Christmas Cheer

So here we are again. Another year, another great celebration at hand. I wish everyone on earth was celebrating HIS birth, but even more then that, I can hardly wait til they can celebrate that HE is still and always has been alive. So that's the here and now. But we were askeds to write on the before and past. So here's a pleasant memory from my childhood Christmas of a million years ago, or so it seems. I can remember I was so excited, almost like now, I still get excited about Christmas, and family, and trees, and presents and all the trimmings. Did I leave out something? Geesh I guess I did. I left out the main attraction. Jesus! He is now the main attaction, but HE wasn't always this important in my life. I do however remember Jesus was always under the tree in HIS Christmas manger. He was placed under the tree each and every year that I can remember. The Christmas cresh it was my mom's prized possession. I remember her excitement at her purchase of this prize, from Consumers Distributing.  It, Consumers, was a store long gone, like many things that have come and gone, including my mom and dad. How she loved her manger scene. And how we were not to touch it. Now back to the big Day. I was mostly excited at first because I got to go home, to be with my mom, dad and lil sister, which by the way was a real treat to me, seeing I lived full time with my grandparents. Not that there was anything wrong with that, but my dream was to be with my parents. Sooooo. Christmas eve, to my parents house I went. I was so happy. The lil read headed girl whom I didn't know very well joined me in our 48hr Christmas journey. First of all we were primed for the occasion. Both her and I were set up by my mom with a new do. A hair do that is. Go figure, maybe that's where it all started for me, as far as occupation goes. I am still trying to make it better for others in the hair department. Well, I got the pink sponge rollers wound tightly around my already curly locks, till it felt like my roots were being pulled out.  Gee whiz what was she thinking, wasn't I curly enough? But Sharon got the worst of it, she got the pin curl treatment. Her hair was cork screwed and held in place by two sharp pointy objects that made a cross, I think they were called bobby pins at the time, and yes when I grew up that indeed is what they were and are called. Now, we both were more then made ready for our night of torture.. Ha, ha, ha. You try sleeping in those things, more like sleeping with harpoons, and shrapnel digging in your brains all night. So needless to say, we neither of us slept very well at all. We tossed and turned all night, just hoping that it would soon be over, and we would find freedom in the morning from the devices set in our hair the night before. We didn't even care if our hair after it was combed out looked as if we had been sitting in an electric chair for the evening. Boy oh boy, we were a sight. Sort of like Ralphy in the bad bunny get up, from the flick "A Christmas Story". We too were a sight to behold, minus the ears and tail. After surviving most of the night horrors, around 4-5am, sis and me would grab our pillows and lay them on the slippery hardwood floors, we would slither down the hallway as quietly as we could. We tried so hard not to laugh out loud, and not to band into anything. But wouldn't you know it, my mom had supersonic ears. I can still hear her now. GET BACK to bed! It's too early! And scramble back we would, just as fast as we could, just in case. We weren't sure what might happen, but no taking any chances of being made to stay in bed longer then we would have to, if we didn't obey. Curiosity always got the better of us, and we would make several attempts at that long narrow hallway before our parents would arise do to our relentless attempts to get at that tree with all it's gifts. Finally it all paid off. The restless night, the sore scalps, the excitement and anticipation. It had arrived. We were allowed up, and to walk down the hall without pillows, in our slippers, and venture out on the long trek to the breakfast table ahead of us. Things always seem to go so slow when your a kid, remember that? Breakfast took forever, an eternity seemed to pass before we could open the presents. Finally, we got to. Finally all the waiting was over. And tear in we did. I think it was more fun just unwrapping things, the gifts were passed over for the pleasure of the unwrapping.  It was fun. As soon as it was all over, we would attack the phone, and call my grandparents to come as soon as they could, with their sleigh of goodies. The newness of things was overwhelming, the dinner smelled great, and we were oh so tired..That was a presents memory from my childhood. The rest of the day wasn't as pleasant, because the best presence wasn't present. Now that I know that there is a real meaning in it all, I have chosen the true present, the love of the Son who subjected Himself to come to a manger, to be found under many a Christmas tree, and to be nailed to a tree, after all was said and done, all so that we could discover the best present is in HIM. He still sits under a tree every now and then mind you. You can find Him under the apple tree. He will even feed you cakes and raisins, if you want, and if you go there, to the quiet places without the ribbons and bows,  it is like Christmas every time, but it is without the headaches and tiredness. There you will find presence, HE still comes under a tree, with beauty, excitement, and a flurry of emotion. It's fun, better then I remember, better then my best memories. Every time I open up the presence I find more of Him. He's the Gift. Hooray! I get to enjoy HIM. We get the best present of all, and I really like to receive, cuz this is the only way to be able in the long run to give. Merry Christmas! and to all a good nite.

Drinking of the Marriage Wine

Who is HE?

Who is this God who speaks about how HE wants to fulfil HIS plans? Who is HE? Who is this, whom we direct our questions at, as if He needs to answer what is going on in our little minds? Who is this, who desires us to ask Him, so that, He might speak with us and reveal His heart? Do I want to know? Do I really want to know? How many rungs up the ladder must I go? Or to what depths must I descend? The heart says yes, even when it is too tired for such adventures. He says of Himself, I am a Holy God, and you must be holy as I am Holy. You must be a people without mixture. You must worship in spirit and in truth, the truth of who HE is, not what we think Him to be, or perceive Him to be, because of our neediness. We try so hard, we tug, push and pull, we put Him into the tiniest of boxes, into the storage tanks of our thinking. We try to get Him to meet us in the time frames we allow for meetings, or in the midst of our business, and we think He will oblige us. Well on occasion He does, but mostly we fool ourselves, and then we try and fool others into thinking that time is not really important, it is quality not quantity, well there is no quality without any quantity, really, try having a relationship with your significant others and see if that cuts it. The reality is, God is not looking for moments of religion, He is looking for us to join Him in relationship. I know I must be preachin to a choir out there, I know we all know these things I talk of, but by speaking about them out loud, perhaps it will shake things up just a bit, so that we will really think about them.
What is God really saying about Himself? I gotta know.
I asked myself this week, what is it that I am doing that shows my faith, and what is it I believe in? What am I willing to die for? I asked how on earth is it that I find myself pondering again what's it all about? Well someone once said, and this is a quote: It was a Jewish MAN who came to earth and gave His life to save mankind. It struck me as kinda unusual that I had not considered the consequences of God's choice, to send His Son back at such a political time as this, in which there is more hatred towards His race then ever. Even this is a revelation. The God of the Universe has chosen to have a race. He who will be all things, to all people, will do this as a Jewish God-Man. Well it was a Jewish Man who saved me, even before I understood I needed saving. It was a Jewish Man who made the sacrifice. It is a Jewish Man sitting right now on the throne of David. It is a Jewish Man who will return to rule the earth and everyone who is on it. Amazing isn't it. This 33yr old Jewish Man is coming from heaven to rule and reign, in a real city, in a real country, on this planet forever. What are we doing to prepare for this startling reality. God is speaking people! He is revealing His plans. Are we ready? As the deep darkness begins to cover the earth, He has given us a strategy to apply to our ways of seeing things. The strategy is to KNOW HIM. He wants us to examine who He says HE is. He has told us, He is speaking, He is showing, He is not quiet, His voice is thundering, if we will have ears to hear, and eyes to see. What are we gonna do when this Jewish God-Man who has been in eternity, sitting with His Father, comes here to the planet. What is it going to look like. Well it's going to  look like the book of Revelation in 3D, and it will be in technicolor. Oh yes and I forgot, HE said, we would be the ones who would call to Him, to return. We will be priests, a kingdom of priests to be exact. Praying priests, imagine that. It seems a far way off, and almost dream like or surreal to me. It is hard for me to think of myself standing side by side, all of us priests praying, and ushering in the King of Kings. What a strategy, Lord it seems so impossible, as I look at how things have been going in my life at the present time. But I can trust that God can do in me the impossible, if I will obey. Obedience and holiness, the shoes for the road less travelled. Put them on, it's time to move, to walk, to run. It is time to believe what He says is coming in the days ahead. It is time to believe what He says about Himself. He is Holy, and wishes to be regarded as Holy. He is calling us to be readied and waiting. It's time to say YES to the dress. Put on the wedding garments. Believe that the 33yr old Ancient of Days is coming back to earth, because of the plans His Father made for Him and us, before the beginning of time. The story is real. The Jewish Bridegroom is real. Father and Son are Holy and totally other than what we have ever dreamed or imagined. Let's be ready for the grandest banquet of all. The grandest meeting we will ever have. Let's be prepared to have the eyes of a fiery passionate God and King look into ours, and find us totally yielded