Christmas Adam

My brother's & I showing off
our new clothes one
Christmas Adam.

Christmas Day 2010 is done.  The presents are all unwrapped, the stockings are unstuffed, the refrigerator is full of leftovers, and all the cards that didn’t get mailed are back in the box for next year!  Un-decorating is never quite as motivating as decorating. If I’m not careful the post-Christmas blues will settle in. They always seem to come close behind the celebration. Maybe it’s just exhaustion! But when everyone’s gone home and the ordinary is calling again somehow things seem even more ordinary?  My youngest brother coined a name for the feeling of the day after Christmas, Christmas Adam. It’s our family’s way of describing the mixture of feelings you have after the party.

I find that it’s easy to let the ordinary leave me feeling a little down; some years down right depressed! Especially when things have not gone according to my plan!

However, this morning I read this verse in Psalm 89.”Happy are those who hear the joyful call to worship, for they will walk in the light of your presence, Lord”.   

Christmas is a joyful call to worship! O, come let us adore him. The angels called the shepherds to worship, the star led the wise men to worship and Christ called us all to worship. The call to worship always comes at the beginning of the service, Christmas is only the beginning. At Christmas, the light came to the darkness and called us to worship. What a sweet form of worship to walk in the light of his presence.  Walking in the light is our response to the call.  And walking is an ordinary thing. Every day involves walking. Some days our walk is rushed, some days steady, some days we skip and other days we lean on others just to put one foot in front of the other. But every day He is present shining the light showing us how and where to walk.

In the gospel of John, Jesus speaking to the people who remained after the attempted stoning of the woman caught in adultery, Jesus said you don’t have to walk in darkness. Speaking to both those who were addicted to the Law and to the one trapped in sin, he offered the same words from his heart.  “I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won’t have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life.” (John 8:12 NLT) Whatever is blocking the light from your path - addiction, sin, depression, bad theology, or just the ordinary things of life, it doesn’t have to be this way. Jesus is here and He is the Light.

One of my favorite Christmas decorations is the lights.  One year when I was young we didn’t have enough lights to cover the tree so my mom made a cross with the lights inside the tree. In making the best of not having enough lights, she reminded us of the reason for the lights. This year when I pack away the lights I want to remember not to pack away the LIGHT that came at Christmas!

The awesome thing is when we walk in the light of his presence, wherever we go the reflection of his light will light the path of our fellow journeyers.

On this Christmas Adam, hear the joyful call to worship!

Thanks for listening,

See you next Sunday

Ronda

If you are walking in darkness, without a ray of light, trust in the Lord and rely on your God. (Isaiah 50:10 NLT)

Hope

So glad she knows about Hope!

One Christmas season when we were traveling and listening to Amy Grant singing “Love has come”. Suddenly, my three or four year old daughter pipes up from the back seat and says, “Daddy, why does Hope have a big gun?” Hope had begun! We all still laugh when we listen to this song and think about Hope’s big gun.

I read somewhere that hope begins in the dark and when I read the opening verses of the gospel of John, I think its true. “The Word became human and made his home among us”. Hope had begun. “and his life brought light to everyone. The light shines in the darkness…” Hope began in the dark.

In Ezra chapters 9 and 10, we read of one of the many dark times in the story of God’s people. Ezra is lamenting the sins that had polluted the exiles after they have been freed. “O my God, I am utterly ashamed, I blush to lift up my face to you”. Despite the grace and mercy shown to them in both their rescue and their slavery, they have once again abandoned their God. Ezra prays, “And now, O our God, what can we say after all of this?”. Others join him in weeping in front of the newly restored Temple and they confess they have been unfaithful. Then I love what the people say to Ezra, “But in spite of this there is hope for Israel.” (10:2)

Even before the Word became human, his people found hope in his faithfulness. On our darkest nights, even in our utter shame, his light brings hope. Recently someone reminded me of something one of my Sunday School teachers would have us do when reading the stories of Israel. She would have us put our name in place of Israel. But in spite of this there is hope for Ronda! Whatever your “in spite of” is, there is hope! When the darkness of our world is overwhelming there is hope! But in spite of this. there is hope for our families, there is hope for our friends, there is hope for our churches, there is hope for our nation, there is hope!

For unto us a child is born, a light has shone, love has come and Hope has begun! And the darkness can never extinguish it! (John 1:5 NLT)

Try these verses from Psalm 130, substituting for Israel your name or the name of those you love.

O ________ , hope in the Lord; for with the Lord there is unfailing love.
His redemption overflows. He himself will redeem _______ from every kind of sin.

Hope may not carry a big gun but it comes loaded with unfailing love, unending mercy and redeeming grace!

“And his name will be the hope of all the world.” (Matthew 12:21 NLT)

　
Merry Christmas to all
May you experience hope

Thanks for listening
See you next Sunday,
Ronda
　
Love has come
For the world to know
As the wisemen knew
Such a long time ago
And I believe that the angels sang
That hope had begun
When the God of Glory
Who is full of mercy
Sent His Son
Click here to hear Amy sing about Hope's big gun!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RUU_m7PMIyY&feature=related

A Stick Horse for Christmas

Michael & his stick horse

On Christmas Eve, 1971 my mother opened the box she had picked up from the local Western Auto store to unpack the rocking horse she had ordered for my younger brother, Michael.  Upon opening the box she was horrified to find car seats, rather than a rocking horse! She called the store owners who kindly met her at the store to see what could be done, but of course at that late hour there were not many options.  Christmas morning, my 3 year old brother would find a stick horse under the tree instead of a nice, shining rocking horse. I will never forget how distraught my mother was about that stick horse. She cried. Michael, he just ran around on his new stick horse!  Years later when I had a similar experience with a gift for my daughter, I remembered that stick horse. Mothers always want the best for our children. Our plans for them are for happy lives filled with love and goodness.



My mother on the year of the
stick horses. (and me in the corner)

My mother (the best in world, by the way) has cherished for years special verses and promises for each of her four children. Some she has seen fulfilled, for some she still waits. And I'm certain at times that she has found more "car seats" and "stick horses" when she was looking for "shining rocking horses".  But like Mary, she continues to cherish and believe that the Lord will do what he says. "You are blessed because you believed that the Lord would do what he said". Luke 1:45 NLT

In Luke 1:31 -33, we see the promise to Mary concerning the child she would bear. "He will be very great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of the ancestor David. And he will reign over Israel forever; his Kingdom will never end".  While she didn't understand how this could be, she believed and her song of praise recorded in verses 46 -55 expresses her elation at the promise. Several times we are told that Mary kept special moments in her heart. After the shepherds came; "Mary kept all these things in her heart and thought about them often" (Luke 2:19 NLT) After finding him in the temple amazing the religious teachers; "his mother stored all these things in her heart". (Luke 2:51 NLT) Sounds like a mother to me!

But what about when she gave birth in a barn and laid him in a manager, did she wondered if she had misunderstood his destiny? What about when he was rejected by the very leaders he had amazed as child? What about when she stood at the foot of the cross? Did she ask as she had when the angel informed her of his coming, how can this be? Did she remember Simeon's words to her when they had taken him as a baby to the temple "And a sword will pierce your very soul" (Luke 2:35 NLT)

Maybe she thought of the words of his ancestor, King Solomon, to get her through theat dark night. Many are the plans in my heart, but the Lord's purposes prevail.

It seems when our expectations are the highest is often when our disappointments are the deepest. It can be very confusing and disturbing when things don't seem to go as promised. We find ourselves saying to God, how can this be?! On what must have been Mary's darkest night when the sword indeed pierced her soul, in the piercing her son's purpose was being fulfilled. He was accomplishing what was necessary for his Kingdom to rule forever.

If in the midst of celebrating the joy and peace of Christmas, you find yourself opening boxes of car seats when you had planned for shiney rocking horses, find a stick horse and ride with all your might! And know that even in the confusing times in life, God is working his purposes. And the purposes for which He was born will prevail!!

Hear the hope in the words of the prophet Isaiah when he foretold the birth of Jesus.

That time of darkness and despair will not go on forever...

For those who live in a land of deep darkness, a light will shine.
For a child is born to us!

(Isaiah 9 NLT)

Thanks for listening

See you next Sunday,

Ronda

Looks like Timothy got a stick
horse, too, but apparently
the banana had his attention!

By the way, Michael did eventually have the rocking horse to go along with the stick horse. Worked out well for him! and Timothy.

Cheers

Making your way in the world today

Takes everything you’ve got

Taking a break from all your worries

Sure would help a lot

Wouldn’t you like to get away

Sometimes you want to go -  where everybody knows your name

and they're always glad you came

You wanna be where you can see -  our troubles are all the same

You wanna be where everybody knows your name

Cheers of Boston 2006

Anyone but me willing to admit that this song made the Boston neighborhood pub a place you wanted to go? I loved that show during the Shelly Long years and when we were in Boston a few years ago it was one the places I had to go. Right up there with all the sights of American history, I wanted to see the Cheers bar. (Sorry, Mom)

There was just something about the camaraderie in the cast of characters. I loved the way they shouted, Norm, every time he entered the bar. I think they captured something in that bar that we all crave. As the song says, a place where we are always welcome, a place where we are all the same, a place to take a break from all our worries. A place to be cheered.

Webster defines cheer as something that gladdens or a shout of applause or encouragement. The act of cheering is defined as instilling hope or courage or applauding with shouts.

In the ninth chapter of Matthew twice we read where Jesus says “be of good cheer” to those whom he healed. In chapter 14, he says to the disciples “be of good cheer, it is I, be not afraid.” You’ll have to get out your King James Version to find that wording. But if you go to your NIV or NLT you’ll see these words “be encouraged” or “take courage.” Who knew Jesus read Webster! I believe we can say all through the Gospels we see Jesus spreading cheer; welcoming people, instilling hope and courage and offering relieve from our worries.

But then how could it have been any other way, the angels announced at his birth that he had come to bring us cheer. Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all the people” (Luke 2L10 KJV)

“O come, Thou Day-Spring, come and cheer
Our spirits at Thine advent here
Disperse the gloomy clouds of night
And death’s dark’s shadows put to flight.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel”
　
Just before his arrest Jesus is pouring out his heart to his disciples preparing them for the things to come and he concludes with these words. “These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world”. (John 16:33 KJV) Other translations read, take heart!

Let’s go spread a little Christmas Cheer! Someone one needs to hear you call their name and welcome them this holiday season. Let’s instill hope and offer encouragement.

Cheers Everyone! Jesus is here!

Thanks for listening
See you next Sunday,
Ronda

• When doubts filled my mind, your comfort gave me renewed hope and cheer. Psalm 94:19
• Worry weighs a person down;an encouraging word cheers a person up. Proverbs 12:25
• A cheerful look brings joy to the heart… Proverbs 15:30