Good Monday Morning!!!

First of all…how stinkin’ cute is this????



This has now happened twice…because my son wakes up at 3 am stays awake until 4, wakes up at 5, stays awake until 6, sleeps until 7, stays awake until 8, then wants to eat, then sleeps again…we bring him to bed, give him a pacifier and try like mad to get a cat nap in while he’s sleeping.

Incidently, I think BOTH occasions preceded growth spurts…

This is today’s scripture:

To set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. – Romans 8:6 NAS

I found it especially relevant considering that we are all looking at Christmas stuff in the stores.

I’m as excited for the Christmas season to begin as anyone. In fact, I can be like that crazy Christmas lady from “The Santa Claus” – you know, all Christmas, all the time.

Its always especially disturbing to me to see the Christmas things out before Halloween. Even more disturbing to me is to find the Christmas things and Halloween things in the same aisle – one on one side and one on the other. It’s a rather stark statement of the commercialization and secularization of Christmas, no?

There is continuous hot debate over Christmas – its at the wrong time of year (true), it shouldn’t be celebrated in schools (ok..as long as we don’t celebrate or acknowledge ANY OTHER RELIGIOUS HOLIDAY, including the holidays of atheism) that government agencies shouldn’t recognize and/or celebrate Christmas (again, ok…as long as they WORK on Christmas like its any other day…), and so on and so forth. There are sound ways to debate the issue. Unfortunately, passion and personal interest enter the argument on all sides…there is just no way to be objective if we are going to talk about a holiday that has come to represent the polarization of our culture.

The plain and simple truth is that you either believe there was a Christ sent to save us all or you don’t. And for those of you who are firmly riding the fence – who believe there was a Jesus, but that he might not have been the salvation of the world – well…I hate to break this to you, but you are actually in the “I don’t believe” category.

It is made plain in Revelation 3:16: 1”So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth.” Even Satan himself believed there was a Jesus…and Satan himself believed that Jesus was the Savior of mankind. Why else would he appear to tempt Jesus to sin DIRECTLY if he did not believe that Jesus was the Savior? So, to say you believe but to not accept Jesus into your heart…well…then you are in the company of Satan himself.

So…back to my Scripture of the day – I’m so tempted to be one of those that would argue my position, that would state Christ’s case, that would rail against the commercial establishment and debate the issue with my non-believing friends…

But this Scripture advises me otherwise…I’m advised to dwell in what I know is the Truth, to revel in the joy and peace of knowing the Lord. It prompts me to settle into the quiet place beneath his wing, to live a life of worship and love, to set an example by my actions for my son, my family, my friends, my acquaintenances and those strangers I will meet in my Holiday travels from shopping mall to grocery store.

Be the change you want to see in the world. Give somebody else the parking space up front, the last Elmo doll, the place in front of you in the grocery store check-out. And smile and laugh and enjoy that we are about to celebrate the birth of our Lord and Savior. Accept Jesus into your heart (again if necessary – I know I sometimes have to do it several times a day!)…
And then let Him shine this season!!!