Month: December 2016

I have always been a mover and a shaker….

At church on Sunday I invited a friend of mine to join our Biblical Counseling Exam group (she hasn’t even taken the class yet).  I told her she can take the class and write the exam questions at the same time.  She laughed in my face and said to my kids, “your mom is a mover and a shaker.  You have a good mom”.

I have come to realize over the years that not everyone runs around life, like a chicken with their head cut off or a circus act spinning plates as they ride a unicycle on tight-rope.  Somehow, I am wired this way.  Sometimes, I do it well and sometimes I fail miserably.  I’m not sure I know how to do it any differently.

One thing I’ve realized lately is that I don’t need to beat myself up if I don’t do the unicycle, plate spinning, tight-rope thing well.  Its OK if I fail miserably because my hope isn’t in the circus act, its in Jesus and my eternal promise.

“And this is what he promised us—eternal life” 1 John 2:25

Slowly my perspective on this world is changing.  I see myself running all of my circus acts through the filter of Eternity.  Does it really matter?  Will it matter in the end?

“Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father^[d] is not in them. ¹⁶ For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world. ¹⁷ The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever.”  1 John 2:15-17

What will pass away?  What will remain forever?  What is important?

The world and its desires will pass away.  I can’t take the clean kitchen with me to eternity. The cute shoes will stay here too and, thank goodness, my bank account has no bearing past this world.

So, what to invest in?  Which circus act has worth?  The relationships.  The prayer time. The knowing God’s word.  The disciple making and love sharing.

When you get caught up in the “doing it all” days and find yourself spinning wildly and dropping plates, TAKE A DEEP BREATH.  Ask yourself, “does this matter in the scheme of Eternity?”  If the answer is no, shake it off and move on!  Don’t let the world and its desires take you down.  Focus on your promise and do God’s will.

Sort it out, get perspective, apply the filter and be blessed!

 

We got our Christmas Tree on December 3rd.  This year will be the first year celebrating Christmas in our new home and the first year since we’ve been married that we will have a tree big enough to house ALL of my ornaments.  We have room for a big tree and so we got this….

A large 10 foot tree!  Isn’t it beautiful?  We went big because we have room.  The problem is we found some lights that we liked but the store was out, so we ordered them to be shipped to us…in the busy shopping season and during a snow storm.  BAD IDEA!  They took    F O R E V E R     to get here.

But not all was lost, as we sat for a week with a big green tree in our living room.  I began to contemplate: why on earth do we cut trees down and put them into our homes anyway? Clearly it’s odd… Do you see the way Buddy is looking at me while I take a picture of the tree?

Before there was the Christmas Tree as we know it today, there were festive people, that in festive seasons, would decorate their homes with fresh pine, spruce or fir.  True, some of these people thought evergreens kept evil away (silly) but festive none the less.  Others celebrated the Winter Solstice (longest day of the year 12/21 ish) by bringing in evergreens and reminding them that the sun-god was strong and summer would return!  Then, of course, there are those Egyptians that saw the evergreen palms as a symbol of triumph over death.

I’m all about the smell of an evergreen but I’m not sure that evil runs from the green trees or Oregon would be free of evil and, well, we know that is far from the truth.  And I love the reminder that the SUN is strong and it will return again.  (I love to be warm). As far as those Egyptians, the only one triumphing over death is our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, but I think they were referring to their gods….so I bet they are disappointed at this point.

Anyhow, the good old German Christians started the tradition of bringing the decorated trees into their homes and it seems as if Martin Luther may have been the one to add candles to his tree.  Fun facts!

I cherish the tree tradition because it brings soft light into my living room.  It creates an atmosphere of contemplation, as I gaze upon each unique ornament and remember the years gone by. And for me, it is a reminder that we are in a season of remembrance of the birth of our Savior and King.  I don’t need a tree to remember or to celebrate but I enjoy the significance and welcome the light!

My recliner usually sits where that chair is but we moved it over here by the fire because, well, fire!

Merry Christmas Tree Decorating to you!