Easter in December

Christmas, 1980.

Angry Iranian students locked Kathryn Koob alone in a tiny bedroom. Crying, she gazed out through her small window at the treetops and blue sky. Freedom was so close and yet unreachable. How frustrating.

Soon her eyes focused on the communications antenna of the U.S. Embassy. The antenna's braces formed a perfect cross. Kathryn smiled and sighed as she realized this was God's message. Jesus Christ dwelt in her heart and he would help her endure whatever pain or loneliness lay ahead.

Singing hymns, reciting Bible verses, and frequently staring at that cross helped Kathryn, a hostage in a foreign country, celebrate Christmas. She worshiped her way through the holidays.

What about my Christmas?

 

 For my Christmas to have meaning, I too must center my thoughts on the cross and what it means in my life.

Christmas without Easter is merely a sweet story about a baby's birth. Add the ministry of Jesus, his sacrificial death and miraculous resurrection, and Christmas becomes life-giving.

As the holiday fanfare dies down, remember the significance of the cross. It will complete your Christmas joy.

God's rainbow of light shining through a window.

How can you continue your holiday worship throughout the coming months?

Christmas Blessings!

"For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulder. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace." (Isaiah 9: 6)

                                                                                                                                                     (Photo courtesy Lorraine Eyer) 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Christmas Alone

Bear near me. Lord Jesus! I ask Thee to stay
Close by me forever, and love me, I pray.
Bless all the dear children in Thy tender care,
And fit us for heaven, to live with Thee there.

Tears streamed down my face as I watched Kathryn Koob, American hostage in Iran, sing that third stanza of Away in a Manger over world-wide television. It was Christmas, 1980, and she wanted to assure her loved ones she was leaning on God to help her endure an unjust imprisonment, which included solitary confinement.

In the midst of a cruel and confused world, this woman directed viewers to the Living Christ who protects and comforts us in our sorrow. Her Christmas worship consisted of forming a cross out of a silver gum wrapper and reciting the entire second chapter of Luke. She had memorized it as a child. What a witness!

Are you alone this Christmas, removed from family and friends? Are worry and anxiety your constant companions? Are you fearful about relationships or finances or health? Let Jesus fill your heart with his divine love and concern. He knows your loneliness for he, too, was alone. He knows your pain, for he also hurt.

Lift your spirits by praising God for his goodness. Lift up your hands and sing out loud to him a favorite chorus of praise. Thank him for everything you can imagine. Focus on how great he is and how much he loves you.

Don't host a pity-party for yourself. Recognize that sometimes even the noisiest holiday hoopla covers up dissension, despair, and estrangement. Let Jesus comfort you and care for you, so you can care for others.

Pray for yourself that God will be very close to you this Christmastime. Have a blessed celebration whether you're alone or with loved ones.

Home of Mike & Lorraine Eyer, Glendale, AZ       (photo courtesy Lorraine Eyer - Construction Mike Eyer)

Christmas Crib

Years ago, I owned a favorite Christmas book with pictures of different nativity sets from around the world. Each beautiful creche reflected facial features and costumes indigenous to the country of the artist.

The manger scene from Mexico showed Mary and Joseph with dark skin and the lovely brown eyes of the Mexican people. The one from Sweden portrayed Mary with blond hair and fair skin, while the set from Nigeria featured dark-skinned people, adorned with ornate African headwear. The Japanese nativity was delicate and decidedly Asian. The most accurate of all was the one from Israel. It showed the figures with handsome Jewish features.

This suggests we desire identity with God. When we see something of ourselves reflected in Christ's birth, then his life, death, and resurrection take on personal meaning for us. It does not deny Jesus' divinity. It allows us to come to him, even in our humanity.

Our need for Emmanuel, God with us, is shown clearly in Christmas art. Accuracy in depicting the manger scene is not as important as the message that God willingly became one of us. Praise him for that!

                                                   

Do you have a nativity set up in your home this holiday? Do you use it as a teaching tool for your children, or a reminder for yourself of the reason we celebrate?

Emmanuel

"I'm scared," Timmy wheezed as he grabbed my hand. (Timmy is now 40-year-old Tim.) "I know you are, Honey," I replied, trying to sound calm. It was the middle of the night and we were speeding toward the hospital with our six-year-old son who was having a severe asthma attack.

"I'll be with you the whole time," I promised. His handclasp relaxed just a bit and he leaned his head against my shoulder.

How many times have parents reassured frightened children with the promise, I'll be with you? Knowing we can't prevent life's traumas, our only recourse is to go through the experience with them.

As they grow older, we assure them of our spiritual fellowship, if not our physical presence: "I'm praying for you; I'm hurting for you; I'm here if you need to talk."

God, the Perfect Parent, promises the same thing. That's why Emmanuel is such an important name for Jesus: "God with us." We're blessed with the presence of a Parent who feels our hurt, loves us, and says, "I'm here if you need to talk."

When you are afraid, what helps you feel the presence of God?

"O come, o come, Emmanuel."

(If you know someone who needs to be reminded God is with him/her, feel free to share this using the social media buttons below.)

Let's Talk Classics

Many of you enjoyed the I Love Lucy special Sunday evening. I missed it but could probably tell you word-for-word what went on. As a child, I watched the original shows with my parents every Monday (?) evening. My mom laughed so hard she cried and couldn't talk.

Many years later, I enjoyed the re-runs during my lunch breaks as a stay-at-home mom. Thanks to Sunday's special, a new generation gets to delight in Lucy's straight-forward, slap-stick humor. They also get to witness how far women have come in the issue of equality (I know, not far enough but farther than poor Lucy, who feared her husband's wrath). For her time, Lucy was edgy and feisty, even though her gender corralled her.

 

 

Today's World

 

Compare the simple life portrayed in I Love Lucy to today's world. What we view on t.v. is frightening, out of control, angering even. We get news 24/7 and it ain't good! I think our minds can use doses of simple, classical, corny television. Maybe it would help wash out some of the reality we see on news stations and Hollywood tell-all programs.

Other Valuable Classics

 

The Dick Van Dyke Show, the one with Mary Tyler Moore, is one of my favorites. I own the set of all 150 episodes and yes, I can lip-sync most of the dialog because I watched the re-runs daily (again, during lunch. Hmm. I guess I took lo-o-ong lunches.). The script writing of the Van Dyke show was superb, thanks to Carl Reiner's genius. The themes were universal and are applicable to today's family issues.

Young parents: to learn parenting skills, watch Andy Griffith re-runs. He loved Opie yet firmly disciplined him to keep him "a good boy." He was a single dad at a time when that was an anomaly. Of course, he did have Aunt Bea. Wouldn't we all love to have an Aunt Bea in our kitchens, making Sunday pot roast and baking cookies?

Suggestion:

 

If you need a break from the ugliness of current events, treat yourself to some of those old classics. It will cleanse your brain.

Note to t.v. moguls: we need more good stuff.

Have a blessed, classical day!

A Person who Ponders

What do you ponder? Think about? Mull over? Daydream?

 Hmmm. A person who ponders is a powerful person at peace. Say that three times fast!

 

"But Mary kept all these things, pondering them in her heart." (Luke 2: 19 RSV)

God chose a reflective young woman to mother his son. The shepherds' visit caused astonishment to all but Mary, who tucked the event into her memory bank. Years later, after the amazing incident of 12-year old Jesus with the Jewish teachers in the temple, we're told his mother "...treasured all these things in her heart." (Luke 2:51 NIV)

Mary is the picture of serenity in spite of living in a volatile society. Remember, she and Joseph eventually had to flee to Egypt for their baby's safety. Even as a lonely refugee in a foreign land, Mary was a woman at peace.

From what we know of her faith and willingness to be God's servant, we have to believe she surrendered Jesus to God's will, even as she witnessed his horrible crucifixion. How her mother's heart was torn.

But we also have to believe she was comforted by the God of peace. Did God cause her to remember all those thoughts she had placed into her mind for safekeeping throughout the years of Jesus' life? Did those thoughts fall into place like a divine puzzle?

Ponder Power

Are you in need of tranquility? Try imitating Mary's practice of pondering. Carve out time to read from the Bible and then just sit and mull it over. Look at the passage from many angles: God's perspective, your perspective, a non-believer's, and a child's. Dialog with the Lord and be immersed in his love and peace. Let his words soothe you as you faithwalk through your days.

During this hectic time of year, I wish you pockets of time to absorb God's Word and feel his unconditional love.

The Holy Family - carved out of olive wood from Jerusalem

Angel Party

Those angels really knew how to throw a party!

 

Imagine yourself a shepherd the eventful night of Christ's birth in the fields surrounding Bethlehem. You're caring for your sheep as you've done almost every night of your life, just like your father and grandfather. The routine of the sheep is embedded in your lifestyle.

Suddenly an angelic courier appears with a very special birth announcement: the long-awaited Messiah is born! You know what he's talking about for the scriptures were drilled into you as a Hebrew child.

Before you fully digest the news, an angel chorus bursts into song, their voices cutting through the crisp night air. Close your eyes and try to imagine the harmony, the grandeur, the beauty of the music. It is like no other choir you've ever heard.

This night of sameness comes alive with praises to God. Hopes soar, adrenalin flows, and you forget the animals, knowing you've witnessed something greater than life itself.

Our holiday celebrations, though terrific, are dull in comparison. Perhaps we never can duplicate the excitement of those angels but we can steep ourselves in the Christmas Scriptures and share their joy in worshiping God.

This Christmas make these words of praise your words:

"Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men."

May your holiday weeks be a time of peace and love and gratitude for our Savior.

And...
     Have an angelic party!

This is our automated angel who sits atop our tree. Trouble is, her wings squeak as they move back and forth. I think she has a terrible case of arthritis. Hers is not the sound of the angelic chorus that visited the shepherds. Too bad.