As my boys get older it is becoming harder and harder to make magical Christmas moments – the kind where they scream in delight, pixie dust and glitter is swirling, and time stands still.
This year we accomplished it – it just happened to be 2 weeks before Christmas! Last Sunday the boys were lounging around, trying to talk us into doing something fun. I was complaining about them watching too much football and embellishing a little about all I had to do that day. Then we asked if they’d like an early Christmas present…and what kid would say no to that?
But we did it! We pulled it off! They DID scream in delight - loudly! The pixie dust and glitter DID swirl! Time DID stand still, but just for a minute as the boys realized they were unwrapping tickets to that day’s Colts game! They sprinted upstairs to put on their Colt’s jerseys, we loaded up the car, and we hit the road!
The game was awesome, the experience all we’d hoped for, and the family bonding full-on.
The game ended and we left, having loved every minute of it.
That's when God showed up…
Let me set the scene: We are walking out of Lucas Oil Stadium with the rest of the 65,000 that were there – 65,000. It is chaotic. It is loud, really, really loud. Just outside the door you have to walk through a dark, echoing tunnel. In that tunnel are several guys playing drums, loudly. We are trying to talk about the game, not lose the boys, and hurry since it is cold. I can’t emphasize the noise & chaos enough.
I notice someone I know ahead of me to my left. I watch her. Then I turn my head to the right, make eye contact with the drumming guys and smile while thinking I should throw some money in the bucket by their feet.
Then I look straight ahead and stop dead in my tracks.
Straight in front of me and only a couple of feet from my face is a lady, older than I am. She looks me dead in the eye and here’s what happens next:
She says: Ma’am, do you have $25 so I can feed my kids?
I say: Yes, I do. I carry an envelope for this very purpose.
I lean in close and say: Tell me what you need.
She says: If I had $40 I could get enough food for the week.
I start to fumble in my messy purse, reaching for the envelope that I carry just for this very thing. It is so dark in the tunnel that I can barely see. My family is getting too far ahead of me…the tunnel is too loud – too many people rushing by us, yet time for this lady and me is irrelevant. I’m afraid I’m scaring her as I repeatedly yell to my family to “wait!”
Finally they stop, but are far ahead of me and really have no idea of what is going on.
She helps me hold my purse up so I can see.
I am completely calm and feel no fear.
I pull out a $50 bill.
Before handing it to her I ask: Do you know who this is from?
She answers: Jesus
I reply: Yes, it is and He wants you to know that He loves you.
I hand her the money and I start to cry.
She hugs me tight and says: Don’t cry. He blessed you so you could bless me. I love you.
I say: I love you, too, and I know you’ll be OK. I’ll be praying for you.
We part, I catch up with my family, and that was that.
A miracle right there in that tunnel.
She picked me out of 65,000 people because God nudged her that I was willing and prepared to meet her need. I responded because I was ready and am looking for those miracle encounters every single place I go.
You may think I’ve lost my mind. That’s OK with me.
You may think I'm looking for credit. I'm not. I share this with you, not for credit – for the only credit belongs to God. I share it to illustrate that God is alive and working and wants to do miraculous things at every turn, but we need to be willing to be his hands and feet. If you don’t believe me read, “You Were Born for This” by Bruce Wilkinson. It will change your life and the lives of those around you.
What’s funny is that I’d been hoping to be a miracle delivery agent for days, and every person whom I’d come across had caused me to question, “It is her?” “Is he the one?”, yet nothing - no nudges from God to act. And then on that day, when I was totally focused on my boys’ Christmas joy and pulling off that great Christmas surprise, God had an even bigger Christmas surprise in store for me.
I’ll never forget last Sunday’s events. It was a perfect day from start to finish – every last bit of it. God is crazy like that…just like we used to say in middle school, “When you least expect it...expect it!” It’s a craziness that is hard to explain, but I adore being part of it. My friend Philippe says, “It shouldn’t seem crazy…that’s just how The Kingdom works!” And Philippe is right!
So this Christmas I challenge you to embrace the craziness of an active, living Kingdom of God and be ready to be part of miracles wherever you go!
Question: Do you believe that God delivers miracles today and wants our help in making them happen?
Showing posts with label Christmas. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Christmas. Show all posts
Thursday, December 17, 2009
Hold Tight
Christmas can bring out some intense emotions in people, ranging from the very best to the very worst. It can conjure up memories both dear and horrid, cause both elation and depression, and can make you see people in a whole new light. It can bring out the most giving, caring parts of our souls. And, as stated in Four Christmases (one of my favorite movies of all time), “You can’t spell families without lies”.
We see the very best demonstrated through people’s unselfish giving, through their coming together, through their thinking of others at this time of year unlike any other time.
We see their worst through fighting for deals, cutting other drivers off, stealing the closest parking places from little old ladies that have been waiting with their turn signals on for minutes by flooring it in before they even knew what happened! We see their worst through families bickering over time slots and visitation and who has to travel and even dredging up old hurts for revenge.
We see the extremes in those we know well and dearly love and in those we’ve never even met, but can observe or even feel the ripple effect.
On Thanksgiving I was talking to a family friend who was about to embark on her first-ever “Day After Thanksgiving Sale”. I listed for her the pros and cons and then told her about the first (and last) time I ever shopped on that day. I hate crowds, like sleep waaaay to much to be in the line outside of Target freezing at 4:30 a.m., and then fighting mean spirited people just to save a buck….cause nothin’ says the Birth of the Baby Jesus like being elbowed and trampled to save $20 on a PlayStation Game!!! No thanks!
Then I had to talk my own self off the ledge when I became seriously overwhelmed while trying to make my house look like it was about to be the subject of an HGTV Holiday Special. It was 8:00 on a Sunday night with a big soirée set to happen at my house in a few days. Lights for the tree from last year seemed to have lost their little twinkle…no problem…just run to Target.
But Behold! There were no lights in Target.
Off to Wal-Mart and getting irritated. Behold! No lights there either! Where’s the innkeeper when I need him? As I was scanning the aisle for white lights with a green cord (a combination that is apparently quite in demand yet unbeknownst to most retailers) another lady appeared who was looking for the same thing. I could tell she felt competitive about it, too, as I sensed her growing hostility. (Well, that and the lunges as she prepared to sprint…) I was tired. I was getting crabby. I could not fathom why the corporate buyers couldn’t understand my holiday needs.
I began the self talk: “I will not cry. I will not cry. Birth of the Baby Jesus. Birth of the Baby Jesus.”
Almost 2 hours later I was home finishing the tree, having spent about 3 hours, two trips to CVS, and laying down several more dollars than I should have needed to!
The soirée went off without a hitch and all the little details ended up being put in perspective where they belonged. What’s really funny is yesterday all of the lights on the tree just went out. All of them. I have no idea why…and get this: I don’t even care!
In the last two weeks I’ve had countless reminders about the important little things. I don’t even want anything for Christmas but to spend uninterrupted time with my family, snuggled up watching movies, talking, and having fun.
I just want to hold tight.
I want to remember how lucky I am that they are alive, that no one is in Iraq, that we are healthy, that while we could always have more, we sure have enough. I want to remember how lucky I am to live in this country, to worship freely, and to have opportunities. I want to remember how lucky I am to have someone to hold tight to.
And I want that for you.
This Christmas hold tight to those you love, feel blessed that you can, and let go of all the rest. Hold tight to the promise of that baby in the manger that was born and that died for you and me. And hold tight to the promise of a glorious eternity in Heaven.
Merry Christmas!
Question: What do you most want for Christmas? Why?
We see the very best demonstrated through people’s unselfish giving, through their coming together, through their thinking of others at this time of year unlike any other time.
We see their worst through fighting for deals, cutting other drivers off, stealing the closest parking places from little old ladies that have been waiting with their turn signals on for minutes by flooring it in before they even knew what happened! We see their worst through families bickering over time slots and visitation and who has to travel and even dredging up old hurts for revenge.
We see the extremes in those we know well and dearly love and in those we’ve never even met, but can observe or even feel the ripple effect.
On Thanksgiving I was talking to a family friend who was about to embark on her first-ever “Day After Thanksgiving Sale”. I listed for her the pros and cons and then told her about the first (and last) time I ever shopped on that day. I hate crowds, like sleep waaaay to much to be in the line outside of Target freezing at 4:30 a.m., and then fighting mean spirited people just to save a buck….cause nothin’ says the Birth of the Baby Jesus like being elbowed and trampled to save $20 on a PlayStation Game!!! No thanks!
Then I had to talk my own self off the ledge when I became seriously overwhelmed while trying to make my house look like it was about to be the subject of an HGTV Holiday Special. It was 8:00 on a Sunday night with a big soirée set to happen at my house in a few days. Lights for the tree from last year seemed to have lost their little twinkle…no problem…just run to Target.
But Behold! There were no lights in Target.
Off to Wal-Mart and getting irritated. Behold! No lights there either! Where’s the innkeeper when I need him? As I was scanning the aisle for white lights with a green cord (a combination that is apparently quite in demand yet unbeknownst to most retailers) another lady appeared who was looking for the same thing. I could tell she felt competitive about it, too, as I sensed her growing hostility. (Well, that and the lunges as she prepared to sprint…) I was tired. I was getting crabby. I could not fathom why the corporate buyers couldn’t understand my holiday needs.
I began the self talk: “I will not cry. I will not cry. Birth of the Baby Jesus. Birth of the Baby Jesus.”
Almost 2 hours later I was home finishing the tree, having spent about 3 hours, two trips to CVS, and laying down several more dollars than I should have needed to!
The soirée went off without a hitch and all the little details ended up being put in perspective where they belonged. What’s really funny is yesterday all of the lights on the tree just went out. All of them. I have no idea why…and get this: I don’t even care!
In the last two weeks I’ve had countless reminders about the important little things. I don’t even want anything for Christmas but to spend uninterrupted time with my family, snuggled up watching movies, talking, and having fun.
I just want to hold tight.
I want to remember how lucky I am that they are alive, that no one is in Iraq, that we are healthy, that while we could always have more, we sure have enough. I want to remember how lucky I am to live in this country, to worship freely, and to have opportunities. I want to remember how lucky I am to have someone to hold tight to.
And I want that for you.
This Christmas hold tight to those you love, feel blessed that you can, and let go of all the rest. Hold tight to the promise of that baby in the manger that was born and that died for you and me. And hold tight to the promise of a glorious eternity in Heaven.
Merry Christmas!
Question: What do you most want for Christmas? Why?
Saturday, December 12, 2009
“Your Little Lights Aren’t Twinkling…”
If you know me at all, you know that 50% of what I say is movie quotes that have been woven into my normal conversations. My husband does the very same thing, which makes us almost have a language of our own at times (unless you’ve seen the movies enough times to recognize the quotes).
There are six movies in my top five movies of all time (I know…) and most of the quotes come from those. Especially Christmas Vacation. In fact, quotes from Christmas Vacation are so over-used in our family that it’s really kind of ridiculous…embarrassing even! I love that movie! This year alone I’ve already watched it 5 times and it’s not even the middle of December yet.
One of my favorite parts is when Clark can’t get the exterior illumination to light…all 25,000 bulbs. Clark’s father-in-law points out the obvious, “Your little lights aren’t twinkling…” and Clark answers, “I know, Art, and thanks for noticing.”
I love exterior illumination!! At our house we are much more subtle with the outside lighting, but I’m 100% in favor of other people being completely out of control with it!
I love to notice people’s decorations when I’m driving, especially at night.
It always makes me feel happy…
It even makes me feel connected…
In fact, it makes me feel like I can identify all the other Christians in the world that way.
I want to believe that every single bit of exterior illumination marks the houses of those who believe that Jesus is Lord and that this is the season that we proclaim His power and then we set about living it out loud for the whole rest of the year.
I want to believe this: “Oooo! Pretty lights! They’re celebrating the birth of Jesus.” “Oh, look! They are believers, too!”
Yes, I know that there are a high percentage of non-Christians who are celebrating the secular side of Christmas and that they do in fact have exterior holiday lighting.
Yes, I know that I sometimes live in “Alyssa Land”: a world where all is good, everyone knows Jesus, and everyone loves Christmas as much as Buddy the Elf – but for all the right reasons. Deep down somewhere in me, I know that isn’t real life. But I love to pretend.
Wouldn’t it be amazing if that were true?
Wouldn’t it be amazing if all the lights shouted to the world that the people in those houses loved Jesus…and if you needed help or encouragement or a miracle that those were the doors upon which you should knock?
Wouldn’t it be amazing if the people in every one of those houses went on to live as Christians every single day till it was time to put those lights up again?
Can you imagine?
As we seek Christ, as we find Him, as we follow Him, we shall have the Christmas spirit, not for one fleeting day each year, but as a companion always." -T. S. Monson
Can you imagine if we all really lived out this quote every single one of the 364 remaining days of the year? Every year?
What if we left those lights on all the time, year round, to mark our houses so that other believers could find community and non-believers could seek solace and compassion there?
I know everyone will take them down. I guess we will, too, so as not to be the basis for that line in Redneck Woman. But you can bet that I’m going to make an effort to live a life where my lights are twinkling “the whole year through”…where my lights twinkle as much for the Cousin Eddies & Ruby Sues of the world as they do for my family…where I extend grace equally when trees go up in flames, dogs and squirrels destroy the house, or crazy cousins park worn down RVs in my driveway (maybe not as much for emptying the tank into the storm sewer…) as I do when all is well with the world.
It’ll be hard, but I’ll try.
How about you? Will your little lights be twinkling?
Question: How will you live Christmas “the whole year through”?
There are six movies in my top five movies of all time (I know…) and most of the quotes come from those. Especially Christmas Vacation. In fact, quotes from Christmas Vacation are so over-used in our family that it’s really kind of ridiculous…embarrassing even! I love that movie! This year alone I’ve already watched it 5 times and it’s not even the middle of December yet.
One of my favorite parts is when Clark can’t get the exterior illumination to light…all 25,000 bulbs. Clark’s father-in-law points out the obvious, “Your little lights aren’t twinkling…” and Clark answers, “I know, Art, and thanks for noticing.”
I love exterior illumination!! At our house we are much more subtle with the outside lighting, but I’m 100% in favor of other people being completely out of control with it!
I love to notice people’s decorations when I’m driving, especially at night.
It always makes me feel happy…
It even makes me feel connected…
In fact, it makes me feel like I can identify all the other Christians in the world that way.
I want to believe that every single bit of exterior illumination marks the houses of those who believe that Jesus is Lord and that this is the season that we proclaim His power and then we set about living it out loud for the whole rest of the year.
I want to believe this: “Oooo! Pretty lights! They’re celebrating the birth of Jesus.” “Oh, look! They are believers, too!”
Yes, I know that there are a high percentage of non-Christians who are celebrating the secular side of Christmas and that they do in fact have exterior holiday lighting.
Yes, I know that I sometimes live in “Alyssa Land”: a world where all is good, everyone knows Jesus, and everyone loves Christmas as much as Buddy the Elf – but for all the right reasons. Deep down somewhere in me, I know that isn’t real life. But I love to pretend.
Wouldn’t it be amazing if that were true?
Wouldn’t it be amazing if all the lights shouted to the world that the people in those houses loved Jesus…and if you needed help or encouragement or a miracle that those were the doors upon which you should knock?
Wouldn’t it be amazing if the people in every one of those houses went on to live as Christians every single day till it was time to put those lights up again?
Can you imagine?
As we seek Christ, as we find Him, as we follow Him, we shall have the Christmas spirit, not for one fleeting day each year, but as a companion always." -T. S. Monson
Can you imagine if we all really lived out this quote every single one of the 364 remaining days of the year? Every year?
What if we left those lights on all the time, year round, to mark our houses so that other believers could find community and non-believers could seek solace and compassion there?
I know everyone will take them down. I guess we will, too, so as not to be the basis for that line in Redneck Woman. But you can bet that I’m going to make an effort to live a life where my lights are twinkling “the whole year through”…where my lights twinkle as much for the Cousin Eddies & Ruby Sues of the world as they do for my family…where I extend grace equally when trees go up in flames, dogs and squirrels destroy the house, or crazy cousins park worn down RVs in my driveway (maybe not as much for emptying the tank into the storm sewer…) as I do when all is well with the world.
It’ll be hard, but I’ll try.
How about you? Will your little lights be twinkling?
Question: How will you live Christmas “the whole year through”?
Monday, January 5, 2009
I've Had an Epiphany!
I’ve had an epiphany!
And it’s about Epiphany…
People are in an awful big rush to get to Christmas (decorated trees in Target before Halloween!), and people seem in an even bigger hurry to get it over with.
Now, if you’re one of those “in a rush to get it over with” people, please don’t take this the wrong way…just consider it food for thought.
(I’ve always gone against the grain on things, and this is just another example!)
Just like there are seasons in our calendar and seasonal change in nature, there are seasons in the Christian calendar. One of these seasons is Epiphany, and my epiphany about it is that not too many people know what it is, lest they wouldn’t be rushing me to pack up the tree, take down the lights, haul the greenery to the curb & move on!
See, I’ve known all along that I had justification in the Christian calendar for wanting to enjoy it, soak it all in, relish in it…but only now did it occur to me that maybe I was supposed to communicate that to the rest of the world… that it’s OK to still be celebrating Christmas on January the 5th, fully decorated house and all.
Come sit by the manger
Come bathe in the light
Come rest in the Savior
Drink in renewed life
Take a minute, enjoy His birth, unwrap & accept the Gift, snuggle your family, spend some time, just slow down after the pre-December 25th rush…
In fact, that’s exactly what we are supposed to do!
Take time to soak it up, then fill yourself with the light of the newborn King, and share it with all whom you come in contact.
The season of Advent begins four Sundays before Christmas Day.
Christmas begins with Christmas Day on Dec. 25th, but it lasts for 12 days and ends on January 5th. This period of time is known as the 12 days of Christmas, and is sometimes called Christmastide.
(Ahhh…You gettin’ it now? The 12 days of Christmas...My true love gave to me… Could your true love be Christ? What has He given you? What has come to us because of Him? I challenge you to rethink that song: 3 gifts from Magi, 2 humble parents, and a baptism in the Jordon River!)
Epiphany begins on January 6th and is the celebration of the Star of Bethlehem, the Gifts of the Magi, the childhood of Christ, the baptism of Christ, the Manifestation of Christ to the Gentiles. Epiphany lasts from January 6th till the eve of Ash Wednesday, when the season of Lent begins.
So see, Christmas isn’t officially over, at least as far as the Christian calendar goes, until the night of January 5th. (I guess now I really will have to come to grips with the fact that is a done deal until next Advent!)
If your tree is already put away, it’s all good. But if you are like me, and you are just now getting to find the calm and restoration in it, know that you are not alone.
You are completely justified (if you need that sort of thing) in joining me in being THE LAST girl on the block to the take down the tree, unplug the lights, and un-hang the stockings. It is OK to slow down, take time, and go against the grain. And in fact, we should.
I celebrate with you and I encourage you to embrace the manifestation of Christ, to look for your own epiphany in Epiphany, and to carry His light into a world that so desperately needs it.
Question: Are you glad when Christmas is over or are you always sorry to see it end? Why do you think that’s so?
And it’s about Epiphany…
People are in an awful big rush to get to Christmas (decorated trees in Target before Halloween!), and people seem in an even bigger hurry to get it over with.
Now, if you’re one of those “in a rush to get it over with” people, please don’t take this the wrong way…just consider it food for thought.
(I’ve always gone against the grain on things, and this is just another example!)
Just like there are seasons in our calendar and seasonal change in nature, there are seasons in the Christian calendar. One of these seasons is Epiphany, and my epiphany about it is that not too many people know what it is, lest they wouldn’t be rushing me to pack up the tree, take down the lights, haul the greenery to the curb & move on!
See, I’ve known all along that I had justification in the Christian calendar for wanting to enjoy it, soak it all in, relish in it…but only now did it occur to me that maybe I was supposed to communicate that to the rest of the world… that it’s OK to still be celebrating Christmas on January the 5th, fully decorated house and all.
Come sit by the manger
Come bathe in the light
Come rest in the Savior
Drink in renewed life
Take a minute, enjoy His birth, unwrap & accept the Gift, snuggle your family, spend some time, just slow down after the pre-December 25th rush…
In fact, that’s exactly what we are supposed to do!
Take time to soak it up, then fill yourself with the light of the newborn King, and share it with all whom you come in contact.
The season of Advent begins four Sundays before Christmas Day.
Christmas begins with Christmas Day on Dec. 25th, but it lasts for 12 days and ends on January 5th. This period of time is known as the 12 days of Christmas, and is sometimes called Christmastide.
(Ahhh…You gettin’ it now? The 12 days of Christmas...My true love gave to me… Could your true love be Christ? What has He given you? What has come to us because of Him? I challenge you to rethink that song: 3 gifts from Magi, 2 humble parents, and a baptism in the Jordon River!)
Epiphany begins on January 6th and is the celebration of the Star of Bethlehem, the Gifts of the Magi, the childhood of Christ, the baptism of Christ, the Manifestation of Christ to the Gentiles. Epiphany lasts from January 6th till the eve of Ash Wednesday, when the season of Lent begins.
So see, Christmas isn’t officially over, at least as far as the Christian calendar goes, until the night of January 5th. (I guess now I really will have to come to grips with the fact that is a done deal until next Advent!)
If your tree is already put away, it’s all good. But if you are like me, and you are just now getting to find the calm and restoration in it, know that you are not alone.
You are completely justified (if you need that sort of thing) in joining me in being THE LAST girl on the block to the take down the tree, unplug the lights, and un-hang the stockings. It is OK to slow down, take time, and go against the grain. And in fact, we should.
I celebrate with you and I encourage you to embrace the manifestation of Christ, to look for your own epiphany in Epiphany, and to carry His light into a world that so desperately needs it.
Question: Are you glad when Christmas is over or are you always sorry to see it end? Why do you think that’s so?
Monday, December 1, 2008
To Be The Star That Shone Upon You
What would it have been like to have been there? To be part of the birth of Jesus..the magic...the miracle....
In my wondering of that very question, I wrote this a few years ago...
May the miracle of the birth of the Christ child dwell in your hearts this Christmas and throughout the New Year.
Oh, to be the star that shone upon you,
Or the straw beneath your skin,
The blanket wrapped around you,
Or the manger you were in;
The air that swirled around you
On that ancient, silent night,
To somehow, somewhere be there,
What must it have been like?
Was your every cry like music?
Was your breath like golden thread?
Your pillow like a throne
For Your Majesty’s sweet head?
Or did they even notice
In the silence of the night,
That all had changed forever
As heaven came to life?
Did they realize the magnitude
Of all that your life meant?
The birth, the death, the resurrection,
And finally the ascent;
That all of this was given
That sweet night in Bethlehem,
Because our God so loved the world
That we were given Him.
-A. McCool 11/04
Question: What would it have been like to have been there? Would you have liked to have been part of that night that changed the world forever? Why?
In my wondering of that very question, I wrote this a few years ago...
May the miracle of the birth of the Christ child dwell in your hearts this Christmas and throughout the New Year.
Oh, to be the star that shone upon you,
Or the straw beneath your skin,
The blanket wrapped around you,
Or the manger you were in;
The air that swirled around you
On that ancient, silent night,
To somehow, somewhere be there,
What must it have been like?
Was your every cry like music?
Was your breath like golden thread?
Your pillow like a throne
For Your Majesty’s sweet head?
Or did they even notice
In the silence of the night,
That all had changed forever
As heaven came to life?
Did they realize the magnitude
Of all that your life meant?
The birth, the death, the resurrection,
And finally the ascent;
That all of this was given
That sweet night in Bethlehem,
Because our God so loved the world
That we were given Him.
-A. McCool 11/04
Question: What would it have been like to have been there? Would you have liked to have been part of that night that changed the world forever? Why?
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