Sunday, December 11, 2016

Happy Advent Everyone! Sorry it has been a while...









Oh life, you get so busy.  One of my favorite books opens with the line that "Busyiness is not from the Devil, Busyiness IS the devil."   Yikes, I guess you could say I got caught in his snare for a while.

I also heard the quote recently, that everyone needs at least 20 minutes of prayer every day.  Unless you are really busy, then you need at least an hour.

This is just like the picture that hung in my parents kitchen for decades. "If you are too busy to pray, then you are too busy."

I think you get my point now, and as we are all preparing for Christmas in our homes, this busyness can grow exponentially.  

In our house, we are decorating, and baking, and watching Frosty the snowman, and all those fun Christmas things.  We are driving around looking at Christmas Lights, and shopping for an equal number of gifts for each child. 

All of this is in addition to all the other stuff we already do.  Like homework,  after school activities,  and sports. Cleaning, and picking up, laundry and laundry.  (I HATE LAUNDRY!) 

Then I am also trying to keep Jesus in Christmas by blessing the Advent Wreath, talking about what GIFTS we can GIVE to Jesus for his Birthday, and trying to find a family prayer time.  All of which usually gets left for last, or doesn't even happen.   It's terrible.

Have you ever given a gift to someone that you were SUPER excited about giving them?  Maybe a friend, that you found a really cool necklace for, that you think they will totally appreciate and love.  Maybe a child you think will think some toy is TOTALLY cool and you are looking forward to seeing there face when they open it?  Then when they finally do open these spectacular gifts, their reaction is completely, "Eh."  Like, "Thanks, but whatever." They may think it is cool, but they DO NOT GET NEARLY AS EXCITED AS YOU WERE TO GIVE IT TO THEM.  Doesn't that suck?

That's is how I think God sometimes feels about his Christmas Gift to us.

He gave us something that was VERY PRECIOUS to him.  Like Oprah's favorite things.  But it was HIS favorite thing (no s).  HIS SON.   His very son.  He gave this to us, not because He think we will love playing with this gift, or because we will look so awesome in it.  He gave it to us because HE knows without this gift we will swimming in our own stinking sin for eternity.  

And sometimes we are like, "Eh."

SO, this Advent, we should prepare our HEARTS for the MOST AMAZING CHRISTMAS GIFT.  We are all going to get it, and it is way better than any pair of boots, or diamond earrings or apple watch.   This gift is Jesus.  Let us take time away from the busyness of this world and get our homes ready to receive him.   (I know that sounds so Church-y but I am serious.)

Let's just stop being busy.  Just stop it.   Instead let's focus on what it is really important!!!

Happy Advent Yall!






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