Discounted Christmas?

'Tis more than a few weeks into 2024 and the Christmas discounts continued to rise as merchants attempt to gain back their shelf space that was filled with an elf and all other things holiday. Discounts rise from 30-50% a few days after Christmas to 75% after New Year and then usually 90% on anything that is left. 

Anything that is left is basically left over. Slim pickings as faster shoppers made their way through the remainder of Christmas days and weeks after. Broken pieces. Things you may not have even looked at during Christmas. Will you know where it is for next Christmas if you buy now? Money not spent is money saved.

Until one day we arrive at the store and Valentine's Day decorations are fully in stock. Love day started rolling in right after Christmas.

We seem to move through seasons by what merchandise is in the stores at any given time. We start some holidays and just roll right into the next one as witnessed by Happy Thanks Merry HallowGiving Christmas! October rolls right in with November and December holidays all on display as well. Hellish looking monsters for Halloween. A few aisles over fall and Thanksgiving. A few more aisles and Christmas with words like Noel, Joy and Peace. The red and green. The manger pieces. 

Sometimes we discount the joy and peace that Christmas promises far before the actual season. We spend time with our family and friends over some days off hopefully. Then life settles back to “normal”. Often we discount the Christmas that should roll into the New Year with us and last at least into the month of January, hopefully longer. We take down the decorations. We put the manger away....and sometimes we put the Christ of Christmas back into that box with the manger, angel and the rest of the pieces. Sometimes the PEACE of Christmas goes back into the box with the pieces. 

Returning back to work and school. Tax time hits and we get busy with that. Then we flip the calendar page again and it is already February. And we roll into this year like we did all the others. Schedules fill up with sports and other activities. Spring and flowers. Easter and another reason to celebrate the new life we are promised. 

Leaves back on the trees! A few more months and those leaves turn colors and fall to the ground. Hay rides. Bonfires with roasted marshmallows. We are back to October and trick or treating. Candy!

When put that way it really does speed by. What to do to make this year different? To not discount and lose the feelings of Christmas? The reason of Christmas and Easter?

Matthew 5:3-5 (MSG) “You’re blessed when you’re at the end of your rope. With less of you there is more of God and his rule.

“You’re blessed when you feel you’ve lost what is most dear to you. Only then can you be embraced by the One most dear to you.

“You’re blessed when you’re content with just who you are—no more, no less. That’s the moment you find yourselves proud owners of everything that can’t be bought.

Getting Comfortable with Being Uncomfortable

Yikes. I knew it had been awhile since I wrote last. I didn't realize it had been as long as it has! I have lots of ideas, but lack motivation. ;(

Things at our house remain more hectic than I'd like. We seem to be fighting more battles than I'd like. Honestly, I'd rather not have battles to fight....but they certainly keep life interesting.

There were SO many political ads with the recent elections: written, phone calls and TV.  It seems the elections brought out a little of the best and some of the worst in all of us. Talking about politics, especially with someone that doesn't have the same view can be uncomfortable. Now we hopefully heal the rifts and move in the direction we need to move. So many people got involved with elections, conventions, etc. May we not get so comfortable that we get apathetic.

Matthew 5:11-12 (The Message)“Not only that—count yourselves blessed every time people put you down or throw you out or speak lies about you to discredit me. What it means is that the truth is too close for comfort and they are uncomfortable. You can be glad when that happens—give a cheer, even!—for though they don’t like it, I do! And all heaven applauds. And know that you are in good company. My prophets and witnesses have always gotten into this kind of trouble.

We seem to live in an age where we expect to be comfortable. Feel some pain? There's a pill for that. Need to have a conversation that may not go as you like? Avoid it. We even call some of our blankies comforters. We might think this is a somewhat recent phenomenon.

However, in Exodus, we read about Moses. Moses was born a Hebrew. The Pharaoh had ordered baby Hebrew boys to be killed. Moses was placed into a basket by his mother and set afloat in a river. The Pharaoh's daughter found Moses, took him home and raised him as her own. Moses had a pretty comfortable life as Pharaoh's grandson. Moses still connected with "his" people though. His people became slaves in Egypt. They didn't like it. They wanted out.

(Sometimes we are offered the opportunity to leave our comfort zone)

God provided opportunities for them to leave. When they finally left, life wasn't exactly what they thought it would be. They wanted to go back....even if it meant remaining as slaves.

(Seeking comfort can give us unrealistic expectations and we want to go back to what we know because it is familiar. That doesn't mean it's better)

After wandering in the dessert for 40 years, they finally got to their promised land.

(Sometimes a period of being uncomfortable leads to comfortable)

Where's your promised land? Are you on your way there? What's standing in your way? Is it worth the effort? Enough ?s?  ;)

It seems we're living in a world that is becoming pretty comfortable with the status quo. It seems we're living in a world that even the current status quo is sliding in the wrong direction. It seems rather gradual until you look back and notice how far we've slipped. TV, music, movies, books.

As time and the world march on, being a Christian is going to continue becoming more uncomfortable. There will be people that will not agree with the way we try to live our lives. That does not mean we should give up. It means we need to try and fight even harder. We may never reach the point of being comfortable with this. We are not promised comfortable, but we are promised comfort.

 2 Corinthians 1:3-7 (NLT) ³ All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is our merciful Father and the source of all comfort. ⁴ He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us. ⁵ For the more we suffer for Christ, the more God will shower us with his comfort through Christ. ⁶ Even when we are weighed down with troubles, it is for your comfort and salvation! For when we ourselves are comforted, we will certainly comfort you. Then you can patiently endure the same things we suffer. ⁷ We are confident that as you share in our sufferings, you will also share in the comfort God gives us.

In the world we live in, I don't know how we live without that comfort.

Why Not Me?

Philippians 4 : 12 (MSG) I've learned by now to be quite content whatever my circumstances. I'm just as happy with little as with much, with much as with little. I've found the recipe for being happy whether full or hungry, hands full or hands empty. Whatever I have, wherever I am, I can make it through anything in the One who makes me who I am.

Did you ever notice that we are quick to ask "Why me?" when things are not going well or we feel overwhelmed? Our family has had a lot of junk going on lately....I will refer to them as joy-stealers, and tomorrow I go in for surgery on my neck. Fear is fighting hard to take over....but.... as the above verse states I will be content (happy) in my circumstances....not for them, but IN them I will choose joy because I am not walking alone.

When things are going wonderfully without the bumps of joy stealers, I rarely ask why me.

So whether perceived good or bad, I will begin to ask myself "why not me?" Sometimes we are asked to walk through things we would not choose, but God trusts us enough and/or has a bigger picture in mind of what He wants accomplished. May people see how we handle our circumstances and see God through us.

As someone mentioned to me recently, sometimes we need to be laying down to look up. Very profound!

Matthew 5: 14, 16 (NIV) “You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.”

I saw this a few days ago and it made quite an impact on me. Thought I'd share. If you have a few minutes, definitely worth a watch.
http://www.godtube.com/view_video.php?viewkey=8616c1559ab4221b3910