Everyone uses the term, "Christmas Spirit" but what do you mean by that?
Is the Christmas Spirit being nice to each other, loving each other and spending time together? Because if that's it, then why not have the Christmas Spirit all year round?
Is the Christmas Spirit getting each other gifts?
Because if that's it, why not have the Christmas Spirit on your birthday?
Is the Christmas Spirit watching Santa Claus movies and drinking hot chocolate?
Because if that's it, then why not have Christmas in January blizzards instead of December?
If you don't celebrate Christmas, people call it the 'Holiday Spirit'.
Then there are the people who say Christmas is too commercial...
Then there are the people who say Christmas needs to be 'restored', by keeping 'Christ' in it...
Then there are the people who say Christmas is a time to reflect and remember...
I love spending time with my family, opening gifts, having a good time, but that has nothing to do with 'Christmas Spirit', at least in my opinion. So what is it?
Like Charlie Brown, I want to yell, "DOESN'T ANYBODY KNOW WHAT CHRISTMAS IS ALL ABOUT??"
"Behold, I bring you good news of a great joy that will be for all the people."
"Glory to the new born king"
"God and sinners reconciled"
As we celebrate Christ this season, I wonder why we don't celebrate this ALL the time.
I love the songs we sing and the sentiments of loving Baby Jesus - but take it a step further, recognize that he is the same king as the one who did miracles and who died for your sins. It's easy to forget that in the 'spirit' of things. So this Christmas, give Christ your gratitude.
Thursday, December 24, 2009
Monday, December 14, 2009
when a book gets boring
First, the important thing:
GO WATCH THIS AWESOME YOUTUBE VIDEO - Techno Jeep by Julian Smith (blog won't let me post the link)
And now the actual post. ;-)
Have you ever started to read a book, and in the beginning you're excited and it's fast and every thing's going well? Then you get to about the middle of the book, and more exciting things come up, and you put the book down to go read other books, watch TV, etc? Then later you find the book, perhaps with the bookmark still in the pages, and you remember, "Oh, I was reading that!" and then you have to start over, and then you start to get bored and you fall into a vicious cycle? When you decide to break out of that cycle and read through the boring part, is it worth it? I find that it's always worth it to keep reading.
Is your relationship with God like that? You start strong, but then it becomes a daily routine and you lose interest? Have you stopped to look at other idols, maybe relationships, schools, something else? If yes, God is still waiting, just like that book you let fall to the side. I'm willing to bet that if you turn that next page it's more exciting than you thought. If you've felt like God's not been doing anything exciting this week, or month, or year, pick up the 'book' again.
GO WATCH THIS AWESOME YOUTUBE VIDEO - Techno Jeep by Julian Smith (blog won't let me post the link)
And now the actual post. ;-)
Have you ever started to read a book, and in the beginning you're excited and it's fast and every thing's going well? Then you get to about the middle of the book, and more exciting things come up, and you put the book down to go read other books, watch TV, etc? Then later you find the book, perhaps with the bookmark still in the pages, and you remember, "Oh, I was reading that!" and then you have to start over, and then you start to get bored and you fall into a vicious cycle? When you decide to break out of that cycle and read through the boring part, is it worth it? I find that it's always worth it to keep reading.
Is your relationship with God like that? You start strong, but then it becomes a daily routine and you lose interest? Have you stopped to look at other idols, maybe relationships, schools, something else? If yes, God is still waiting, just like that book you let fall to the side. I'm willing to bet that if you turn that next page it's more exciting than you thought. If you've felt like God's not been doing anything exciting this week, or month, or year, pick up the 'book' again.
Friday, December 4, 2009
I cannot Juggle
A little less than a year ago I was 'taught' how to juggle. This means that I was told how to do it, given pointers, and told to practice. I practiced...and tried...and practiced...and I still can't really juggle. Which greatly disappoints me.
Then at Navs the other night we were recapping this semester and I was talking about how I'm a 'pick up the details' kind of person who feels obligated to help people carry out thier ideas, and I was saying how I just juggle everything into my schedule and end up adding talking to or listening to God to talking to or listening to my teachers, my friends, my parents, my homework, etc. Real juggling is stressful, just like my mental juggling.
Well, mentally I've taught myself to be a pretty good juggler, but even the best let balls drop eventually. All too often I let the 'God ball' drop. I don't do quite times, I don't pray, I don't read the Bible. Not because I don't 'want' to - because I refuse to make time for it.
Since our Navs retreat I've been trying to listen to God more - and with that I learned how little I pay attention to him in my daily life. If this were a human relationship, he would have broken up with me already.
Thank you, Father, for not making it based AT ALL on me.
I do not want God to just be another ball for me.
This is not a finished thought. This is something I am struggling with - it requires that I recognize that I failed, that I admit there is something underneath my willingness to let my 'God ball' be the first to drop, that I do nothing to deserve a relationship with God, and that because I've not been responding, I have missed some opportunities for growth in the Holy Spirit. And maybe more.
I cannot just juggle in spending time with God. I cannot make him just another voice I listen to.
Part of me is thinking that I should stop downing on myself - I have recognized the problem. But the other part of me is remembering other problems I recognized and didn't really address till they got ugly.
Like I said - this is not a finished thought.
Then at Navs the other night we were recapping this semester and I was talking about how I'm a 'pick up the details' kind of person who feels obligated to help people carry out thier ideas, and I was saying how I just juggle everything into my schedule and end up adding talking to or listening to God to talking to or listening to my teachers, my friends, my parents, my homework, etc. Real juggling is stressful, just like my mental juggling.
Well, mentally I've taught myself to be a pretty good juggler, but even the best let balls drop eventually. All too often I let the 'God ball' drop. I don't do quite times, I don't pray, I don't read the Bible. Not because I don't 'want' to - because I refuse to make time for it.
Since our Navs retreat I've been trying to listen to God more - and with that I learned how little I pay attention to him in my daily life. If this were a human relationship, he would have broken up with me already.
Thank you, Father, for not making it based AT ALL on me.
I do not want God to just be another ball for me.
This is not a finished thought. This is something I am struggling with - it requires that I recognize that I failed, that I admit there is something underneath my willingness to let my 'God ball' be the first to drop, that I do nothing to deserve a relationship with God, and that because I've not been responding, I have missed some opportunities for growth in the Holy Spirit. And maybe more.
I cannot just juggle in spending time with God. I cannot make him just another voice I listen to.
Part of me is thinking that I should stop downing on myself - I have recognized the problem. But the other part of me is remembering other problems I recognized and didn't really address till they got ugly.
Like I said - this is not a finished thought.
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