Getting Ready for the New Year

It's that time again! We are only a couple of days away from the beginning of a new year. Soon we will take the old calendar off the wall and hang a fresh new one. We will have fresh clean pages in the planner. It's time for a fresh start.

I don't know about you, but it seems to me this last year just flew by! Maybe it's a sign of getting older, but I can sometimes hardly believe how quickly time passes. Yet here we are again at the beginning of another year, and it's that time again - time for New Year's Resolutions. You know what I mean. We have convinced ourselves we need to make those ridiculous promises, the ones we make every year but never keep. Things like "I will lose 50 pounds by Friday" or "I will never allow anything chocolate to pass my lips ever again", or some other equally unattainable promise that will be broken before a week has passed.

Have you ever noticed how resolutions are often vague? I need to do better. I need to lose some weight. I need to spend less money. I need to read my Bible more. With all that vagueness, how can we ever know whether or not we have actually accomplished anything?

That's why I am not a fan of New Year's resolutions. Instead, it has been my practice in recent years to set some goals for the new year, to determine a way to be accountable about those goals, and to have benchmarks that I can check periodically to mark my progress. That works much better for me than those pesky soon-to-be-forgotten resolutions. For 2023, among other things, I am focusing on health and fitness and good nutrition, with a plan in place to reach my goals in those areas.

Over these remaining days of 2022, I'm reflecting on the past year. In these next few days, I'm doing a lot of pondering. I'm thinking about what I learned about God this year. About ways my faith has grown. About how disciplined (or not!) I have been in my Bible study. I'm pondering what God has done in my life this last year. And, to borrow a phrase from a familiar hymn, I'm pondering anew what the Almighty can do. 

A new year brings fresh opportunities to see God at work. To grow in my faith. To "discipline (myself) for the purpose of godliness." (1 Timothy 4:7) 

One of my goals for the new year is keeping a more detailed prayer journal, writing down not only a list of things to pray about and the answers I receive, but writing down my prayers as well. Because writing helps me stay focused. And particularly in my post-stroke life, writing helps me remember. 

What about you? Have you thought about goals and plans for the new year? Having a plan in place, especially in the area of Bible reading, helps you stay focused. If you don't have a plan, there are a number of good plans available. I encourage you to read Scripture each day. Don't limit yourself to reading a devotional book. Read directly from God's Word. Read what God has to say, not just what others have written about it.

One of my favorite devotional books over the years as been My Utmost for His Highest by Oswald Chambers. Year after year I return to this book. And year after year, as a new year begins, I am drawn to this particular passage of Scripture, the passage with which Chambers begins the year:

".....my earnest expectation and hope that I will not be put to shame in anything, but that with all boldness, Christ will even now, as always, be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death."  (Philippians 1:20 NASB)

Beyond all the goals and resolutions and plans and dreams, this is the one that matters most. That Christ be exalted. That is my earnest expectation and hope. To honor Him in all I do. In all I say. In all I am.

If you need help finding a daily Bible reading plan, check here:

YouVersion.com

www.walkthrough.com

Biblestudytools.com

The One Year Bible

Keeping Christmas

  

Just a few days ago, we were looking forward to Christmas Day. And now Christmas Day has come and gone for another year. Some people will be sad about that, while others are ready to move on to the next thing. Which brings us to that time again. Time to pack away Christmas for another year.

For some, the process begins immediately after Christmas Day is done. For others, like me, it's a very gradual process. I'm not quite ready to give it up completely yet. We'll be enjoying the tree a little longer, at least into the new year, through the 12 days of Christmas. But this week I’ll be gathering up things, one room at a time, to be packed away again until next year. It's time to put Christmas away. 

That sounds a little sad, doesn't it?

Have you ever noticed how generous people become with their time and money during the Christmas season? They drop money in the Salvation Army kettles. They donate more generously to their church. They tip more generously in the restaurant. They give more freely of their time at homeless shelters and food ministries. Then December 25 is past, and life gets back to normal. The generous Christmas spirit is put away until next year. That's so sad. There are still homeless people and hungry people and people with all kinds of needs who could use our help, not only in December but throughout the year. How sad that we seem only to think of them at Christmas.

We often hear about random acts of kindness, particularly during the holiday season. Then we don't seem to hear about quite so many of those kindnesses.

Wouldn't it be wonderful if we were generous all year long?

Wouldn't it be wonderful if we did our random acts of kindness throughout the year?

Wouldn't it be wonderful if we kept Christmas all year long?

Not just in December.


“I will honor Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year.” (Charles Dickens in A Christmas Carol)

"And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these, ye have done it unto me."  
(Jesus, in Matthew 25:40 KJV)

Excitement!

There’s excitement in the air! Christmas is almost here! We have bought gifts, baked cookies, planned menus - all in anticipation of gathering with family and friends to celebrate Christmas.

I wonder if those Christmas shepherds must have experienced some of the same kind of excitement. Once they got past the fright of seeing the sky being filled with the angelic host, they heard the news that a Savior was born in Bethlehem. They left their shepherd's field and hastened in to Bethlehem to see this baby.  

"And they came with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger."  (Luke 2: 16 KJV)

How exciting! To be the first visitors to see this newborn babe!

And what did they do with their excitement? They told everybody who would listen!

"And when they had seen it, they make known abroad the saying which was told them concerning the child."  (Luke 2:17 KJV)

I can hardly contain my excitement as I wait for my family to get here. Apparently, the shepherds could hardly contain their excitement at seeing the Christ Child.

There's a lesson for us there. This Christmas season, what are we most excited about?
And who are we telling?

Go, tell it on the mountain,

Over the hills and everywhere;

Go, tell it on the mountain

That Jesus Christ is born!

 

(text:  John W. Week, Jr.; Music:  Traditional Spiritual)

 

 

Listen here:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RcQjmS-JpmE

 



The Greatest Christmas Miracle

I am a Christmas miracle! If you are new to this blog, you may not know my story. In November, 2016 I had a hemorrhagic stroke. At Christmastime that year, I had been discharged from rehab and was beginning outpatient therapy. While I was in the hospital, the doctors had told my husband that I might not wake up. That if I did wake up, I would have severe limitations as a result of the stroke. I might not be able to talk normally. I probably would, at the very least, need to use a cane. More likely, I would need a walker or a wheelchair. The prognosis for my full recovery was very bleak.

When I was taken from the hospital to Spartanburg Rehabilitation Institute, I was taken in an ambulance. Three weeks later, I walked out the door, with help from my walker. Today, I need no assistance to walk. 

While I still have some limitations, the doctors got it completely wrong! I sometimes mix words up and I have trouble remembering things, but my recovery is nothing short of miraculous! 

I have often been told that I have done well because I worked really hard (I did!) and because I am a really strong woman. While that may be true, that is not why I am a Christmas miracle. This is all because of God and His amazing grace! This is a miracle of God's doing!

Why me and why not others? I don't know. I have no answer for that, except to say that God has a plan and a purpose for all things. Just as He had a plan and a purpose for the miracle in Bethlehem some 2000 years ago.

The greatest Christmas miracle took place in a stable in Bethlehem. The miracle had been set in place in eternity past, when God had a plan for the redemption of all mankind. Thousands of years before Christ came to earth, the prophets foretold His coming. And in the little town of Bethlehem, Christ was born, just as the prophets had said He would be. 

That baby in a manger grew to be a man. Having lived a sinless life, He died on a cruel Roman cross to pay the sin debt for all mankind, just as the prophets had foretold. Just as God had planned. He was resurrected from the grave, and is now seated at the right hand of God the Father, until the time comes when He shall return to earth as King of Kings and Lord of Lords. Just as the prophets have foretold. Just as God planned in eternity past.

That is the greatest of all Christmas miracles! God Himself has sent Jesus to make a way for us to be in right relationship with Himself. God and sinners reconciled.

This is the miracle of Christmas!

Hark! The herald angels sing, "Glory to the newborn King;

Peace on earth, and mercy mild, God and sinners reconciled."

Joyful, all ye nations, rise, Join the triumph of the skies;

With th'angelic host proclaim, "Christ is born in Bethlehem!"

Hark! The herald angels sing, "Glory to the Newborn King!"

words: Charles Wesley; music: Felix Mendelsson

Listen to "Hark! The Herald Angels Sing!" here: https://youtu.be/SFjMPaOBzXc



Remembering Christmases Past

 

Christmas is such a nostalgic time, isn't it?

Every year as the season rolls around, I find myself traveling down memory lane, remembering Christmases past and the people that shared them.



It starts as I get decorations and ornaments out of their storage spaces. Remembering where I bought this decoration or who gave me that one. Remembering my mother as I get out the snowmen she made or as I hang the door decoration she quilted. Remembering travels and places we have lived. Remembering.

Throughout the season, more memories flood my thinking.

Baking sugar cookies with my mother, many years ago when I was a child.

Christmas dinners with coconut cake and ambrosia and cranberry tip-tops (still my favorite!) and fruitcake cookies. I never have acquired a taste for fruit cake, but I loved my mother's fruit cake cookies!

Christmases in the living room at Grandmother Neil's house. Some children go over the river and through the woods to grandma's house. I went next door! Sometimes at Christmas all the aunts and uncles and cousins would be there as well, and we would pile into her tiny living room, which usually stayed closed off to keep the rest of the house warmer, and we would open our presents. Grandmother loved Christmas!  She loved giving gifts. As did my mother. As do I.

Sending Christmas cards is a dying tradition. (Probably that has a lot to do with the price of postage!) But I love receiving Christmas cards from friends and family I seldom see. I can still remember the Christmas card we sent to our friends and family on our first Christmas. It was red, with a part of the score of Handel's Messiah embossed in gold on the front of the card. And the greeting inside read "wishing you every blessing as we celebrate the birth of Christ."  I don't know why I remember that, but I do. 

I also remember our very first Christmas tree, back in 1972, our first married Christmas. It was a beautiful tree, a scotch pine, perfectly shaped. It had hardly any ornaments on it, since we really couldn't afford any!  And by the time Christmas rolled around, it had not a single gift left under it, since we had opened them all long before Christmas Day arrived!

In my childhood we always had cedar trees for Christmas, decorated with large colored lights and lots of icicles. I didn't like cedar trees then (and don't now) because of how scratchy they were and how the branches were too flimsy to hold the ornaments up. But I loved the smell, and still associate that with Christmas!

In the early days of our marriage we always spent Christmas Eve with Al's parents and Christmas Day with mine. That worked well when we only lived a couple of hours from my parents. As we began to move around the country, we still usually managed to make it back to SC at Christmastime, and so that Christmas Eve/Christmas Day tradition continued.  Eventually, it became more difficult to travel back here every year, so we began trying an every-other-year visit, and that worked until we moved closer again. As our sons grew up and married, the every-other-year tradition has continued, but in a little different way.  We spend every-other-Christmas together, and Thanksgivings together in the alternate years, and so we alternate with the girls' families. So far that has worked out for us, and so that tradition continues.

Christmas is a lot about traditions. About where we always put the tree, and what we always eat, and the kind of cookies we always bake. It's about what we always do together as a family, whether always going out to look at Christmas lights on a certain night, always going to Disney, always going to Christmas Eve service. Traditions vary from family to family. But they are part of the fabric of who we are and how we celebrate.

When we lived in Florida, it was our tradition to always attend the Candlelight Christmas program at Epcot. When we lived in Minnesota, we always participated in the luminaries display in our neighborhood.

One of our Christmas Eve traditions has always been a birthday cake for Baby Jesus, and reading the Christmas Story from Luke's Gospel. It's a family tradition that continues to this day.

Because Christmas is about memories. And it's about traditions. But most of all, Christmas is about Jesus.

"And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth.  And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn."  (Luke 2:6-7 ESV)

Any Room?

We know that the Baby Jesus was born in a stable because "there was no room for them in the inn." (Luke 2:7)

We know that Baby Jesus grew up. That He died on a cross for the sin of all mankind, that He was buried, and that He was resurrected on the third day. We know that He ascended back to the Father, and that He will come again. The Scriptures teach us this.

We know, according to the Scriptures, that "to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God."  (John 1:12 ESV)

We know that this is still true.

We also know that not all people received Him in the time He was here on earth. Nor do all people receive Him today.

We know that there was "no room" for Him when He was born. And for many, there is "no room" for Him even now.

The question today is this: is there any room for Jesus in your Christmas celebrations?

In the middle of mistletoe and holly. Of Christmas trees and presents. Of Santa and elves. Of hustle and bustle. Of parades and lights. Of cookies and cake.

In the midst of all the things you are doing to celebrate, have you left any room for Jesus?


"He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him.  But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, tho those who believe in His name."  (John 1:12 NKJV)

On Come, Let Us Adore Him!

If you ever watched the television show "The A-Team", then you're familiar with that phrase I love it when a plan comes together.  

And that's what we're celebrating! A plan. God's plan for the salvation of mankind. As we celebrate Christmas, we celebrate the fulfillment of that plan. A plan prophesied hundreds of years before coming to fruition with the birth of a tiny baby one night in Bethlehem.

We celebrate that birth in December. Did it actually happen in December? Probably not. But I don't think that matters. What matters is that Jesus was born. That He lived a sinless life, that He died to pay the penalty for your sins and mine, and that He was resurrected on the third day. That He ascended back to the Father where He now waits, seated at the right hand of the throne of God, until that time when He returns to earth as King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

"For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder; and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace."  (Isaiah 9:6 KJV)

"Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God....made himself of no reputation and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men."  (Philippians 2:5,7 KJV)

"But when the fullness of time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, to redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons."  (Galatians 4:4-5 KJV)

"And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes and laid him in a manger."  (Luke 2:7 KJV)

"And the angel said unto [the shepherds], Fear not, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.  For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord."  (Luke 2:10-11 KJV)

And that's why we are celebrating. That's what Christmas is all about.  

As you are enjoying family and cookies and eggnog and gifts, don't lose sight of that.

Never forget what Christmas is really all about!

O Come, Let Us Adore Him, Christ the Lord.

Listen here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3mIh3JMqxuo&list=PLkW_qeRTF9XX2tJ4webh4rG9i_Vf6peF7&index=11

O Christmas Tree, O Christmas Tree…..

Oh, Pickle Tree, Oh, Pickle Tree,
How lovely are your branches......

Wait a minute! That's not how the song goes, is it?

But hearing or singing O Christmas Tree…..brings back memories of my pickle tree. It seemed a perfect contribution to our Life Group Christmas festivities a few years ago.

This photo was my inspiration:

My pickle tree, which was rather hurriedly assembled, did not look nearly so perfect. I wish I had thought to take a picture of my tree, as I was rather pleased with it in spite of its imperfections. And in spite of its imperfections, it made it to the Church Dining Hall in one piece. Not a single pickle was harmed! 

Trees have been a part of our Christmas celebrations for hundreds of years. Historians tell us that trees, typically not made from pickles, were first part of Christmas as much as a thousand years ago. The first person to bring a Christmas tree into a house, in the way we know it today, may have been Martin Luther in the 16th century. Tradition says that one night before Christmas, he was walking through the forest and looked up to see the stars shining through the tree branches. He thought it was so beautiful that he went home and told his children what he had seen and that it reminded him of Jesus, who left the stars of heaven to come to earth at Christmas. 

Decorated trees have become an important part of our Christmases. Typically these trees, whether real trees or artificial ones, are of the evergreen variety. We decorate them with lights, whether white or colored, twinkling or not.  We hang ornaments, whether they are handmade or store-bought, elaborate or very simple. But the important feature is that the tree is an evergreen. It is an evergreen to remind us of the everlasting love the Father has for us.

It was His love for us that caused Him to send Jesus. So this Christmas, when you look at your tree, think about that. Whether it is a real tree or an artificial tree. Whether it is spruce or pine or fir or a Charlie Brown tree. Whether it is on a table-top or it reaches from floor to ceiling. Even if it's a pickle tree!

Let that tree remind you how deep the Father's love is for you. Let it remind you that His love is an everlasting love. Let it remind you that He expressed His love for you in the Gift of Jesus.

"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life."  (John 3:16 KJV)

Listen to O Christmas Tree here: https://youtu.be/2izoDpUjvho

Tradition!

One of my favorite movies of all time is "Fiddler on the Roof".  I was thinking about that movie this morning, which might seem an odd thing to be thinking about just a week before Christmas. Actually, it's one particular song in that movie that has been in my thoughts this morning......"Tradition!"

One line from the song says, "How do we keep our balance?  Tradition!"

Finding the balance is perhaps more important at this time than at any other.  It's all too easy to get caught up in the commercialism of Christmas. Wanting to buy everything we see in television ads and in the mall. Wanting to bake - and eat! - everything we have seen in magazines and on Pinterest. Wanting to attend every Christmas play and every choir presentation and every party and every family get-together. Wanting to be everything to everybody. It's exhausting! And impossible!

Over the years we've established a few non-negotiable traditions in our family. Some of these traditions began many years ago when our now middle age adults sons were children, like the tradition of baking a birthday cake for Jesus. That tradition continues to this day, and is one of the ways we strive to keep the focus on Jesus during the season. A nativity scene has always been a prominent part of our Christmas decorations. These days, it's the one we bought on our most recent trip to Israel, and it's made of olive wood from Bethlehem.

Yes, we enjoy our Santas and our snowmen, but for us, Christmas is about Jesus. About celebrating His birth. Christmas is a time to focus on Him.

Listening to carols about the birth of the Christ Child. Reading Scriptures about His birth. Especially reading from Luke's gospel on Christmas Eve. Those are just a few of the ways that we keep things in perspective during this hectic time of the year. It's how we keep the right balance.

I'm sure you have your own Christmas traditions as well. Certain things you always do for Christmas.  Certain foods you always eat. Certain cookies you always bake. A favorite ornament or decoration. A favorite carol. A favorite activity. I love hearing how people celebrate Christmas, how they celebrate Jesus, every year!

Every year it seems that Christmas in our world is less about Jesus and more about everything else. Less about Jesus and more about shopping and eating and partying. Less Christmas and more Happy Holidays!

How sad that is. Because Christmas is all about Jesus!

"Why can't Christmas just be Christmas?

Why must we change it so?"

(-Christine Wyrtzen)

Listen to "Tradition!" here:https://youtu.be/sWSoYCetG6A

The Purpose of It All

 

He’s the reason for the season, He’s the purpose of it all;

He's the God of all creation and the mighty Lord of all.

He's the reason for the season, for the trimmings and the tree.

May this Christmas time remind you that He came to set us free."

(-Christine Wyrtzen)

If you're of similar "vintage" as I am, you'll probably recognize this as a popular Christmas tune from a few years back. It's one I often find myself singing or humming as I go about my tasks during this busy season. And this is my almost daily reminder of why we are doing all the things we are doing. Because we need to be reminded.

It's easy, in the midst of the hustle and bustle that are part of this season, to forget why we're doing all this rushing around. All this decorating and cookie baking and gift wrapping. To forget the purpose of it all.

This song reminds us.

Jesus is the reason.  

Jesus is the purpose for it all.

And that has a lot to do with why I love that line from "Hark!  The Herald Angels Sing" so much.  "God and sinners reconciled."  That one line encapsulates the reason why He came.  It gives us the purpose of it all.

Yes, Jesus was born on a holy night. He was born in the little town of Bethlehem. Angels appeared to shepherds and sang Gloria in excelsis Deo. It was an occasion of great Joy to the World!

But God and sinners reconciled sums it all up. It gives us, in one brief statement, the reason, the purpose, for this event that we call Christmas.

Jesus came to die.

For me.

For you.

For the world.

To reconcile sinful mankind to Holy God.

As you're baking and decorating, as you're singing and celebrating, as you're buying and giving gifts, don't lose sight of that one fact.

Jesus was born to die, so that through His death, God and sinners might be reconciled.

That's the purpose of it all.

Listen to He's The Reason for the Season here:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZyEteG_nsw4

The Reason for the Season.

It’s December, the season for Christmas music. For me, "Christmas music" transcends the season. I can gladly listen to it and sing it year-round.  It's a bit sad to me that this wonderful music which tells so much of the reason we celebrate Christmas in the first place, that gives us so many wonderful lyrics about the redemption story, is relegated to just a few weeks in December.

I am often asked about my favorite Christmas carol. I always have a hard time answering that question. Not because I don't have a favorite. Because I have so many favorites!!  

I love "Silent Night" and "O Holy Night". I love the music. I love the way the music suits the lyrics perfectly. I love how these songs evoke mental images of the events of that special night so long ago.

I love "Joy to the World"! Just the title makes me smile. JOY!!!!  

Perhaps my absolute favorite is "Hark, the Herald Angels Sing". I think I must have loved this carol all my  life. I can remember singing it as a little girl. And I have come to love this carol more and more over the years, particularly for its lyrics. The entire reason for Christmas, the reason Christ came to earth, is encapsulated in one line.......”God and sinners reconciled.”

That's the reason for the season!

"Hark! the herald angels sing, 'Glory to the newborn King;

Peace on earth, and mercy mild, God and sinners reconciled.'

Joyful, all ye nations, rise, Join the triumph of the skies;

With th'angelic host proclaim, 'Christ is born in Bethlehem.'

Hark! the herald angels sing,'Glory to the newborn King.'

 

Christ, by highest heaven adored; Christ, the everlasting Lord;

Late in time behold Him come, offspring of the Virgin's womb;

Veiled in flesh the Godhead see; Hail th'incarnate Deity,

Pleased as man with men to dwell, Jesus, our Emmanuel.

Hark! the herald angels sing,'Glory to the newborn King.'

 

Hail, the heav'n-born Prince of Peace! Hail, the Sun of Righteousness!

Light and life to all He brings, Ris'n with healing in His wings.

Mild He lays His glory by, Born that man no more may die,

Born to raise the sons of earth, Born to give them second birth.

Hark! the herald angels sing, 'Glory to the newborn King.'"

 

(Words:  Charles Wesley; Music:  Felix Mendelssohn)

 You can listen to this carol here: https://youtu.be/SFjMPaOBzXc

Hustle, Bustle, Hustle, Bustle, Got So Much To Do…..

The title is a line I remember from a children's choir Christmas musical many, many years ago......Hustle, bustle, hustle, bustle, got so much to do!  Hustle, bustle, hustle, bustle, will I ever get through?  And on it goes.

Many are singing a version of that song during this season. There's the shopping to finish. And gifts to wrap. Groceries to buy. Plus all that baking to be done. And in between all that, there are all the regular tasks of life to deal with.

It's hard to think about peace on earth and silent night and all the rest in the middle of the busyness that is life during this season. 

But....in the middle of all this busyness and hustling and bustling, in the middle of all the chaos that life can be here in the 21st century.....isn't this the time we most need to step back, find a quiet place for at least a few minutes, take a deep breath, and remember.

Remember that night in Bethlehem two thousand years ago. Reflect on the events of that first noel. Rejoice that, even in the busyness of life, and even in the turmoil of our world, the One born on that night came to bring peace.  

When we let that truth wash over us, then we can be at peace even in the middle of the hustle and bustle.

"For unto us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace."  (Isaiah 9:6 ESV)

This Scripture set to music:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TN5BaOGTmGs

Winds Through the Olive Trees

Winds through the olive trees

Softly did blow
'Round little Bethlehem,
Long, long ago.
Sheep on the hillside lay
Whiter than snow,
Shepherds were watching them,
Long, long ago.

Then from the happy skies,
Angels bent low,
Singing their songs of joy;
Long, long ago,
For in a manger bed,
Cradled we know,
Christ came to Bethlehem,
Long, long ago.

(traditional tune; author unknown)



I learned that song as a child, in children's choir at the First Baptist Church of Landrum, SC.  You may have learned it as well, in your church. It's been playing on a continuous loop in my mind for the past few days. We have had a lot of cold, windy rain here in the Upstate recently. Perhaps that’s the reason I’m thinking about wind.

When we lived in the mountains of Western North Carolina, I once hung a Christmas wind sock on our front porch. That cute little windsock was blown away by the wind. I saw it down in the woods, out of reach. At least I know where it is!

We also had wind chimes hanging on our front porch. Both wind chimes blew down. One of them landed on the porch, so I was able to rescue it and bring it in. The other was nowhere to be found! It was often very windy in those mountains!

All this wind reminded me of the first time we traveled to Israel. By the time we got to Jerusalem, a snow storm was making its way across Europe, causing gusty winds to blow all across Israel. On the last day we were there, an awning blew off our hotel, and the revolving door at the front of the hotel had to be locked to keep it from constantly spinning!  

There were often breezes blowing through the olive trees when we visited Israel. And it is entirely possible, although we can't know with any certainty, that the sound of gentle breeezes blowing through the olive trees was heard on that night so long ago when our Lord was born in Bethlehem.

At His first advent, He came to us as a tiny baby. Perhaps with gentle breezes blowing. Surrounded by animals in a stable.

His second advent will be quite different. No longer a baby. No longer in a stable. And likely not accompanied by gentle breezes. More likely by the sound of a mighty wind!

Two thousand years have passed since that first advent in Bethlehem. We don't know how much time is left on the prophetic calendar before the second advent.

But we do know that there will be a second advent. Are you ready?

"Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse! The one sitting on it is called Faithful and True and in righteousness he judges and makes war.....and the name by which he is called is The Word of God....On his robe and on his thigh he has a name written, King of Kings and Lord of Lords." (Revelation 19:11, 13, 16 ESV)

 









God Rest Ye Merry….Let Nothing You Dismay

 

 

From the title, you probably recognize this familiar carol. It’s one of my favorites, and I write about it nearly every Christmas! I love the peppy tune, but I’m drawn to the words even more. God rest Ye merry, Gentlemen. Let nothing you dismay.

That’s how this well-known carol, God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen, begins. And no, I didn't put the comma in the wrong place. This is not a carol about merry gentlemen who need not be dismayed! This carol, in its archaic language from many years ago, is calling gentlemen (and gentlewomen as well!) to remember the birth of Christ.

Because this is an older carol, and because words and phrases don't always mean the same thing today that they did originally, there's some disagreement about exactly what the phrase God rest ye merry actually means. Taking everything I've read about that phrase and putting it all together, it seems that the best way we can understand the phrase is to consider it to be roughly equivalent to our saying God bless you!
 

As I said, I've written about this before, in previous Christmas seasons. Perhaps it has become a tradition for me to wax eloquent about this carol. Actually, truth be told, I don't think I have ever waxed eloquent about anything! In any event, here are a few thoughts about this carol.

A little research (translation: reading internet articles) reveals that the composer of God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen is unknown, and that there is record of it being sung within the Christian Church since the 15th century. The hymn was first put into print for the general public when William B. Sandy included a version of it in his publication Christmas Carols Ancient and Modern (1833), and it was subsequently added to various hymnals and carol books. In 1843 Charles Dickens included the song in his famous novel A Christmas Carol. That's reason enough for me to like it, since I'm a Dickens fan from way back!

But rather than dwelling on the carol's history, it's the second line of the carol that I am focusing on today. Let nothing you dismay. Nothing. 

Have you noticed how many people in our world today are dismayed? There's sadness and dismay and stress all around. And with good reason. There's the never-ending Covid. There are things in life that don't go according to plan. There's the unexpected. There's busyness. And illness. And terrorism. And persecution. And on and on it goes. All sorts of valid reasons for dismay.

Have you also noticed how many times in the biblical account of Christ's birth the phrase "fear not" appears?  Depending on your translation, fear not may read as don't be afraid. In other words, let nothing you dismay. Nothing.

Many years ago I directed a children's choir musical titled Three Wise Men and a Baby.  With a title like that you won't be surprised to learn that this was a somewhat humorous retelling of the Christmas story.

One of my favorite scenes in this story involves the angel's announcement to the shepherds, which in this musical went something like this:

Angel (in a very deep voice from off stage):  Fear not.
Shepherds:  (screaming with fright)
Angel:  Fear not.
Shepherds: (more frightful screaming)
Angel:  I said 'Fear not.' What part of 'Fear not' are you not understanding?

I sometimes wonder if God might not like to ask us that question. What part of 'fear not' are you not understanding?

Without delving into all the other parts of Scripture where we are told not to be afraid, 

let's just consider these examples from the Christmas story:

"Behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, 'Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.'" (Matthew 1:20 ESV)

"But the angel said to him, 'Do not be afraid, Zechariah, for your prayer has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John.'"  (Luke 1:13 ESV)

"And the angel said to her, 'Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.'"  (Luke 1:30 ESV)

"And the angel said to them, 'Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.'"  (Luke 2:10 ESV)

Did these people have reason to fear? Sure they did. When was the last time an angel appeared and started talking to you? Don't you think you would be afraid? Maybe at least a little bit?  Think about the shepherds, out in the Judean hills in the darkness of night. Then suddenly the sky is bright with a host of angels, and as if that weren't frightening enough, one of the angels starts talking! I know that would frighten me a bit!

All of these people had a reason to be dismayed. And perhaps you do too. But the advice to each of them, and to each of us as well, is don't be afraid. Do not fear. Fear not.

However you say it, the message is the same. That's the message we get from this carol. Let nothing you dismay. Remember.

Remember that Christ has come. Remember why He came. Remember that God has a plan and a purpose for all things. Remember that God has it all under control. Remember.

God rest ye merry, gentlemen,
Let nothing you dismay,
Remember Christ our Savior
Was born on Christmas Day;
To save us all from Satan's power
When we were gone astray.

From God our heavenly Father
A blessed angel came;
And unto certain shepherds
Brought tiding of the same;
How that in Bethlehem was born
The Son of God by name.

"Fear not, then," said the angel,
"Let nothing you affright;
This day is born a Savior
Of a pure virgin bright,
To free all those who trust in him
From Satan's power and might."

Now to the Lord sing praises,
All you within this place,
And with true love and brotherhood
Each other now embrace;
this holy tide of Christmas
Doth bring redeeming grace.

O tidings of comfort and joy,
 Comfort and joy,
O tidings of comfort and joy!

 

Listen to God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen here:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Obc_Rro7zg8



No Peace on Earth

 "There is no peace on earth."

This line, from Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's poem, "Christmas Bells", may be a line ringing through many hearts and minds these days.  We live in a world filled with war and terrorism, with strive and discord, with racial tension and political unrest.

When Longfellow penned these words in the mid-1860s, the United States was in the midst of civil war.  Longfellow's wife had died, and one of his sons had been seriously injured in the war.  Originally the poem had seven stanzas, with two of them referring specifically to the war.  Eventually those two stanzas were removed, giving us the five stanzas that comprise the Christmas carol "I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day".

Longfellow's dilemma mirrors our own in these difficult days.  We sing Christmas carols about peace on earth.  We read the Christmas story with the angelic proclamation of "Peace on earth, good will to men."  Yet we look around us and see no peace.  That was Longfellow's world, just as it is ours.

"Hate is strong and mocks the song of peace on earth, good will to men."

Longfellow's bells proclaimed a truth we would do well to remember in these troublesome times.  The bells pealed "loud and deep" that "God is not dead, nor doth He sleep."  The Psalmist proclaimed the same truth when he told us in Psalm 121 that God neither slumbers nor sleeps.

Longfellow affirmed another powerful truth of Scripture when he wrote, "The wrong shall fail, the right prevail."  These words echo Daniel 9:24:  "to finish the transgression, to make and end of sin, to make atonement for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness."

Just as Longfellow did, we live in a world where there is no peace.  A world where violence is increasing.  We live in challenging times, both politically and personally.  

Even so, we can be at peace, in spite of the turmoil around us.  In spite of financial stress and difficult relationships.  In spite of loss.  In spite of wars and terrorism. In spite of violence and unrest.

That's why Jesus came.

To bring us peace..

Because He is the Prince of Peace.

"For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; and the government will rest on His shoulders; and His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace."  (Isaiah 9:7 NASB, emphasis mine)

"Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts."  (Colossians 3:13a NASB)


Do you know this kind of peace?  Do you know the Prince of Peace?  If not, why not turn to Him today?

       

 

          

I heard the bells on Christmas Day

Their old familiar carols play,

And wild and sweet the words repeat

Of peace on earth, good will to men.

I thought how, as the day had come,

The belfries of all Christendom

Had rolled along the unbroken song

Of peace on earth, good will to men.

And in despair I bowed my head:

"There is no peace on earth," I said,

"For hate is strong and mocks the song

Of peace on earth, good will to men."

Then pealed the bells more loud and deep:

"God is not dead, nor doth he sleep;

The wrong shall fail, the right prevail,

With peace on earth, good will to men."

Till, ringing singing, on its way,

The world revolved from night to day,

A voice, a chime, a chant sublime,

Of peace on earth, good will to men!

(-Henry Wadsworth Longfellow)

 

 



Listen to the Gaither Vocal Band sing this carol here:

https://youtu.be/T-bH5u5hEDI 

 

Not That Far

 "And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, to be registered with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child.  And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth.  And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger."  (Luke 2:4-7 ESV)

I probably write about this every year. But every year, a certain sing triggers a host of memories for me. I heard the song yesterday, so today you get my annual post!

It was twelve years ago this month that I first traveled to Bethlehem. That I first visited the Church of the Nativity. That I first saw this very special place:

 

 

Inside the Church of the Nativity, the oldest church in Christendom (built about 326 AD), this silver star marks the traditional birthplace of Jesus. It is inscribed, in Latin, "Here of the Virgin Mary, Christ was born."

That may or may not be the exact spot where Christ was born. But Christ was born. In Bethlehem. Just as it had been foretold by the prophets long before.
 

Bethlehem seems very far away to most of us. If you've traveled there, as I have, you realize that it is quite a long distance to travel. Our journey to Bethlehem does not involve travel by donkey, as it did for Mary and Joseph. But even with modern jet planes, it's a long trip, flying from the U.S. into Tel Aviv, and then traveling by car or bus on to Bethlehem.  

It's very far away. Or is it?

Several years ago, the group Point of Grace recorded a song titled We're Not That Far From Bethlehem. One of my favorite lines in that song says When our hearts still cherish Him, we're not that far from Bethlehem.

As I have been thinking about that song, and about that particular line, I've been remembering the times I traveled to Bethlehem. The times I knelt at this place of Jesus' birth. The times I worshipped there. The times we sang the songs of the Savior's birth. The times I sat in awe and wonder, reflecting on what happened in Bethlehem so long ago.

 

There are times when that seems very long ago. And times when Bethlehem seems very far away.

 

But it isn't. Not really.  

 

That song, We're Not That Far From Bethlehem, offers us a profound truth. When we cherish the Savior in our hearts, when we remember His birth, when we remember why He was born when and where He was......when we remember. And when we cherish.  

 

Then we're never very far from Bethlehem.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Underneath the stars

Just a simple man and wife.

Somewhere in the dark

His words cut the silent night.

Take my hand, for the child

That you carry is God's own.

 

And though it seems the road is long,

We're not that far from Bethlehem,

Where all our hope and joy began.

For in our arms, we'll cherish Him.

We're not that far, from Bethlehem.

 

Let us celebrate

As the Christmases go by;

Learn to live our days

With our hearts near to the child.

Ever drawn, ever close

To the only love that lasts,

And though 2000 years have passed

 

We're not that far from Bethlehem

Where all our hope and joy began.

For when our hearts still cherish Him

We're not that far,

 

We're not that far from Bethlehem

Where all our hope and joy began.

For when our hearts still cherish Him,

We're not that far

We're not that far from Bethlehem.

 

---

(Songwriters: Lowell Talmadge Alexander Jr., Gayla Hester Borders, Jeff  A. Borders)

You can listen to We're Not That Far From Bethlehem here:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GfI2x2krjGA

Continually

" Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise - the fruit of lips that openly profess his name."  (Hebrews 13:15 NIV)

Continually. Continually offer a sacrifice of praise.

Continually. What does that mean anyway?

Dictionary.com gives this definition: very often, at regular or frequent intervals; habitually; without cessation or intermission; unceasingly; always.

Continually. Always. Unceasingly. Habitually. Without intermission.

Even when there's too much month at the end of the money. Even when the roof leaks and the plumbing backs up and the dishwasher quits......

Even when there's devastating illness. Or job loss. Or bereavement.

Even when you don't feel like it.

Even when there's so much to do that you think you can't possibly get it all done. When there's cookie baking and shopping and decorating and Christmas events to attend and gifts to wrap.

Even then.

Continually.

As we begin December and are officially in the Christmas season, perhaps this is a good time to reexamine our Christmas traditions and exactly how we are celebrating the birth of Christ. In our celebrating are we continually offering our praises? Are we really celebrating Christ? Or are we only giving lip service to Him while we get caught up in elves or Santa or all our other traditions?

When we stop and really consider what we're doing this Christmas, what is it that we are continually focusing our attention on? 

Is our focus directed toward the "name that is above every name?" (Philippians 2:8)?  Or have we lost sight of the "reason for the season"?

My prayer is that we might all focus our celebration on that Wonderful Name.....Jesus! That we might truly - and continually - celebrate the Christ of Christmas. And not only in December!

Wonderful Name

Mary was the first to hear it, name that came from heaven above;
Name that raises souls from darkness, this the only name worth singing of.

Wonderful name, Jesus! Wonderful name, Jesus!
Name angels sang the night all heaven rang; wonderful name, Jesus!

Heaven touched His name with glory, precious name of Jesus, our King;
In God’s Word is told the story, of this wondrous name the angels sing!

 

Wonderful name, Jesus! Wonderful name, Jesus!

Name angels sang the night all heaven rang; wonderful name, Jesus!

-Roger Strader

Hear a choir sing Wonderful Name here: https://youtu.be/GqZfpg1j6CM

Are You Ready For Christmas?

Are you ready? We hear that question a lot at this time of year. Are you ready for Christmas? And that usually means "have you finished your Christmas shopping?" Or "are all your decorations up?" Or "have you finished the cookie baking?" Or.......you can fill in the blank.

The question reminds me of a sermon I heard a few years ago on this topic. In fact, I think the pastor may have titled his sermon "Are You Ready for Christmas?" But what he was talking about had nothing to do with decorations or shopping or cookie baking!

His point, and one I think we would all do well to remember, is that being "ready" for Christmas has very little to do with shopping or cookies or trees. It has everything to do with Jesus. And with a right relationship with Him. Being ready for Christmas is about focus......about remembering why we are doing this in the first place.....about celebrating Jesus!

Stop for a moment and think about how you celebrate Christmas. What are your Christmas traditions? What events or activities or foods or traditions are part of your celebration? What are the “always” parts of your Christmas? In other words, if you were asked about your Christmas traditions, what would you say is always part of your celebration?

What would you say is the most important thing about Christmas for you?

We spend a lot of time and energy and money each year on decorating and gift giving and baking. We spend a lot of time thinking about those are special to us, and about what gift we can give to show just how much we love them.

Should we not also do the same thing for Jesus? It’s His Birthday we are celebrating! We hear so often that Jesus is the reason for the season. If that’s true, and it is, then what are we doing intentionally to focus our attention on the Christmas season.

When we redirect our energies away from the hustle and bustle, and focus on Jesus, on who He is and why He came, then we will be ready for Christmas!

“And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory.” (John 1:14 KJV)

*adapted from Are You Ready for Christmas: a December Devotional” by Susan Feaster, pub. 2016, available on Amazon