Every year we have a small Elf gathering with two couples to just play, act like we are fourteen again and have fun. We dress up in pajamas, make gingerbread houses, turn up the music real loud, watch movies, dine in and out and give ourselves permission to be young. We were unable to have a big Christmas party this year, due to circumstances beyond our control, but we will next year for sure. One of the best parts of our intimate gathering is to stop, ponder and reflect on the past year, think through the past miracles and talk about what we can do for the future. We were going to have an extended party this year where we invited a bunch of people, but mitigating factors stopped this from happening, so it was just a small gathering. However, the point of the gathering is to play like children and then to stop and thank the Lord for the year, ask God for continuing favor in our lives, protect and provide for our family, our friends and more. Last night we asked the Lord to watch over our tomorrow, to bless our children, to keep us healthy and to use us each and every day in some small way. Have you stopped during this busy time of year to petition your Creator? Its a humbling thing to do this for me. We walked around outside in Downtown Franklin during the annual celebration of Dickens of a Christmas and once again ran into Scrooge on the streets saying all his Dickens lines. He made all of his normal lines seem more revealing this year. Dont get close to me for this picture, you dont even know me. No smiling please, this is not appropriate. Bah Humbug, there are way too many people out here. This is such a messy place during this season. What a hassle, a crowd full of people having fun. I hate cabbage and Christmas. (He didnt really say that.) Anyway, the characters of Jacob Marley, Father Christmas, Old World Santa, Tiny Tim and many others lined the small main street in middle Tennessee with people having their pictures made. The carolers sang beautifully and songs of real Christmas were heard, not Winter Songs, but Christmas ones. Its one of my favorite happenings around Franklin all year long to see the street vendors dressed up in turn of the century costumes. Rachels choir sang, the Franklin High School Choir and as the carols were sung, the tears began to well up in my eyes as I remembered hearing these songs through the years. Christmas has always been my most favorite time of the year and this goes back to my childhood. Its why I abhor when people want to remove Christmas from our society because of political correctness? How ridiculous our culture has become in some areas. In the midst of the music, food busyness, shopping and hilarity, there were people in wheelchairs, people who were handicapped and others who struggled to navigate against the crowd flow and cadence of the day. I was thankful they were there as I stopped to reflect on the pain and suffering of those who were not part of the party. Even to observe those in the party who were going through difficult times. Many of my closest friends are going through a painful season during this years Christmas time. I have close friends who have their first Christmas without their spouse, without their child, without their friend, their favorite pet and more. Many of my dear friends have been attacked this year, family members who were falsely accused and hurt. I have many friends who lost elections, were abandoned and rejected, fired from their jobs and are living a crisis at this very moment. So many times I wish I could reach out and change the world of pain which surrounds them. There is a really great scripture in the first chapter of Phillippians where Paul wrote, How natural it is that I should feel about you this way, for you have a very special place in my heart. Isnt it good to know there are people out there just like Paul, who really do care about you, no matter what you have gone through, that you are loved beyond measure. When you have faced a hard time in your life, you are not abandoned by God. You are loved and you are not alone, even when it might seem like you are. During this trying season when the Scrooges come out to try and steal your joy, your family, your life or more, turn up the Christmas music, watch Its A Wonderful Life and realize you are a blessing. You are prayed for, more than you realize! You are celebrated even when we get too busy to tell you and you matter. May the Lord bless you during this season and again, thank you for the prayer requests you sent me. Please continue to feel free to send away. Each email, we pray for you when we see it! We dont wait, we immediately bow our heads and pray. When you ask for prayer on FB, you will see my normal response, Praying even now because I dont wait to pray when someone asks for prayer, I do it immediately. Sure, it might seem like Scrooge has this Christmas, but I assure you, he does not. Christ has this Christmas and His gift to you, is life. Whoever finds God, finds life. One more weekend until Christmas, so remember the greatest gift is not something you buy at all, its Him.
Posted on: Sun, 14 Dec 2014 14:42:23 +0000
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