Christmas: Great Expectations - Part 5

Merry Christmas!

Christmas Day is a time of great expectations, not only for children, but for most adult as well. Adults may or may not give or expect elaborate gifts, but still the desire for a happy, joyful family gathering with good food, great conversation, and laughter catches the heart and nourishes the soul. Loving care makes sure all the preparations live up to expectations.

It's incredibly important to give thanks to God for wisdom to manage all who arrive with varying attitudes, needs, and expectations. God sent Jesus to be the Light of the World, and from that light come patience and insight to help navigate the celebration of this wonderful event. Jesus, as the Light of the World, can shine brightly through you on this blessed Christmas Day! 

Christmas: Great Expectations - Part 4

Merry Christmas!

Christmas music lifts my heart and soul as I grasp the wonderful  message the composers intended for me to receive from each composition. Music revitalizes great expectations God has made possible for today and the future as we celebrate the coming of Christ Jesus. I don't know about you, but it makes me feel appreciative of what God has done as I listen and sing along with this amazing music.

What would bring you the most happiness as you celebrate Christmas this year? When I think about what God has done and the impact he has had on my life, I can't help but be thankful and joyful. With a heart of gratitude, I can say: "It is well with my soul." God bless you.

Christmas: Great Expectations - Part 3

Merry Christmas!

This wonderful season awakens great expectations and stirs up hope like no other time of the year. Christmas can yield many surprises for children and adults who receive gifts they didn't believe were possible. As we center our expectations concisely on the coming of Christ Jesus, it inspires us thank God for his great gift to us.

For many families this is a time great struggle and change related to situations that were beyond what they expected. Jesus, our loving and caring Shepherd, invites you to come to him, everyone that is burdened, sad or grieved, for he promises to be your comforter. This is God's gift to you today and always. May God bless you.

Christmas: Great Expectations - Part 2

Merry Christmas!

As Christmas Day approaches this year, I can't help wondering what my four-year-old granddaughter's expectations are today and what she will remember about this Christmas as she grows up and becomes an adult. Her expectations are, in all probability, that Santa will leave wonderful gifts for her and her family under their gorgeous Christmas tree.

It would be difficult for her to grasp the theological implication and facts portrayed in the story of Jesus' birth found in chapter 2 of Luke's Gospel. Nevertheless she will hear that story and perhaps be astonished that God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son so all people of the earth could be saved. May God bless you today. 

Christmas: Great Expectations - Part 1

Merry Christmas!

Christmas is most often accompanied by great expectations. I realize there are those whose expectations may not measure up to past Christmases when families gatherings were filled with excitement and abundant joy. Expectations change with the passage of time, but change should not negate what God intended Christmas to be.

Hope that accompanies expectations is available when we accept what does not change. God's word reminds us that the Lord remains the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow. Remembering God's great love embodied in his gift of Christ Jesus refreshes our heart, rekindles our faith, and restores feelings of joy and peace. God bless you today.