Silence!

That’s right, it’s time to be quiet now! You spend way too much time talking. You know that right? In fact, you spend too much time thinking too! You spend a lot of time planning on top of that. It’s now time for you to just sit down and shut up, as the saying goes.

You see, I’m convinced that we don’t spend enough time listening to God. We pray all the time for all kinds of things, and barely ever spend the time to listen for the answers! We don’t give Him time to work in our lives because we’re too busy voicing what we think He will say.

I challenge all of you this week to be quiet for once. Spend time with him doing nothing else at all. It’s not a time for us to take action in the normal ways that we do. Instead, come to Him without an agenda of your own, instead listening for His agenda for your life.

Snow

Just seeing that word probably makes many of you cringe like it does me. It usually brings negative feelings due to the cold and extra work that usually come along with snow. Yet, since I’ve always lived in Ohio I’ve grown accustomed to being here every year.

I remember when I was a kid and I looked forward to the snow coming. I always enjoyed the way it looked as it fell. I enjoyed making snow forts and participating in snow ball fights. Those were the days weren’t they? My dad usually did all the shoveling and I just got to enjoy the spoils, so to say.

Turn the page to the present. The snow now means that I have to go outside and shovel, and that the roads probably won’t be too much fun to be on. Sure, I want snow for Christmas, but only a little to make it look nice.

Yet, the other day I started to look at snow a different way, more like the thoughts of the past. You see, the other day during the snow I had two different people help me with getting the snow off my sidewalks. I started to think about how the snow can actually bring out a sense of community in all of us. Let me explain that further:

At our last house I had a big driveway to shovel. (No, I did not, nor do I currently own a snow blower) I would always take at least 45 min to an hour to shovel that entire thing even on a light snow. I’d then take the time to at least do the sidewalks of the neighbors on either side. I didn’t do it to get praised for it or anything, but instead to help those who lived next to us. At our current location on Welton I have a lot less to shovel. I still try to do some of the sidewalks on both sides, but a lot of the time my neighbors have already done it, or someone has done it for them already and myself as well.

What an idea, people helping other people! You don’t get those acts of service as easily the rest of the year. I don’t have neighbors coming over to my house to mow the lawn or rake the leaves. Yet, those same people will be happy to use their snow blower (which use gas at over $2 a gallon) or shovel to help out others that they barely know. I actually finally met a neighbor the other day in the freezing cold as he told me to take a break as he’d do the sidewalk for me.

So, I have a new appreciation for snow. I’m starting to see it as I did a long time ago as a child. It’s a positive kind of thing. It brings neighborhoods together by giving us a common adversary. Now the question is how can we use snow to advance His kingdom? The simple act of service can lead to many an open door in the future. That neighbor you never talk to or see may be search you out in the spring to thank you for the help this winter. That could possibly lead to other subjects which can lead to you witnessing to them and helping them to find a relationship with Christ. Have you ever thought that something as simple as snow could be a witnessing tool? Think about that the next time you are clearing your driveway, as maybe that dreaded next snowfall could just be that open door you’ve been looking to get!

The Christmas Tree

Well, now most of the hoopla of Christmas is over. The presents have been opened, and the family has hopefully been visited. The wonderful foods have been made and the leftovers are minimal. Some people have even began to take down the decorations at their houses, and if you drive around enough you'll even see a tree or two already on the curb.

Let's focus on that tree on the curb right now. The Christmas tree symbolizes the holiday for many people. They put it up and enjoy it for a few weeks, and as soon as they can they get it out of the house as they don't want that constant reminder around too long. You see, some of those people don't believe in God. What they are celebrating is presents, family, etc. Their celebrations are not as full and they want to sweep it all under the rug as quickly as possible. They celebrate the holiday because the world says they should.

Don't be like those people. I don't care if you take down the decorations the day after Christmas, but I do care if you let God leave your heart as soon as the holiday is over. Christmas is a celebration of Jesus' birth, but it doesn't stop there. He is a part of your life and the lives of the people around you. Don't stop celebrating His life just because the world says you should. Let Christmas live in your heart all year long. Encourage others to do the same. Don't be like the person who dumps the tree at the curb the day after Christmas, keep it up in your heart all year.

The Little Drummer Boy

Have I ever mentioned how much I enjoy this time of year? I really love to hear all the Christmas songs all over the place. I also love to sing along to the many hymns that are used this time of year, one of my favorites being "The Little Drummer Boy."

The reason I mention this one in particular is because I think there is a piece of that boy in all of us. He's obedient as he's told to come and see the newborn King, and he does. He doesn't feel like he has anything that could measure up to what this King could ever want. Yet, he feels the call and decides to give the one thing that he does have to give, his playing.

Don't we all feel that way when it comes to being in His presence? We feel like what we have to offer isn't worthy at times? Yet, we go as we're called to do because we know that is what we need to be doing. We give to Him what we can, but never feel like it's enough. That is what that little drummer boy feels during this song.

Read the words to the song below, and tell me that this isn't you. I think you'll easily find that this song is all about you and your relationship with God at one time or another. Enjoy:

Come they told me, pa rum pum pum pum
A new born King to see, pa rum pum pum pum
Our finest gifts we bring, pa rum pum pum pum
To lay before the King, pa rum pum pum pum,
rum pum pum pum, rum pum pum pum,

So to honor Him, pa rum pum pum pum,
When we come.

Little Baby, pa rum pum pum pum
I am a poor boy too, pa rum pum pum pum
I have no gift to bring, pa rum pum pum pum
That's fit to give the King, pa rum pum pum pum,
rum pum pum pum, rum pum pum pum,

Shall I play for you, pa rum pum pum pum,
On my drum?

Mary nodded, pa rum pum pum pum
The ox and lamb kept time, pa rum pum pum pum
I played my drum for Him, pa rum pum pum pum
I played my best for Him, pa rum pum pum pum,
rum pum pum pum, rum pum pum pum,

Then He smiled at me, pa rum pum pum pum
Me and my drum.

I hope you and yours have a wonderful Christmas. God bless and stay safe. Feliz Navidad (my favorite Christmas tune)

Top Lists of This Year

So, we're coming up on the end of yet another year. It's at this time of year that we are given list after list of top things for the previous year. You know what I'm talking about, top 10 web sites (note that this isn't in that list, sadly), top 10 foods purchased at kosher delis, top 10 online purchases, etc. I tell you, you never get more great info than you do this time of year because without this I know my life wouldn't be complete!

Let me ask you, what were your top 5 activities that you did with your family members this past year? How high up is watching TV (I'm guilty here)? How about outdoor activities? Where is spending time teaching them about God?

Ok, enough beating our selves up on that one, let's try another list: Top 5 ways you spent time with God yourself this past year? Did you read the Bible? Did you pray daily, almost daily, how about weekly?

Yes, I know I've been mean....but when you reflect on the previous year over the next few weeks I'd like to encourage you to take a hard look at what you'd like to be doing, and what you actually accomplished. I think we all can find ways to get better. Maybe your resolutions for the coming year should focus on God instead of yourself? Maybe if we resolve to do more for Him, then we'd be able to accomplish the other things we want to do next year. Why you ask? Because He will be there along with us all, helping us along the way.

Focus

The week before Thanksgiving something strange happened to me. I was walking down the hallway at work when all of a sudden my glasses slipped off my face. Now, I went to catch them when I felt them slipping and noticed that they were falling apart. I was later told that the spring in the glasses was broken and that they needed to be totally replaced. Of course none of the frames they carried would fit the lenses that I had, so I would have to get new lenses as well. Then, since it had been 3 years since I had an exam I needed to do all of that as well. Not exactly where I wanted to be spending all of my money before the holidays, but we do what we have to do.

This whole experience got me thinking about my focus. You see, there are so many things that can take our focus away from God during the holidays. There are presents to purchase and wrap, there are family gatherings and the kids' school events to attend, decorations to put up, etc. And it seems that every year we have more and more to do. How do you get all of that stuff done and still focus on God, the reason for the season?

The answer is to stay in focus. Start your days just as you always do, spending time with Him. Then, throughout the day make sure you reconnect whenever you feel yourself slipping away. Spend those times in prayer, or reading a verse, listening to music, etc. Also, try not to stress about all the things you have to do. If they are supposed to be completed, God will find a way for you to get them all done. If you continue to focus on God all the tasks you have will be easier to do, as you aren’t doing all the heavy lifting yourself.

Priorities

Recently I had a very random thought come to my head, which is far from uncommon for me to tell you the truth. I was sitting in first service a few weeks ago and watched a few kids go past me and then come back a few minutes later. Yes, the fact that someone ran to the bathroom isn't strange during service, but what was strange was it triggered in my head: Why is it that when nature calls people are quick to respond, but when God calls us we are not?

I know there are times when we all feel that God is calling us to do something that either doesn't fit into our personal agenda, or we are even known to put it off because we don't know for sure if it was God calling us in the first place. I've been there and I'm sure most everyone else has as well. What would the world look like if we all stopped what we were doing and answer His call as quickly as we did nature's?

I know that it's not always easy to do what we're called to do right away, but it's not always easy to get ourselves to a restroom either, right? Remember if you have kids the number of times the kids have needed to go and it wasn't a great time? Like when you were next in line at Wal-Mart or going on a trip and being 15 minutes south of Fitchville on 250 going south?

His call isn't always going to be convenient and it's not always going to be easy to achieve. Still, the next time He calls you to do something, think how quickly you'd act if it was nature calling....and maybe you'll get to His priorities a little faster.