Good Tuesday morning! Whee-oo, the house got chilly last night! That wind chilled things out yesterday and didn't stop blowing until late in the evening. But the clear skies speak of sunshine to come and the heaters are driving away the nighttime chill with a little help from some hot coffee. I didn't even go outside yesterday. Windy, cold days are just fine for sitting inside and drinking plenty of hot tea. How about a nice cup of freshly brewed faith for this morning? That's right, freshly brewed faith! Some days the darkness of night seems to come early. We get beaten down by the aches, pains, cares, frustrations, temptations, and addictions of the world. Some mornings we awaken after a night of little sleep and the next day just seems to be right there in our face, so close that we can hardly seem to breathe. Sit down, take a deep breath, grab a cup of faith and a roll of encouragement from the Lord's word. Pour out your problems and stress to God. You should have done it before going to bed, but your mind was on the problems instead of the Lord and now you don't feel rested at all. So take time before facing today's problems, push back on the stress, and sit for a nice hot cup of faith and a warm roll of encouragement. Feel the smooth taste of forgiveness, the energizing touch of the Holy Spirit, and the soft glow of Christmas. Take a few moments to think about a birth in Bethlehem more than 2,000 years ago and what that birth means to you on this day. You might even take out your Bible and turn to Matthew to read how the wise men traveled far to worship the newborn King of the Jews. Read in Luke about how Mary submitted to the Lord's will and think on how she is honored even today for bearing our Lord.
This weekend we endured a blitz of ads about Black Friday and Cyber Monday. All of us were in some way encouraged to spend money. That's a lot of pressure when we are worried about the future. Christmas is a season of giving as we celebrate the gift God gave to us in that little town of Bethlehem. Be careful in your spending, but give to honor the Lord. Enjoy the giving! Decorate the home, send out the cards, praise the name of Jesus, and enjoy the opportunity to spread the Good News! Jesus is born!
The "thorns" of this world will try to choke out our joy. This season is among the most difficult for many. Perhaps, just maybe, a gift given unexpectedly and at the right time can help someone in dire need of a little encouragement. The gift might be as little as a few words of love from your favorite Bible verses. The gift might be something the person can hold or something that only touches the heart, but a gift given will not be ignored. Touch a life this Christmas season, but above all celebrate the birth of The Son with God!
Have a very merry Christmas!
Bucky
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