The Feeling of Christmas

"City sidewalks, busy sidewalks dressed in holiday style, in the air there's a feeling of Christmas..."

Oh, Silver Bells! Most of us hear that song and it makes us smile. It reminds us of all of the things we love about Christmas. "The feeling of Christmas." The beautiful decorations, kids sitting in Santa's lap, finding the perfect gift for someone we love....such a happy time. We walk around in our Christmas bliss and don't see some of the people who may get different images in their minds. For some "the feeling of Christmas" takes a very different definition. Consider....

🎄Those who have lost someone they love. Someone with whom they always shared Christmas. It could be due to death, the end of a relationship, or to distance. There is a hole in their heart this year and nothing feels the same. 

🎄Those for whom more tasks are added to a load when they felt like they were already about to break. They may smile and make your Christmas brighter, but inside they are on a short tether.

🎄Those struggling financially. Trying to pay bills already had them feeling like they were drowning. Trying to give the good boys and girls all they deserve....their head is underwater. 

🎄Those with health issues. Forgive them if they're not singing at the moment. They are a bit pre-occupied. Their best gift is not found under the tree, but is in the hands and minds of the medical folks around them, the researchers who give them hope, and the treatments that may work for a cure.

🎄Those who are scared. It may be due to people in their lives....abusers, or addicts, the sick, or the weak. It may be due to life situations. It may be for a reason they can't even identify. But the fear is overwhelming and the holiday makes it seem worse.

🎄Those who are addicted. Be it drugs, alcohol, food, people pleasing...addiction overwhelms and isolates. It sneaks up on someone as a thief, and puts a mask on that appears to be them, but is really just a facade.
🎄The "-less" ones - The homeless, the hopeless, the heartless....those missing something that they may never even have ever had.

🎄The lonely. They may go through the motions, but they just want to get through the days. 

🎄Those who hate. 

🎄Those who don't share your Jesus.

If you celebrate Jesus, be it Christmas or any day, you need to appreciate his people. This crowd all around you? He has created each and every one of them. They are his masterpieces. The ugly, the broken, the dirty, the hurt, the troubled, the mean, the poor, the glossy, and the pretentious. See them. Love them. Celebrate them. Bring Jesus to them. Change the tunes of those silver bells so they are not an unbearable noise, but instead are sweet melodious tunes that make them want to dance. The feeling of Christmas is not a good one to all...perhaps you can help change that. It's a worthy goal.

A joyous Christmas to all! Come....let us adore him!

Are You Ready For Christmas?

"Are you ready for Christmas?" Stop asking that question! For me, who hates shopping and particularly hates gift shopping, it's simply a catalyst to extra stress and pressure. It's an easy conversation starter, granted, and I am sure that I have been known to say it at times myself (being a bit of an idiot in the small talk department and eager to latch onto any cliché I can come up with), but if I hear it one more time this year I just may go a bit nuts.

No, I am not ready. Truth be told, I've been lying in bed reading since about 7:30. Yes, there are things I should be doing, but the thought stresses me out, so I just retreat. I have groceries to buy (and since I don't make a list and plan well, I will probably forget at least one key ingredient.) I have presents to buy....for MY PARENTS, for example!!!!! They are horrible to buy for. They buy what they want, and are constantly in downsizing mode. They don't like gift cards, they don't give hints, and dad especially would prefer not to have things to open. I sometimes just don't give them anything....that sounds bad, doesn't it? For Dad, especially, that is fine, and Mom too really, but why do I still feel stressed when I can't come up with a good idea?

I've got friends who are amazing gift-givers....and on one hand I don't feel the need to compete with them (because they are exceptional people and I am hopeless and I know will love me anyway, even if I arrive empty-handed), but I do want to honor them with something special. They are worth it. But chances are, no...they won't get gifts or if they are they won't be great. Or they won't be on time. I surrender. I will never be the coolest gift-giving friend. (Unless you are a kid, and then I have a chance.)

Thankfully some of the stores I bought from offered free gift wrapping this year, so there aren't a lot of gifts to wrap, but those that are will throw me in a last minute tizzy as I get ready to run out the door on Christmas day. Scissors, tape, paper, tags, bags, tissue paper, and ribbon....will I have all I need? Probably not.

I have baked nothing so far this year (so don't expect the gift of baked goods) and the caramel cake I said I would make for our family Christmas? Of course I have never made it before. Yes, they say you shouldn't do that, but when would I test recipes if not for using family and friends as guinea pigs? They come out OK on occasion. And there will be plenty of other food! The salad I am making? That will be OK, if I make the aforementioned trip to the grocery store and actually buy the fixings. But have I put any thought into what will go into it? Nooooo!

And then there is half of a day of work tomorrow, a Christmas Eve service to attend, and a trip to Greensboro to participate in a 20+ year tradition of Christmas caroling at the hospital. So how many hours until Christmas?

Why do we do this to ourselves? Why do we fill our plate to overwhelming?

I am not in a total frenzy.....at least externally. When the stress gets up there, I retreat, so right now I appear calm. Thankfully I was born into a family influenced by my grandmother Lois McKinney, who never seemed riled by anything like this. She knew most things were not worth getting worked up over. I've got a touch of her in me, along with my grandsha on my mom's side who was also calm in a storm, but a bit of discontent and high expectations from the other two grandparents. My mother was the "get it all done" type, and my dad, well, he just doesn't seem to notice it is a day different than other days. As for me, the nature is at war in times like these.

When I analyze it, these things that stress me out are not what I consider to be important about Christmas, or important to my relationships. I need to release myself from that stress. The real reason for Christmas is not about a box or about meeting an impossible standard. The real reason for Christmas was to release us from that pressure. We can't be good enough. We can't do it all.

"For unto you is born a Savior."

We are the reason for the season. We are the reason the Christmas gift, the Christ child, was given. If there was no one else in the world, the gift would have still been given for you. Because you are that important to God. If we are willing to receive the gift, we are ready for Christmas. That is all it takes to celebrate in the manner it was intended.

Relax, and enjoy. It is a time we should feel most loved and at peace. Not because of how we are treated by others, but because of who we are before God. Am I ready for Christmas? Why yes, I am. Bring it on! Emmanuel. God is with us. Come, let us adore him.

Holiday in ALL CAPS

I had a conversation with my dad and a couple of my uncles the other day where I mentioned that if you typed in all caps, it was considered shouting. This was news to them, and I don't think they buy it. One of my uncles said "If you send me an email in all caps, I would think that you were helping me out and making it easier to read."

I have seen some folks online on message boards berating someone for "shouting at everyone" only to find out that the person was handicapped and used all caps because it was easier for them to type that way. Made me think to myself "Be careful of what you get on your high horse about."

We think everyone is like us. If Christmases past hold good memories for us, we think Christmas holds good memories for all. If we look forward to the day, we think everyone looks forward to the day. If we are excited about the gifts we buy and are having a blast shopping for them, we think everyone has the same feeling.

Truth is, we're quite insensitive and self-absorbed.

So here is a list of things that some folks I know are dealing with this Christmas....

🎁 Some folks have lost loved ones this year to death and are dreading their first holiday without them. Some lost them years ago, but still have not gotten over the pain of having them gone at holidays.

🎁 Some have had their holidays disrupted by divorce, and miss having their spouse (even if they didn't like them much). They are having to share their kids for the holidays in a way they never planned. The kids? They may feel guilt they don't speak, especially when the parent makes it more difficult for them.

🎁 Some people have been diagnosed with a nasty disease and are wondering if perhaps this will be their last Christmas on earth with their loved ones. Their families are wondering if it will be the last one they will celebrate with them and their hearts are breaking.

🎁 Some folks are out of a job and uncertain what they will do if one does not show itself on the horizon.

🎁 Some people don't have a loving family and are facing the tension of spending even a few hours with folks related to them by blood, who they feel obligated to spend time with, but who always make them feel miserable. Their day will be spent dodging insults, avoiding cruel criticism, and trying to not retaliate when they feel like they are going over the edge.

🎁 Some folks are already in debt higher than they ever thought possible, but they have kids who expect the same Christmas presents as their friends get from Santa. They're worried about things like whether their power will be on come Christmas morning or whether they will have money for groceries. 

🎁 Some are buying gifts for unappreciative people, knowing that whatever they buy, it will not be "right."

🎁 Some have told people they really don't want gifts, but are bought gifts anyway. They struggle being gracious receiving things they don't need, or want, that are bought out of an obligation and has nothing to do with them.

🎁 Some folks are alone, or just feeling alone even if they are in a crowd.

🎁 Some people have needs they will not speak. They keep them to themselves, and are miserable because they are not being met. (If this is you, tell people!)

🎁 Some people don't see gift giving as you do. Some want practical gifts, while you want the impractical. Some want impractical luxury, while you have always given what they need. Some want gifts, but you say "I don't do gifts." Some say "I don't want gifts" but don't mean it. others really do. For some the only gift they want is your time and attention. Truth is, if you love someone, you probably should try to do what works for them. But then again, if you have expectations, give them the gift of giving those up. Meet people where they are. What they can do now. They may be paralyzed with fear underneath that "I don't care" veneer. Maybe you need to give yourself the perfect gift and remove the pressure from them. Maybe you need to get over your gift obsession and celebrate other things. Wherever you are, maybe the best gift you can give everyone is to change your mindset.

🎁 Some people don't celebrate Christmas. Their religion may be different, or it could be something else. Truth is, it is celebrating Christmas is not mandatory. Even for Christians. 

I hope Christmas Day, however you spend it, finds you in a lovely place of peace, love and contentment. If you're not there, I pray that you will make your needs known, to those who care about you or even to a stranger. Locking it inside changes nothing and makes you miserable. But is it a need or a want? Are you expecting others to make you happy or are you looking for ways to be joyful in your day in spite of all? And for those of you who have nothing but love for the season, don't be so self-absorbed you don't see those around you in pain.

When people shout "MERRY CHRISTMAS!" or "HAPPY HOLIDAYS!", may it not sound like a loud and angry shouting to your ears, but instead like the balm of someone who is trying to make it easier for you to celebrate life. I wish you joy that comes from deep in your soul, and has nothing to do with circumstances or other people, every single day of the year.

Paying Backward

"The man who never has money enough to pay his debts has too much of something else.” -James Lendall Basford

“Many delight more in giving of presents than in paying their debts.” -Sir Philip Sidney

"Your children will become what you are, so be what you want them to be." - David Bly

“He looks the whole world in the face for he owes not any man.” -Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

There was a guy that lived in the apartment complex that my parents own and that my sister manages. He moved out, owing quite a bit of rent money. Not an uncommon thing in today's world, unfortunately. My sister has seen this happen time and time again, and you become a bit cynical about people after a while. You never see them again, or the money they owe you. They don't look back. They don't see the impact they make on those who do not get the money they are due. They don't realize that businesses go under every day because of people like them. They don't see the other people they leave in their wake, struggling to pay their bills and feed their children. They don't see the senior citizens who have to cut back because funds are tight. They don't see the cynicism they breed in this world, because of what they do. Or maybe they do see it all, and figure misery loves company. Maybe they don't care. But most likely they just keep the blinders on because ignorance is bliss.

But this story is a bit different. This man is different. Years later he gave my sister a call. He wanted to make sure he knew exactly what he owed. He then came back, his sons in tow, and paid it all back. He made good on his commitment.

At the time he originally left, this guy's life was spinning out of control a bit. His girlfriend was pregnant, and he wasn't sure he was ready for that. He wasn't sure he was ready for responsibility of adulthood. He tried to leave it behind. But at some point he decided that was not the kind of man he wanted to be. He became a husband and a father. He decided that he was going to try to be the best he could at both. He wanted to raise sons who were responsible, so he knew he had to show them responsibility. Part of that was righting his wrongs. He made a plan to do that. He told my sister she was the last person he had to pay back. I believe she said it was ten years after he had moved out. He didn't pay the money back either in secret or in a big display of "how great I am" fanfare. He did it humbly, quietly, in person, facing his past head on. And he did it in front of his sons.

We've gotten things jumbled up in our world today. We're spinners. The story most people believe is thought to be truth. Perception is everything. We don't want to scratch below the surface and find out that the hunk of gold we possess is actually a rock covered by cheap gold paint. We just cart it around and shout "Hey, look what I've got!" As long as people believe it is gold, it is gold. They'll write stories about it in the paper, more evidence of its truth. We not only fool others, we often convince ourselves. We believe in the facade, instead of the truth that lies beneath.

Forgiveness has also become skewed. We think that because we are forgiven, there is no more responsibility. Example bankruptcy. Our courts say you can wipe out your debt, and go on. In theory it makes sense. People get overwhelmed. They get further and further into debt because they become hopeless. The goal of bankruptcy was to free them from the constant call of their debtors, take the burden and stress off of them, and allow them to begin again. Supposedly with a new attitude of financial responsibility.

But how many people really reformed after a bankruptcy and how many of their debtors suffered in the process? How have their debts impacted our world as a whole? What is the domino effect? How many other individuals suffered to make life easier for this one individual? How often was it appreciated? How often did the person erase the debt in their own mind, with no thought of ever paying it back? Since the court said they didn't have to pay it back, it no longer existed.

We're in a season right now where many people expect to create debt. They almost celebrate it. "Yes, we'll be paying for this for years, but we're worth it." "How could we not give our precious children as much as their friends? They deserve it!" "Everyone goes into debt! It's part of Christmas!"

Oh, how I love Christmas glitz! I love the lights, love the decorations, love Santa, love the faces of children as they experience the magic, love the family pictures and the Christmas letters (really, I do!) But Christmas isn't about the glitz. It's all about the gift, the baby. It's about new beginnings. It's about forgiveness. It's about second chances, or third, or hundreds. It's about us, just as we are, loved and worth sacrifice. It's about freedom. But freedom that leads us to truth, not to further carnage.

That dad would have been loved and respected by his kids whether he paid his debts or not. Kids grade on a curve. He could have hidden everything from them, said the money side of things had nothing to do with them. He could have forgotten that part of his life and moved on, vowing to not make the same mistakes. But he knew on some level his kids would sense the inconsistency. He didn't want to teach them that. He wanted a be a good dad. He wanted to be a good man. He wanted to be someone trustworthy in all things.

I'd like to issue a Christmas challenge. Be like this guy. Be different. Be responsible. Be humble. Be thoughtful. The greatest gift you can give your children, the greatest gift you can give anyone, is to be authentic. To live truth. To do what you say you're going to do. To pay what you owe. To live within your means. To treat others well. To make a plan and fulfill your responsibilities, however long it takes. That's what is going to make a true impact. Be the gift . Make a merry Christmas with what you've got today, not borrowing from the future. It is enough. You are enough. Really....it's not about the money. Unless it is other people's money that you are holding onto......or let slip from your hands. Shock a few people. Instead of paying forward, maybe you first need to pay backward. The story of Christmas? That baby was born in a manger to take you out of bondage. Tell the story in how you live.

Great Expectations

From Luke 1...Contemporary English Version

"...Soon after that, his (Zechariah) wife was expecting a baby, and for five months she did not leave the house. She said to herself 'What the Lord has done for me will keep people from looking down on me.'" (Vs 24-25)

"...When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, her baby moved within her. The Holy Spirit came upon Elizabeth.  Then in a loud voice she said to Mary: God has blessed you more than any other woman! He has also blessed the child you will have. Why should the mother of my Lord come to me? As soon as I heard your greeting, my baby became happy and moved within me.  The Lord has blessed you because you believed that he will keep his promise." (Vs 39-45)

I am still thinking of Zechariah's family, and especially Elizabeth. I have a special affinity with her, perhaps because I feel I can understand some the emotions she has to be feeling. 

Elizabeth doesn't show her face in public for the first five months of her pregnancy. Here is a woman that has been barren in times when your kids were your greatest assets. In a lot of ways having children was the main purpose of the women and to not produce the house full of heirs was shameful. There is a certain joy in the fact that she's going to be able to "show 'em". So human. There also is probably some personal insecurity that she is trying to get beyond. She probably questioned her own worth over the years as a result of her infertility. What will happen when everyone knows her news? If times are like now, when there will be joking about her sex life ("Go Zechariah!") and a bit of gossip because she is going to be an older mom. ("Really?  She's bringing a child into the world at this age?"). Interesting that as she starts showing, a time when in many cultures women go into hiding, she goes back out into the world.

And then there is Mary, a member of Elizabeth's family. When Gabriel tells Mary she will be the mother of Jesus, he also tells her Elizabeth is five months along in her pregnancy. The same time that Elizabeth starts to show back up in public. Coincidence? I doubt it. One of Gabriel's points to Mary is that "nothing is impossible with God."  I guess it takes everyone a bit of time to come to terms with impossible.  Maybe five months. Mary hears the news about Elizabeth (and herself) and shortly afterward heads to check it all out herself.

I love that during Mary's visit, it says the spirit moves Elizabeth and she talks "in a loud voice".  The voice we use when we are trying to get through to someone, especially our clueless younger relatives. I figure that at this time Mary is still in a state of disbelief....a place of doubt.  A place of "are you sure you mean me, God?" Elizabeth has been thinking on this sort of thing for five months. She shares what she has learned. She answers Mary's why....told her she was over-thinking it and the answer was not that complicated...simply that Mary believed.  There must have been a purity of faith in Mary. I don't think she was sophisticated or even necessarily "special" as far as the world saw her. I don't think she was the obvious choice, and most certainly not to herself. But yet she was the one chosen. Once again, our mortal and insufficient faith is all God needs as a vessel. You don't have to be the obvious choice. Awe-inspiring when you think about it.

Elizabeth seems to me to be a great type of family member/friend to have. Those who know you, listen, see your doubts, and kick you in the rear so you move to where you need to be.  She didn't pretty up her language, she just told her the way it was. Loudly. She understood being used when you don't feel ready. She was living it, too. Who better to have an idea of what Mary is going through? In the way her son John would go before Mary's son Jesus, Elizabeth goes before Mary in her very special pregnancy.

God doesn't wait until we feel we are ready to be used by him....he uses us even when we feel inadequate to the task. He doesn't need us to be smart, or educated, or beautiful, or strong, or have amazing skills....he seems to move both in our doubts and in our childlike belief. If we believe him, even sort of, we can see him work in us and through us.

And if, like Elizabeth and Mary, we hang in there in spite of our circumstances, in spite of our heartbreak, in spite of all the things we come to expect about ourselves and the possibilities of our lives, he just may blow us out of the water when he works through us. The simple people. He is a God that constantly defies expectations. He is a God of amazing surprises. At just the right time throughout your life you will be given amazing, marvelous gifts. God-sized gifts. Gifts of Jesus-sized proportion. But sometimes gifts that require you to take action to receive them fully. God is the battery that is not included. We must insert it for it to work.

When it gets down to it, with all we have seen so far, why don't we really believe in God? This is the God that created the heavens and the earth. This is the God that created the crazy and unique beings that are us. This is the God who changed everything so we could have a relationship with him. What if these are not his only feats? What if more is coming? What if you are going to be a part of it? When you think "impossible", keep your eyes open. God's work isn't finished yet. He is alive and well and he so loves to re-define your definition of that word. The gift of Jesus is not a one day event. It is to be continued....so stay tuned. And Merry Christmas!

The Longest Birthday Party

I was my normal slack self this year when sending out Christmas cards.  I had the cards (actually a huge collection leftover from past years...need some?  Call me.), I bought the stamps (Need some?  Call me!), but I probably only sent out 10 cards.  I used to stress about my tendency to do that....Christmas cards were often my only way to keep in touch with certain friends.  I've learned to roll my eyes at that concept and now I try to keep it all in perspective.  I try to not to box myself into having to communicate with everyone at only this time of the year, but try to do better at making contact with those I care about throughout the year.  I am not amazingly successful at this yet (and cards and letters....don't seem to be getting written by me at any time of the year!), but still I am getting  better at staying in contact or touching base with some of the people who are important to me a bit more often (thanks Facebook....you help a lot, as does having a car that can travel!)   It's my goal to improve these times of contact in my life, because I know a lot of incredible people who lift my spirits and make me live better....it is a great gift to myself.  (So OK...maybe I am not always thinking of others!)  Hopefully it is also something enjoyed by my friends (and family.)  But I also acknowledge that people can come in and out of our life for certain periods of time, and timing and desire for a relationship must be right for you both.  We have different kinds of relationships with lots of different people....and that's OK.  Some people are meant to be our close and constant friends (and we can only realistically have so many of these), while others for different reasons and seasons.

I've been thinking lately how my thoughts are changing similarly about Christmas.  The day is not as important to me as it used to be.  Don't get me wrong....I still absolutely love it, find it really meaningful and think it is one of the most enchanting times of the year.  But I also think perhaps celebrating Christ's birth only one day a year is sort of like keeping your contact to people limited to Christmas cards.  It's just not enough for the place of honor He deserves. If we women get a birthday month (thanks to the proclamation of my dear friend Debbie Hartman), then Jesus should get a year of birthdays.  (Sorry men. The rest of you just get a day.  Don't blame me....it's just the way it is!)

So here is my proposal.....in these last days of 2012 and every day in 2013, we try to spend some time celebrating the birth of Jesus every day.   No major blow out party required....in fact, I think He would prefer we keep a lot of the celebrations private.  But we need to take a little special time every day to tell Him "I'm glad you were born."

So how would we do that?  Here are some things I am thinking.  Some days we just need to have a conversation with our brother (Jesus...not my brothers Scott and Derek....not that it wouldn't be great to have more conversations with them, too!)  A few minutes where we really are truthful with Him about what we think, and what we feel, the purpose He has given us, how we're doing fulfilling that purpose, and what's really going on in our lives.  You don't have to use church-y words, or the language of King James..... let's face it, if we did that with our other brothers they would think we were insane.  Jesus would, too.  OK, maybe He wouldn't see us as insane....just a little....slow.  He speaks modern day English....and wants to meet us where we are today.  He wants us to be authentic with him.....and that is difficult to do when you are trying to play the stilted part of people of yore or pretend to be some spiritual soul He knows you are not.

As we talk, we also need to listen what He's saying.  One-sided conversations don't make for a healthy relationship and certainly don't celebrate the one to whom we are talking.  So we need to both talk, and listen.  It's not a close relationship if you just sit back and listen and don't share what you think....and it's not a close relationship if you just talk without letting anyone else get a word in.  There must be balance, sharing, giving and receiving.

We need to read and write letters.  I love to get letters.....I am terrible at writing back!   But this is another side to getting to know someone.  His love note to us is the Bible....we should read what He has written as if it was written just for us (because it was) and we should reply.  No better way to think and digest and learn and watch the wisdom of those words come to life.  Let's face it....some of it is confusing and confounding and we read it and we have questions.  Other parts are insightful and life-changing and help remind us how to live.  To write back makes us take a few minutes to reflect on what He tells us and continue to learn more about what He is really saying.

We need to give Jesus gifts.  What do you give to the one who owns it all already and just shares it with you?  If you look at everything that way, it can change your life.  Your money.....if you think Jesus as the benevolent benefactor of all of your money, would you spend it differently?  He tells us we should give hilariously.  I love the idea of that.  You know what it is like when you are with a friend and it begins as funny, and then moves to hilarious.  You can't stop laughing, you do things that don't quite seem "normal" to others who may be watching, you celebrate life with abandon.  That is how we should give.  Not turning off our brain and giving carelessly or unwisely, but giving in ways other people may not consider.  Noticing people....and needs.....and fulfilling them.  Sharing our His stuff.  And sometimes not giving even though you feel pressured,  because you don't agree that is where He wants your His money to go.  Hilarious feels good.  It feels comfortable.  You don't quite hold on to your propriety....you lose control a bit, but freefall into a good place.

We give without caring about what we get back.  We give when noone else knows it is going on (just a private moment between us and the gracious benefactor.)  And we give from what we have.....we don't steal or borrow from others or go into debt for it (but it is permissible, though not usually necessary, to give everything that is "ours" away!).  If you are respecting the benefactor of that money, you learn to understand needs and wants,  learn to live within your means, and realize that failure to be financially responsible is an affront to what He expects of you.

If money is the only gift you give, you're missing out on a lot of other gift giving opportunities.  For some, giving money is really easy, but giving time is really, really difficult.  It may require we hang out with people that get on our nerves.  It may require we give when we would rather be on our couch watching TV or only spending time in the company of our family or close friends.  It's invasive to our life.  We can more easily tell when we make money our god (because that is what makes us pant with thirst and we never seem to have enough), but a bit harder when our god is our time.  If we are giving our time, we are making a sacrifice.  If it is too easy or if our time is not a currency, it's not a gift.

We can also gift our strengths.  We all have them.  If you aren't sure what yours are, ask your friends and family.  If they have a difficult time coming up with some, find new friends.  Keep the family, but recognize that maybe they have so much of their own stuff going on, and they aren't really noticing or appreciating the special things about you.  So....like I said before, find new friends and ask them.  Or even better, think about it yourself.  You are the one who can probably best see your strengths, if you actually look.  Sometimes we won't acknowledge the things that we do well....so we keep them hidden and don't use them for any purpose.  It's misplaced humility.  But when we acknowledge them, and look for ways to use them, we are celebrating a gift we have been given.  To actively look for ways to share them with family, friends, and even strangers, we celebrate our gift of life even more.

And don't forget about gifting your weaknesses.  This is the one thing that God seems to want to use in my life more than anything else.  (Possibly because I was blessed with extra.)  It's amazing the way my weaknesses have at time become strengths.  There's really no secret to why it ends up working so well.  There's that great verse (II Corinthians 12:9) where Paul relays a conversation with Jesus "But he said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.'"  Paul's conclusion?  "Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me."  When we put ourselves out there and do things that are hard for us, things that we 't don't easily excel in, things hat don't come naturally to us, it's a chance for the very spirit of God to empower us.  He likes to show His stuff that way.  (So that's why this introvert so often gets put into situations where she has to be a people person.  Why sometimes why my extrovert friends are put in a position where they have to do things on their own.  Why the quiet person needs to speak up and why the person with lots of opinions needs to sometimes keep them to themselves and just listen.)  We can go from a place of scared to death, to feeling empowered just by being willing to put ourselves in those situations.  As with our strengths, gifting our weaknesses requires we know what they are.  Jesus works best in people who look inward and get to know themselves.  It's the first thing we have to do before we can call ourself a follower of Jesus.  We have to see ourself as a sinner.  Hard to acknowledge sometimes...we'd prefer to grade on a curve.  But we must, or often we find ourselves in a dull and unrewarding life.  A Christian who thinks, listens, and then acts, finds themself living a life of fulfillment and adventure.

Another gift is spending time with people who call Jesus friend.  Sometimes you need to invite them to the party.  Many of you probably know, this can sometimes be difficult for me.  Some of His friends are lovely and fun and time with them is a great gift.  But others.....well, frankly I don't like them.  It's easy to dismiss these people and say "They don't really know Him."  But as our friends have quirks and aren't perfect (well, mine are amazingly close....but yeah, let's be honest... you know you all have issues!), so do Jesus'. Even so He sees something in them and sometimes we need to find out how that is.  Sometimes we need to love them, and accept them where they are, and trust that spending time with Him (and maybe with us!) will change them.  When we hang in there long enough to see that change happen, it is one of the party favors He brings to the celebration for us.

And then there are those who aren't friends with Jesus.  Sometimes we need to introduce them.  If we enjoy Him, and see that relationship to be the catalyst for everything in our life, the  center of who we are, shouldn't it be natural for others to know that?   It's tough in today's world.... many people want to think of faith as a personal thing, which means they bristle when it comes up in conversation.  But I don't understand that...how can it be personal, if we are building real relationships?  If we don't share our core beliefs with someone, do they really know us?  Are we really their friend?  No need to get preachy (maybe someone will respond to that, but most of us hate it) or get on your precious Christian soapbox and make it all about you, but there's also no need to be an undercover Christian.  Sharing should be natural and easy and comfortable.  But telling your story isn't enough...you've got to be willing to let the other person share their life with you.  You should listen when they share the center of their heart, and get to know where they are coming from.  Jesus cares about all kinds of people....those who think the way He does and those who don't have a clue.  And He has given people free will to choose....who are we to try to take that away from them?  Those who don't accept or believe in Jesus are not a surprise to Him.  He loves them and is gracious to them....and we should be, too.  One of the most freeing things in my life was learning it is not my job to convict people of their sin or "save" them.  The Spirit of God takes care of that quite nicely.

When we throw a big birthday party, we need to be a good host.  We need to notice our guests and be concerned about their needs.  We need to not be so wrapped up in "doing" that we forget "experiencing."  We should take the time to eat the cake, to drink the beverages, and to enjoy those that have come.  You need to honor the guest of honor, and honor to the other guests that are with you.  All will enjoy themselves more if you are  taking time to join in the celebration.  It's OK to enjoy the party favors that have been provided by the guest of honor....the party is for Him, and it is His privilege.  He is delighted when you like them.  It's especially fun that these little gifts have been placed all over your world, so you can be on a scavenger hunt that never ends.  Every day you can discover something else He has hidden just for you.

As we celebrate the birthday of Jesus, we should celebrate the gift of His life....and at the same time the gift of our own life.  To live a lackluster life is an act of ingratitude for the very gift we have been given.  As Jesus was created to live a life of purpose, so were you.  You are unique, you are special, you are needed on this earth.  You are not meant to just take up space or keep busy with meaningless things.  If you are feeling purposeless, if you are not feeling joyful regardless of your circumstances, if you are uninvolved with life, you've got to regroup.  If you are overwhelmed or overextended or feeling alone, you've got to regroup.  If you are living solely on your strengths and not doing hard things that scare you, you've got to regroup.  Most of al, if you can't describe your life as amazing and awe-inspiring, you're doing it wrong. You were not created to feel like you are carrying weights around all of the time....you've got someone around who will take those out of your hands and off your shoulders and carry them for you.  But you have to loosen your clutch on them.  You need to be free from those burdens and ready to relax in the knowledge that you don't have to handle them alone.

Jesus has already given His birthday gift to you.....and it is a gift of a lifetime.  Don't give it back to him unopened and unused.  Don't leave it on a shelf.   While it is a precious and fragile gift, it's intended for every day use.  So use it.....and use it well!

Merry Christmas, my friends.  You may not get your cards for a while, but I'm going with the notion that they can be sent out at any time!  May the spirit of Emmanuel ("God is with us") be with you all year long.  And happy birthday, Jesus!   I'm glad you were born.  Thank you that even though it was your own party, you made it all about me and gave me the best gift.  I love you and I am glad you are in my life.

Now....what should we do tomorrow to celebrate?