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Tag: Christmas (Page 6 of 10)

Prepare With Prayer

December 8, 2020 / / 0 Comments

As we make our way toward Christmas, we spend lots of time getting things ready. From the lights to the tree to the Christmas meal and all the trimmings of the season there is a lot to do to prepare for Christmas. And that doesn’t have anything to do with the presents that need purchased and boxed and wrapped!

In the same way we have to prepare for Christmas externally with all of the to-do list items needing done, we also need to make sure we’re in the right place spiritually and emotionally for Christmas. This kind of preparation might seem unimportant but honestly getting our heart and mind ready for Christmas is the most important thing we can do.

Whether we’re planning a large family gathering like we have in years past or a smaller more intimate setting in light of the current situation, there will be things that need done to prepare our heart and mind for Christmas. Last week we looked at getting ready by pondering the message of Christmas. Reading the Christmas story or doing your Christmas devotion is a great way to do this.

But moving beyond just reading and thinking about it, this week we focus on praying for the things God promises. The more we know the story, the more we’ll know what it’s all about and why we celebrate to begin with. As we move through this week of Christmas preparation, we spend time in prayer.

What do you need to ask God for? What do you need from him? Take time this season to pray and then watch what God will do in your life.

The Little Drummer Boy

December 7, 2020 / / 0 Comments
For King & Country Celebrate One Billion Streams, Announce 'A Drummer Boy Christmas' Album [Exclusive] :

This has to be one of my all time favorite remakes of this song. I’ve always loved the song but when For King and Country did this remake, I just couldn’t get enough of it! From the message of the song itself to the added drum intensity, the song just gives me chills.

The reason I like this song so much, regardless of who plays it, is the real message it gives. To some people, this remake is just a lot of noise and performance driven stuff. But think about it for a second. The drummer boy couldn’t do anything but beat the drum. It was noise to some. It was annoying to others. But it was his song and he played it with all he had.

As the drummer boy played for Jesus at his birth this was the only way he could honor the King of kings. He knew the child was special. He had no gold or frankincense or myrrh. He didn’t have an offering to give that was of any worldly value. All he had was his tiny, little drum.

As we continue our journey toward Christmas, we have to pause for just a moment to make sure we have a proper understanding of what this whole celebration is about anyway. It’s nice to give people the greatest gift of all time, but it’s not the size or cost of the gift that counts. It’s all about the heart.

Today’s MusicMonday is all about the heart. It’s all about playing your drum not worrying what others think of you or the noise you make. It’s about playing your drum for the King. So go. Play that drum. Play with all your heart!

What Are You Thinking About?

December 1, 2020 / / 0 Comments

Can you believe that it’s almost Christmas? There’s something about this time of year that kind of lifts the spirits a little. I don’t really know exactly what it is. Maybe it’s the lights or the cool decorations? Maybe the tree with all the ornaments perfectly placed around? Whatever the reason, Christmas has a way of filling our minds with unique thoughts.

The famous holiday favorite, Twas The Night Before Christmas includes a line that talks about the things we let rattle around in our minds. The phrase goes while visions of sugar plums danced in their heads. The idea is that when we get ready for Christmas many of us have a tendency to let the spirit of the season take over. Dancing sugar plums? I don’t even really know what a sugar plum is! But the idea of sugar and dancing during the Christmas season brings a little joy to many young faces that’s for sure!

As we near Christmas morning, our minds race to things like getting the perfect gift for that special someone, decorating the house with the lights and pretty colors, and having all of our favorite people over to our homes for those wonderful holiday parties.

What fills your mind this time of year? Not everyone is filled with smiles and happiness as we approach the end of December. Some are missing that loved one for the first time this Christmas. Others are wondering how they’re going to provide for their family since they were let go this year. Still others this year will be either apprehensive, cautious, or even a bit afraid of getting sick with that nasty virus plaguing the world.

But where do you go to find the joy this season? That first Christmas wasn’t really all that joyful, well at least in the preparation stages! Mary was a virgin and she was pregnant. That was a massive NO NO! She wasn’t even married and Joseph was a tad beside himself with the news. The whole situation was just filled with anxiety inducing conditions.

Yet somehow Mary was able to see something pretty spectacular as she prepared for that day. She took all that was promised and she pondered those words. She let the promises of the angel fill her mind. It wasn’t sugar plums dancing but salvation coming to the world that drove her to find joy that first Christmas.

What do you fill your mind with this time of year? I pray this season of preparing for Christmas is full of hope and peace and love and joy.

O Come, All Ye Faithful

November 30, 2020 / / 0 Comments

As I stand at my desk in my office and look out the window at the snow falling on this last day of November in 2020, I decided it’s time to start the journey toward Christmas. We’re in a time of year in the church known as Advent. It pretty much means waiting, preparing, anticipating what’s coming. And how fitting is that this year!

This year has been a doozie to say the least. We all need a little to look forward to don’t we? So we’re going to go full out in our push toward Christmas this year. It’s the season of life and light and joy and hope and peace and love. These things are needed more this year than ever before.

On this first Music Monday of the 2020 Advent season, we highlight an old familiar song. There’s something about groups that remake old songs and liven them up a little. I enjoy sitting in my office with my cup of coffee and just being taken to younger days when we’d sing this song in church on Christmas.

What are some of your favorite Christmas memories?

As we move toward Christmas, I want to be totally honest and tell you the only way Christmas can make a difference in our lives is if we realize it’s real meaning. It’s not about the packages and presents and decorations. Christmas is about the birth of Jesus. The packages will be unwrapped. The presents will eventually grow useless. But Jesus, born for you will never grow old and will never be out of style.

So have a happy Advent season. Keep your eyes on the real meaning of Christmas. And find joy in the everyday moments this season!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b-xFsNx-HO4

Away In A Manger

December 16, 2019 / / 0 Comments

As we journey closer to that joy-filled morning, we pause and reflect on what this new family went through to give us something to celebrate. This week’s Music Monday is another favorite of many and has undoubtedly been sung in churches around the world as part of their Christmas celebrations. But what do the words mean? Where was Jesus born and why was he born there?

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His Presence Brings Peace

December 11, 2019 / / 0 Comments

As children we focused on getting presents! And it really was all about the presents and the bows and the stockings and the fun new toys. But as I got older, I started to act like Christmas was still about the presents. Just in a little different way. I started to treat Christmas like it was all about how much I could give to my family and friends at Christmas time. But that’s not the point either.

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A Different Look At Christmas

December 4, 2019 / / 0 Comments

This year as we journey toward Christmas we are looking at Christmas from different angles. Our theme is It’s all about the presence. Yes I know. It’s a fun play on words. But it should get us thinking a bit. We live in a world that thinks Christmas is all about the presents when in actuality they’re just a few letters off! So if Christmas is all about the presence, can we have Christmas without all of the normal stuff?

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Why Was Jesus Called The Word?

December 3, 2019 / / 0 Comments

In the start of the Gospel of John, we read a peculiar little account. But before we dig into the meaning of the first few verses of this book, let’s take a quick glance at why this book exists in the first place. In the New Testament of the Bible there are four letters known as Gospels. These four books account for the life of Jesus from different perspectives. They certainly say the same thing just with different thrusts. Matthew is writing to Jewish people who were expecting a king so he writes mostly about what Jesus said. Mark is writing to Roman people who saw Jesus do some pretty amazing things, so he’ll focus on what Jesus did. Luke writes to a guy named Theophilus, and he’ll spend his account focusing on what Jesus felt. And not to be left out, John writes to anyone and everyone, and he’ll focus on who Jesus was.

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Hark The Herald Angels Sing

December 2, 2019 / / 0 Comments

It’s that time of year again! We can’t stop it if we try, so we may as well jump on the Christmas preparation train and see where it leads. This week for our Music Monday time we’ll pick up an old familiar hymn. This hymn was first written as a poem and later put into song form about fourteen years later. The poem turned song was intended to help the Christian to understand teh power of the reality of Christmas. It demonstrates one of the core truths of the Christian faith – the incarnation.

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