Simply Christmas: love more

What is God asking you to do?  That question was posed to us last Sunday in our sermon, followed by this statement:  "When God asks you to do something difficult, He is giving you an invitation to show your love for Him."  God asked something difficult of Joseph.  He asked him to marry the young girl he was already engaged to, all the while knowing that she was pregnant though they had never been intimate.  He asked him to believe that she was a virgin. He asked him to trust that the child would be the promised Messiah.  He asked him not to fear.  

God has asked me to do a few difficult things this Christmas season.  Most important of all, He has asked me to show my love for Him by loving others more.  He's asked me to give up some self-indulgence to show love to friends and family.  He's asked me to party less and pray more...to spend less and give more...to worship Him more and things less.

I haven't washed anybody's feet lately...but I did wash my brother's hair.  The visiting physical therapist showed me how to wheel him over to the kitchen sink so I could do it.  It was mechanically an easy thing to do. Emotionally, it was very difficult.  I struggled to keep my composure.  How could this really be happening?  Outwardly I smiled, but inwardly my heart was breaking. 

But the funny thing about love is you never have to run out.  Because the more of it you give, the more you get back and the fuller your tank gets.  So don't be afraid to love more this Christmas.  Joseph was able to connect the dots.  He took Mary to be his wife.  And he gained a Savior.  All because of God's love.  What about you?  Are you loving more this Christmas?

Simply Christmas: simplifying is more than just a word...

This month finds me care-giving 5 days a week. Three days I watch three grandchildren, and the other two days are spent helping my brother who is having cancer treatments.  Hubby is still unemployed.  I've not yet been to a single store to do any kind of Christmas shopping.  I haven't had time to bake, and only a few decorations are in place, intermingled with the remnants of Thanksgiving stuff, which I haven't had time or energy to pack away. A few boxes and tissue paper have been strewn around the house for over a week. Most have remained in the basement. The month is looking very different from other years...

And yet...it doesn't matter.  Because not only am I not doing the things I normally would be doing, I am finding peace in staying out of the frenzy.  I'm sure there will be a present of one form or another for everyone to open on Christmas Day.  But  I have no desire for pretenses or for spending money we don't have.  I've actually been making a little game out of buying some used items from the on line swap group I'm in.  Next week I am hoping to have a couple of days to get my creative juices flowing and see what I can come up with. 

If there is anything I have learned from the experiences of the past year, it is that nothing in life can be taken for granted.  Every moment of every day is a gift from God.  What we do with those moments is our gift to Him.  

Today I pulled out a gingerbread train kit that I had purchased last year at an after-Christmas sale for $5.  Elylah (almost 6) and Ethan (just turned 3) had a great time putting it together and decorating it.  So glad I remembered to bring my camera...

"Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts...and be thankful...And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him."  Colossians 3:15-17

Simply Christmas: Simple Faith...

Today at church we learned about two people who had a visit from the same angel, Gabriel. One was Zachariah, who was a priest and an educated man who had served in the temple for decades.  For years he and his wife, Elizabeth, had prayed for a child.  Now they were old and barren.  The other was Mary, a young teenage girl who, though engaged to be married, was a virgin.  Both Zachariah and Mary were given the news by Gabriel that a baby was on-the-way.  But their responses were quite different.  

Zachariah was not only surprised that he was being told his prayer was NOW going to be answered, he was actually full of disbelief and questioned the angel.  Mary, on the other hand, did not question "how CAN this be?" but simply asked "how WILL this happen?" (since I am a virgin)

You can read the story for yourself in Luke 1, but basically Zachariah was punished for his unbelief.  On the other hand, Mary was essentially told that she would be receiving a gift!

Mary, a young maiden who was most likely uneducated and illiterate, had plenty of things to be worrying about upon receiving news that she would bear a child.  However, she chose to worship instead of worry.  (Luke 1:46-55)

Do you find yourself in a difficult situation this Christmas?  I believe that sometimes God allows what we consider "hard times" to come to us so that we have absolutely no other choice but to place our trust in Him.  We are not being punished...we are being given a gift in the form of an invitation to turn our eyes and hearts to Him in simple faith, and to turn our worry into worship.  The Lord of all is worthy of our trust.

Here is one of the most ancient hymns of the Church.  I love these words and they always expand my perspective of God.  

"Of the Father's Love Begotten"

by Aurelius C. Prudentius, 413 A.D.

1. Of the Father's love begotten
Ere the worlds began to be,
He is Alpha and Omega,
He the Source, the Ending He,
Of the things that are, that have been,
And that future years shall see
Evermore and evermore.

2. Oh, that birth forever blessed
When the Virgin, full of grace,
By the Holy Ghost conceiving,
Bare the Savior of our race,
And the Babe, the world's Redeemer,
First revealed His sacred face
Evermore and evermore.

3. O ye heights of heaven, adore Him;
Angel hosts, His praises sing;
Powers, dominions, bow before Him
And extol our God and King.
Let no tongue on earth be silent,
Every voice in concert ring
Evermore and evermore.

4. This is He whom Heaven-taught singers
Sang of old with one accord;
Whom the Scriptures of the prophets
Promised in their faithful word.
Now He shines, the Long-expected;
Let creation praise its Lord
Evermore and evermore.

5. Christ, to Thee, with God the Father,
And, O Holy Ghost, to Thee
Hymn and chant and high thanksgiving
And unending praises be,
Honor, glory, and dominion,
And eternal victory
Evermore and evermore.

Simply Christmas: Bless the windows shining bright...

It was a beautiful sunny Saturday today. Being pretty exhausted from the emotional tole of care-giving this past week, we had no real plans. The temperature was only 33 degrees, but at noon the sun was bright and we decided hubby would wash the outside windows and I would do the inside~~~downstairs only~~~in preparation for hanging  our wreaths. This was a totally spontaneous act, and sharing this chore  made us both feel better.  It only took about an hour, and that was with a couple coffee breaks! That left plenty of time to accomplish a few other chores too.  The house still isn't decorated like it usually would be by now.  But we played some Christmas music throughout the afternoon and drank spiced hot tea and ate oatmeal cookies while we worked.  I thoroughly enjoyed spending this time together....just the two of us.

Does anyone remember this song? I learned it in the 6th grade in my PUBLIC school. The words  seem appropriate as we prepare our hearts and homes for opportunities to practice hospitality during this Christmas season.

Bless This House

Bless this house O Lord we pray; Make it safe by night and day;

Bless these walls so firm and stout, Keeping want and trouble out:

Bless the roof and chimneys tall, Let thy peace lie over all;

Bless this door, that it may prove ever open to joy and love.

Bless these windows shining bright, Letting in God's heav'nly light;

Bless the hearth a'blazing there, with smoke ascending like a prayer;

Bless the folk who dwell within, keep them pure and free from sin;

Bless us all that we may be Fit O Lord to dwell with thee;

Bless us all that one day we May dwell O Lord with thee.

"Unless the Lord builds the house, those who build it labor in vain. Unless the Lord guards the city, the guard keeps watch in vain." Psalm 127:1

Simply Christmas: Waiting...

Why is "waiting" such a difficult thing to do?   We tend to hate waiting....whether it is sitting in the doctor's office, standing in line at the grocery check-out, or sitting at the red light.  Earlier this year we waited for our two new grandbabies to arrive.  We've been waiting for a new job since last May.  Now we are waiting to see if cancer treatments will help my brother. Waiting is hard.

During the season of Advent we remember how the world waited for a Savior.  We also remember that we are looking for Him to come again...not as a baby in a manager, but as our King, robed in power, majesty and great glory.  A true observer of Advent will have a sense of longing, expectation, and waiting.  In the early centuries Advent was a penitential season for the Church, similar to Lent. It represented a period of time to prepare one's heart for celebration.  

I believe that God often calls us to wait not because He is hesitant to bless us, but rather because we are blessed as we wait with longing and expectation to see the work He will do in our hearts.  "They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength.  They shall mount up with wings as eagles.  They shall run and not be weary.  They shall walk and not faint." (Isaiah 40:31)

Here's a 6th Century Advent Hymn that speaks of both the first and second coming of the Lord Jesus Christ.  

Hark! a thrilling voice is sounding.

"Christ is nigh." it seems to say;
"Cast away the works of darkness,
O ye children of the day."

Wakened by the solemn warning,

let the earth-bound soul arise;

Christ, her Sun, all sloth dispelling,

shines upon the morning skies.

Lo! the Lamb, so long expected,

comes with pardon down from heaven;

let us all, with tears of sorrow,

pray that we may be forgiven;

that when next he comes with glory,

and the world is wrapped in fear,

with his mercy he may shield us,

and with words of love draw near.

Honor, glory, might, and blessing

to the Father and the Son,

with the everlasting Spirit,

while eternal ages run.

Simply Christmas: Getting the tree up and decorated

For years I have reserved the Friday after Thanksgiving as my set-in-the-stone day to get our tree up.  The main tree that is.  Yes, I've had years where I've had some kind of Christmas tree in every room in the downstairs!  I truly love  the Christmas season and seeing reminders of it in every square inch of our home gives me a lot of happiness.  Usually what happens is my hubby drags the tree up from the basement (we have to do artificial trees because my "decorated season" lasts so long), drags all the boxes of stuff up, and then he leaves me to my own devices.  It usually takes me about a week to get everything just the way I like it.  

It didn't happen that way this year.  Last Friday we spent the day concentrating a whole lot more on people than on things.  In the morning we met a couple we hardly knew for breakfast.  He had lost his brother to cancer about 6 weeks ago and had been the primary family caregiver.  He is still hurting ~ a lot.  Then we spent about 3 hours visiting my brother in the afternoon.  see THIS post  We had no inclination to think about Christmas decorating at all.

But something the friend we met for breakfast said in response to my lagging Christmas spirit jolted me into action.  I made a decision that in spite of all that is going on in my life this year, that I wanted to enjoy the moments I have with my loved ones in a sane, simple and sacred way.  So I invited our Ohio branch of our immediate family ~ our son, his wife, and their 3 kids over a couple nights ago for a simple soup supper and to decorate our tree.

It was a totally stress-free evening of fun. We opened two large boxes of ornaments that were not particularly fragile and let the 3 and 5 year olds go for it.  I didn't even help, I just watched.  I REALLY watched.  I saw the excitement, the smiles, the childlike pride in helping.  90% of the ornaments are on the bottom 1/3 of the tree.  Two days later, I haven't fixed it yet. When I feel like it I will get the more fragile and sentimental ornaments out and rearrange things a little.  But for now, I'm letting my mind and heart photocopy this priceless evening of togetherness and joy.

Simply Christmas...

Coincidentally our church is advocating our members to consider simplifying their lives this Christmas season.  I say "coincidentally" because with our current situation of unemployment and now a family health crisis going on, it had already been on my mind to somehow celebrate the birth of the Savior in a more appropriate and thoughtful way than we have in past years.

I do love the entire Christmas season.  I love decorating our home, baking the cookies, giving and receiving the gifts, going to the parties and concerts and special church services, and the hundreds of other little things we traditionally do non-stop for about six weeks out of the year.

I'm not sure at this point what exactly I will do differently this year.  I'm still thinking about what that might look like.  I had the idea that I will do a brief blog post each day starting December 1st and going through the entire season~both for the purpose of keeping myself accountable and also to share with you my ideas.  I hope you will share some of yours with me as well.

"...I am the light of the world..." John 9:5