Laced With Grace

It was a flurry of paper, ribbons flying across the room, tiny Barbie accessories caught up in the piles of plastic trash and I sat there in awe of it all. Was this what Christmas was all about? I had no idea what gifts anyone had received or from whom. The children were content to rip through packages like they click through television shows - hmmm, interesting…that look s good, come back to it later…might like this one…let’s see is there anything better?

When it was all over, we sat in a room full of trash and toys intermingled with a dazed look on our faces. Some gifts were already in use; new slippers on feet, dolls in arms and balls flying through the air over our heads to the intended basket. For the hours spent finding the perfect gift, wrapping it beautifully and the thought that went into each present, the glory of Christmas morning was over in mere minutes.

As I thought about the greatest gift of Christmas, I remember many Christmas mornings past. Gifts that weren’t quite what was desired along with duplicated gifts went back to the store the following day for exchanges as we sought to meet our inner desires or our true needs.

But the greatest gift of Christmas isn’t something we can ask for with specifications on size or color. It isn’t a gift that can be exchanged if it doesn’t fit and it certainly can’t be outdone by sparkling wrapping paper or shiny ribbons. Of course I’m talking about the gift of Jesus - God’s gift to mankind. His own Son, made with flesh so that He could live like us, experience all of our trials and tribulations and be made into a perfect sacrifice for our sins. He was called the great High Priest because He intercedes for His people as a perfect priest - He’s never sinned, but He has been tempted and understands our weaknesses.

Tucked away in that manger over 2000 years ago was one of the most amazing gifts we’ve ever been given: an open door to Heaven. Through Jesus, God grants us entrance into His most Holy place that we might bring our deepest concerns to His feet. He opens up His heart and His ears to hear our every cry and to listen to each plea. He desires to commune with us and to give us what we truly need: mercy and grace.

Hebrews 4:16 Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.

So, God’s gift to us isn’t just the ability to look forward to an eternity in heaven with Him, but the opportunity to come to Him NOW with our every need and to trust that He hears, He cares and He answers prayer.

I believe that God answers prayer, but I know some people who doubt it because they haven’t seen dramatic changes in their lives. I wonder, have you? Have you experienced the truth of this Scripture - the amazing connection we can have with God? Have you seen His answers to prayer and known the fellowship of communicating with our loving God?

Prayer is truly one of the greatest gifts God has given us; a confidence that He desires relationship with us and He is attentive to our needs. May you rejoice in this gift today!

Heather

“Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.” ~ Isaiah 7:14 (ESV)

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. ~ Isaiah 9:6 (ESV)

And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, to be registered with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child. And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth. And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn. ~ Luke 2:4-7 (ESV)

Over the last several years I have heard and read that many Christians (and churches) do away with the Christmas tree. The argument used for doing away with the tree is that it is a pagan symbol. Also, since Christ was not born on 12/25, some question if we should celebrate at all Christmas.

Although I agree that Jesus was most likely born in the spring time, I believe that we should still celebrate His birth. You see, it is not very important to me when Jesus was born and when we celebrate His birth; for me it is important that He was born.

Without His birth I would be still stumbling in the dark and would have no way to get to heaven. I cannot keep all 10 commandments on my own. I would have been utterly lost without the Messiah, Jesus Christ.

The prophet Isaiah foretold about the Messiah several hundred years before the event happened. Unfortunately many of Isaiah’s descendants missed the coming of the Messiah and did not acknowledge Him to be their Savior.

Especially the Pharisees scrutinized Jesus’ life and His way of ministering to sinners. They had a problem with Jesus because they did not understand that Jesus did not follow the rules as they did. How could He be the Messiah when He associated with tax collectors, women who sold their bodies, sinners? So, they missed God’s gift to them; wanting to save themselves through their way of life and rituals.

So, if you have your Christmas tree up, have an advent wreath, do not let the talk in the Christian community discourage you. Celebrate our Savior’s birth the way you like it, with or without a Christmas tree. He is worthy of celebration, because He was born to save us.

Lord of Heaven and Earth. Thank You for the gift of Your precious Son. May we never forget to celebrate His birth, because without His birth there would be no resurrection. In the precious name of Jesus ~ Amen

Merry Christmas to from my family to yours.

Photo & Content Copyright © Iris Nelson

Life has quieted now.

It’s two days until Christmas and the shopping, wrapping, baking, rushing, fussing….. It’s all done.

It’s pre-dawn. I’m sitting near the tree. The twinkle lights fill the room with a soft light.

My mind travels…. Back, way back in time to a memory. A precious time when Christmas was the center of my year. To the traditions which were built. The laughter, the toys, and I remember just how fun it is to be a kid at Christmas.

One time a year when my favorite television program came back to air.

A Charlie Brown Christmas.

In my memory I see myself sitting with a homemade pop cornball in my sticky hands, I munch and I watch. I grinn and get shivers. Why? Because this was the only show that told the REAL story of Christmas. I knew even then at five year’s old that Linus told the real story.

So won’t you join me and listen in. Relive that time as a gift from Jesus this season. Get the shivers and hear the REAL story again.

Merry Christmas, Be blessed, Lynn

Did you know:
A Charlie Brown Christmas is the first prime-time animated TV special based upon the comic strip Peanuts, by Charles M. Schulz. When they first saw the show, CBS executives were horrified at the idea of an animated Christmas special with such a blatant message. They also strongly objected to the fact that the show had no canned laughter.

When viewing the rough cut of the show, both Bill Melendez and Lee Mendelson were convinced that they had a flop on their hands. After it premiered, they were happily surprised and shocked at the high ratings and excellent reviews that the show received. Today, the show remains the second longest-running Christmas special on US network television (the 1964 Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer (1964) premiered one year earlier and is still broadcast every year on US network television).

Kathy Steinberg, who did the voice of Sally Brown, had not yet learned to read at the time of production, so she had to be fed her lines, often a word or syllable at a time, which explains the rather choppy delivery of the line “All I want is what I have coming to me. All I want is my fair share”.

Linus’s speech about the true meaning of Christmas is actually Luke 2:8-14 from the King James translation of the Bible. ~IMBD

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