“God bless us every one!”

Although I had hoped to post more musings, this will have to be my last since the DAY is upon us and we only have a few more nights to prepare our hearts to receive Him, Christ the Lord!

For critics, naturally I am speaking figuratively, since December 25^th is not likely the day Jesus was born. But it is the day we have chosen to celebrate his coming and as importantly, celebrate the transformation that can happen in hearts and lives when Jesus is welcomed in. And most definitely, you do not have to wait till the 25^th to welcome Him in. Right now is a good time!

In Dickens’ Christmas Carol, we meet Scrooge. A dark cold soul who is self-reliant, self-centered, and self-focused! This poor man in this state so well expresses the depravity of the human condition. Now many would say, but there are so many good people who are not religious. I would readily admit that and I would add that I see this latent “goodness” as the remnants of the image of God each of us were created in. An image that was love at its very core, but one that lost its way when it started to focus on what it wanted, rather what the Creator wanted. This original sin Scripture teaches us about, changed our condition and our position, and oh the untold hurt and pain we have caused on planet earth over the centuries because of it!

But a miracle happens, Scrooge encounters three spirits. The spirit of the past, the spirit of the present and the spirit of things yet to come! Ba humbug you say… so unbiblical! Ok, but I cannot but marvel at the fact that it took a “miraculous” encounter to enlighten, illumine and transform a dark cold soul! And I would suggest that the miracle is still needed. We need God’s Holy Spirit to help us to see the dark and destructive condition and position we are in. Daily, with each of our actions, building chains that tie us down and hinder us from helping others and bringing glory to our Creator. We need the miracle of God’s Holy Spirit to help us to see the abundance of our blessing today! We have been offered Christ and in Him all of the blessings the Creator God could ever pour out. We are blessed, and accepting Christ means we are transformed from a scarcity mentality to an abundance mentality! And finally, we can and should invite God’s Holy Spirit to give us a glimpse into the future. Both the future that will be if we do nothing, but also the bright and glorious future if we believe and receive and then pursue love again.

As mentioned in my first musing, instead of grasping and clutching, love relinquishes. When we relinquish, our paradigm changes and instead of seeing ourselves, we see others. We can become aware of how much light and life and beauty we can bring into our dark world just by doing the small acts of kindness, just by giving a little more of ourselves, a little more of our time, a little more of our abilities. As we contemplate the future, we all must face the reality of our end. When we leave here, what do we leave behind? Is tiny Tim buried on a hillside or thriving and just by his presence bringing joy to his family and friends.

Merry Christmas to each of you who take time to read this blog and to your families and loved ones. We are so grateful for each of you, for your support, for your prayers and for your encouragement. So as tiny Tim says at the end of A Christmas Carol, “God bless us everyone!”

Please note the picture for this post is a picture Lynn took of one of the Christmas ornaments the ladies here in the craft and literacy program make. Thanks ladies.

If you are interested in checking out our 2018 Unique Christmas Gift Brochure click here. Please note, that the Brochure PDF has active links to take you to video you may find encouraging!