A Christ-filled Christmas

Revelation 3:20, "Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me."

As I sat reading this scripture at my church's Christmas Eve Eve service last night, I really thought about the "if's" of this passage. "If anyone hears my voice" and "If you open the door". Can you hear His voice? With the busyness of the Christmas time and all the things going on with school, at home, on the sports field, etc, can you hear Him? I came across a nice quote the other day,"Make time for the quiet moments as God whispers and the world is loud." I do not think it is ironic that Jesus came to earth not as a conquering king, but as a meek and quiet baby. Do you take time to escape from the world and just listen to His voice and read His word and bask in His glory? Also, will you open the door for Him? I once heard a story about the different rooms in our heart. It told about this person who was showing Jesus around the rooms of their heart and Jesus said to the person that he wanted to have their whole heart. Will you open the door of your heart to Him? It is up to you because he does not force His way in, instead he waits patiently for you. Can You hear Him calling out to you as he tries to get your attention and pull you away from the distractions of this world? This Christmas will it be different than the other ones? Will you appreciate the time spent with family more than the presents that will just waste away in closets as dust piles up on them in the years to come? Will you focus on the gift of baby Jesus and the love He shows us everyday by wanting a relationship with each and every one of us?

P.S. Sorry if you have already gone to service and this sounds exactly like it. I could not help, but write a post about it because I thought service was superb!

A Little Margin (more like a big one)

The latest series at good ol' Mountain Christian Church has been "I'm Dreaming of a White Space Christmas." We have been digesting the idea that every single one of us needs some down time in life. Our society encourages us to keep going and give it our all while having a jam-packed schedule. But in reality this intangible. Every one of us gets burnt out and tired and cranky when life gets a little too busy or exhausting. The idea that I need down time, is one I have thought about. I enjoy time alone in fact, even though I am a people person down to my very core. It gives me time to take a breath, think about things, and meditate on Him. I do this every morning which is a necessary part of my daily schedule, but I am starting to think that I should do it throughout the day if possible. When I get stressed I usually cry. I enjoy crying because it helps me get things out and usually I will journal about it or call up a friend. This happens more than I like it too. With the jam-packed schedule of an active teenager, things can get crazy. I am starting to realize that my moods really do affect other people. If I come home and I am upset about something, it affects my family. Who wants to come home to a cranky, emotional teenager? It needs to stop. I am done being so stressed that I break down and take it out on other people. I am done trying to carry the world on my shoulders. You can have it all Lord because I cannot handle it. Only You can.

Ephesians 5:15, "Be very careful, then, how you live-not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil."

I refuse to conform.

Freedom?!

The other day during devotions I stumbled across this passage: Romans 3:22-24, "This righteousness from God comes through faith in Christ Jesus to all who believe, There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus." Yes, the passage is a message for the Jews and Gentiles that righteousness and uprightness does not come from following the law, but from faith in Christ Jesus because of the sacrifice He made on the cross. This got me thinking.....am I free? I am free! Christ saved me from enslavement to sin and guilt and fear, but does that change how I live my life? I am constantly living in fear and entanglement. Yes, God gave us guidelines to live by and one might think, "That makes you enslaved to the rules of the Bible." Actually, no. It makes me even more free, because God shows us the things we should avoid in life so that we are further away from trials and pain. God shows us a way of life that has benefits and purpose and challenge and excitement, even though the world does not understand it. So, I am free. Are you? Have you recognized the gift of the Savior for YOU. Do not pass up this moment without thanking Him for all He has done.