A Little Refocusing on My Day...

Today is Christmas Eve and it has already started with a few mis-haps. I decided to do a "spa" for Kelly in our kitchen. We had a little row during her manicure. As I was taking the polish off of my nails, I knocked over the bottle of polish remover which caused a little puddle on the table. I had no idea that polish remover would instantly take the finish off of our kitchen table. Wow, it worked fast. After that was cleaned up and I resumed my finger treatment, I knocked the bottle of polish off of the table and dumped it onto our hardwood floor. Thankfully the polish remover does not instantly take the finish off of the floor. I closed everything and resolved to finish my nails later in the bathroom. Shortly thereafter I splashed my cup of coffee all over a few things in the kitchen and made a mess out of a cheesecake that I was slicing to take to my parents' home tomorrow (but I must admit that the cheesecake tastes really good). A series of mis-steps can take a toll on a person, no matter how small they are. I began hearing a voice that said, "You can't do anything right. You would be better off curled up in a room by yourself and staying there for the next 2 days." After about 2 minutes of this voice whispering to me, I rebuked it and started laughing. I was allowing some small accidents steal my joy of this weekend.

A little perspective please... This weekend is one of celebration and rejoicing. Over 2000 years ago our Savior was born into this broken, spiritually dark world. Because of the event that happened this weekend, ALL of us have the opportunity to live a life that is full, abundant, hopeful, joyful and free. This weekend represents a gift that every person who has lived, does live, and will live in this world can receive with open arms and an open heart. I embraced that gift several years ago. Will you embrace it?

So, of course I'm going to laugh off the accidents that happened this morning. I'm going to rebuke the whispers of the enemy. There is nothing that will happen today that will allow me to miss the gift that our Father delivered to us over 2000 years ago. My Savior, our Lord Jesus Christ was born this day. I will worship and celebrate.

That night there were shepherds staying in the fields nearby, guarding their flocks of sheep. Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the radiance of the Lord's glory surrounded them. They were terrified, but the angel reassured them. "Don't be afraid!" he said. "I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people. The Savior-yes, the Messiah, the Lord-has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David! And you will recognize him by this sign: You will find a baby wrapped snugly in strips of cloth, lying in a manager." Suddenly, the angel was joined by a vast host of others-the armies of heaven-praising God and saying,

"Glory to God in highest heaven, and peace on earth to those with whom God is pleased."
(Luke 2:8-14 NLT)

Evaporating Water

The Dead Sea is a body of water located in the Middle East. Have you thought about how this body of water received its name? The Dead Sea has multiple rivers flowing into it; however, there are no rivers flowing out of it. The only way water is able to leave the sea is through evaporation. When the water evaporates, it leaves mineral salt deposits. The Dead Sea contains a very high salt concentation; saltier than the ocean. The high salt concentration does not allow the sea to sustain any life. Only a few forms of bacteria and algae are able to live in this sea. If a fish swims too close, it will instantly die. Hence, the name Dead Sea, which is better than the Hebrew translation of its name, "Killer Sea."

In contrast, the Red Sea is one of the richest ecosystems in the world. It has waterways that flow in and out of it and contains an abundance of wildlife and some of the most beautiful coral reefs. Additionally, the Red Sea was the location of one of the greatest miracles in history -- God parted this sea in order to rescue His people.

God has unlimited resources and He provides each of us with a certain amount. God has a plan for His people to live in abundance and to distribute His unlimited resources throughout this world. We have a choice to make when God blesses us monetarily. We can hoard and consume those blessings, not allowing it to pass through us. In turn, we have the potential to not allow life to flow from us. The other choice is to live in a place understanding that the monetary blessing is just that... a blessing. It is not our's to clutch and scream, "Mine! Mine! Mine!" We can allow the blessing to flow through us in order to create life and beauty. Would you rather live with goodness and blessings that flow into your life that became stagnant and dead due to your clutching or would you rather allow those blessings to flow through your life so that something beautiful can be created?

Giving is a channel for God's heart to flow through us. Simply put, giving changes lives.

Which will you choose to be? How will you live with generosity during this Christmas season?