Reflection on Christmas

"Mary, Did You Know" has to be my favorite Christmas song. I absolutely love it! And yes, I do get a lot of my inspiration for blogs from songs! 
We need to focus on the real reason for Christmas. I know that so many of us has heard this way to many times but I think its a good thing to hear, just to remind us."Jesus is the reason for the season" type logos are to, well....to religious for me. Yes it's true. But I want something deeper than just religion. I want a relationship. My pastor told a story tonight at the Christmas Eve service. It made me cry.

There were a couple of missionaries in a orphanage during Christmas. (I don't remember what country it was) They told the children the story of Jesus and afterward, they gave them some paper, flannel, tissue paper and cardboard to make their own manger scene. The cardboard was for the manger, the tissue paper for the hay, the flannel for a blanket and the paper was to make baby Jesus. One of the missionaries was going around looking at the children's crafts and everything was going well until he came to one little boy. This little boy had two babies in the manger, instead of just one. When he asked the little boy why there were two babies in the manger, the little boy started to tell the Christmas story from the beginning with accuracy until the end. When he came to the end of the story this is what he said.
"When Mary put Jesus in the manger, Jesus asked me if I had anyplace to stay. I said no. I didn't have a mommy, or a daddy, or a place to live. I was all by myself. Jesus asked if I wanted to stay with Him. I really wanted to, but I knew I didn't have a gift for Jesus like the three wise-men. But I thought that maybe He would want me to keep Him warm. I asked Jesus if He would like that. Jesus replied and said, "Yes. If you kept me warm, that would be the greatest gift I have ever received." The little boy then climbed into the manger with Jesus, and Jesus told him that he could stay with Him forever and ever. After finishing his story, the little boy burst into tears and could only repeat the words "forever and ever" over and over again.

"Forever and ever" is why Jesus came to this earth. "Forever and ever" is why we have Christmas. "Forever and ever" is how long Jesus' love lasts for us. "Forever and ever" is how long we will be in Heaven with Jesus Christ, that little baby boy who came to die for us.

There is also another story my pastor told tonight.
There was a mom doing some last minute Christmas shopping. And, as anyone would be on Christmas Eve, she was pretty rushed. At some point in her craze, she realized that her three year old was nowhere to be seen. She retraced her steps and found him with his nose up against a window. In the window was a Nativity scene display. He turned to his mom and said, "Look mommy! It's Jesus! It's baby Jesus!" As his mother hurriedly jerked him away from the window she said, "Hurry up, we don't have time for that."

"We don't have time for that" ?! You don't have time for the whole reason of Christmas when you are out running around for Christmas presents? I know I'm guilty of it. Everyone is. Forgetting why we celebrate Christmas. But my goal this year is to make time for the one and only Christmas present that will last forever and ever.

I still don't know where the song "Mary, Did you Know?" fits into all of this...lol...but I just think it's a pretty cool song. Did Mary know that she was holding the human form of God? Did she know that the baby she held had walked with angels, and would someday walk on water? That just amazes me. The end of the song gives me chills everytime I hear it! 

Merry Christmas everyone!

Voice of Truth

So I don't really know what I'm going to write, but I really wanted to write a blog about the song Voice of Truth. Like so many other songs, it has been a theme song of mine for almost the last year. These are my three favorite verses:

Oh, what I would do
to have the kind of strength it takes
To stand before a giant
with just a sling and a stone
Surrounded by the sound
of a thousand warriors
shaking in their armor
Wishing they'd have had the strength to stand

But the giant's calling out
my name and he laughs at me
Reminding me of all the times
I've tried before and failed
The giant keeps on telling me
time and time again
"Boy you'll never win,
you'll never win."

But the voice of truth tells me a different story
the voice of truth says "do not be afraid!"
and the voice of truth says "this is for my glory"
Out of all the voices calling out to me
I will choose to listen and believe the voice of truth

When I moved here, I really did feel like I was just a little person up against a "Giant". The sling was my faith and the stone was the Holy Spirit. I was so scared. I wasn't scared about making new friends. I knew I could do that. Other than acting, that is my one talent; making friends. There were two major things I was scared of. 1. Losing my faith. and 2. Losing my friends in Minnesota. I kept telling myself that I couldn't do it. I was convinced I was going to fail. I was so mad at God for making me move here, I was ready to turn my back on Him. I was ready to die. I wanted to die. I would have rather died than move to Papio. But He got my attention. Like He always does when I'm ready to do something stupid. He said "Do not be afraid, for this is for My glory."
I still struggle with the battle between listening to the Giant laughing at me, telling me that there is no use, that I should just give up and listening to the voice of Truth. But at least now, I kind of have just a glimpse of God's plan for me here. The puzzle pieces are starting to fit together. Just like they always do!
With God's love, the Holy Spirit in me, and Jesus by my side,

I will believe the voice of Truth.

Saving Trees, Killing Children

I was on my way to babysitting tonight and I was listening to the radio and there was a song by Casting Crowns (one of my favorite bands) that I had not heard before. It's "While You Were Sleeping". It's one of their Christmas songs. One of the verses goes like this: 

United States of America 
Looks like another silent night 
As we’re sung to sleep by philosophies 
That save the trees and kill the children 
And while we’re lying in the dark 
There’s a shout heard ‘cross the eastern sky 
For the Bridegroom has returned 
And has carried His bride away in the night 

Save the trees and kill the children??? What sick, twisted country does that!?! Apparently, ours. That makes me so incredibly furious!!! We make such a fuss about global warming and polar bears and gas prices and immagrents and "hugging" trees while all the while we are murdering (appx.)3,700 unborn babies each day!!!!!!! 
That makes me sick. 

When I was babysitting, the little one year old was crying for his parents so I held him on my lap and rocked him until he was calm. After sitting in my lap for a while, he ran his hand up and down my arm, then took my finger and held it. The whole time I was thinking how millions of tiny hands like those have been stilled. Millions of little voices saying "Daddy" or "Sissy" have been silenced. Millions of little feet toddleing around have been stopped. 

Don't get me wrong, all those other political issues are important too, but they physically aren't hurting anyone. 

Abortion is just plain and simple, down right murder. 

Save the trees and kill the children? 

Seriously, America? Seriously?