a recommended read... to keep Christmas in your heart...

Christmas...
we put a lot of time and energy into the surface elements...
gifts...
decorating...
parties...
dressing just right...
but what about the heart...?

In the midst of Advent... a book came to my attention...
a small book by Timothy Keller...
I'm still reading it... not quite finished... but Wow...!

Hidden Christmas... The Surprising Truth Behind the Birth of Christ...

Every year after Christmas... I long to somehow keep the wonder of the Infinite and Uncontainable... stooping low... to become an embryo... then a Babe laid in hay... in my heart...

This book by Timothy Keller... may just do it...

Now that the hub-bub has subsided...
the new year dawning...
I recommend this read to you...

Not for next Advent...
but for NOW...
a way to begin the new year...

Before the last of the decorations are stored away...
begin this book for a better understanding of our Savior...
and what Christmas truly means...
and why it's not just a superficial season...
but a life changing event...
for us... for the world...

Keep the wonder in your heart all year...
and perhaps you'll have more heart...
and less surface... next... Christmas...

"Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, for he has visited and redeemed his people

and has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David,

as he spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets from of old,

that we should be saved from our enemies and from the hand of all who hate us;

to show the mercy promised to our fathers and to remember his holy covenant,

the oath that he swore to our father Abraham, to grant us that we,

being delivered from the hand of our enemies, might serve him without fear,

in holiness and righteousness before him all our days. ..."

Luke 1:68-74 ESV

Christmas... one more word... love...

Love...

The Word wrapped up in the manger...
is the greatest expression of God's love...
for the one's He created...

In this the love of God was made manifest among us,

that God sent his only Son in the world, so that we might live through him.

1 John 4:8 ESV

Even though we rebelled...
and broke everything...
He made the way through Jesus...
for us to return to Him...
and for Him to make all things new...
in and around us...

But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us,

even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ --

by grace you have been saved...

Ephesians 2:4-5 ESV

I pray you see His love...
know His love...
today and every day...

Have a very blessed Christmas...
Carol...

The Journey Readings: Week 150... and... approaching advent...

Approaching Advent... just two weeks away...
we're about to enter the season of Christmas...

Last week's readings gave us an opportunity to remember why He came...
what lay ahead for the Babe in the manger...

Two others, who were criminals, were led away

to be put to death with him. And when they came to the place

that is called The Skull, there they crucified him,

and the criminals, one on his right and one on his left.

And Jesus said, "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do."

Luke 22:32-34 ESV

Arrest...

Crucifixion...

Death...

Resurrection...

It's why He came... to make the Way... for forgiveness...

Will remembering the reason for His coming...?

change the way you approach the Season...?

Below is one of my favorite Christmas songs...

at its heart... is remembering why... He... came...

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This week's readings...

Monday                      Luke 24:19 - 21:9
Tuesday                      1 Peter 1-2
Wednesday                 1 Peter 3-5
Thursday                    2 Peter 1
Friday                         2 Peter 2-3

Christmas Day...

It's here...! the culmination of twenty-five days...!

In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus

that all the world should be registered.

This was the first registration when Quirinius

was governor of Syria. And all went to be registered,

each to his own town. 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 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, because

there was no place for them in the inn.

Luke 2:1-7 ESV

Christmas... it's more than a Babe in a manger...
swaddled up in that manger is...
wonder...
justice...
peace...
love...
grace...
mercy...
salvation...
freedom...
life...
forgiveness...
power...
majesty...
authority...
glory...
splendor...
healing...
redemption...
joy...
righteousness...
faithfulness...
fulfillment...
hope...
God...
the Word made flesh...

The manger contains...
the promise of more...
the reason to wait...
the motivation to trust...

Consider this day... on the celebration of His birth-day...
What do you see...? experience...? wrapped up in the manger...?

For to 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

Peace... joy... love... to you and yours...
Merry Christmas...

P.S. Would love to hear your thoughts... on what's in the manger... perhaps what you've seen these twenty-five days... leave a comment in the comment box below the post... if you don't see the box... click the post title... Christmas Day... and scroll to the bottom...

preparing...

A day spent making final preparations... on this Christmas Eve...

The carol... it says...

Joy to the world, the Lord has come!

Let earth receive her King;

Let every heart prepare Him room...

With tasks almost done...
grumpiness trying to creep in...
it's time... to prepare a heart... for joy...

Switching focus...

I will be glad and rejoice in you;

I will sing praise to your name, O Most High.

Psalm 9:2

I praise You... O Most High... for stooping low...

Prepare my heart... to fully praise... Your Name...

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Love came down...

I feel it... in the dark early hours of the morning...

Love... came down...
to share the Gift... of the Holy Spirit...

Love...
Joy...
Peace...
Patience...
Kindness...
Goodness...
Gentleness...
Faithfulness...
Self-control...

Do you see it in Him...? the Gift of Love...? in the midst of the hurry... the hustle and bustle...?

Can you share it with others... this Christmas...?

Let Him shine the light of love... through you... to others...

Remember... the real reason... for all the rush...
celebrating... sharing... the Love... that stooped low...
for you...

Take a moment... ask Him... to fill you up... with the greatest gift...

May the Lord make your love increase and overflow...

1Thessalonians 3:12

finding Him... in Christmas...

Where do you see Him today...?
The One who fills...
brings light...
gives life...
and is the Greatest Gift...

For the wages of sin is death,

but the gift of God is eternal life

in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Romans 7:23 

Father God... help me to see Him... in the stockings filled...

shimmering candlelight... evergreen of the tree...

and each gift received...

the eve of Christ's communion...

Christmas... Christ's Mass... Christ's Communion with the world...

Jesus... God made flesh... the eve of His birth... His time of communing... with His people...

communion... an act or instance of sharing... (capitalized) a Christian sacrament... intimate fellowship or rapport... communication...

God sent His Son... the Word... to communicate...

hope...

love...

joy...

peace...

to a world at war...

God came... to establish... re-establish... intimate fellowship...

with those who rebelled...

Jesus... emptied Himself... to share His Light... with a dark world...

For God, who said, "Let light shine out of darkness," made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.

2Corinthians 4:6

May you be blessed... 

with intimate communion with Him this Christmas... 

and know the hope... love... joy... peace... 

found in Him...

far better...

Joy... I'll admit... it's been lacking... as I find the days toward Christmas slipping by... the panic of doing... setting in...

shopping...
wrapping...
tree trimming...
decorating...

Facing today... my heart felt pressed... so I let loose a prayer...

Lord... fill me with joy... I can't do this Season with cheer...

but You can... HELP...!

And the day proceeded... pressing forward with to do's... trusting Him to provide... what was lacking...

Then in the midst of wrapping the first few gifts... I remember... a story I'd seen on the news... filled with JOY...

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A story I wanted to be a part of... wished I'd thought of... wished I'd had the resources to re-create...

The joy of giving... ignited anew... surely if an airline can... I can too...

And the Truth... it is revealed in the story... and in my heart's response... it's far better to give... than to receive...

"...You'll not likely go wrong here if you keep remembering that our Master said, 'You're far happier giving than getting.'"

Acts 20:35 Msg

Lord... thank You for this reminder... keep it fresh in my heart... as Christmas draws near...

waking thoughts on Christmas eve... what Christmas means to me...

The Word became flesh...

 and made his dwelling among us... 

The Word... 

by whom...

and through whom...

and for whom... all was created...

The One who said...

and it was...

The One not bound...

by time...

or space...

infinite in majesty and glory...

emptied Himself...

and entered a virgin womb...

He experienced life...

as His own creation...

Author... entering the story... a two-dimensional character... ink on paper...

Potter... entering the inanimate... clay on wheel...

From the first division of cells...

He... Creator... lived life...

conception...

birth...

death...

The Divine...

Father... Son... Spirit...

showed the way...

The way we were meant to live...

from the beginning...

In community with Him...

The Son... this baby Jesus...

lived at the direction of the Father...

by way of the Spirit...

never his own will... but God's alone...

The same relationship we were created to have with Him...

until the Fall... the one rule... the one law... 

broken...

The law that broke relationship with a holy God...

The law that birthed pain...

and sin...

and death...

into a world that was good...

The reason the Son came...

Emmanuel...

God with us...

He came to restore...

redeem...

repair...

what was lost...

The one thing we... His beloved...

were created for...

relationship with Him...

God... Almighty... Glorious... Uncontainable...

emptied Himself...

into a dark... lost... world...

A world where He was born in a barn...

and laid in a feed trough...

A world where His own...

did not recognize Him... 

even when He healed...

freed...

raised...

A world who rejected...

beat...

spit on...

crucified...

though He was without sin...

The Son... He became flesh...

made His dwelling among us...

sacrificed Himself...

to bring ultimate...

restoration...

healing...

life... everlasting...

...by His wounds... 

we are healed...

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A second thought...

I love when He breaks into my waking thoughts...speaks to me in that moment before... full consciousness... speaking thoughts that stay with me throughout the day...

I pray... that He will speak to you... this holy-day Season... speak of His Son... and His love for you... 

Merry Christmas...

blue Christmas...

Blue... not considered a color of Christmas... but one that can blanket a heart in the middle of a holiday season...

This evening... a service to acknowledge... pain... heartache... anger... in the midst of a month infused with jingle... jolly... and joy...

A walk lined with blue votives... glowed... outside the church...

Prayer stations... lined the rail... reminders of...

the Lamb who reigns...

the Rock who steadies...

the One who shelters with His wing...

the Light who shatters darkness...

Reminders... of why Jesus came... entering a world... that received the Son of God in a barn... no room for Him at the inn... a world that killed Him in the end... hanging Him from a cross...

A God intimate with pain... physical... emotional... spiritual... and rescues... restores... makes whole... by His own wounds... 

He heals the brokenhearted

and binds up their wounds.

Psalm 147:3

joy-full... a word that fills the season...

joy...

A quality or attitude of delight and happiness, which is ultimately grounded in the work of God as Father, Son and Holy Spirit. ---Dictionary of Bible Themes

But the angel said to [the shepherds],

"Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy

that will be for all the people.

Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you;

he is Christ the Lord.

This will be a sign to you:

You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger."

Luke 2:10-12 

Opportunities for joy... abound this time of year...

giving... to those who could never... give back to you...

receiving... the wonder of His Love...

resting... in His Sovereignty... no matter what...

It is a choice... to rejoice... the only option... when the Truth of grace... becomes reality in your life...

Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth.

Worship the Lord with gladness;

come before him with joyful songs.

Psalm 100:1

loved... a holy-day word...

love...

Unselfish, loyal, and benevolent intention and commitment toward another. ---Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary

For God so loved the world,

that he gave his only Son,

that whoever believes in him

should not perish but have eternal life.

John 3:16

ESV 

blessed... words for the season... keep coming...

blessed...

held in reverence: venerated; honored in worship: hallowed...

The Hebrew... literally...  to kneel...

A word to consider... this holy-day season... 

On coming to the house, 

[the Magi] saw the child with his mother Mary,

and they bowed down and worshiped him.

They opened their treasures and presented him with gifts

of gold and of incense and of myrrh.

Matthew 2:11

The Word... He became flesh...

He stooped down...

that we might be saved...

Blessed be the Lord,

who daily bears us up;

God is salvation. 

Selah

Our God is a God of salvation,

and to God, the Lord, belong deliverances from death.

Psalm 68:19-20

ESV

Consider blessing the Lord today... find a quiet place... alone with Him... bow down... low... on the floor... before Him... praise His holy name... offer Him... your gifts...

Blessed be the name of the Lord

from this time forth and forevermore!

Psalm 113:2

ESV

anointed... another Word...

anoint ...

...to cover the body or an object with oil or ointment. ...a means of investing someone with power... signify the consecration of someone or something for a holy purpose.    ---Harper's Bible Dictionary

 ...a sign of joy and thanksgiving... ...used as an emollient in healing... ---Eerdmans Bible Dictionary

"The Spirit of the Lord is on me,

because he has anointed me

to preach good news to the poor.

He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners

and recovery of sight for the blind,

to release the oppressed, 

to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor."

Then [Jesus] rolled up the scroll, 

gave it back to the attendant and sat down.

The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened on him,

and he began by saying to them,

"Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing."

Luke 4:18-20

Jesus... the Anointed One... came with power... for a holy purpose... with Him came joy... thanksgiving... healing... and an anointing for all Believers...

Anoint... another word... for the season...

Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ.

He anointed us, set his seal of ownership on us,

and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit,

guaranteeing what is to come.

2Corinthians 1:21-22

(emphasis mine)

In Him... we too... have been anointed... 

to preach good news... 

proclaim freedom... 

restore sight... 

release the oppressed...

How will you live it out... as you celebrate the miracle of His birth... and remember your anointing...?

today's Word... redeemed...

redeem...

to buy back: repurchase; to get or win back; to free from what distresses or harms: as to free from captivity by payment of ransom, to extricate from or help to overcome something detrimental, to release from blame or debt: clear, to free from the consequences of sin...

A Word... for the Season...

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"Blessed be the Lord God of Israel,

for he has visited and redeemed his people..."

Luke 1:68

ESV

lingering thoughts of Christmas

Creator empties Himself to enter creation...

naked...
hungry...
poor...
imprisoned...

As a baby...
as a Rabbi...
as a Savior...

A bold act...
a stooping low...
for the salvation of His creation...

rebellious...
ungrateful...
selfish...

A God who entered humanity...
present in humanity...
the invitation: follow Me...
emptying of self for others...

Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.

Philippians 2:3-8 ESV
(emphasis added)

The legacy of Christmas...
is it yours?

1 day after Christmas: peace

The Babe is born...
lying in the manger...
peace...

Time to pack up the season...
time to rest...
return to routine...

But what about the Babe?

Babies need care and attention...
a brand new relationship to build...
love to give...

Don't pack up the Babe with the season...
only in Him the peace remains...
peace beyond the season...

Pour your life into the Babe...
abide with Him... in Him...
all year...

For to us a child is born,

to us a son is given...

Isaiah 9:6

Christmas eve: one day left

Silent night...
Holy night...

"Be still, and know that I am God..."

The Lord Almighty is with us...

Psalm 46:10, 11

2 days before Chrismas: worship

Angels worshiped...
Shepherds worshiped...
Wise men worshiped...

Each journeyed to worship...

Even before the cross...
they worshiped...

When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers,
the moon and the stars, which you have set in place,
what is man that you are mindful of him,
the son of man that you care for him?

Psalm 8:3, 4 ESV

How much more should we?