Let’s venture back to a simpler time when telephones hung on the wall, encyclopedias took up space on book shelves and movies were rented from the local Blockbuster. Some of you have absolutely no idea what an encyclopedia is, have never been in a Blockbuster store and can’t imagine a phone that hung on the wall. But there was a time when you couldn’t download movies on your phone in an instant. It hung on the wall, remember? Instead you had to rent the movie from a video store such as Blockbuster.  It came on a Video-Home System (VHS) tape and was played on a Video Cassette Recorder (VCR). Each VHS tape would have a little sticker on it that reminded the user to rewind the tape prior to returning it to the store. The Blockbuster employee would scold you and even charge you extra on your next rental for not rewinding the VHS tape.

Now, let’s venture back to a time in more recent history – 2017. Now is an opportune time to do a year in review. So, please be kind and rewind.  If you journal or keep a diary, take the time to read back through your entries on the year. Browse through the pictures you have stored on your phone that no longer hangs on the wall. Pull up your calendar and scroll through the year’s events. Or spend some time mentally scrolling through the year’s experiences. What where the highs? The lows? What lessons were learned? What do you wish to repeat in 2018? What do you hope to avoid in 2018? Where did you see God at work in your life in 2017? How do you look for Him to continue that work in 2018?

…the God who started this great work in you will keep at it and bring it to a flourishing finish… Philippians 1:6 (The Message)

Happy New Year!

We talk a lot about hope.

We hope the weather will be good for the big outdoor event we’ve planned. We hope our favorite team will win the Super Bowl—or at least make it to the big game! We hope we get just what we want for Christmas.

But for many of us, hope lacks a sense of certainty. It is more like a wish—something that we want to happen but have no way of knowing that it ultimately will. So, we keep our fingers crossed and “hope” that everything will go the way we want it to. The reality is that often life doesn’t turn out the way we hoped it would. It’s often disappointing. We get discouraged. We can live in despair. We lose hope. We become hopeless.

This was the world Jesus was born into. Isaiah writes that the light that was coming into the world came to a people shrouded in darkness (9:1-7). The people of God were under the oppressive rule of Rome. The nation of Israel was fracturing. The word of God had not been heard for four centuries. And a virgin birth was not a celebrated event in ancient Israel. The people were disappointed. They were living in despair. They had lost hope. Yet, into darkness, true Hope was born. John phrases it this way: “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it” (John 1:5).

Where do you need hope? Not a fingers-crossed wish that you harbor in your heart, but rather a confident, courageous optimism that is rooted in the certainty of God’s Word? Rejoice that Jesus came to give you something better than the disappointments of life on planet earth. You sing about it, so believe it!

The thrill of hope, the weary world rejoices
For yonder brinks a new and glorious morn
Fall on your knees

(O Holy Night)

 Pin your hopes on Jesus this Christmas – fall on your knees – you won’t be disappointed!

Love. Seems to be a bit elusive these days. Yes, even during the Christmas season. Irritated shoppers. Kid’s squawking in Santa’s lap. The office Scrooge. Heated family exchanges. Holiday traveling. Where’s the Christmas love?

The entire message of Christmas is that of love. “For God so loved the world that he gave his only son…” (John 3:16, emphasis mine). Christmas isn’t just about a cute little 8-pound, 6-ounce baby being born in a manger on a silent night in a little town of Bethlehem! Christmas reminds us of the Son of God, who for the love of you and I left his Father’s side to make a way for us to know and experience relationship with him. Christmas is a love story. A story of giving.

Are we reflecting that love story? Take some time this Christmas and ponder how you are sharing the Christmas love. Turn off all the noise. Sit in the quiet. Be still. Take some time to read the Bible. Pray. Think…

• Where can I give of my time? Where can I serve? Who needs me to volunteer? How can I help? Who do I need to sit with?
• Where can I give of my resources? Who do I need to give a gift to? Where do I need to be generous? How can I share of the blessings God has given to me?
• Where can I give of talent? Who needs what I can do? How can I help? Where can I lend a hand?
• Where can I give forgiveness? Where do I need to lay down my weapons? Who do I need to embrace? What do I need to surrender?
• Where can I give the message of Christmas? Who can I invite to church with me? Who can I share the story of St. Nicholas with? How can I share the Christmas story?

Remember: A stingy planter gets a stingy crop; a lavish planter gets a lavish crop. I want each of you to take plenty of time to think it over, and make up your own mind what you will give. That will protect you against sob stories and arm-twisting. God loves it when the giver delights in the giving.                                                  2 Corinthians 9:6-7 (The Message)

Joy. Seems to be a bit elusive these days. Unexpected happenings. Puzzling circumstances. Overwhelming situations. Bothered hearts. Worried minds. Anxious thoughts. Everyone around you is singing “Joy to the World” but you’re just not feeling it.

Yet, joy is one of the greatest gifts God has given to us! On that exceptional night when heaven broke open and angels filled the sky proclaiming the birth of our Savior, the message was, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. (Luke 2:10-11, ESV, emphasis mine).

The message of Christmas is one of joy. For all people! Regardless of unexpected happenings, puzzling circumstances, overwhelming situations, bothered hearts, worried minds, and anxious thoughts. Yes, you can sing “Joy to the World!”

Joy to the World, the Lord has come!

Let earth receive her King:

Let every heart prepare him room,

And Heaven and nature sing,

And Heaven and nature sing,

And Heaven, and Heaven, and nature sing.

The secret is making sure our hearts are preparing room for the gift of joy. Our heart is designed to be full of God. But when our life is occupied with other things there is no room for God. It’s like this. How many people do you know that that cannot park a car in their garage? Garages are made for cars. That’s how they are designed. That’s what gives a garage its purpose. But we fill them up with all kinds of other things they were never designed to hold. The same is true for our hearts. The heart was made to be full of God but when we fill it with worry, stress, and anxiety there’s no room for God.

Take some time this Christmas and prepare Him room! Turn off all the noise. Sit in the quiet. Be still. Rejoice in the Lord! Take some time to read the Bible. Pray. Prepare your heart. Let heaven and nature sing! Experience Joy to the World!

        Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. Philippians 4:4 (ESV)