Blame It On...

America has turned from being the "Land of Opportunity" to the "Land of Blaming others."    We have moved a far distance away from President Harry Truman's slogan of "the Bucks Stops Here".  He had a plaque with these words sitting on his desk in the Oval Office as a reminder that the final decision was his.  We have moved through the days of Richard Nixon famously saying, "I am not a crook to the spin of our latest politicians.  President Obama recently blamed Fox news for the problems in his presidency and blamed racism for his low approval ratings.  Vice-President Joe Biden blamed George Bush for the nine trillions dollars in deficit the United States government has incurred since he was elected Vice-President.  John Boehner blames the president for the immigration reform impasse.  Alec Baldwin blames the media for his messed up personal life.  Piers Morgan blames American culture for his low ratings when he quits his show.  The Chicago police blame gangs for the increased violence in the city.  Everyone in Detroit is blaming each other for the financial Armageddon they are facing.  Mayor Ray Nagin famously blamed George Bush for the tragic consequences of hurricane Katrina, while at the same time, syphoning off federal money for his own purposes.  Closer to home, Richmond Mayor Gayle McLaughlin is blaming the banks for having to foreclose on homes bought by people who could not afford those homes. Don't even try to discuss the embarrassing status of our public school system because blame is thrown in every direction while we continue to pore tax money into an institution failing miserably in its purpose to educate American children.   I could go on for hours, but you get the point.  Blame has become a national pastime in America.

This problem is as old as sin.  When Adam and Eve sinned, do you remember their responses?  Adam who was given charge of the Garden and supposed to be responsible for his wife blames his wife.  Eve then blames the serpent.  They follow the sin of disobedience with the sin of failing to take responsibility.  In Genesis 3, God doesn't buy the excuses and holds them accountable for what has happened.  God is fairly consistent in holding mankind accountable for what they do.  Moses is held accountable for letting his anger get the best of him and he is not allowed to enter the Promises Land.  Achan is held responsible for his sin of keeping plunder when he wasn't supposed to do that.  Samson is held accountable for giving away the secret of his strength.  Elijah is held accountable for running and hiding, having a pit party because he thinks he is the only one in Israel still following the Lord.  Peter is held accountable for denying Jesus.  Ananias and Sapphira are held accountable for lying to God and the church.  Peter is held accountable for his hypocrisy in dealing with the Gentile Christians when Jews were around.  John Mark is held accountable for his failure on the missionary journey with Paul.  Their is an accountability for those of us who claim to follow Christ that is not leveled on those who have not chosen to follow Him.

I Peter 2:11 reminds us, "Dear friends, I urge you as alien and strangers in the world to abstain from sinful desires, which war against your soul. Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day He visits us."  This is a stark reminder for out day that even though the pagan culture of America embraces blame, we are to take responsibility.  Yes, taking responsibility will cause us pain in the immediate future.  Yes, we will probably have to make restitution and amends for what we have done.  Yes, we will disappoint some people when they hear the truth.  Yes, we will make mistakes and need to take full responsibility for those mistakes.  We don't try to spin the truth so we won't look so bad.  If we are wrong, we are wrong.  Quite blaming other people or circumstances for your misery and pain.  We are not the first followers of Christ to be persecuted for our faith and we won't be the last.  God's goal for His Church is not her comfort, but her holiness.  Being accountable and responsible builds holiness in our lives.

So today, rather than looking for an easy out, will you take responsibility for the decisions you have made and the consequences that come with those choices?

Let It Rain

For those of you who don't live in the Bay Area of California, you may not be aware that we are in a drought.  We have a rainy season which lasts from November through April and after that, rain is very scarce.  We have been experiencing the driest winter on record.  We would need twenty one inches of rain before June to get back to normal levels of rainfall.  There is a lot of concern because there isn't a big snow pack yet in the Sierra mountains, which affects the water available for the valley and Los Angeles.  The governor declared an emergency, people prayed for rain and others said the drought was punishment from God.  Well, this past weekend, the rains came.  God sent wonderful rain that came down at a gentle pace and soaked into the ground.  Some areas received as many as eleven inches of rain in the past five days.  This doesn't end our need for more rain, but it does alleviate some of the fears of a prolonged drought.

This made me think about what the Bible says about rain, so I looked up a few passages that I want to share with you.  So here they are:

Job 5:10 - "He bestows rain on the earth;  He sends water upon the country side."  God does control the weather.  He can bring rain or He can make the rain stop.  He is still the Sustainer of the universe.

In God's response to Job, He says this in 38:25:  "Who cuts a channel for the torrents of rain and a path for the thunderstorm?"  God confronts Job with the knowledge that God alone can bring rain.

Psalm 147:8 - "He covers the sky with clouds;  He supplies the earth with rain and makes grass grow on the hills."  This is a beautiful picture of God's provision.  He brings the rains that bring the crops which feed us.

Jeremiah 14:22 asks this wonderful question:  "Do any worthless idols of the nations bring rain?  Do the skies themselves send down showers?"  And then the passage gives this response:  "No, it is you, O Lord our God.  therefore our hope is in you, for you are the One who does all this"  Rain is a reminder to trust God and put your hope in Him.

Jesus speaks of rain in His sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5:45:  "He causes His sun to rise of the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and unrighteous."  Jesus is telling us to love all people, even our enemies.  God shows His love by allowing the rain to fall on all people, even those who despise or deny God.  If God is so loving and generous, then we should also.  There is only one instance in the Bible of the lack of rain being a judgment by God and that was foretold by Elijah.  So we must be careful in placing blame on God's judgment for natural events (Unless we have had word from Him that this is what He has done).



Isaiah 45:8 takes this idea of rain and transmits a different thought about rain.  "You heavens above, rain down righteousness;  Let the clouds shower it down   Let the earth open wide and let salvation spring up, let the righteous grow with it;  I, the Lord, have created it."  The call is for the followers of

God to live such righteous lives that righteousness is all around like the rain.  God desires His people to be beacons of hope and grace in a world of selfishness and sin.  He wants the world to see that the hope of the nations is not found in a government or riches or technology, but is found in the grace of God.  So let Christ shine through your choices today in such a way that others will be drawn to Him.

One of my favorite passages about rain is found in Matthew 7:24-27.  Jesus ends His sermon on the Mount by talking about two builders in the same storm.  That storm has rain, winds and floods which affect both builders.  One builder chooses to build on sand...bad choice.  The other builder chooses to build on THE rock...great choice.  The home on the sand is destroyed.  The home of THE rock stands through the storm.  Of course, Jesus is the rock.  What we do in His name and led by His Spirit will last.  What we do for ourselves (Even churchy stuff and spiritual stuff) won't last because we are only temporary.  So today, make the choice to build your life on the solid rock because all other ground is sinking sand.

Which Is Super?

On Sunday, February 2nd, millions of Americans tuned in to view Super Bowl XLVIII, which was supposed to be a football game between the Denver Broncos and the Seattle Seahawks.  It turned out to be not much of a game, but a total domination by the Seahawks.  From the first snap of the game, but Broncos looked overmatched, inept and ready to quit.  Those who were hoping for a close game were greatly disappointed.  By the time Percy Harvin ran the second half kick-off for a touchdown, the only undecided was how bad the blowout would end up being.  Unless you are a Seattle fan, the Super Bowl game itself was a waste of an afternoon or evening (Depending on where you live).  It was like many other Super Bowls, a snooze fest.  Two weeks of hype simply added to the disappointment.

Contrast that with what happened of Sunday morning at Hillcrest Baptist Church.  Millions were not tuned in and only 90 people were actually in attendance.  There were no sponsors willing to pay millions of dollars for a 30 second add.  There was not two weeks of media blitz leading up to it.  There was no a four hour pre-game telecast on national television.  Most people will never even know what happened on Sunday morning at 3400 Hillcrest Road in Richmond, California.    Yet, I submit that what happened on Sunday morning at Hillcrest was more super than anything that happened at MetLife Stadium in the afternoon.

What was the super event?  Three young ladies publicly professed their faith by following Jesus into the waters of baptism.  We dunked them as a witness that they died to the old self and were now living for Jesus.  The act of baptizing didn't save them.  That happened the day they professed their faith in Christ.  The act of baptism was their way of obeying Jesus, testifying to others and celebrating that eternal life.  Three young ladies in front of less than one hundred friends and family members.  How could that be more important than something our culture has been hyping for two weeks?  Simply this:  These three ladies did something that is eternally significant.  The Seahawks that will only last until the next season begins.  As a matter of fact, in the postgame interview, the coach of the Seahawks was asked if they could repeat their Super Bowl victory next year.  However, the Bible reminds us in Luke 15 that the angels party and Heaven parties whenever someone who is lost is found.  Not only did Heaven party, but our church partied afterwards.  These young ladies now have the rest of their lives on earth to impact eternity but witnessing and testifying about Jesus.  The ripples of the waters of eternity will be impacted by the events of Sunday at HBC.  Aren't you glad you were there?

I watched the Super Bowl and left wondering why I had wasted three hours of my time watching the game.  I enjoyed being with my family, but it seemed like a fruitless use of my time.  I watched the baptism and left church jazzed that I had seem something marvelous.  I still smile when I think about the testimony of these girls when they confessed Jesus as their Savior and Lord.  That smile cracks even bigger when I think back on their faces as they came up from the water. 

So which one of these events really was super?  Even if the Broncos had won or the game had gone down to the last play, a football game will never compare with a Heavenly celebration.  So don't get hyped that a football game has been played, but that your name is written in the Book of Life.  Now that really is super!

Leaving behind a Good Name

Several years ago, Hillcrest Baptist Church made the decision to clean our facilities using our own members.  In the past, we had paid to have our facilities cleaned, but there were two reasons to make this change:  #1 - Financially, we just could no longer afford to pay someone to clean and #2 - A healthy pride in the cleanliness of our facilities.  We found that the paid janitorial staff would start out doing a good job of cleaning, but over time the quality would diminish.  We wanted our facilities to look as inviting and clean as possible, so members stepped up to clean the church.  We now have four team that clean, which means we clean once a month.  It would be nice to have more teams cleaning, but these four teams do a marvelous job.

This week, it is my team's turn to clean.  So first thing in the morning, I did my part of the cleaning.  I always enjoy that time, because I can pray for so many things going on in our church, our church family and in the ministry here.  My team cleans the week after Mitch and Cari Abbott's team has cleaned.  I always enjoy following them because they do such a marvelous job of cleaning the church.  It hardly looks used when I begin cleaning because of the job they did the week before.  Mitch and Cari do their best to honor God...by cleaning the church.  No one would know if they cut a few corners or didn't do the deep clean that they do.  That goes for all of our cleaning teams.  But they would know and they want to honor God in all they do.  So as I am cleaning and tempted to cut a few corners to get finished sooner, I have this incredible example right in front of my eyes.  So it keeps me focused on doing a good job.

In Colossians 3, Paul writes to the church and tells them, "Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were  called to peace.  And be thankful.  Let the word of Christ dwell in your richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your heart to God."  He lays this foundation of a life lived joyfully towards Jesus.  Then, he ends wit  this, "And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him."  Amazing words by which we should live.

Whatever we do, we should do it in the name of the Lord.  Would Jesus be proud to have His name on what we have just done?  That term paper you had to write?  The way you treated your husband/wife this morning before you left for work?  The words you spoke to your child today?  The menial assignment your boss gave that was not utilizing your skill set very well?  The way you treated that hard-to-get-along-with person at work?  Cleaning your own house?  It is sobering to think that every task we undertake we will leave the name of Jesus on that task once it is completed.  So whether we are cleaning the church or singing the national anthem at the Super Bowl, let's honor the name of Jesus with the quality of our work!

AWOL

This past Sunday, the San Francisco 49ers defeated the Carolina Panther and advanced to the NFC Championship Game next Sunday.  If they beat Seattle, they will be going to the Super Bowl again.  There are a lot of 49er fans in the Bay area and in our church.  Unfortunately, the game started at 10:30 on Sunday morning, at the same time as Sunday School ended and morning worship began.  I wonder how many Christians in the Bay area skipped church so they could cheer for the Niners?  I wonder how many members and attenders of Hillcrest Baptist Church skipped Sunday School and/or morning worship so they could cheer for the Niners?  Actually, I don't really want to know who in our church did that because I would rather remain ignorant about that.

At the same time as the first and second quarter of the playoff game was taking place, Hillcrest was receiving her challenge for the year of 2014.  Every year, God puts a burden on my heart to share with the church as a focal point for that year.  Last year, our challenge was "Discern" and this year's challenge was quite different.  So those who missed church missed the opportunity to hear about the challenge.  Certainly, they can go on-line and listen to the sermon (The link is:  http://sermon.net/hillcrestrichmond/sermonid/1200167184).  They can also come the next few weeks as we continue to hear messages about this challenge.  They can talk with other church members to find out about this challenge and get insights on the sermon.  There are a multitude of options to gain the information that they missed.  However, what can never be recaptured is the movement of the Holy Spirit as God spoke into the lives of those at church to step up and make a commitment to take this challenge.

Now, I know that not everyone who missed church on Sunday missed because they were watching a football game.  Some people missed because they were sick, caring for loved ones, out of town, dealing with emergencies and some were ministering in our extended session.  There may be no members and guests of Hillcrest who missed church to watch the football game.  The purpose of this blog is not to point out the reasons people miss church, but to remind us of how critical it is to participate each Sunday.  We never know what God is going to do on a given Sunday.  the one Sunday we miss, may be the one Sunday that God had the perfect message for us, in song or in the sermon or through a brother/sister in Christ.

Hebrews 10:23-25 tells us, "Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess for He who promised is faithful.  And let us consider how we can spur one another on toward love and good deeds.  Let us not give up meeting together as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another - and all the more as you see the Day approaching". 

Even in the early church, people were already developing the habit of missing church.  The writer of Hebrews reminds the church that when they miss a Sunday, they miss an opportunity that will never arise again:  The opportunity to spur someone toward love and good deeds.  This past Sunday, if you missed church, you missed that opportunity to encounter someone who was struggling in his/her faith.  That person needed to be encouraged by you because as we encourage others, we are encouraged. 

Now, I know that some of you may be thinking, "Pastor is going off on this because he wants everyone at church to hear him.  Besides, he HAS to be at church since he is the pastor."  That is a fair criticism, but be careful that you are using that as an excuse.  Before I was a pastor, I worked at Hawaii Baptist Academy as the campus minister.  That meant I had weekends free, so I didn't HAVE to go to church.  I was a member of the First Baptist Church of Pearl City and never missed a Sunday.  That meant I would miss the second half of the early NFL game and the first half of the late NFL game, along with missing the entire ESPN Sunday night game for night church.  This was when I was a sportsaholic and not into recovery.  I also had a built in excuse for missing church because seven times a year I led camps with close to 100 students.  Those camps went from Thursday through Saturday, so I could have justified sleeping in on those Sundays after camp..but I didn't.   The reason I didn't want to miss church is because I didn't want to miss out on what God might do.  I didn't want to miss what was happening in the lives of my Sunday School class.  I didn't want to miss out of the relationships I had in the church, which I only got to be involved with once or twice a week.  I looked forward to hearing God speak through the pastor or through a friend.  I also enjoyed the encouragement I received from these wonderful saints.  Now that I am a pastor, the only time I can choose to miss church is on vacation...but I don't.  I love going to other churches when we are on vacation.  It's wonderful to show up at a church and not have to do any of the planning, but just focus on worship.  The reason I share this is because I want you to know that I would be committed to participating in church whether I was a pastor or not.

In the military, there is a term which may describe what many Christians are like on Sunday morning:  AWOL.  This stands for Absent Without Leave.  In other words, the soldiers did not have permission to be away from his unit and now the military police will be looking for him.  When we are AWOL from church, God does sent His holy MPs to hunt us down and bring us back.  He allows us to make these choices, but continues to call us back.  Some Christians are Absent Without Excuse.  They try to justify missing out on the body of Christ but they really know these are just flimsy excuses.  The rest of the world is watching us and they equate going to church with being a Christian.  So when we show up at their NFL gatherings or family get-togethers or work during church hours, they think we don't value church nor our relationship with Jesus.  This gives them one more obstacle to overcome before they take a step of faith in giving their lives to Jesus.  If you are going to miss one Sunday, let your Sunday School class know you will be gone and how they can pray for you.  Get into the habit of being accountable and make church participating a high priority.  Don't go AWOL on church because each time you miss, it gets easier to miss.  Before long, you haven't been to church in five years and have distanced yourself from the church and Jesus.  Make serving in your church a true expression of your faith in Christ and look for ways you can encourage others when you are at church.

What Profit?!

It happened again this morning.  I got up, had my quiet time and then headed to the gym.  Arriving at 5:30 this morning, I found the parking lot surprisingly more full than usual.  I walked into the gym and saw 24 Hour Fitness filled with unfamiliar faces...lots of unfamiliar faces.  Then it hit me - It's the beginning of the year and everyone has decided to get in shape.  Fresh faces all over the place, huffing and puffing, getting their sweat on.  Many of the regulars I see weren't there this morning because they take the first few weeks of the year off because of the large crowds at the beginning of the year.  In the locker room, the conversations were about how great it was to be getting in shape and how they needed to buy a membership to motivate themselves to get in shape.  For the past thirteen years I've been hearing these conversations.  I see the newbies come in early in the morning and go strong and hard.  Of course, I also know it will last about two weeks.  It won't be long until those muscles are sore and sleep overcomes that early alarm clock.  They will decide that 5:00 or 5:30 is too early in the morning to work out, so they will come later.  A few will stick with it, but most will be gone within the month and life will get back to normal.  It's always fun to try to guess which ones will actually stick it our for more than a few weeks.  Don't get me wrong, I appreciate these people more than you know.  They pay for one, two or three year memberships but will rarely use that membership.  They keep my dues low because they are profit for the gym...People who pay for the gym but don't utilize the equipment or facilities.

 

 

This morning just kind of caught me off guard.  I am usually prepared for the newbies, but they came early this year.  It must mean the economy is in better shape.  Jesus warned us about being like these newbies in our commitment to Him.  He tells the parable of the soils in Matthew 13.  The farmer scatters seeds and some fall on the hard ground and don't spring up.  Those are the ones who hear about Christ and just have a hardened heart to the message.  Oh, they think they have it all figured out.  The see the hypocrites in the church and decide Jesus can't be real because of those hypocrites.  Or they look at politically active Christians who speak out in favor of God's standard and they label those Christians as haters, intolerant and bigots.  Or maybe the hard hearts are those who have been burned by the church of by Christian parents.  They want to journey with Christ, but fear gets the best of them so they find a comfortable way to distance themselves from Jesus.  There is another soil in which the seeds fall and that is the rocky soil.  The rocks keep the soil warm, so the seeds sprout quickly, but die just as quickly because they have no roots.  These are the ones who get emotionally excited about following Jesus, but they don't get into God's Word daily.  They love the experience of church with the music, lights and relevant talks.  But their faith is shallow and they drop out as quickly as they started.  There is a third soil, which is the soil with thorns.  The thorns grow up with the seed and chokes the plant out.  These are the ones who want to follow Jesus, but are too connected with the world.  They see all the "good" things their pagan friends have and the partying they do, so they just can't let go.  They want to go bar hopping on Saturday night and then come to church on Sunday morning.  They don't want to offend any of their pagan friends, so they keep their faith to themselves.  Before long, they get sucked into the pagan world that they needed to leave.  They meet a "good" guy instead of a Godly guy and move in with him rather than waiting for a Godly man who will have the integrity and treasure her enough to marry her.  They get drawn into trying to make house payments, car payments and so they have to work overtime or work two jobs.  The world has choked out the seed in their lives.  Just like the newbies at the gym, they start out with good intentions, but the long haul is more than they bargained for.  It's just too difficult to stay faithful to Christ.  So they justify their compromise and jump back into a lifestyle in which they are more comfortable and has less resistance. 

 

 

Then there is one final soil - The good soil.  The seed falls here, grows and bears fruit.  These are the newbies who stick with their desire to get in shape.  They become part of the early morning crew and become a familiar face.  These are the Christians who realize that following Jesus is a lifelong commitment.  They are the spouses who decide to stay married no matter how difficult life becomes.  They are the servants in the church who are committed to the long-term growth of others in the church.  They are the workers who invest their energy into a project and make sure the project is done the right way.  Those are the followers Jesus wants.  He isn't looking to be popular with the crowd nor does He care about the bumper sticker or fish emblem on our car.  He cars about a heart which is transformed by the Holy Spirit and hands & feet which are obedient to His leading.  He is looking for those who will be His regardless of the pressure from a pagan culture.  These are the ones who bear eternal fruit, who have made an impact on eternity.  They rarely get praised or have the spotlight shine on them.  They simply desire to the be the servants Jesus wants them to be.  No applause from man is needed, just a "Well done good and faithful servant" from our Heavenly Master will suffice.

 

 

In Ecclesiastes 9:11, Solomon makes this observation:  "The race is not to the swift or the battle to the strong, not does food come to the wise or wealth to the brilliant or favor to the learned:  but time and change happen to them all."  This is written by Solomon at the end of his life as he turned away from God and was lost in a funk of compromise and sin.  His point is that we all will face difficulties and nothing can keep pain from our lives.  On that point, I would agree with Solomon.  I would also agree that the race is not to the swift, but often to the one who keeps running.  A steady pace is more important that sprinting quickly and then stopping. 

 

 

My prayer for you in 2014 is that you will decide to personalize your faith.  You will decide to keep doing that which honors God, even if you are the only one in your home, neighborhood, school or office which is making that decision.  My prayer is that you will bear fruit.  Don't be profit for the world, but bring a profit to eternity.  Allow God to utilize you thoroughly as your life reflects your commitment to Jesus!

Keeping It Simple

This morning, after working out, I was talking with a friend in the locker room of 24 Hour Fitness.  He was telling me about how things were just in a funk for him and he didn't know where to turn.  He is not a follower of Jesus, so I tried to share a little about how I trust the Lord in those situations.  He is overwhelmed by what is happening in his home and how stressed his wife is during this time of the season.  He is also experiencing a lot of pressure from family members for financial help, laying the guilt on because of the Christmas season.  At the end of our brief conversation, I told him I would be praying for him, although he wasn't sure how to react to that.

As I reflected on this discussion, I began to wonder how many other people are having deep pain during the Advent season.  It seems that people have so many expectations about this time of the year, plus they are racing at a breakneck pace with no time to breathe or rest.  Unfortunately, the church often adds to the stress and anxiety of this time.  We have to have our big Christmas outreach of a musical or a Christmas Eve service or some other type of event.  This requires people to put in extra time at the church preparing for this large event.  Then we have to attend our Sunday School party or this church gathering.  So the church has simply added to this rather than allowed people to live more peacefully.

Our culture puts so much pressure on us during this time of the year.  Economically, we are strained because we HAVE to buy presents for everyone and even our government encourages us to stimulate the economy in this way.  We are strained with our time because we have to get cards written and mailed, packages shipped, goodies baked, parties attended, trips to make, shopping to do.  Socially, we are strained because we are supposed to have Normal Rockwell Christmas gatherings and remember to send cards to everyone who has sent us cards.    Emotionally, we are strained because we don't rest as much and we feel so much pressure to meet so many expectations.

Here is a fact about Christmas in America:  It is a pagan holiday.  Let's not try to fool ourselves any longer.  The church an try to keep Christ in Christmas, but our culture has moved a far distance from any significant thoughts about Jesus and salvation.  Many places have outlawed setting up nativity scenes and it is becoming a social faux pau to say "Merry Christmas".   Even those of us in the church will spend way more money on presents for family than we will tithe to our local church this month.  We will exhaust ourselves trying to adhere to pagan rituals than we ever exhaust ourselves in witnessing or serving in the church.  I'm not preaching about this, I'm just stating a fact.  I am ready to let the pagans have Christmas and celebrate the birth of Christ in August, when He was probably born.  This way, we can truly appreciate the birth of Jesus and the coming of the Messiah without competing voices all around us.

So rather than waste energy ranting about the lack of Jesus in this holiday, I propose that we set an example to our culture.  Keep things simple.  Set a budget that is financial, time, social and emotional.  Set some boundaries and keep your celebration simple.  Don't buy into the lies which our culture shoves down out throats at this time.  No matter what we see and hear on commercials, just relax and enjoy spending time with our family.  Actually say "No" to some invitations and refuse to be drawn into the stress.  Take a step back and evaluate what you will invest this year in a holiday that, often times, falls far short of our expectations.  Maybe that is another reason why I enjoy taking my family to North Carolina for Christmas.  Once we get on that plane, we can relax and decide to see who we want to see.  We don't have lots of parties to attend and very little pressure, so Christmas becomes a relaxing time for me.  I guess that's why I enjoy the nativity account so much.  Here we have an example of a simple family welcoming their child into the world.  The chaos around them did not diminish the peace they had in following God's will.  Mary and Joseph serve as examples of servants who kept life in the right perspective.  Luke 2:19 says, "But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart."  She didn't stress or panic.  She treasured those moments and was caught up in the midst of that moment, not focusing on what may happen a week, month or year or decade later.

So my prayer for you is that you will have a simple, relaxed and blessed Advent.  May God give you the wisdom to say "No" more often and say "Yes" to slowing down.  May the Christ of Christmas guide you during the most pagan seasons of our calendar.  May the touch of the Savior bring peace in the midst of chaos and grace in the midst of pain.