C-H-R-I-S-T-M-A-S

The song goes like this:

When I was but a youngster,

Christmas meant one thing,

I’d be getting lots of toys that day.

I learned a whole lot different

When mother sat me down,

And taught me to spell Christmas this way:

“C” is for the Christ child born upon this day

“H” for herald angels in the night.

“R” means our Redeemer;

“I” means Israel;

“S” is for the star that shone so bright

“T” is for three wise men, they who traveled far

“M” is for the manger where He lay

“A”’s for all He stands for

“S” means shepherds came

And that’s why there’s a Christmas day.

There are some who would like to remove all semblance of God from the festivities of the season. It really and truly doesn’t matter if someone calls the tree a holiday tree. What matters is how you choose to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. The whole reason for the season is LOVE. God loved us enough to send us His Son as a little baby with the sole purpose of rebuilding a relationship with us. You’ve all seen the signs at sporting events emblazoned with “John 3:16.” This refers to a verse that gives us the true meaning of Christmas.

"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.(NIV)

God wants us to have life. It is all about living and loving…. So instead of being concerned about what people are calling something or what others are doing… take the step of passing on the love you have to someone else this Christmas. You may find out that it is the best gift to receive while you give.

God's not dead

The Camel Question

Have you ever had the opportunity to visit a zoo. All of the unique animals in their specially constructed enclosures. The environments provided for them are fantastic and one would think that the animals enjoy their care free lives there. The following story sheds some interesting light on the “zoo” like conditions of our own lives.

A baby camel asked his mother, “Mom, why do I have these huge three toed feet?”
His mother replied, “Well, son, your toes help you to stay on top of the soft sand when we trek across the desert.”
A few minutes later the baby camel asked,
“Mom, why do I have these long eyelashes?”
His mother replied, “Well, son, your eyelashes help keep the sand out of your eyes on our trips through the desert.”
A few minutes later the baby camel asked, “Mom, why do I have these great big humps on my back?”
His mother, who was getting as little impatient with her son, replied, “Well, son, your humps store energy for our long treks across the desert, so that you can go without food or water for long periods of time.”
“That’s great, Mom, “the baby camel said. “We have huge feet to stop us from sinking, long eyelashes to keep sand out of our eyes and humps to store energy. But…Mom?”
“Yes, son?”
“Why are we in the zoo?”

God created you for a purpose. He’s provided you with gifts and talents so that you can serve Him and make a difference in the world. Are you doing what God created you to do? Maybe you feel a little like the camel in the zoo: Life is easy, things are going along pretty smoothly, but you have a nagging feeling inside that maybe you aren’t living up to your full potential, your God-given potential.

Living in a zoo isn’t all bad, but it’s certainly not what camels were created for. Living outside of the purpose God created you for may not be all bad either, but there is a freedom in using you’re your God-given talents and abilities in the everyday of you life.

Why not stop and do a check on your life to see if you are fully engaging all your talents and abilities. In John 10:10, Jesus says, “I have come that you might have life and have it to the full.” God created you to experience the fullness of this life and that comes through a relationship with Jesus Christ and putting to use the talents and abilities that God has provided you with.

Thought for Today

If action always follows belief. What do you truly believe?

Thought for today

The easy choices we make in life are often the hardest to live with.