Sunday, December 27, 2009

Sacred or Sacrilegious

My youngest daughter will be two tomorrow.  It reminds me of something funny my older daughter said when she was two.  She was in the bathtub and I had the bright idea to read the Bible to her.  So I started in John and read "the Word became flesh."  She immediately said "I want to flush the toilet."

Recently, we were about to take the kids to Chuck E. Cheese's.  The older daughter said to the younger daughter "want to go to Chuck E. Cheese's?"  The younger daughter says "baby Jesus."

Coming from an adult these could be considered sacrilegious.  Coming from kids I consider them sacred.

Friday, December 18, 2009

Christmas Parties

We had our annual Out n About Christmas party.  In case you don't know, the Out n About group is the church's group for older adults.  It was a fun party.  I experienced my first cookie exchange and our very own April Geiger sang Christmas songs while we decorated the boxes the cookies went in.  It sounds kind of cheesy and it was, but it was a good cheesy. 

As always, the food was delicious.  They had this honey turkey that was just amazing.  I really appreciate the group and the joy they bring at this time of year.  I have another Christmas party tonight, it will be much different.  Its a business type of Christmas party.  We are hiring a babysitter.  It will be nice to spend some time with the wife and chat with some of her co-workers. 

Tuesday, December 8, 2009

Manhattan Declaration

A declaration worth reading and worth signing.  Check it out at http://www.manhattandeclaration.org.

I signed it and would love for you to join the movement.  Let me know in the comments section whether or not you signed it and why. 
   

Tuesday, December 1, 2009

God hates...

Yes, God hates sin and God hates divorce and God hates pride, but that's not what I'm referring to. Perhaps even more than those things, God hates loneliness. After proclaiming everything about creation good in the first chapter of Genesis, in the second chapter the first thing God proclaims not good is man's alone-ness: "It is not good for man to be alone." (Genesis 2:18)

For the Jewish people in the Older Testament, a large family was a sign of blessings from God and childlessness was thought to be a curse. In Psalm 68:6, we see the proclamation that no one is without a family when David writes "God sets the lonely in families."

In the New Testament, the author of the book of Hebrews reminds us of a promise from God: "I will never leave you; I will never abandon you." (Hebrews 13:5) That means we are never alone.

If you are feeling lonely this Christmas season, be reminded that God sent His son to die for you AND raised Him from the dead to prove His power over sin and over death and over evil and yes...even over loneliness.

If you are feeling lonely , be reminded that God is with you whether you feel Him or not. Whether you are single or married, have a large biological family or no biological family, whether you are rich or poor, employed or jobless, God is with you.

May you be reminded that Jesus was and still is our "Emmanuel," which means, "God with us."