The Greatest Gift?

The choices for some people are endless. 

It takes no time at all to find a gift; the problem is which one do you choose? 

For others the choices are not so vast but eventually you come up with something that is just right.  But for a small group of people it seems that there is nothing that really says what you want to say and no single item which achieves what you want to achieve.  Even the trusty gift certificate doesn’t seem to fit! 

What is it about those people? You know them well enough to be wanting to give them a gift, you like them enough to be giving them a gift…is it that they already have too much or that they really don’t have any other interests that you can be part of?  

Whatever the reason, I hope that you don’t give into the temptation to just buy anything as the Christmas Eve desperation begins to loom. 

I hope that you can find the ‘perfect’ gift and not the mass produced set of six china canisters with elves and mushrooms that we received one Christmas! 

This Christmas I hope that you can find the words and the emotion to communicate your love, affection and appreciation for those around you. 

And I hope you can do it with a gift that makes the recipient understand how you really feel. Of course the greatest gift needs to be remembered this Christmas as always, it needs to be cherished as always.  It is a gift fit for every one of us and tailor-made to suit us in every way.   

Enjoy opening your gifts this year and don’t forget the joy, peace and love of the coming of Christ this Christmas!

Gift Certificate

I thought that something was wrong but I couldn’t put my finger on it…it was like I was ‘off balance’ and I couldn’t quite work it out. 

Then I realised…it was my wallet. 

Once again it had done what it does so well and had accumulated dozens of receipts, hand written notes and even a couple of flyers which seemed important at the time – the only thing that doesn’t seem to stay in my wallet is money!   

So, it was time to clear out the ever increasing pile of stuff and it was just as well that I did. 

Hidden amongst the credit card receipts, the ‘shopper dockets’ and the 2 for 1 deal at the drycleaners was a long forgotten gift certificate! 

A gift certificate is a great gift; it gives you an opportunity to buy something that you want, at a store you want, at a time you want.  The only problem is you have to redeem the certificate before it runs out.  Thankfully my gift certificate had a couple of months left but it would have been a waste if I hadn’t got around to clearing out my wallet! 

The Word of God (The Bible) is just like a gift certificate.  It is full of value, potential and powerful promises for anyone who opens it and claims them for themselves.  

There is no ‘valid to’ date on the Bible but many people go through their whole lives failing to claim what is rightfully their’s.  Make sure you don’t miss out on everything the Lord has planned for you!

Looking forward to Christmas?

I have just finished the planning for my family Christmas holiday. 

This is a first for me… usually it is not until a couple of days before the silly season that I do anything about that fact that the that holidays are coming up and that we really need to go somewhere and do something.   But I was determined that this year would be different! 

The reason… I took a leaf out of the book of one of my best friends who told me how they plan their next holiday during their current one so that when they come back to work they have something to look forward to.   

It is not that we hate our jobs, far from it, but knowing that you have a break coming up, relaxation and adventure (whatever mix you like), helps you face all those day-to-day things which can be a real challenge for each of us. Knowing the value of what is coming up helps you face tomorrow, knowing that you are working towards a goal.    

Jesus had the same attitude but He wasn’t just planning His Christmas holidays.  He knew the joy and fulfilment that waited for Him and for all who would follow Him in the future.  But He also knew that He had some challenging work to do before it would become a reality. He faced the disgusting humiliation of the cross, an agonising death, the mockery of people He loved and the cold shadow of a stone tomb because of what was yet to come! 

So whatever you are looking forward to, make sure you are looking in His direction! “looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross” Hebrews 12:2 

Santa’s rounds

I was thinking about the fact that Santa gets to visit every home in our area in one single night.  What an awesome opportunity and what an incredibly interesting experience that would be!  He would see how we have decorated our homes, the state in which we have left the kitchen before we went to bed, and the preparations we have made for the day to come.  Each of us are so different, we have different traditions and different ways of going about our lives.  If you were Santa and got to visit everyone in one night…what would be the message you would want to leave them with?  Part of me would like to turn all the ornaments upside down and reprogram the channels on everyone’s televisions just for the fun of it but it would be a waste of such a great opportunity. I would rather want to stop and think about what is most important, what would be most helpful for the world at the time we live. 

As I think about it, my heart focuses on that first Christmas and the individual that it found at its centre.  The message I would love every home to hear is that Jesus came to earth to bring hope and connection with God.  Real and lasting peace is available because God is reaching out to you.  My prayer for you is that this Christmas is full of joy and peace but most of all that you find the reality of Jesus who is at the centre of your Christmas.

Thankfulness

As I walked through the shops the other day I saw Santa.  He was sitting on his throne having his picture taken with a bunch of kids.  I also saw various pictures, models and Christmas scenes which included the merry old elf.  I saw Santa on a motorbike, Santa caught in a tree, Santa at the beach.  

A friend of mine runs an importing business and has the opportunity to bring into the country items that have not been seen before.  His supplier contacted him this week and told him about a unique Christmas decoration – Santa ‘crucified on the cross’! 

I think that there are many good stories related to Christmas, many wonderful traditions which can be followed and enjoyed but I always like to remind myself that in the midst of myths and fables certain aspects are very real.   

I am so thankful that Jesus came at Christmas!I am thankful that He is a gift of hope and life!I am thankful that He lived to show the way!I am thankful that He died to set us free!I am thankful that He rose to prove His power!I am thankful that He still reaches out to me! 

This Christmas I pray that your family is filled with joy and that the message of Jesus makes a real difference in each of your lives.  Enjoy the traditions but don’t miss what is real!   “For there is born to you this day …a Saviour, who is Christ the Lord.” Luke 2:11 

Packed and ready to go

Surf boards on the roof, suitcases in the boot, two hours of driving before dawn, and the inevitable question…“Are we there yet?” Does it sound familiar?

Christmas holidays have featured the same elements for many years and the advent of the in-car DVD player has only managed to delay the question for a short time. Knowing where you are going and when you hope to get there determines the level of comfort and peace experienced by those in the backseats. But it doesn’t stop the question!

If you lack a plan or don’t have a destination in mind, then the enjoyment of the trip will be diminished and the purpose of the journey will be constantly under question. I know that when Christmas comes…my family likes a plan!

As I thought about preparing for my Christmas holidays this year I found myself thinking about the bigger journey that we are all on. This journey called ‘life’.I found myself asking the question…“Are we there yet?”

Have we reached the destination that we were destined to find? Have we fulfilled all of the possibilities that we were made to fulfil?

The Lord wants to remind us all that the best is yet to come. There is a destination planned for us in this life that is better than where we stand today. There is a hope for eternity that stands steadfast, immovable. But the only way we can find it is by following Christ’s path.

“I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.” John 10:10

Hanging lights

I don’t know about you but I love Christmas lights. I have just finished going through the annual ritual of pulling out the dusty box, untangling the morass of cables and dangling precariously in mid-air as I hang the lights in place. Not that my house will ever mirror the Griswald’s but there is something satisfying about seeing it nicely decorated at Christmas. Finally comes that moment of truth: You flick the switch and the lights come on – well most of them.

In all my years of decorating houses at Christmas there always seems to be at least one section of lights which refuse to come to life. I have found out that if one bulb is blown then a whole section of lights will cease to function. This is all to do with the way that they are wired, each light impacts the lights around them. To fix the problem you have to replace each light in turn until you find the offending lamp and when you do – voilà.

Christmas is a wonderful time to enjoy family, to kick back and to be refreshed but it is also a great opportunity to check out how you are really wired. Are your lamps shining or have they grown a little dim? Are all of the parts of your life ablaze or are there some that need attention? Is the light of your Spiritual life alight, is it broken or have you turned it off? Christmas is a time to shine!

^“Eternal life is in Him (Jesus), and this life gives light to all men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it.” John 1:4

Christmas gift

I was very excited on Christmas morning to open my present and find a digital camera. Unfortunately I have developed RSI of the “trigger finger” as I have taken so many shots.

A few days ago I was reading an article about re-touching your photos. The article detailed how the photographer managed to make the cover-girl on the magazine look the way she did. To achieve the “acceptable” image certain things had to be changed: The whites of the eyes were whitened, the pupils were enlarged, the grey-blue iris was saturated into radiance; tiny blemishes were removed from the skin; hairs were digitally combed; the cheeks were thinned and the teeth received added sparkle. And so, eventually, this new “reality” is presented but it is a reality that is not real at all. When you stripped away all of the digital trickery you were left with a normal, good looking woman not this prefect, unattainable image we seem to crave.

Many people have attempted to “enhance” the message of Christ. Men and women have added little bits here and there to try and improve on what is underneath. But I want to encourage you for a moment to strip away 2000 years of enhancements and come again to the simple and powerful truth that you will find at the centre.

“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” John 3:16