May you have the gladness of Christmas which is hope;
The spirit of Christmas which is peace;
The heart of Christmas which is love.
~Ada V. Hendricks
Once again we find ourselves immersed in the glory of this Holiday Season, that very special time of year when we join with the ones we love in celebrating the best present of all!
I love reading Christmas messages. I just read this excerpt from Max Lucado & had to share this is from his book “The Applause of Heaven”.
It was an ordinary night with ordinary sheep and ordinary shepherds. And where it not for a God who loves to hook an “extra” on the front of ordinary, the night would have gone unnoticed. The sheep would have been forgotten and the shepherds would have slept the night away. But God dances amidst the common. And that night He did a waltz.
The sky exploded with the song of the heavenly hosts singing Glory to God in the highest & on earth peace & goodwill towards men! The night was ordinary no more! The angel came in the night because that is when lights are best seen & that i…s when they are most needed. God comes into the common for the same reason.
His most powerful tools are the simplest.
Max Lucado – from The Applause of Heaven
Luke 40:17 I am poor and needy; Y E T the Lord thinks upon me.
What blessed hope! The creator & designer of the universe. The author of salvation history & sovereign over world history the one who sits enthroned as the victor over sin, death, suffering & pain! He keeps planets in their orbits …..and your heart beating.
He is portrayed in the scriptures as this Almighty God, enthroned in the heavens, yet he bends down to listen to the treaty of His children. Isn’t it a wonder that the Almighty God has any thoughts toward us? The fact that God’s thoughts toward us are as the sands one the sea is unfathomable. There is no way our little minds can comprehend the love of God.
Thank GOD that didn’t keep Him from coming! From the cradle in Bethlehem to the cross in Jerusalem we’ve pondered the love of our father. What can you say to that kind of emotion Upon learning that God would rather die than live without you, how do you react? How can you begin to explain such passion?
May we react in servant hood & God inspired love. For the nest 365 days (& the rest of our lives) we will be exposed to it’s distractions & demands! They will roar down the tracks with the rising of the sun. Dawns stillness will be exchanged for the noise of the day. The calm of solitude will be replace by the pounding pace of the human race. The early morning refuge will be invaded by decisions to be made & deadlines to be met. It is now that we must make a choice. Because of the Cross we’re free to choose.
Max Lucado wrote this wonderful challenge. I was so convicted by it that I printed it out with 1 Corinthians 13 to daily remind myself where my heart & attitude should be.
I CHOOSE LOVE…….
No Occasion justifies hatred; no injustice warranties bitterness. I choose love. Today I will love God and what God loves.
I CHOOSE JOY…….
I will invite my God to be the God of circumstance. I will refuse the temptation to be cynical..the tool of the lazy thinker. I will refuse to see people as anything less than human beings, created by God. I will refuse to see any problem as anything less than an opportunity to see God.
I CHOOSE PEACE…….
I will live forgiven. I will forgive so that I may live.
I CHOOSE PATIENCE…….
I will overlook the inconveniences of the world. Instead of cursing the one who take smy place in line, I’ll invite him to do so. Rather than complain that the wait is too long, I will thank God for the moment to pray. Instead of clinching my fist at new assignments, I will face them with gratitude, joy & courage.
I CHOOSE KINDNESS…….
I will be kind to the poor. for they are alone. Kind to the rich, for they are afraid. And kind to the unkind,, fir such is how God has treated me.
I CHOOSE GOODNESS…….
I will go without a dollar before I take a dishonest one. I will be over-looked before I will boast. I will confess before I will accuse.
I CHOOSE FAITHFULNESS…….
Today I will keep my promise. My debtors will not regret their trust. My associates will not question my word. My spouse and family will not question my love. And my children will never fear that their mother/father will not come home.
I CHOOSE GENTLENESS…….
Nothing is won by force. I choose to be gentle. If I raise my voice may it only be in praise. If I clench my fists, may it be in fervent prayer. If I make a demand, may it only be of myself.
I CHOOSE SELF CONTROL…….
I am a spiritual being. After this body is dead, my spirit will soar. I refuse to let what will rot, rule the eternal. I choose self-control. I will be drunk only by joy. I will be impassioned only by my faith & love for Jesus Christ. I will be influenced only by God & I will be taught only by Jesus.
Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self control. To these i commit my day. If i succeed, I will give thanks. If I fail, I will seek His grace. And then, when this day is done, I will place my head on my pillow & rest.
May we truly live in the fullness of God as we walk out our lives!
Merry Christmas & Happy New Year to you & yours!
Cheering you on!
Chelsy E. Askren
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