A Matter Of The Heart

     It is getting close! That time of the year when we start to think of the new year and the changes we plan to make in our habits and our lives. It is sad, however, that most of us fail to maintain these resolutions. I am definitely in this category. Usually all my good intentions fade away within the first two months, if they even last that long.
     What is it exactly that will keep me on track? It might just be I truly need a complete change of heart. I don’t mean just wanting to change but really, truly desiring it. Sure I may want to lose weight but do I really want to give up my gluttony? Is it a matter of the heart?
     I heard someone say that they had been faithfully walking for several years. I asked, “How?” The reply was, “The trick is getting up, putting on those shoes, and getting out the door.”
     “Wow,” I thought, “that is so true. Once the exercise is started, I am enjoying the walk and feeling so good about the accomplishment.” It is the same with food, only in reverse. Once I have devoured that mouth-watering dessert, and not stopping with just one piece, I am hating myself for the over-indulgence.
     With what other habits do I need a change of heart? They say Social Media is a way to exchange information and ideas as well as stay in contact with each other. I am thinking, “How often do I grab my phone and go to Facebook the first thing every morning to see who said what and what may have happened that I “want” to know about?” Let me think about this one! What should I have grabbed the first thing in the morning that would help get me through my day? The answer is obvious. The Bible!  It just could be the best Social Media available. It provides information and wisdom. It lifts my spirit. It enlightens me. It keeps me in touch with the One who can lead me, support me, and solve the problems in my life. Through prayer and bible study I can stay in touch with the One who died for me so that I could have life eternal. Staying in touch with God every day is more important than any other habit I need to develop. This has to be a matter of the heart.

Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life.” Proverbs 4: 23

 

Merry Christmas!

     Luke 2: 7, 13-14   “And she brought forth her first born son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manager; because there was no room for them in the inn….And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.”

     As we celebrate Christmas, let us remember the new born Son of God.  Let us rejoice with the angels, praising God.  Let us proclaim, “Glory to God in the highest.”  Let us look to the cross and accept the love of the One who died for us. 

     John 3:16  “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”

    Wishing all my blog friends and followers a very “Merry Christmas!”

He Sees You!

     I don’t usually read the funnies in the newspaper, but every so often The Family Circus catches my eye.  This one was really humorous.  Two children were listening to the Christmas song, Santa Claus Is Coming To Town.   When it got to the part, “he sees you when you’re sleeping, he knows when you’re awake,” the girl told her brother, “Santa’s really just kinda nosy, isn’t he?”
     After I finished laughing, I was instantly reminded of Jesus.  Not because I think that He is nosy, but because I know He sees all, knows all, and He cares.  He wants us to be good.  He also came to the town of Bethlehem as a newborn infant child.  Just as children are eagerly awaiting Santa Claus, there were those who were patiently waiting and eagerly watching for a Savior to come.
     Our God and creator has always been able to see and know all things.  He saw and knew what Adam and Eve had done before He encountered them in the garden after they had eaten of the forbidden fruit.   Many Old Testament people acknowledged that they knew God could see them,  as shown by Hagar, Sarai’ maid.  Genesis 16:13,  “She gave this name to the Lord who spoke to her: “You are the God who sees me,” for she said, “I have now seen the One who sees me.”
     Proverbs 15:13 tells us, “The Lord is watching everywhere, keeping his eye on both the evil and the good.”
     Psalms 33:13-14 lets us know that God is watching and will be with us, “The Lord looketh from heaven; he beholdeth all the sons of men.   From the place of his habitation he looketh upon all the inhabitants of the earth.” 
     God is not nosy; He is love.  With the innocence of a child, I believe and accept his birth and His death for me, and I truly want the excitement, laughter, and joy of a little child.  I want to come to Jesus as he desires me to come to him.  Mark 10:15, “Truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.  And he took the children in his arms, placed his hands on them and blessed them.”
      In summary, Jesus is not Santa Claus.  He is much, much more.  He is the Father of Christmas!  He is the Savior of the world!  As the song goes, “he sees you when you’re sleeping, he knows when you’re awake, so be good for goodness sake….,”

    

Up On The Roof Top

     With all the hoopla over some merchants wanting to get away from placing Christ in Christmas by using the term, “Happy Holidays,” I was impressed when I drove past our local McDonald’s and saw the sign on their marquee. It read, “merry CHRISTmas.”  That, my blog friends, is telling it like it is. Without Christ, there would be no Christmas!
     On the other hand, I have always enjoyed the jolly, joyful songs of Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer, Up On The Housetop, and Jingle Bells; however, Away In A Manager, The First Noel, and many other such Christmas songs tell more of the true meaning of what Christmas.  
     Not being gifted with musical ability, however, I was inspired to try my hand at a jingle to the tune of Up On The Housetop. 
    
   UP ON THE ROOFTOP

    

Up on the roof top travelers pause,

Out of the city of Bethlehem,
Out in the barn a child is born,
All for the people, Christmas morn.

Ho, Ho, Ho!

Who wouldn’t go.
Down to the city of Bethlehem,
Out to the barn where Jesus is found.

First come the angels singing loud,

Oh! dear Lord, you filled it well.
Gave us a Saviour who will teach and heal, 
One who loves and in us dwell.

Ho, Ho, Ho!

Who wouldn’t go.
Down to the city of Bethlehem,
Out to the barn where Jesus is found.

Up on the roof top appeared a star,

Bringing in wise men from the land afar.
Out came the angels singing with glee, 
“Behold the Lamb, the great I AM!”

Ho, Ho, Ho!

Who wouldn’t go.
Down to the city of Bethlehem,
Out to the barn where Jesus is found.

Next came the Shepherds, they wanted to see.

Then came the wise men with gifts back then.
Here is a King surrounded in hay.
Out in the cold is where He lay. 

Ho, Ho, Ho!

Who wouldn’t go.
Down to the city of Bethlehem,
Out to the barn where Jesus is found.

Ho, Ho, Ho!

Behold the Lamb!
Out in the barn laid the great I Am.
                                     Mary Crisp Jameson

 

Embracing Christmas with the Five Senses

     As I embrace Christmas this December and reminisce on Christmas past,  I find that I am blessed to have my five senses which have been used in so many ways to grasp the joy of the season.  Not only do we all use our five senses, but, during that very first Christmas, there were Shepherds, Wise men, and others who did so too. 

Do you hear what I hear?

     Current:  It’s the sounds of Christmas ringing in my ear. I hear the soundtracks of Christmas; the songs of “Away In A Manager,” “The First Noel”, “Joy To The World,” “Jingle Bells”, and so many, many more. I hear the friendly greetings of, “Merry Christmas!”  I hear the giggles of children expectantly waiting for Santa. I hear the carolers, both young and old. 
     First Christmas: Yet, on that first Christmas day when baby Jesus was born, there was the sound of a new born baby’s heartbeat.  There was the joyful sound of the angels announcing, “Behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.”  Along with the sounds of joy, there was probable the noisy sound of the stable animals when Jesus was laid in the manager.
     Jesus:   As the story of Jesus progresses, some would hear Jesus, himself, say, “‘Father, forgive them.”   Then there is Jesus’ own Father, in a voice from heaven, heard saying, “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”
 

Do you see what I see?

     Current: Sight is a wonderful experience. At Christmas, I see the sparkle of glittering lights and bright colored ornaments trimming the trees. I see candy canes, colorful ribbons and bows, pretty wrapped packages, and red poinsettias. I see toys, people busily shopping, and carolers delivering Christmas music and joy to all.  I see children excitedly unwrapping their long-awaiting presents. 
     First Christmas: On that first Christmas day,  there was the vision of a tiny baby lying in a manager filled with hay. There was the sight of a bright star proclaiming the kingly birth. There were joyful angels who appeared proclaiming the birth of a king.
     Jesus:  Who really knew on that first Christmas that this tiny infant would give us a vision of the cross where his blood ran red; a vision of the nails in His hands as He hung on that cross to give believers a life everlasting?
 
Do you taste what I taste?
     Current: When I was young, fruit at my house was not very plentiful, and I can remember the sweet juicy flavor of those long awaited apples and oranges. I taste the rich sweetness of fruitcake. I taste dressing, ham, turkey and all the trimmings that go along with a traditional Christmas dinner. I taste the cinnamon in hot apple cider.
     First Christmas:  I don’t have a clue what the meal was on that first Christmas day, but I know there was the taste of peace and joy. Christmas is love! You can taste it, and it mellows the soul.
     Jesus:   Jesus later demonstrated what we needed to taste when He broke the bread and said, “This do in remembrance of me.”
 
Do you smell what I smell?
     Current:  I smell the scent of cinnamon and spice, simmering hot apple cider, and the fresh scent of peppermint. I can take a breath and smell fresh cut cedar. I smell the aromas inside and outside the home.
     First Christmas:  On that first Christmas there was the fresh smell of the crisp, cool outside air. There had to have been the smell of dusty hay and the scent of unwashed livestock.  However, I imagine the joy surrounding the birth of Jesus overcame any of those unpleasant aromas.  When the wise men arrived there was the fragrance of frankincense and myrrh. 
    Jesus:  Jesus was pure giving us a crisp clean fragrance of love. Where He walked, people followed. Many of His disciples were fisherman. I imagine they knew the scent of smelly fish as they struggled with their nets. This was food for them and their families, but it was a labor they willingly gave up to follow Jesus.
 

Do you feel the touch that I feel?

     Current:  At Christmas and all during the year I have been able to feel the touch of a loving Mother and Dad. I feel the hugs of family. I feel the rough, prickly prick of a cedar branch. I feel the warmth from a hot cup of cocoa or apple cider.   
     First Christmas:  On that first Christmas there was the feel of a baby’s soft skin. There was the tender embrace from a mother for her tiny child. There was the feel of the rough texture of the swaddling clothes placed around the infant to keep Him warm from the chill invading the stable. This was a Savior touched by human hands. This was a Savior come to die for you and me. This was truly the touch of love.
     Jesus:  With Jesus’ death there appeared a different touch. There is a Living Touch in the hearts of all believers. When we are sad, when we are in trouble, and when we despair there is a gentle touch that lets us know we are never alone.

     This Christmas I want to use my senses to embrace the traditions, the Season, and the wonders of the amazing story of Jesus.   

     For those reading my blog who do not know Jesus as their Savior, I pray you will ask Him to come into your hearts.  It will be the greatest gift you can ever receive.  When I think of Christmas, I see the little children who "believe".  It is so easy for them to believe in Santa Claus.  ..."Believe! "... Why is it so hard to believe in Jesus?  All we have to do is call upon His name in faith.  He is not make believe and here for only a season.  He is real and with us daily.  The miracle of Christmas is that Jesus, God's own Son, was born on earth. Then He died on the cross to save us.  Next, there was the resurrection and He lives today in the hearts of those who believe. 
      Luke 2:11  “For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.”  John 3:16  “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”

    

 

Christmas is about Jesus

     Let's take back Christmas! It's not "Happy Holidays"; it's "Merry Christmas!" It's not all about St. Nick; it's about Jesus! The magic of the season was brought about by the birth of a King; the birth of a baby laid in a manager, and the wise men who brought gifts from afar. As the song goes, "Oh, come let us adore Him. Oh, come let us adore Him. Christ the Lord!"

 Christmas Is About Jesus

 

Christmas is drawing nigh;

All is jolly with halls decked in holly-

It's a wonderful time of the year!

There are songs of Jingle Bells and Silver Bells;

Families laughing, hugging, drawing near;

Ginger bread houses with cinnamon smells.

 

What a wonderful time of the year!

There are children giggling with glee;

Santa flying 'cross the hemisphere;

Ornaments on the tree.

Christmas is drawing nigh.

 

Sleigh bells ringing and people singing-

It’s a wonderful time of the year!

There are wrappings with ribbon and bows;

Smiles and Christmas cheer;

Stories of Rudolph with his bright, red nose.

 

What a wonderful time of the year!

There’s hope, peace, and goodwill;

A baby born with love to share;

A Savior come; a promise to fill.

 

Trees are adorned celebrating the Lord is born-

It’s a wonderful time of the year!

There are stories of wise men traveling afar;

Shepherds in the field on a night, so clear.

Shining bright, is a northern star.

 

Christmas is drawing nigh!

Not a time to let joy pass on by.

“Fa la la, la la la, la” –

More than gifts to give, my Jesus lives!

                                                           Mary Crisp Jameson