Upside Down Advent

Many years ago when Jesus came to earth, He turned the world upside down with the truth about forgiveness and eternal life. He was the fulfillment of Scripture, but His own people who knew Scripture did not recognize Him.

In more than two thousand years since Jesus came as a baby the first Christmas, our gift giving to celebrate His birth has become a mega marketing opportunity for retailers. Our concept of showing love means spending billions of dollars on gifts that somehow end up back in the stores for exchange, in thrift stores or the trash. So how do we resist buying into the big debt and meaningless gifts?

What did Jesus do? He gave Himself. Can we do less? After all, it's all about Jesus, right? And if it's all about Jesus, it begins with worship. Mary set the example for us in her song:

My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
for he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant.
From now on all generations will call me blessed, for the Mighty One
has done great things for me - holy is his name.
His mercy extends to those who fear him, from generation to generation.
He has performed mighty deeds with his arm;
he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts.
He has brought down rulers from their thrones but has lifted up the humble.
He has filled the hungry with good things but has sent the rich away empty.
He has helped his servant Israel, remembering to be merciful
to Abraham and his descendants forever,
just as he promised our ancestors (Luke 1:46-56 NIV). 

During this advent season, our church is studying a series titled Advent Conspiracy. I hope you will check out the website, the video and resources. I downloaded the audiobook to my iPhone so I can get more spiritually fit while I walk and get somewhat more physically fit. It's all about worship, spending less, giving more (of yourself, time and resources) and loving others.

I would like to know your thoughts about Christmas consumerism. Are you doing anything differently? I have to confess, this may take some adjusting for me. What about you?

Don't Worry, Be Happy

Emotions, the good, the bad and the sad, bombard me at Christmas time. Friday before Christmas, started out with the sad. I thought of the families in Newtown, Connecticut who grieve instead of celebrate. I thought about the homeless people and the kids in the Children's Receiving Home who will spend Christmas away from their parents for one reason or another. My heart was heavy until I walked outside.

A loud bird chatter caused me to look up to the power lines above. Hundreds of birds reminded me of something Jesus said. "Do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?" Matthew 6:24-34 

It was as if God used the birds to let me know that He is in control. I looked down the street both ways and the birds were only over my house. 

Thank you, Father God, for sending the birds. I will trust You with all my heart and not my own understanding. Please comfort the grieving, homeless and lonely. In Jesus' name, Amen.

A Christmas Past

After working with my little Cherub Choir in Wiesbaden, Germany, I headed over to the nursery to pick up my son, Jason. The year was 1970 and he was two years old. It was dinner time for the kids when I showed up and I waited and waited and waited for the childcare helper to bring my little boy to me. Finally she said, "Mrs. Stratton, we can't find Jason." My heart sunk. "You are welcome to come in the facility and look in any of the hiding places you think he might crawl into. Pregnant with my daughter, I couldn't kneel very well. While I peeked around and called for Jason, thankfully, the helper called the Security Police. "He must have slipped out the door when we released the children to the dining area," the helper told the police.

It was dark outside and I began to panic. Others joined us with flashlights, searching the outside perimeters of the nursery. Cars zipped by and I worried about Jason's safety. It seemed like hours before someone asked, "Are you looking for a little guy this high with a gray, hooded sweatshirt?"

"Yes," I said. My heart leaped.

"My friend, Jennifer, saw him when she was going home from Girl Scouts and took him home with her. She was afraid he was lost."

"Where does she live?"

The kind little girl took me to her friend's house. I could hear Christmas music when we walked up the steps and knocked on the door. Jennifer opened the door to a beautifully decorated home--flickering lights on the tree and presents crowding the base of it. I was so glad to see my little boy, but shocked when he shouted,"I don't want to go home!"

Speechless, I wondered if the people thought I abused him or something. Fortunately he had no marks on him. Then I realized that Jason was caught up in the Christmas spirit. While I was teaching five to seven-year-olds the meaning of Christmas and some carols, Jason was having fun with his new friends. He was safe and I was thankful. After we shared a cup of hot chocolate with Jennifer's family, Jason took my hand and went home with me.

My wish for you this Christmas Eve is that you experience God's lavishing love on you. Merry Christmas.

People Desperate to Hear Handel's Messiah

After the Galleria Mall in Roseville, California recovered from a fire, its Public Relations Department invited the Sacramento Choir to sing Handel's Messiah on Monday, December 20, 2010 in an effort to kick off its re-opening. The performance was to begin at 7:30 but the Roseville Fire Department closed the mall at 7:00. Here is a news link. Below the video is a slide show. http://www.kcra.com/news/26204541/detail.html

The media says the flash mob caused the event to be a flop. Yet I am praising God that so many turned out to hear the names of Jesus sung by this beautiful choir.

I haven't had so much fun sitting in traffic as I did last night with my friend, Beth. We shared stories of Christmases past and enjoyed the lights, but we had to go home to hear Handel's Messiah on CD.

My wish is for you to have a Merry Christmas, and if you live in the greater Sacramento-Roseville area, I hope you'll visit the Galleria Mall. They've had two strikes against them this holiday season. I have a little more shopping to do, so I'm headed the the Galleria this morning.

Simplify! Simplify!

Is there any way to simplify this time of year? Please say yes. During the holiday season our lives get as complicated as a New York subway. We find ourselves going from one event to another, caught in traffic and shopping crowds. Our joy fades into a fog of wrapping gifts, decorating the house, and writing Christmas cards. Sometimes we spend money we don't have on things we don't need to impress people we don't like.

Visit a grave yard or a junk yard and you'll discover the things that matter are not the things we think are important. So what is the answer? Henry David Thoreau said it perfectly, "Simplify! Simplify!" Translated at Christmas, it means spending less and giving more of yourself instead of stuff.

Mary and Joseph loved God, but when they went to the temple, they gave two doves for a sacrifice instead of a lamb. They lived within their means and gave what they had even though they were poor. Jesus gave all He had-His life-so we could live with Him in His kingdom. Can we follow these great examples?

Lord Jesus, help me to simply my life now and in the coming year. Show me how to love you and others better by giving more of myself and less of things. I love you. Amen.

Bethlehem Village

As we gear up for a busy holiday season, you won't want to miss Bethlehem Village at Sunrise Community Church, 8321 Greenback Lane, Fair Oaks, CA. December 3-5, 2010, 6:00-8:30 p.m. It is the best free community Christmas event. Come and experience the miracles and awe of Bethelhem more that two thousand years ago. Here is a sneak preview. Hope to see you there.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ft0a-YBv8nM

How to Write Christmas Letters That Get Read

The holidays will be here soon and if you are like me, you receive piles of hard to read letters, letters written on dark colored paper in small fonts with small margins and little formatting. With a little planning you can write letters that people want to read, letters that encourage, inform and inspire. Here are ten easy steps I use to make my letters fun to read:

1. I use a four-page newsletter format:

An attention grabbing nameplate (large letters at the top of the first page and the same letters but smaller at the top of following pages). I use “John and Sue’s Yule Log 2009.” It is always the same except for the year.

Catchy article titles and well crafted stories about family members.

Use of columns, pictures and lots of space between articles.

One inch margins on all sides.

2. Instead of writing a rambling journal of things I did during the year, I make an outline of topics for my letter. Then I make each topic a subtitle for an article using large attractive fonts in bold colored print.

3. Small, fancy fonts on dark colored paper do not impress anyone. They make holiday letters hard to read. I use common fonts, Times New Roman or Courier New, for the body of my articles, nothing smaller than size 10. These are the fonts the professionals use for newspapers and newsletters. White paper and bright holiday graphics make my letters attractive and cheerful.

4. My feature article is my Christmas message. Whether it is devotional, inspirational, or humorous, I give it a strong beginning (hook), a cohesive middle and a clear conclusion.

5. I also write family articles that highlight special occasions, events and accomplishments. Children and grandchildren like the attention they get when I write about them, especially when they see their pictures with the articles. Last year I wrote about my grandson who entered the U. S. Navy Coast Guard, my niece who served in Afghanistan, my grandson who played in the Little League All Stars, and my daughter who placed in her first triathlon. These articles inspire and encourage my readers.

6. I relate to current events in my articles which gives my letter a point of reference. After 911 John and Sue’s Yule Log 2001 included a column with the lyrics to “Heal Our Land.” Letters in later years included people in our family who served in the armed forces in Iraq and Afghanistan. This year I could talk about how God is in control, even in out troubling economic times, times of tea parties, town hall meetings, and high unemployment.

7. During the year I carry my digital camera with me to capture memorable moments. When it comes time to write my annual letter, the pictures are on my computer. Each snapshot is documented with names and dates, giving my letter more credibility. Every article doesn’t need a picture, but I have them if I need them.

8. Although my newsletter is for and about family, not everyone in the family makes the spotlight every year. Yet over several years, all family members get their time in print.

9. It is imperative to me that I keep my letter positive. If a family member has suffered from injury, bad health, or loss, I give an update and thank people for their prayers and support.

10. While style and design are necessary, my focus is on content. I want my newsletters to be inspiring and encouraging. My annual letter is one chance I get every year to love on my family and share the meaning of Christmas.
It takes about five minutes at the most to read my newsletter, but I have worked throughout the year collecting information and photos. It’s fun to add recipes, songs or poetry. When I have gathered all my material, I craft a cheerful design; write my Christmas message and family articles. Then I send my letter with love and prayer.

Whether you use some or all of these tips, more people will want to read your Christmas letters and they will look forward to receiving them each year.

Bethlehem Village 2008

Standing alone at the well, fetching water, I began to interact with the children walking by. “Would you like to help me fetch water to take home?” Until then I didn’t know how much kids loved playing in the water. They couldn’t wait to get their hands on the ladles and fetch the water. Many stood in line to do this ancient chore and while they were busy I explained that in Bethlehem during the time of Jesus’ birth, there was no running water. The women in the village had to go to the well about four times each day to get water for drinking, cooking, cleaning and bathing. “And when they couldn’t go, what do you think they did?” I asked. Speechless, the children waited for the answer. “They sent their oldest son to do the job for them.”

I pondered the life changing experience of the Samaritan woman in Sychar who met Jesus at the well. The love of Jesus changed her and she went to tell the people in town about the Man who told her all she ever did. “Could He be the Expected One?” she asked. The people from town came to the well to meet their Savior. During quiet moments at the well, I thought to myself that my experience was very much the same as the woman in Sychar. When I met Jesus, He took away my sin and gave me a job to do too. That’s what I was doing at the well – teaching children.

I thought about the visitors to Bethlehem Village set up in the courtyard of Sunrise Community Church in Fair Oaks, California. What did they expect? They came and felt the intimidation of the Roman soldiers. They walked the crowded streets with scared animals. They visited busy shops and the Wise Men’s camp. They visited the shepherd’s camp and heard the angels sing. They saw sweet Mary, Joseph and Baby Jesus. Their hearts must have burned with the wonder of that first Christmas. It is the hope of everyone who worked re-enacting this historical event that our visitors felt the love of God in all we did.

If you have not visited Bethlehem Village in the courtyard of Sunrise Community Church in Fair Oaks, California, I hope you will plan to attend as a visitor or enactor in December in 2009. You will be blessed.

Home for Christmas

I have been spending Sunday afternoons with a dear friend in a nursing home. She has had a long fight with breast cancer. She had surgeries and treatments. The treatments made her weak and stole her resistance to infections. She had several bouts with pneumonia. Last Sunday she was in so much pain it broke my heart.

I wet cold rags to cool her burning mouth and replenished her water. I said, "Jesus is making all things new," and she smiled. I grabbed her hand and prayed, "Lord, please rescue Patty from this bed of suffering, either for this world or yours." I knew she was ready to go home to be with the Lord. I could tell that she was exhausted from the pain. "Patty, try to rest now," I told her. "If you go to sleep, it's okay." She went peacefully to sleep and I left.

When I turned the key in my car, Mary's Song was on the radio. Tears flowed and I knew I would never see Patty again. Today she is home (in Heaven) for Christmas. She went to be with the Lord 6:00 Tuesday morning. I will miss my Sunday afternoons with her. We watched church DVDs and sang the songs together. When people gave their testimonies she said, "I remember when he went through that."

Thank you, Father God, for rescuing Patty from her suffering. Thank you that she is home for Christmas, no longer in pain, no longer trapped in her paralyzed body, free to walk in the garden in the cool of the day, free to dance or bow in your presence. Thank you, Jesus.