Enjoying the Journey
Posts Tagged ‘Celebration’
Birthday Meditations
Birthday celebrations are special, especially when you get to enjoy them with family. The older I get the more my celebrations turn to meditations. (They tell me that reflection is just another sign of old age!) Every milestone in life is an opportunity to both glorify God and examine your own heart. I am very grateful that God has allowed me to live to my forty-second birthday. It has been a joy this week to hear from so many special friends and rejoice in the goodness of God. And it has caused me to think about so many things. God willing, tomorrow I will preach from the oldest psalm in the Bible. Not because I feel old, but because there…
Read MoreA Big Day
Tomorrow is a big day for our family. In just a few hours Lauren will turn 16 and Morgan will graduate from high school. As a dad it is both joyful and sobering to watch my baby girls grow up. Later this summer our youngest, Grant, will turn 13. (Pray for us, please!) Today is reflective for me and for their mother. Where has time gone? Just last month they were all born. Just last week they were learning to walk. Just yesterday they started school. Or at least that’s how it all seems. Life…a vapor. I am not writing these things to depress you! Instead, I am encouraging you to make the most of every day. Don’t waste one.…
Read MoreTurning a Holiday into a Holy Day
Recently I had the joy of sharing with several young married couples a few thoughts on how to make this holiday a holy day. The word holiday conjures up a variety of meanings and memories. In Europe, the word is used for the common American term “vacation.” Here in the U.S. the word is usually connected with family and food! It is interesting that the word holiday actually comes from the root word for holy day. Most holiday celebrations are anything but holy. In fact, the very word holiday has become so secularized that we almost think of it as a non-Christian term. For God’s people every day is a holy day…or at least it should be. Through the centuries certain days…
Read MoreThe Biggest Birthday Celebration in the World
We are only days away from the biggest birthday celebration in the world! No birthday on earth has more celebration or more misunderstanding. A recent Pew survey suggests that half of Americans will not celebrate Christmas as a religious holiday this year. For more and more people Christmas is becoming a cultural holiday. “Happy holidays,” they say. Ironic since the word holiday comes from holy day. Without the holy there is no true happiness. The world wants to celebrate His birthday without using His name. There has been a good deal of debate over the actual birth day of the Christ child. It is interesting to note that Alfred Edersheim, the famous Jewish researcher and author, suggests that December 25…
Read MoreMaking Christmas Gifts More Meaningful
Shiny packages and suspense are part of the excitement at Christmas. Fascinating, isn’t it? We spend weeks buying the gifts (or one crazy day if you are like me) and in about 30 minutes it is all over! My grandma used to say, “It is just a big build up for a big let down.” Perhaps a little pessimistic, but very close to the truth. Things change as we get older, but the fun of gift giving (and receiving) continues. Yesterday we celebrated with our family at home and on Christmas day we will do it all over again at my mom and dad’s house. Gift exchange has become more like a progressive dinner than an event! To be sure,…
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