sleepy, happy goofy

John  8:12 says,


12 When Jesus spoke again to the people, he

said, 

“I am the light of the world. Whoever follows


 me will never walk in darkness, but will have


 the light of life.”

Exhausted from Christmas, I began to plan for my mom coming to visit. Living away from Mom and Dad is quite alright considering I'm in my 30s and happily married. Yet, somehow at Christmas time, I miss Mom, Dad, the past and even somehow the family dachshund...So, this year for my Christmas gift Mom agreed to come out for a day and take me shopping for Christmas gifts, just like old times. Oh how wonderful it was to reminisce and enjoy the season with Mom. But then, as I was driving home from dropping my Mom off at the airport, it dawned on me that the time was over..gone and finished! As a familiar Christmas song began to play, "It's the most wonderful time of the year" I began to cry...! Feeling totally sleepy, happy, goofy and crazy I wept while, singing about Christmas time being so wonderful!! Suddenly, I stopped crying to realize that even though that time had ended...there was still Hope...My time with Christ, my true joy isn't going to end...it never has to end..."Christmas time is here" means that Christ came and He's still here....The Light that came into the world was and is Everlasting!!!

You know what I think about Christmas? Well, first of all, Christmas time is not the same thing as time with Christ, is it? Yes, I know...I know..."it's the most wonderful time of the year...right?" Sadly, most Christmas mornings are full of overly tired, overly stuffed, overly offended, overly shopped, sleepy, happy goofy people who have been running on empty for about 2 weeks at the least and 5 weeks at the most. Decorate those cookies, and pick up the ham...Clean the house for the Christmas guests and then clean it again for the relatives...or pests...!! Just kidding, well for some of us that might be a totally serious phrase!! I'll let you connect the dots, okay? Pick up more lights and run to Costco for more double A batteries because a few snow globes stopped running and most of the toys under the tree require batteries and are sold completely void of batteries, rending the toys useless and lifeless!! Christmas in fact is a consumable holiday for complacent consumers!! Put that in your cocoa and sip it 3 times fast!! However, the Christ of Christmas is not in need of a battery, because he is the power that gives energy to all. Moreover, the Christ of Christmas is not in need of lights because He is the light of the World.  Even still, the Christ of Christmas is not in need of rest or sleep because He Himself is our peace in every storm.  Finally, the Christ of Christmas is not lonely or empty, but full of joy and Love..ready and waiting to fill us in every way to overflowing at any moment..He is the fulfillment of every hope, dream and goal..So, when the Holiday we call Christmas gets you a little bit sleepy, happy goofy crazy, remember that the Christ of Christmas is the great "I AM" and He did come and He is still here and He still saves us all...Now that's a good reason to be celebrating!!

Principle: Whenever you are tired, sad, lonely or full of strife, you simply need a dose of true life, the light and joy of Jesus Christ!! 

Dizzy, Dizzy...Watch out! There's a cliff!!

Isaiah 40:31New International Version (NIV)

31 but those who hope in the Lord
    will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
    they will run and not grow weary,
    they will walk and not be faint.

Ever just wanted to think of the "Way" of Faith in Christ as a warm fuzzy and invigorating cup of hot cocoa? Yes, I've found my peace in Christ and now I will sit down in my chair and enjoy a mocha latte with extra whip...

Oh, and easy on the cinnamon, please! Well, whether we would like to admit to it or not, we are all addicted to the concept of comfort and complacency wrapped up in a package of chocolate, coffee or whatever addictive substance that our subconscious can get its hands on, right?  So, maybe that is the reason why the stresses of the season get us a little crazy...maybe we are so crazy for comfort that the first signs of chaos break us like a cheap piece of glass on the Christmas tree..!! KNow what happened to me? I was decorating one of my three Christmas trees last night..yes, I have 3 trees...always 3 to symbolize the trinity of our Lord, Amen.  Well, I began to do well and was about half way finished with my decorating when I started to climb up onto things to reach, shall we say the upper registers of my tree. Suddenly, a dizzy spell attacked my senses and I almost came tumbling down, taking a few ornaments with me as I thank fully stepped down quickly enough to regain balance on the ground. Interestingly enough, I realized that not only is being hydrated during the holidays a good thing, but so is learning to stand on the center of a chair when reaching to regions higher than our heads!!! Had I not taken a mini spill, I would not have learned that valuable lesson, right? 

Principle, If you don't learn how to fall, you'll never fly at all!!

So, those of us addicted to comfort rarely venture out on purpose to fall, right? Afraid of pain and therefore experiencing little gain, we wain in the face of danger, don't we? Yet, where is the gold of our Christian faith, where is the part where we get to fly??  It's not at the base of the Tree, is it? It's not in the recliner with the cocoa, is it? No, Jonah...it's not in Israel at all, is it? Jonah...that gold is in Assyria...right in the heart of Nineveh...and that's where, Oh prophet of God, you will get your wings....

Yes, Clarence, you have to risk it all, if you ever want to fly....

Wow...Consider the Eagle from our passage at the beginning of the blog...Did you know how an Eagle learns to fly? Well, not too surprisingly...it's a real cliffhanger...!!! These little baby birds are not pushed from a tree's twig...but a massive precipice..a cliff of huge magnitude..!! "Incoming!"

These little egrets have to blindly learn to fly off a cliff or die trying...!!! It's no wonder that our awesome God decided to use the Eagle to show us that we can fly, but first we must learn to use the wings He's given us....."Incoming"....!!! dizzy this Christmas...Are stars off that tree falling down a bit? Relying solely on Him, on Christ, take a leap of faith in His strength and jump off a cliff this Christmas, knowing that you will learn to soar like an Eagle straight through to the gold He's promised us!! Remember how little information Mary had before she knelt before an Angel, said, "yes" and then jumped off a cliff that led to some serious Gold...!!!

The temptation to fight...

1 John 2:8New International Version (NIV)

8 Yet I am writing you a new command; its truth is seen in him and in you, because the darkness is passing and the true light is already shining.

Well, we are right in the middle of the holiday season aren't we? There are different ways this season is celebrated around the world, right? Some of us are hanging stockings and others are placing dutch shoes by the fire place...Some of us are making wreaths to wear on our head full of candles...Others still are not celebrating Christmas at all, but 8 beautiful days and nights of Hanukah! No matter what is by your fireplace this year, or how many candles are lit in your house, there is one thing threatening the light...! Satan tempts us all across cultural lines and all around the world with one nasty trick, and yes, he's slick. What's his trick you ask me? What's this temptation that threatens the light in my house, you ask? 

The temptation that snuffs out the light is the urge to take over our own lives and resist God's sovereignty with a fight!!


Just like Jonah...we serve God well, we follow His command until He asks us to go beyond our comfort and do something crazy like, "Love your enemy...your in-laws, your crazy, selfish kids, or your greedy, shameless, incarnate friends who do not know what friendship is all about and they are sucking the life right out of you!!! Sound familiar??? Well, if you are having homicidal holiday heaviness...then maybe you are reading the right blog at just the right time. Repeat after me...."God is in control, and I am not! Again, God, who made the heavens and the earth, who hears my prayers and holds my life in His hands, also holds your enemies in His Sovereign plans...!!!!"  Don't fight the wrong fight, friends!! Rather, let His light give you everything you need to shine like mad all over those crazy holiday moments...the greatest fight you can wage against the madness is in prayer...prayer to a sovereign God, who has your back!! 

Principle, when you fight your own fight, It's God you slight, rather embrace His plan..it's all in His hand...!!!

Don't fight the Light...let the Light Fight the good fight!!

So, when your kids, your husband, your wife, your ministry, your friends make you crazy this season....Don't fight them....Give them to God and let His light do the fighting for you....Resist the urge that Satan is placing in your path to deck the halls your way...Instead, kick the devil out for the Holidays...He hates Christmas anyways...Invite Christ in instead to shine brighter than ever over your home.  Be Glad that He is Here...Emmanuel came and I'm so glad he did!!!