Enjoying the Journey
Posts Tagged ‘Christmas’
“I’ll Be Home For Christmas…”
“I’ll be home for Christmas…” Familiar words from one of the most beloved Christmas carols. There truly is something wonderful about being home at this time of year. And yet, they are not always reality. Some cannot be home for Christmas this year. As a frequent traveler I often think at this time of year about people who cannot be home with those they love. Some cannot be home because of security. Consider specifically men and women who have given themselves to protect and serve our nation. They are scattered around the globe defending liberty. Certainly they would love to be home but they are busy protecting our homeland, and for that we should all be grateful. Thank you for…
Read MoreAnnouncing A Special Christmas Series!
Can you believe that it is December? The month ahead will be a busy one for families and church families. We must never allow our schedules to crowd out time in the Scripture. Every day is a day to celebrate our Savior and one of the best ways to do so is to spend time with Him each day. Beginning Monday on Enjoying The Journey we will study some of the great Scripture texts about the Lord Jesus Christ. It will be a month of Christmas on the podcast! We hope you will join us as we walk through God’s Word and meditate on our wonderful Savior. Each week we will look at a special part of the Christmas message……
Read More‘Tis The Season…For Resolutions
Christmas and New Year are a time for family and fun. But for a believer it is a season of faith. A time to turn our eyes to Christ and to His work in our lives. The holidays are to be more than a time for festivity. They are to be a time of reflection and worship. In fact, the word holiday comes from holy day. (Read more about that here.) Appropriately this season is celebrated just before the dawn of a new year. The older I get the more this season becomes a time of reflection and preparation in my own heart. ‘Tis the season to be jolly? ‘Tis the season to search your heart! ‘Tis the season to…
Read MoreChristmas Miracles
Even among unbelievers Christmas is viewed as a season for miracles. (Think Miracle on 34th Street!) But for those of us who know Christ it is more than that – it is a reminder that we serve a God who works miracles. Christmas is merely a reminder of who God is every day. He is the miracle working God of the Scriptures. Every part of Christmas is miraculous… There is the miracle of the incarnation: that God would become a man without ceasing to be God. There is the miracle of the virgin birth: that the Son of God would be born without the aid of any man. There is the miracle of divine providence: that angels, shepherds, stars, and every…
Read MoreDon’t Forget These Things On Your Christmas List!
Everyone is busy this week. Shopping. Eating. Cooking. Eating. Traveling. Eating. Wrapping. Eating. It is easy to forget the things that truly matter in the hurry and haste. Perhaps you are working feverishly from a Christmas list. Would you add these things to your list this year? Don’t forget Christ. Remember it is His birth we are celebrating! Spend some quiet time communing with Him each day. Set aside moments for the Word and prayer. Tell Him you love Him and show Him by what you do with your time. Don’t forget your family. Is that possible at Christmas? Certainly. We can be so distracted doing things for them that we forget to be with them. Be present. Talk. Laugh.…
Read MoreMissing Messiah
While preaching recently in the beautiful state of Connecticut I was driven through several old cemeteries. Very old. It was fascinating to see markers going back to the 1600’s! It may sound strange but I have always enjoyed visiting cemeteries. Reading the epitaphs. Noticing the ages. Imagining the stories. Every memorial is a reminder of a fleeting life and an eternal soul. One afternoon between meetings I took a brief run. As I came upon a cemetery I noticed the star of David prominently placed at the entrance. Walking slowing through the rows of grave markers I was overwhelmed frankly by the hundreds and hundreds of Jewish families that had been laid to rest in that place. Did they ever…
Read MoreA Christmas Letter from the Writer of Amazing Grace
You will be tempted not to finish reading this post. Could I ask you now to read to the very end? I have just completed a wonderful biography on the Life of John Newton, originally published by the American Sunday School Union in 1831. The account details how God took a slave trader (who became a slave himself) and transformed him into a beautiful Christian and powerful preacher of the gospel. Newton spoke much about the grace of God in his life. Most notably, he wrote the words we so often sing, Amazing grace – how sweet the sound – That saved a wretch like me! I once was lost but now am found, Was blind but now I see.…
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 MoreChristmas in Heaven?
There is a well-known song that imagines what Christmas must be like in Heaven. In truth, Heaven is one endless season of joy. In that beautiful place the wonder of Christmas does not come just once a year. Years are not counted in that city; it is one endless day – one continuing celebration! At this season I think of my grandparents more than ever. There was no place quite like Grandma’s house for Christmas. They are all with the Lord now. Perhaps it is fitting that we think of Heaven more at this time of the year when home is so very precious. There are many things we do not know for sure about Heaven. Based on Scripture’s description…
Read MoreDealing with “Down Time”
Down times can often be down times. Activity, or lack of it, has a great deal of effect on our emotions. The closing days of a year are a very reflective time for most people. Holidays mark the end of yet another year. Life is passing quickly. The danger in all of this, of course, is that it is easy to get our eyes on our circumstances, on ourselves, and off of the Lord. Remember that it is an all-wise God who designed the seasons, every season with its purpose. This season is an interval to rest and be renewed for the days ahead. As I grow older I appreciate more the “down times.” They are necessary before the next…
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