During the Christmas season, we are often asked, “What do you want for Christmas?” A good question, and one that we also ask of our children and grandchildren. Of course, as we age, we get much more joy in giving than receiving gifts. Yet we also recognize that it gives joy to others to give gifts to us. Others want to surprise us, or think of that “perfect gift” in order to make us happy. What a wonderful set of circumstances this Christmas season brings!

This also gives me pause to consider what things I really need for Christmas. No, I do not need anything material, thankfully. What I want is for my wife, my kids and my grandkids to be happy. That is really the large consideration for parents and grandparents around the world.

As for material things, yes, they can be fun. Generally, however, people would much prefer experiences over material gifts. That is why cruises, trips, and vacations are so popular in our affluent culture. In an affluent culture, luxuries become necessities, and expectations are raised for givers and receivers.

So, during this Christmas season, revel in the joy you give to others through gifts or great experiences. Of course, we all need to remember that the best present is presence. That is the most remarkable gift of all.

Prayer: Lord, you gave us the gift of your Son’s presence and we are grateful, Amen

Now the Spirit expressly says that in later times some will depart from the faith by devoting themselves to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons…                                                              I Timothy 4:1

I am guessing that you are already aware that denial of the Holocaust, which occurred during World War II, is an actual thing. Yes, there are many people who, for various reasons, have minimized or actually denied that Nazi Germany, under Adolf Hitler, undertook to exterminate the Jewish people. Further, other people groups were also targeted, including Roma people, and people with severe disabilities, among others.  Perhaps this is because the magnitude of the atrocity beggars the imagination. We find it hard to accept this perversion in the human spirit. Yet, the unspeakable horror of the Holocaust did indeed happen.

And as frustrating and improbable as that might be, there are thousands of people (perhaps, millions) who participate in this revision of history. Despite firsthand accounts of survivors, filmed documentation of it, and the Nuremburg trials which gave legal sanctions for it with proof, none of this prevails in the mind of some people who would wish it away for racist or political reasons. They simply deny the existence of the Holocaust.

This again is a reminder that the truth needs to be told and retold. If it is not, historical revisionism, lies and conspiracy theories can take hold and deceive many. Especially in this day of misinformation, disinformation, and deliberate falsehoods, we must remain diligent in retelling the truth.

Prayer: Lord, help us spread the light of truth in the darkness of deceit, Amen

“Which of you fathers, if your son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead?Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”                                  Luke 11:11-13

Today is December 6^th.  That may not mean much to you unless it is your birthday or anniversary, or some other specific occasion. For those of us from a certain generation and certain religious/cultural background however, it is kind of a big day.  You see, December 6^th is the feast of St. Nicholas- St. Nicholas Day.

Of course, “Old St. Nick” is the precursor of Santa Claus. This venerable tradition was very much a part of my childhood in a western suburb of Cincinnati, which was heavily German-Catholic. We would put shoes out for St. Nicholas to visit and he would put a little present into the shoe. That was the tradition, but as I recall, St. Nicholas found a way to get a little present to us on the porch whether or not we put out a shoe.

I have encouraged my kids to celebrate this tradition with their own children, and they have faithfully done this. The point of this is not presents, just like the traditions of Christmas are not about gifts. It is a reminder that those who love others us want to find opportunities to give gifts to them. Just like our heavenly father wants to give us good gifts.

So, if you want to make this Christmas season a little special just a little early, have St. Nicholas visit your family, or maybe some other family with a little porch gift.

It is a beautiful tradition.

Prayer: Thank you for the plan of giving good gifts to your children, Amen

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.                                                                                               John 8:12

It’s dark here in the Eastern Time Zone of the United States at this time of year, and it is only 5:30 PM as I write this blog entry. Yes, this time of year it gets dark pretty early here. In the farther eastern part of the time zone, it gets dark even earlier.  Suffice it to say, this feels like the dead of Winter. The darkest day, December 21 is, of course the shortest day in the Northern Hemisphere.

I suppose that such facts really color my thinking about the Christmas season in this part of the U.S. We tend to relate the dark days of mid-winter with Christmas. Hence the reason we love the outdoor illumination of the season. It just brings light into the dark.

The metaphor of Jesus being the light of the world comes to life in such a setting. When it is so dark, even a little light brings refreshment and hope. So, we celebrate Christmas at a time when we need a little more light, a little more encouragement.

This reminds me that Christians are, of course, all over the world, and my brothers and sisters in the Southern Hemisphere are basking in a season where light abounds this time of year. That also reminds me that my United States view of Christmas is hopelessly parochial, and not at all relevant to a different cultural perspective.   

So, while I enjoy my cultural understanding of the Christmas season, I also understand that the true reason for the season has nothing to do with seasonal light changes, or snow, or Currier and Ives prints. It has to do with a celebration of true Light in a dark world.  

Prayer: Lord, thank you for the gift of True Light, Amen

Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things                                                                                                           Philippians 4:8

I like sports, and I like healthy competition. Therefore, I like it when I can count something as a win. The competition I am talking about today is not competition with another person, it is more of a self-challenge. When I set tiny goals for the day, and I reach them, those are “wins” for me. I am talking about little goals- ones that are certainly achievable, but do require some effort.

For example, I take into account my “to do” list for the day; meeting the exercise goals on my watch; and taking a cursory account of my eating habits for the day. I even account for the times I spend on video or screen gaming and the limits I adhere to.

These are little things, but at the end of the day, I kind of look at the “wins” for the day. Some days, of course are better than others, but this is not about comparing wins and losses- it is just naming the “wins”. I find that keeping track of the wins is much more energizing than keeping track of those setbacks. There are losses (really, just missed opportunities, not what I would call actual losses), that is for sure. But by counting the wins, I get energized to get more “wins”, and the losses become fewer.

So, that is my weird little strategy. I am guessing that you have some kind of accountability for your own disciplines. I just wanted to share my own “accounting system” to give some encouragement.

May today have a bunch of “wins” for you!

Prayer: Lord, help us to see the little wins in our daily life, Amen

Don’t worry, be happy…

Bobby McFerrin

“Therefore, I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing?  Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?  Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature?

Matthew 6:25-27

We have these words above to remind us not to worry, right? But, do we worry? Yes, we do. I think that anxieties, to some degree, are endemic to the human condition. Some people worry a lot, some much less so, but we all worry some.

There have been times in my life when I had some issue on my mind, and rationally, I knew that it was not really a valid concern. The things I were fearing might happen were completely unlikely to occur, yet it kept entering my mind.

Such is the nature of anxiety. Much of it is irrational fear, and beyond our control. Indeed, if we could exert some control over the outcome, we would not have anxiety. Taking the irrational thought captive, and speaking truth to it- sometimes repeatedly- is the remedy that we need to employ.

Sometimes, the worry causes us to rethink our behaviors, and serves as a reminder that we might be able to avoid that particular worry in the future. Sometimes too, it may cause us to draw closer to God, knowing that he holds our future, and that his love is sustaining.

So, if we can redeem worry into a closer walk with God, we have taken control of it in a different way- a way that can serve us better in the future.

Prayer: Lord, you are the One upon whom we can safely cast our fears, Amen

Don’t worry, be happy…

Bobby McFerrin

“Therefore, I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing?  Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?  Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature?

Matthew 6:25-27

We have these words above to remind us not to worry, right? But, do we worry? Yes, we do. I think that anxieties, to some degree, are endemic to the human condition. Some people worry a lot, some much less so, but we all worry some.

There have been times in my life when I had some issue on my mind, and rationally, I knew that it was not really a valid concern. The things I were fearing might happen were completely unlikely to occur, yet it kept entering my mind.

Such is the nature of anxiety. Much of it is irrational fear, and beyond our control. Indeed, if we could exert some control over the outcome, we would not have anxiety. Taking the irrational thought captive, and speaking truth to it- sometimes repeatedly- is the remedy that we need to employ.

Sometimes, the worry causes us to rethink our behaviors, and serves as a reminder that we might be able to avoid that particular worry in the future. Sometimes too, it may cause us to draw closer to God, knowing that he holds our future, and that his love is sustaining.

So, if we can redeem worry into a closer walk with God, we have taken control of it in a different way- a way that can serve us better in the future.

Prayer: Lord, you are the One upon whom we can safely cast our fears, Amen

“I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May your word to me be fulfilled.” Then the angel left her.                                                                                                                                                                     Luke 1:38

In former blogs, I have talked about the unique use of the word “grace” (charitoo) used only twice in the Bible. Once it was used as the word to describe the grace given to Mary when she assented to accepting the role of “God carrier” from the angel who declared her to be the vessel to carry Jesus into the world. The other instance is when Paul told the Ephesian believers that they had that same grace to carry the message of healing to a broken world. So, I think we have established that this seems to be a unique calling that we have, akin to Mary’s role as giving birth to the Savior.

It also struck me that Mary had a say in this. This was not some edict that God enforced on Mary. While she had been set apart for this important mission, she did have a decision to make. She did not need to sign up for this assignment that was fraught with pain, anxiety and uncertainty. She could have said “No”.

But Mary did not say no. Because of that, we have a wonderful plan, an unsurpassed story that we celebrate every year. Mary agreed to be the human host of the “Lamb of God”.

So too do we have a say in our part of the plan of being “God carriers”. We can agree to it and bear the costs attendant with it, as well as the rewards of it. Mary’s agreement was the start of God’s plan of redeeming his lost sheep. Our agreement keeps that legacy going forward.

Prayer: Every day we have the opportunity to say “Yes” to your plan. Give us continued grace to do so, Amen.

Jesus said, “I am the Bread of Life. The person who aligns with me hungers no more and thirsts no more, ever. I have told you this explicitly because even though you have seen me in action, you don’t really believe me. Every person the Father gives me eventually comes running to me. And once that person is with me, I hold on and don’t let go. I came down from heaven not to follow my own whim but to accomplish the will of the One who sent me                                 John 6:35 (The Message)

When Jesus taught, he used analogies that people could relate to. We can relate to food, right? Especially as we enter into the dark days of winter, out bodies crave carbohydrates. Those carbs are “comfort foods” and they come by that name honestly. They give us comfort. Carbs make us feel good.

Carbohydrates are precursors to serotonin, that neurochemical we crave in order to feel an upgraded mood. As we perceive less light, the brain gets the signal to find more serotonin. An easy way to do that, to get more serotonin with diminishing light available (here in the northern hemisphere), is to get it with food. Therefore, we bring on the carbs!

Bread, sugar, alcohol, etc. are those things that give our brain that satisfied feeling of comfort. They are dished out in increasing amounts as we enter the darker winter time. So, it is no surprise that we get a glut of those foods around this time of year.

Especially as we deal with all the stress of this year, we may indulge more in that rush of carbs. Obviously, restraint should be in order, but if we fail a bit, I think we understand that, maybe more this year than ever.

A couple of thoughts come to mind. One, if you are going to eat more carbs, try to balance with more exercise. You can never exercise yourself to weight loss, but you can mitigate those self-indulgent forays of the season just a bit with more exercise. Besides, the exercise itself is a serotonin engine, so get after the exercise!

Next, remember that the season is about the Bread of Life that Jesus discussed in the passage above. He is the real comfort we seek through all the other pathways that are temporary. A relationship with the true Bread of Life is completely satisfying.

Prayer: Father, help us to remember that Jesus is the bread of life that satisfies, Amen.

Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people                                                         Luke 2:10

You know the Christmas song – It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year. It is a song of a festive time, a time of celebration and joy. The Christmas music, the parties, the lights and decorations, the gathering of family- yes, it is a most wonderful time.

Yes, there has been much cultural appropriation of the Christian holiday that Christmas most certainly is. That’s fine with me though. As Christians, we are to help spread joy and goodwill to a world in desperate need of it. If the Christmas season helps people get a little sense of relief in a beleaguered world, that’s OK.

Yes, the real reason for the season is to celebrate the birth of Jesus. We must always keep that in mind. But if the cultural trappings of the season also bring joy to folks, good!

Prayer: Lord, help us to bring joy to a world in great need of it, Amen