It's beginning to NOT look like Christmas...

Are you scratching your head in shock, like I am, at the awful tragedy that unfolded on the innocent young children today in Sandy Creek, CT? Or the mall shooting in Portland just a couple days ago? Or the Black Friday mobs which resulted in injuries and the shootings in the parking lots around Thanksgiving?

How about the insanity of the marketing to get just the right present or to be flashy enough for the company Christmas party? Overindulging in goodies and imbibing strong drink, forgetting the pain hidden inside for a while? Is that what the season represents?

What happened to Christmas? What happened to celebrating Jesus' birth on this planet? Or thinking about peace on earth and good will toward men?

I feel a disconnectedness with the whole thing this year, to be honest. Not about the Christ part. But getting excited about the celebrating part. Even decorating has been mostly a chore for me.

"Where's your Christmas spirit?" you say.

It kind of went away with the daily reports of disasters everywhere. The Phillipines being hit by the huge typhoons and hundreds upon hundreds losing their homes. Earthquakes occurring everywhere. The North Korean Christians that are starving in their prison cells, while their government shoots off missiles. These are brothers and sisters I cannot forget.

You could probably call me a Scrooge, but I think Christmas has fundamentally changed since we took God out of our schools, since it has been proclaimed that we are no longer a Christian nation.

I celebrate Christmas because He came. His first advent is an undisputed fact, no matter what men try to tell us in the history books. Those little children in Connecticut never had a chance to grow up and find out for themselves what those books said.

All I know is that the world in which I grew up and celebrated Christmas is no more. There are very few constants, like death and taxes. The one thing that's constant, in which I rely is my Savior. He promised that He would never change, and that He would be faithful to be all I need Him to be, even when everything around me crumbles.

Let's face it: this is an excruciatingly sad day for many people. Their Christmas, no, their very lives are completely shattered. We need to pray for them and for this country.

Let us hang on to the ONE thing that remains the same yesterday, today and forever: THE SAVIOR JESUS CHRIST. He alone is the light in this darkened world.

If you're not sure if you know Him, TODAY you can receive Him by believing that He came into this world to pay for your sin debt and mine (indeed all the world's) when He died upon the cross, bearing our sins. As the events of this world get scarier and more uncertain,(because God will eventually judge His enemy the devil and his evil works and the unbelievers), there is no better time than NOW to put your trust in Christ (John 3:16-17). In spite of the terrible tragedy that occurred today, you can be sure that Christmas is meaningful in that Christ came down having YOU in His mind when He went to that cross.

Who is our Hope in, Anyway?

Like many of you, I watched the returns last night with a sick feeling in my stomach.
I try not to be political in my postings, but let's just say things weren't going the way I had hoped. My headache got worse and worse. Suddenly, when they switched to the local news at 11pm it was all over.

I felt this election was the most important one of my life, and yet, God is sovereign in the affairs of all mankind. Is that true or isn't it? When the prophet Daniel was interpreting the dream of Nebuchadnezzar, King of Babylon, he told him:

"That the Most High rules in the kingdom of men,
Gives it to whomever He will,
And sets it over the lowest of men." Daniel 4: 17b

So today, I am choosing to go on with my life, focusing my hope entirely on the Hope that is secure and will not change. I read today in the Word one of the very last verses given to the Jews before the New Testament canon was given. In the book of Malachi, chapter 3 verse 6, we read:

"For I am the Lord, I do not change;
Therefore you are not consumed, O sons of Jacob."

Thank God! He doesn't change! Everything else is all around us is crumbling around us. What can we rely on? Job security? No. Money in the bank? No. The stock market? No. Gold? no. Even people we thought we could trust? No. We have one thing, one thing only, that we can run to:

"looking unto JESUS, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God..." Hebrews 12:2

He promises never, ever to leave us: "Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, "I will never leave you nor forsake you." Hebrews 13: 5

And just to show that Jesus doesn't change either: "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever." Hebrews 13: 8

Turn to Him today, while you can. He will not turn you away.(John 10:28) He is in the business of restoring broken, beat up lives like yours and mine. No matter what your political affiliation or how you voted, it doesn't matter, Jesus doesn't care about that, He just wants you to run to His shelter before it is too late.

Endings and Beginnings

Today was my last day at a job I dearly loved. I worked with nice people and very precious children whom I will remember always. But yet today I said goodbye to them all for a new, full-time job doing much the same thing not too far away from them. Yet God know this day would come for me, that "For everything there is a season, a time for every activity under heaven."(Eccles.3:1)

It made me cry, getting through this day. For I saw people, priceless people whom Christ died for, whom He allowed to be a part of my life for a short time. And now that time is gone. Now a new chapter in my life opens up. What will it hold for me?

I have been back in the work force for almost 10 years now, after raising my children. I have held many jobs since them. But this one was quite special to me. Parents were saddened that I was leaving, and quite frankly I was touched that I meant something to them. I am hoping that somehow, in some small way, I made a difference in a child's life, that hopefully I showed Jesus' love to co-workers.

Today made me realize that life is going by too quickly. To treasure each moment you have with people because nothing stays the same, everything comes to pass. Touch lives where I worked dear Father. I only hope that this new place will be a positive one also, but I know that the Father will be with me, for He has promised it to be true. (Matt. 28: 20)

It is even the same in my family. Relationships that were present 10 years ago are in some cases completely gone now. Nothing comes to stay, everything comes to pass. There is only one thing that is constant, that will never change: "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever." (Hebrews 13:8) Of this one thing, I can be sure as one door of my life closes and a new one opens.