and of itself is powerful enough to wipe out any cares, worries or grumpiness. That truth brings hope, joy and peace that the world cannot offer.

And that truth is exactly why I can't wait to go to church on Sunday!

"I was so glad when they said to me, Let us go to the house of the Lord!"

If you weren't planning on going to church, change your plans. If you are planning on going, do the self-check before you get there. And if you don't have a place to go, come on over to Harvest Bible Chapel Spring Lake. We'd love to worship with you!

Have a great day!

Random Act of Culture

Not sure how many of you have seen this, but it makes me cry every time I watch it...picture the throne room of heaven (if that's possible) and enjoy!

(Sorry, I can't seem to get it to fit my blog, but you'll get the idea...)

Unsubscribe

You know that verse in James that says you should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to anger? Apparently I've added to that verse "slow to learn." I'm not sure at what point in my life I added that phrase, but I've lived by it for a long time. Now that I realize that phrase is not really in the verse, it's taking me a while to change my ways.

Case in point - I am so slow to learn anything that is computer oriented! The latest epiphany that I had, which I am finding that everyone and their brother has known about for years but I'm just that far behind the learning curve, is the whole concept of "unsubscribe."

Did you know that at the bottom of almost every junk email there is a little word called "unsubscribe," and that if you click on it, it will take you to a place where you can unsubscribe from that particular company's email list, thus ending the intrusion of junk email from that company in your mailbox? It's as simple as a click.

Now, some of the "unsubscribe" buttons are simply evil trickery, because when you click on them, a new page pops up and says that the page I was looking for no longer exists, but for the most part, I have actually, supposedly gotten rid of a majority of my junk mail. The reason I say supposedly is because it takes 24 to 48 hours for this to take effect. By my calculations, by Saturday morning, I will only have about 5 emails a day to deal with, rather than 547! Wow! What will I do with all my free time?

Spiritual Application:

Aren't you glad God doesn't have an "unsubscribe" button?

Think about it.

Do I really need to expound?

I love you, Lord. Thanks for wading through all my junk and not unsubscribing me...