Christmas Challenge

It's Monday, December 20th.

I'll bet if I polled my readers, we'd be all over the place on our Christmas shopping list. Some of us are done, wrapped and already sipping hot cider by a warm fire, waiting for Christmas day. Others of us are just beginning our shopping, claiming outwardly that the best deals are the week of Christmas, all the while knowing we just haven't had the time or motivation to get going on the list.

If you're like me, the shopping is mostly done - just the finishing touches left to pick up and the occasional "Uh, oh...I'd better run and get them something" gift. I'm finished a little later than I like, but all in all, I'm ready for Christmas.

Well, I'm going to throw a wrench in your Christmas preparations today.

Why? Because it's what I like to do and I'm kind of a stinker.

And here's the wrench: I have another name for your list.

It's not going to be an easy gift to get because it's going to take some thought and effort.

I want to challenge each of you to give a gift to Jesus this year.

"Oh, come on, Kristen. I've already given my life to Him. I give Him 10% of all the money I make - gross pay, not just net! I go to church and I even pray every night before I go to bed, as well before every meal. What more does He want?"

Really? What you just listed was the proverbial obligatory underwear, socks and tie gift that dad gets every year. How about we make it a bit more personal?

Put some thought into this and decide what the very best gift you could give to Jesus would be and then give it. What does He want this year? What does He want specifically from you?

Maybe He wants you to stop doing something: Stop nagging, stop surfing the web, stop watching a certain t.v. show that is offensive to Him, stop worrying about finances, stop gossiping, stop assuming the worst in people, stop talking so much, stop the sarcasm, stop spending too much money or time or effort on fleshly pursuits.

Or maybe He wants you to start doing something: Start serving, start giving, start spending time with Him every day, start forgiving, start listening, start singing, start praying, start submitting, start loving, start making your family a priority, start slowing down, start reaching out to those around you.

I don't know what it is, but that's the great thing about a gift. You get to pick it out, wrap it up and give it. It's personal and it's from you.

So do it. Figure out what you want to give Jesus this Christmas, then write it down, put it in a box, wrap it, and put it under the tree with His name on it. Then when your family is opening gifts, let someone open it for Him and read your gift out loud.

You see, when you do this, you make your gift known publicly, and then the accountability starts to flow. This will insure that you follow through on your gift. None of this, "I gave it to Him in my heart and He knows" - nope, I want accountability!

See where I'm going? Are you willing to do this? Are you up to the challenge? Aren't I a stinker?

After all, it is His birthday...

He went to...

...Jared!

We've all seen the commercials. Excited young woman flashes her ring finger at her best friend, who in turn, jumps up and down, squealing and hugging her newly engaged friend.

Have you shared excitement with a friend before? Perhaps it was an engagement or the announcement of a pregnancy. Or maybe you celebrated a new job or a new car. Sharing the joy of something exciting is great, but not quite as great as being the recipient of the good news. Imagine if it were your engagement or your pregnancy - the level of joy would be much greater. It would fill your thoughts and conversations - it would become a focal point of your life.

This morning at church, Dave made an interesting point about the joy of the angels as they announced the good news to the shepherds. Their joy and excitement was overwhelming as they praised and glorified God.

And they weren't even the recipients of the good news.

He said that not one angel was offered salvation from sin. Not one angel found their redemption in the blood of Jesus Christ nor did even one angel benefit from Jesus becoming a man.

And yet they rejoiced with a passion and fervor that brought the shepherds to their knees.

So what should our response to Jesus be? Are we the friend who rejoices in the good news and then goes on with their life, or are we the actual recipients of the good news?

Where is our joy as believers? Why do we let life overwhelm us? Have we so quickly forgotten the good news?

We are the recipients of the gospel. That tiny baby was given to us. The angels rejoicing should be a fraction of our rejoicing, since we are the receivers of the good news and not just bystanders.

And just like a newly engaged couple or a newly expectant couple, let's make this good news the focal point of our lives - let's talk about it, let's dream about it and let's long for its realization. Let's not wait for faith to become sight so that we can say, "Oh, now I get it."

May our praise be lifted high by living lives of gratitude and passion for the One who came two thousand years ago and gave us the gift of life. And may we not be outdone by the angels, but rather respond to this gift in a manner that brings glory to our heavenly Father.

One of the Perks of being a Pastor's Wife

Okay, so the smooching was there before he formally became a pastor...I just thought it was an eye-catching picture.

The past couple of days Dave and I were down in Chicago for some meetings and last minute Christmas shopping and as I engaged the various sales clerks in the stores I found it remarkably easy to talk about Jesus.

Not because of Christmas, but because of being a pastor's wife.

The conversations would go like this:

Clerk: Are you from Chicago?

Me: No, we're visiting from Michigan.

Clerk: How are you enjoying Chicago?

Me: Oh, we love it. We were both from the Chicago area originally. My husband did some real estate deals here in the city, and knows it well.

Clerk: Really? So how long are you around for? The weekend?

Me: Not quite a weekend, since my husband is a pastor - we need to get back home for church.

Clerk: Oh, a pastor? I thought he was a business man.

Me: Yes, he was, but when God calls you into full time ministry, He makes it very clear.

Clerk: (Quizzacle face)

That face was my cue to talk about Jesus. Oh, so easy! Every conversation ended with a "Merry Christmas," not a "Happy Holidays." Most people were smiling and pleasant, which made it easy as well.

Friends, we are called to be seed throwers. We just studied in our ladies study the parable of the seed and the sower. I don't know if any of the seed thrown this weekend fell on good soil or not, but I don't have to worry about the soil's condition. I just need to be responsible to throw the seed.

So, what's your lead? I'm going to use this new found conversation starter, but I am curious what you use to open the door to toss some seed on the ground. If you have one, comment on it. If you don't, find one.

Because the Word of God can be planted during any time of the year, but with the added fertilizer of Christmastime, we all really have a great window of opportunity.

My Wow Moment

"You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows." Psalm 23:5

The Spirit brought this verse to mind this morning while I was teaching Bible study. Literally - He popped it into my mind. It wasn't part of my notes, but it very quickly became a part of our lesson.

Today we were looking at the story in Luke 7 where Jesus had a meal at a Pharisee's home named Simon. A woman, who was a known sinner, washed Jesus' feet with her tears, wiped them dry with her hair and bathed his feet with costly perfume.

In preparing the women for this scene, I explained how a guest of honor would have been treated in that day - their feet would have been washed or at the very least, a basin of water would have been provided for cleansing, they would have been greeted with a kiss and their head would have been anointed with oil - perhaps a touch on the forehead which would denote the guest's honored state.

When this "sinner" displayed such worship of Jesus, the Pharisee scorned Jesus in his heart and Jesus called him out. After teaching a short parable about the one who is forgiven much versus the one who is forgiven little, Jesus went on to explain that though his feet were not washed when he entered the Pharisee's home, the sinner washed his feet with her tears. And though he was not greeted with a kiss, she had not stopped kissing his feet. And finally, though he had not anointed Jesus head with oil, she anointed His feet with perfume.

The imagery was clear. Jesus was not treated with honor by the Pharisee, but was held in high esteem by the sinner - the one who understood forgiveness.

It was then that the Spirit put the words to Psalm 23 in my mind: You prepare a table before me...You anoint my head with oil...my cup overflows. Within the context of this scene from the life of Christ, I was able to explain to the women that God treats us with honor at His table - He prepares it, He anoints us as honored guests and He never lets our cup empty.

Wow.

Yes, it was one of those wow moments for me.

Wow because He loves us so much.

Wow because He treats us in ways that He was not treated Himself.

Wow because He has invited me to His table, when so often I act like it is the other way around.

And wow because when you hide God's Word in your heart, He brings it to mind at just the right time.

What a wonderful Wow kind of God we serve...