Christmas: God With Us

I have to admit: I'm not always in the Christmas Spirit by the time it rolls around. But I've figured out it's because of what Christmas has come to means, instead of what it once meant. So as we steadily get closer to Christmas, I'm focusing on Emmanuel.

I have such a hard time wrapping my mind around the fact that the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords became a baby. He was God, He could have came down with an army of angels, but instead chose to come simply as a baby. Why is that? Emmanuel. Which means God with us. God wanted a close, personal, intimate relationship with Him so He chose to become one of us and show us how much He loved us.
  He truely is 'God With Us'. He is our refuge and our strength, our guide, our Shepherd and He even counts the number of our tears.

This Christmas, as the hustle and bustle tries to wrench away my focus, I want to be still and reflect on this beautiful mystery of Christmas. Take time to spend with the Savior who gave it all for us.
 
Relient K- I celebrate the day
"And the first time
That You opened Your eyes did You realize that You would be my Savior
And the first breath that left Your lips
Did You know that it would change this world forever?/ And I, I celebrate the day
That You were born to die
So I could one day pray for You to save my life".

This is a beautiful song, I encourage you to look it up.

I wish every one of you a Merry Christmas and pray that this Christmas you take time to sit with Emmanuel. God With Us.

Why we all love 'A Christmas Carol' and Second Chances

I haven't found an exact number but after 59, I gave up. That's how many "A Christmas Carol" movies or shows have been filmed. It seems like everyone has done an adaption from the Muppets, to the Flinstones, or some have even filmed it under a new name (example Scrooged). But my all time favorite would be "A Mickey Mouse Christmas Carol". Ah, yes, it does bring back memories. Tiny Tim has never been so cute....

But it got me thinking....What is it about this tale that has so many others trying to duplicate it? The theme has been done time and time again, but we keep turning back to it. Why?

My answer is simply the message. We want a story of second chances. Of hope. That maybe someone can change their life around. But the climax is when the ghost of Christmas Present appears and Scrooge eventually falls to his lonely grave, usually with the lines, "I've changed!" ringing in the background. And then it happens: Scrooge awakes on Christmas Day to find he's been given a second chance. To set things right and save himself and others from a grim future. It leaves us with those warm, fuzzy feeling that all is right with the world.

It sounds a lot to me like the story of Salvation....Jesus came with a story of second chances. That's what He came to give us. We look over our own "ghosts"; our past of which we might not be so proud of or we look back at with regret. Our present, where we are completely lost without Jesus. And our future, with without Jesus and saving us from our own selfish decisions, might not look a whole different than Scrooge's. But at the end of the day, we look back and cry, "I've changed! I've changed!" And Jesus wakes up our hearts and gives us that second chance. Because we all like Scrooge better at the end of the movie rather than the beginning....

So if you watch "A Christmas Carol", I want you to think about it. Why is it that we like this movie? Because something about it resonates within our hearts and there's something beautiful about second chances.

What are your thoughts, why do you think there are so many adaptions? What is your favorite Christmas Carol?

Happy Day After Christmas!

Now I LOVE Christmas. Everything from the lights to the tree, to the candlelight service and making food. But the thing I love most about it is the magic of Christmas. For me, it's knowing that two thousand some years ago, my Savior came as baby to save the world. Knowing that people all over the world are celebrating for the same reason you are. Spending time with family. And if you're anything like my family, playing Christmas Carols the day after Thanksgiving!

I get so excited and all caught up in the Christmas Spirit, and then...the day after Christmas, it's all over. It might linger for a few days but then back to real world. Slowly, the Christmas music fades, the Christmas movies stop playing and the decorations go back in the box. The stores take down their displays and Manger scenes get put away until next year. The snow is still here, but the Christmas warmth isn't. After we eat the cookies, return the unwanted gifts and take down the Christmas Lights, it's almost as if Christmas never happened. But then we're forgetting the real reason for Christmas is the first place.

 But a song by Matthew West really put into perspective why Christmas shouldn't be just one day. I think I first heard the song last year after Christmas and it really made me think. See what you guys think. I'll just post the end of the song, because I couldn't find any lyrics. But here's what it sounds like:

So take down the stockings
Take back the sweaters
Take down the lights
And the star and the tree
But don't let this world take
Your joy after Christmas
Take joy to the world as you sing

Happy Day after Christmas
Merry Rest of the Year
'Cause even when Christmas is over
The Light of the world is still here.
              Matthew West

Isn't that great?! It really makes me look at the day after Christmas a little differently. And if the Light of the World is still here, then why shouldn't we celebrate every day of the year? Let the World know why we are singing. Jesus didn't give us new life so we could live for one day, but every single day!

So here's hoping you had a very Merry Christmas and that you will continue to celebrate the meaning of Christmas the rest of the 364 days of the year!