The Simplicity of Christmas

Last night I enjoyed a wonderful adaptation of “Scrooge” at my church. There was this one particular scene, Christmas morning, where all the people were gathered outside singing. Scrooge was finally seeing Christmas in a whole new light.

As I watched that scene, I thought about the simplicity of Christmas…or at least how it used to be. Today it has become so complicated.

People argue about whether or not Christmas is a religious holiday. Cities and towns disagree on what to call the tree—a “holiday” tree or a Christmas tree. Some businesses won’t allow their employers to say “Merry Christmas.”

We have lost the simplicity of Christmas. We have lost the simplicity of why we celebrate.

The story of Christmas, the celebration of the birth of Jesus is not exactly a dynamic story. It is the simple story of a baby born in a manger. It takes just a few verses in the Bible to tell it.

I think the reason the story of his birth is so simple is because God never meant the “religious” life to be complicated. Even the story of his death on the cross is simple. Like his birth, it can be told in just a few words.

Just as Christmas was never meant to be complicated, neither is the Christian life. Yet we muddy it up with disagreements on things that we place importance on…yet really don’t matter in the long run.

Peace cannot be experienced in chaos and confusion. It is found in the simple pleasures of life. It is found in the simple, yet incredible message of a baby who came to this earth.

I don’t want to make Christmas any more complicated than it needs to be. I want to bask in the simple story of our Savior who humbly came to earth. So simple, yet so profound.


Photo by rightee on Flickr

Life Doesn't Always Come in Neat Little Packages

With Thanksgiving now behind and Christmas ahead, I am thinking about packages. But it’s not Christmas packages I am thinking of. It’s more along the lines of how life doesn’t always come in neat little packages.

Ever receive a gift you didn’t really like? Some of us are better at hiding our disappointment than others. I always tell my children that even if they don’t like something they receive, they should still show their appreciation.

But that’s hard. I mean, here you are looking at this mysterious packaging, trying to imagine what is inside. It may be wrapped in the prettiest paper or tied up in a beautiful bow. Surely it must be just what you wanted.

After carefully unwrapping it (or maybe you are the type who just rips right into it), your eyes just moments ago that were bright with excitement suddenly dim. Your shoulders droop, disappointment oozes out.

This is how life can be sometimes. It brings packages that aren’t always wanted. It can look good on the outside but once you begin to unravel it, well, you would rather wrap it back up and give it to someone else (White Elephant gift anyone?).

James 1:17 tells us that “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights…”

Sure, some packages aren’t as exciting or desirable as other ones. But we have to remember that what God allows in our lives, is sifted through His hands.

Therefore we have to learn to appreciate even those packages that we don’t expect or think we want. It may not be until later that you realize the full value of the gift.

That’s just how life works…it doesn’t always come in neat little packages.

Photo by remind in stock.xchng

Giving Thanks in ALL Circumstances

As we look forward to Thanksgiving this week, I find myself being challenged. It is to be thankful as we are told in I Thessalonians 5:18, in ALL circumstances.

Circumstances can change day-by-day and sometimes moment-by-moment. When you aren’t prepared, it can feel like you have been blindsided. But even “smaller” moments can take you off guard. Unexpected changes to come or a sudden realization of something not being what you thought it was.

Life is filled with challenging times, disappointments, frustrations, good times, blessings, laughter and so much more. Our lives are a tapestry, weaving together the good and the bad to create a variety of circumstances.

So its not just in the good that we are to be thankful…it is in the circumstances we would rather not be dealing with, that we are to be thankful as well. This doesn’t necessarily mean we are thankful for the difficulty itself but we are thankful that we aren’t alone.

We know this because I Thessalonians 5:18 then goes on to say, “for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” This puts a different spin on things. Our circumstances are not a surprise to God. It is His will that no matter what we are facing, we learn how to be thankful.

So clearly He is there with us. He knows. He sees. He hears. He holds. He loves.

I don’t know what circumstances you are facing today but know this…none is beyond God’s ability to bring good out of it. Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good, for His steadfast love endures forever (Psalm 136:1, ESV).

Photo by Cieleke on stock.xchng

The Radiance of Christ

Last week I had the privilege of sitting down to talk with a wonderful couple. They were seeking guidance on publishing options.

He has just spent the last year battling cancer, mantle cell lymphoma. Praise God he is in remission. During the past year he has not only kept others up to date on his condition but he has been a real source of inspiration through his Caring Bridge Website. Many (myself included) has encouraged him to turn what he has written into some sort of devotional.

This couple has been through their fair share of trials…job losses, the death of a son and the recent journey through cancer. Yet what I found remarkable was the peace and love of God that radiated from them. I’m not even sure they realize how evident this is.

How do you walk away from such an experience and not feel a deeper appreciation for your life and a desire to demonstrate such radiance? It reminds me of how Moses, in the book of Exodus, had to wear a veil because of the radiance of God upon his face.

As many times as I have chastised the Israelites of the Old Testament, with their constant murmuring and complaining…I have to point the finger back at myself. How often do I fall into the same trap?

Complaining about the silliest things…the driver in front of me isn’t going fast enough. The grocery bagger squished my bread. I didn’t get enough sleep. A light wasn’t turned off.

We can get so wrapped up in the little stuff—falling prey to the murmuring and complaining—that we fail to demonstrate what this couple did…the radiance of Christ.

The Son is the radiance of God’s glory…Hebrews 1:13

Now let Him shine through you!

The Way We Look at People

Last Sunday my pastor preached about getting out of the boat. Anytime I hear a teaching where the disciple Peter is mentioned, I am especially interested. I guess it’s because I can relate so well to him.

Much of his personality is similar to mine. I have always been rough around the edges but through the years, the working of the Holy Spirit in my life has softened much of that.

It doesn’t mean I have suddenly become this demure, passive and gentle woman. It just means that those edges which were too sharp to touch have become smoother. Oh yes, there is still work to be done.

But the thing I love about Peter is that his boldness and brashness does have a positive side. I try to look for that in myself…otherwise, I can fall into the trap of beating myself up and wishing I were more like so-and-so.

Peter is oftentimes criticized for not having enough faith to keep walking when he was on the water. Here was the chance of a lifetime, to step out and do something that no man has ever done. We tend to look at him as “blowing it.”

I don’t look at his lack of faith. I look at his boldness to even step out of that boat in the first place. There are so many things that Peter does throughout his life in which we can look at through a critical lens. But isn’t that true when it comes to others?

When someone doesn’t act like we do, think like we do or handle certain situations the way we do…we tend to view them critically. We see the lack of and we attribute it to any number of things, including a lack of faith or spiritual maturity.

But God uses all kinds of people. Meanwhile, we put God into this box and don’t believe he can use so-and-so because they do or don’t do such-and-such.

Maybe it’s really just about trying to look for the good in people…


(Photo by namida-k in stock.xchng)

How to Be a Contagious Christian

I watched an interesting 20/20 special Friday night, “Billionaire Secrets: What They Know That Can Change Your Life.” One of the men that Barbara Walters interviewed was the founder of “Zappos” shoes, Tony Hseih.

Let’s just say that the way he runs his company is a little unconventional. His office looks like a party is going on, not a business. People are dressed in weird costumes. They have toy car races in the middle of the office, blow horns, wave pom-poms and well…enjoy working.

It is a stark contrast to the usual suit-and-tie, professionalism you see in most businesses. Yet he is obviously doing something right as his company is worth $1.2 billion. His business platform is built on this, “Great things will happen if you make employees happy.”

I couldn’t help but think how this can equate to the Christian life. Long before I became a Christian, if you had asked me what I thought being one was like, I would have likely answered, “Boring.” To me, Christianity was a list of dos and don’ts…however with many more don’ts than dos.

I’m so glad that I have come to see it otherwise. Being a Christian isn’t supposed to be drudgery. It isn’t even supposed to be about rules. That is Pharisee-like living. Strict, stringent, tight, whatever you want to call it.

I enjoy being a Christian and yes, I actually do have a lot of fun. The great thing is that I don’t have do it by paying a heavy price the next day (like I did in the old days).

Drawing others unto Christ will be better done if you make it fun. I’m not talking silly, crazy stuff. I am talking about laughter and enjoying life. Too many times believers forget how to laugh. They forget how to enjoy the life they have been blessed with. They are so wrapped up in trying to live by the book that they miss out on all the fun.

I can picture Jesus laughing and I imagine He did it often (wouldn’t you, dealing with those crazy disciples??!!). And I also imagine that it was contagious. If you want to be a contagious Christian, then you need to actually enjoy your life. Who wants what you have if it doesn’t bring any pleasure?

Photo by Crystl in Flickr

Is Your Soul Cluttered?

I don’t like living in a cluttered home. In fact, I have a reputation for getting rid of things…sometimes without the other person’s permission. While keeping an uncluttered home can alleviate stress, the same is true for our souls.

Do you have a cluttered soul? When I think of clutter, I think of those closed spaces that we hide things in. On the surface our home may appear to be neat. However, a few feet away there may be a closet that if you opened it, a number of items would spill out.

What has the potential to spill out of your soul? Anger? Jealousy? Greed? Discontentment? Hurt?

When I first came into a relationship with the Lord, my soul was so cluttered that you wouldn’t even be able to fit a finger inside. There was absolutely no room for nothing else, including Jesus.

But as soon as I made that decision to follow Him, items began to get immediately cleared out. However I had so much junk stocked up, that it was a process to get down to where I am.

Is my closet completely void of clutter? Not quite. I think to some degree we will always have clutter to deal with. After all, how else would we come to depend on the Lord’s help?

Think about the state of your soul and begin to ask the Lord to help you de-clutter. Get rid of the things that are holding you back from truly enjoying life and living it to the fullest.