Christmas perspective

I plopped down in front of the computer this morning with my mug full of Ghirardelli chocolate coffee, and a slice of chocolate banana bread with peanut butter; and had full intentions of watching a short show and folding laundry…. Well, that idea was short-lived. Maybe later.  IT’S CHRISTMAS TIME!!!!!!  And I need to blog.

First, a quick update: the new job is going fine. VERY slow… partly because of the time of year no one has really had time to train me. It’s been pretty boring and a little frustrating, BUT: I know this is where God has me. That’s all I have to say about that.  Jess has one more test tomorrow and then has a couple of weeks off,… he can’t wait to spend his free time in the next few weeks rearranging the furniture and organizing closets.                 No, really.                           That’s what he’s excited to do.           I know,… pretty weird, but what can I say?.. I love the guy!

(Mmmmm,… this banana bread is Goo-ood, If I do say so myself!)

Okay, here’s what I really got on here to blog about: It’s Christmas! And we feel so blessed this year to be where we are at. School is going great for Jess, I finally have a job (income!), we have an AMAZING church, INCREDIBLE  friends, and (as always) our families are such blessings to us, the list goes on and on!!! So many incredible blessings that the Lord has poured out on us this year. I feel like: “MAN, we really have something to celebrate this year!”

And while these things are all wonderful, and they ARE reasons to celebrate I think that this is a warped way of looking at it. I catch myself feeling celebratory due to these specific blessings in my life. What if times were harder right now? What if I didn’t have a job? What is Jess was really struggling in school? What if we were still church hunting? What if we hadn’t made any good friends here? What if,……..?

Wouldn’t there still be just as much reason to celebrate this Christmas? Wouldn’t it be just as true that Christ humbled himself for our sakes; making himself like a child, in order to provide redemption to our scarlet souls? I often catch myself celebrating and finding joy in circumstances, rather than celebrating Jesus.

Jess and I did the advent reading in church last week, it was about joy. I want to give you all the same challenge we gave to our church (and are working on ourselves): Ask yourself what you are REALLY celebrating this season. Scrutinize your source of joy. Is it in the excitement of parties, gifts, stockings, yummy food, Christmas lights, being with family…..? While I AM excited about all of these things (and I’m sure that many of you are as well) I’m working on realizing that my TRUE source of joy this season and what I should really be celebrating is this:

Philippians 2:5-11:

 ...Christ Jesus:

 Who, being in very nature God, 

   did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; 

rather, he made himself nothing 

   by taking the very nature of a servant, 

   being made in human likeness. 

 And being found in appearance as a man, 

   he humbled himself 

   by becoming obedient to death— 

      even death on a cross!

  Therefore God exalted him to the highest place 

 and gave him the name that is above every name, 

 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, 

   in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 

 and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, 

   to the glory of God the Father.

So, pretty much I could have just said: Jesus is the reason for the season. Cliché I know, but no less true!


Now I’m off to fold laundry. Love you all!