Blue Christmas (Part 2)

Blue Christmas (Part 2)

This is not a cheerful story, but one that many say inspired the great song, "The Christmas Shoes." This is a true story told by the author who experienced it firsthand.m I'll let him tell the story:

"I was walking around in a store when I saw a cashier hand this little boy his money back saying

“I’m sorry, but you don’t have enough money to buy this doll.”

Then the little boy turned to the old woman next to him:

"Granny, are you sure I don’t have enough money?”

The old lady replied:

”You know that you don’t have enough money to buy this doll, my dear.”

Then she asked him to stay there for 5 minutes while she went to look around. She left quickly.

The little boy was still holding the doll in his hand.

Finally, I walked toward him and I asked him who he wished to give this doll to.

“It’s the doll that my sister loved most and wanted so much for this Christmas. She was so sure that Santa Claus would bring it to her.”

I replied to him that may be Santa Claus will bring it to her after all, and not to worry.

But he replied to me sadly.

“No, Santa Claus can’t bring it to her where she is now. I have to give the doll to my mommy so that she can give it to my sister when she goes there.”

His eyes were so sad while saying this.

“My sister has gone to be with God. Daddy says that Mommy is going to see God very soon too, so I thought that she could take the doll with her to give it to my sister.”

My heart nearly stopped. The little boy looked up at me and said:

“I told daddy to tell mommy not to go yet. I need her to wait until I come back from the mall.”

Then he showed me a very nice photo of him where he was laughing. He then told me

“I want mommy to take my picture with her so she won’t forget me.I love my mommy and I wish she doesn’t have to leave me, but daddy says that she has to go to be with my little sister. “

Then he looked again at the doll with sad eyes, very quietly. I quickly reached for my wallet and said to the boy.

“What if we checked again, just in case you do have enough money?”

“OK” he said “I hope that I have enough.”

I added some of my money to his without him seeing and we started to count it. There was enough for the doll and even some spare money.

The little boy said:

“Thank you God for giving me enough money!”

Then he looked at me and added

“I asked yesterday before I slept for God to make sure I have enough money to buy this doll so that mommy can give it to my sister. He heard me! I also wanted to have enough money to buy a white rose for my mommy, but I didn’t dare to ask God for too much. But He gave me enough to buy the doll and a white rose.”My mommy loves white roses.”

A few minutes later, the old lady came again and I left with my basket.

I finished my shopping in a totally different state from when I started. I couldn’t get the little boy out of my mind.

Then I remembered a local newspaper article 2 days ago, which mentioned of a drunk man in a truck, who hit a car, where there was one young lady and a little girl.

The little girl died right away, and the mother was left in a critical state. The family had to decide whether to pull the plug on the life-assisting machine, because the young lady would not be able to recover from the coma.

Was this the family of the little boy?

Two days after this encounter with the little boy, I read in the newspaper that the young lady had passed away.

I couldn’t stop myself as I bought a bunch of white roses and I went to the funeral home where the body of the young woman was exposed for people to see and make last wishes before burial.

She was there, in her coffin, holding a beautiful white rose in her hand with the photo of the little boy and the doll placed over her chest.

I left the place, teary-eyed, feeling that my life had been changed forever. The love that this little boy had for his mother and his sister is still, to this day, hard to imagine. And in a fraction of a second, a drunk driver had taken all this away from him."

May I add that we can't explain it or reason why things happen in life, but they do. I can't expain why Jesus was born in such horrible conditions, but He was, so that He might eventually die and conquer death, hell, and the grave for you and me. Some situations are unexplainable, but they happened for a reason. Let this Christmas not be blue, but colorful and eventful because you gave your heart to Jesus. 

Blue Christmas (Part 1)

Blue Christmas (Part 1)

Rusty Wright shared this article years ago about dealing with the Christmas blues. I hope it will help you if you need it this year.

Tis the season to be … gloomy?

Feeling low this Christmas season? You’re not alone. Amid cheery songs, festive parties, gifts and good wishes, many lonely people are crying or dying on the inside. Maybe you’re one of them. I was.

During a horrible year, my wife of 20 years divorced me, my employer of 25 years fired me, and I had a cancer scare. As I drove home one night, lovely Christmas music came on the radio. Melancholy aching evidenced the deep pain of abandonment and loss that I was still processing.

No fun.

Blue Christmas
Romantic estrangement, family strife, and bereavement can make your holidays dismal. One of Elvis Presley’s most popular songs was “Blue Christmas.” A lonely crooner mourns heartbreaking lost love. Performers from The Beach Boys to Celine Dion, Loretta Lynn, and Jon Bon Jovi have recorded it.

Does even thinking about that song make you depressed? The spoofed “Porky Pig” version could get you laughing. Google will take you there. But please … wait until finishing this short article to search, OK?!

Several factors can produce Christmas blues.1 Hectic activity can bring physical and emotional stress. Overspending can produce financial pressure. Year-end reflection and focus on loss can magnify sorrow.

McGill University psychologist Dr. Michael Spevack notes, “Over eating and over drinking combined with a decreased amount of sleep is also a formula for extreme emotional swings.” Depression can lead to thoughts of suicide, especially among the socially isolated, he says.

The “Empty Chair”
Is your family apart this season by necessity or choice? Maybe an “empty chair” reminds you of your pain. Does Christmas “Ho, Ho, Ho” contrast with your deep anguish?

One widow recalled how she felt during the Christmas after her husband’s death: “Little mattered to me. I didn’t want to hear carols. I didn’t want to be cheered up. I didn’t want to look at perky Christmas cards. I wanted the same thing I’d wanted every day for eight months: the strength to force myself out of bed in the morning, to brush my teeth and to eat.”

One possible influence, Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), is a form of depression the medical community doesn’t completely understand. The Mayo Clinic says genetics, age and body chemistry could be the culprits. Mayo recommends seeing your doctor if you feel down for days and have motivation problems. Symptoms can include changing sleep patterns and appetite, feeling hopeless, contemplating suicide, or seeking comfort in alcohol.

How can you cope with Christmas loneliness?

-Spend time with people, especially positive ones who lift your spirits. Perhaps you’ll be grateful for their cheer.

-Exercise regularly. Blood pumping can help clear your mind.

-Eat right. Overindulgence can mean temporary highs followed by disappointing flab.

-Lights on! Enjoy sunlight, outdoors if possible. Brighten up your home and workplace. Light therapy sometimes helps SAD.

-Budget your gift spending and stick with your budget. Prevent January bill shock.

-Talk about your feelings. Keeping them bottled up can mean anxiety, ulcers, sour disposition, and/or explosion. Need a trusted, listening friend? Try a local church.

-Give to others. Volunteer. Medical professor Stephen Post, PhD, is convinced that giving is essential for optimum physical and mental health in our fragmented society. He says some California physicians give volunteerism “prescriptions” to their Medicare patients.

-Seek counsel. I used to be embarrassed to obtain professional counsel. Now I recommend it. We all can use good advice navigating life’s storms.

-Develop spiritual roots. I’m glad that before my dark days began, I had a friendship with God.

Tired of friends who betray, manipulate, disrespect, or desert you? God won’t. He cares for you, values you, will listen to you and comfort you. You can trust Him. He always wants your best.

One early believer put it this way: “Since God did not spare even his own Son but gave him up for us all, won’t God, who gave us Christ, also give us everything else?” His point: 

God loved us enough to send Jesus, his only Son, to die on the cross to pay the penalty for our wrong, our sins. What a demonstration of love! I can trust a God like that. Then Jesus rose from the dead so He could live inside us and become our friend.

The Shepherd's Good News (Part 4)

The Shepherd's Good News (Part 4)

Verses 17,18 say,“When they had seen Him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this Child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them.”  

These shepherds realized that the good news is not something you keep to yourself, especially the good news of Jesus’ birth. I don’t know if you realize it but the word “Gospel” in Greek is pronounced “euangelion.”

Does that pronunciation sound familiar?

It should be because we get another word from it, which is “evangelical.” I am aware that this word, “evangelical” has become a bad word in today’s culture. I won’t get into why, but I will say it should not surprise us. I say that because this is the Bible’s teaching. 1 Peter 2:8 says that the Good News of Jesus’ coming can be a “stumbling block of offense to some.”

Because it is offensive many don’t share the gospel or evangelize.  Some even prefer not to be known as “evangelicals.” They live sort of “under-cover.” 

If we know Jesus personally and are obedient to His Great Commission command then we are evangelical bearers of good news that the Savior has come. Our God-given job is to GO AND TELL IT ON THE MOUNTAIN AND OVER THE HILLS AND EVERYWHERE that Jesus has been born to save us from our sins. It’s our calling to give people an opportunity to respond in faith. If we don’t share the good news of the gospel that we celebrate 365 days a year then who will?

In Romans 10 Paul says, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.  But—how can they call on the One they have not believed in?  And how can they believe in the One of Whom they have not heard?  And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can anyone preach unless they are sent?”

And then listen to this next part: “As it is written, ‘How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!’”

I recently came across the story of a Muslim man named Samuel. After watching the Jesus film and listening to Christian radio, on July 15, 2001, Samuel took a monumental step for an Afghan and Muslim as he received Christ as his Lord and Savior. Soon thereafter, as Western aid workers were either arrested or expelled from Kabul, the Taliban came for him.

They told Samuel he was guilty of “working for foreigners,” which had been legal, and threw him in jail. For the next 14 days, they beat Samuel at least once a day with a five-foot steel cable.  After the last of these sessions, he fell unconscious in his prison cell. That night, Samuel had a dream. In it, a luminous man wearing bright white clothes appeared.  The visitor, whom Samuel would later describe as having “very beautiful feet and shoulder-length hair,” spoke kindly to him.  Then he said, “Get up.” In the dream, the visitor led Samuel out of the cell. Going to the front gate, the ex-Muslim met another man who was wearing bright green Many Muslims associate green with God’s blessing. This man led him out of the prison. Then Samuel awoke, finding his cell door open. “He walked through it to find the front gate of the prison unguarded and open,” a close Western associate says. “He walked out and into the night.”

As Christians, we have the same job that angelic visitor had. It is our task to tell others that Jesus has come to free us from our sins. Using our feet for that purpose makes our feet beautiful when we use them to get us to people who need to hear the GOOD NEWS that Jesus is born.

The Shepherd's Good News (Part 3)

The Shepherd's Good News (Part 3)

No one can respond to or accept the Good News of Christmas FOR you. You have to decide what to do with this good news. You have to decide whether or not to respond.

Verse 12 says the angel said to the shepherds, “And this shall be a sign unto you; You shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.” 

Now skip down to verses 15-16:

“When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, ‘Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.’ So, they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the Baby, Who was lying in the manger.” 

What do you think the shepherds thought when they heard the message?

-They could have said, “This message can’t be true. In fact, why should we have been told at all? We better just forget about all this.”

-They could have made up any number of excuses that would keep them from checking out the news they had just heard sung. After all, theirs was a 24-7 job!

-They could have sat down and analyzed what they should do. Could they afford to leave the sheep? What if something happened while they were gone?

-They could have rejected the angels’ message outright.

-They could have said, “This is not for us! In fact, this whole thing sounds kind of flaky!” 

Yet, each of the shepherds chose to believe! Note the exact wording. They didn’t say, “Let’s go see IF these things are true.”  No, they said, “Let’s go see this thing that HAS come to pass.” They believed, and that was their response! 

There are a lot of people in this world who know the Christmas Story. They know the basic tenets of Gospel According to Christmas, from the appearance of the angels to when the Wise Men showed up two years later. They’ve heard the Christmas Story again and again and can recite it point by point, some even verse by verse. They know every detail.

However, we’re not saved by knowing the details. We’re saved by the one-on-one personal encounter with Christ. We’re saved not by knowing about Jesus, but by knowing Jesus. That salvation comes through personal belief and making our choice to put our faith in Jesus.

It’s not enough to hear about Jesus. It’s not enough to look into the manger at Christmas and say, “Oh, how nice. What a wonderful story. Pass the eggnog.” You see, unless you act on the angel’s message and believe you will be lost. You can get all sentimental at Christmas and have a warm fuzzy feeling as you conspire while you sit by the fire, but if you don’t use your God-given free-will and choose to believe, it’s all for naught.

However, if you act on this good news as the shepherds did and reach out in faith you’ll find that Jesus is real! You’ll see that the angels’ message was true, that “Unto you has been born a Savior.” If you believe, you’ll meet Jesus Himself just as certainly as the shepherds did!

The Shepherd's Good News (Part 2)

The Shepherd's Good News (Part 2)

Do you know the feeling of not being on the inside where “important” things are happening just like the shepherds?

Well, the “gospel” of Christmas says that in God’s eyes you are on the inside. Listen:

-You may think of yourself as someone who is on the “outside” of things looking in. 

-You feel kind of “out in the cold” as you look in on people who are successful and people who seem to have it together.  

If so, this part of the Christmas story should be very encouraging good news!  I imagine that many nights as the shepherds sat out in those cold, lonely fields, with nothing but dumb animals to keep them company, that they looked over at the village of Bethlehem, saw the lights of the homes and heard the faint sound of families, and they they wished they could be a part of that. Maybe you’ve felt that way too. You've felt you were not one of the “beautiful people” not especially wealthy or powerful or influential and not likely to see your name in the paper for some great accomplishments. If you feel that way then I have good news-God loves you! He values you more highly than He does the life of His only Son! 

You:

-may be unimportant in the eyes of most people or you may be very important.

-may be a mere “cog in the machine” at your place of employment or the CEO.  

-may be near Christ raised in a Christian home or far from Him and reared in a home or culture where the name of Jesus is never even mentioned. 

-may own your home; you may rent your home; you may not have a home. 

None of those things matter for the simple reason that Jesus did not come to be the Savior of only some. He came to be the Savior of all mankind.

Many times people tend to localize or “culturalize” religion. They say that Buddism or Hinduism is for the Asiatic races, that Islam is for the people of Arabia, and that Judaism is for the Jews.  Some people over the years have even embraced the ignorant belief that Christianity, with its Christmas story, is only for certain people.  Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea for everyone.  As the angel told the shepherds, their good news that night of nights was “for all people.”  Christmas is not just for one race or ethnic group but for all-red, yellow, black and white, because no matter how different we may appear to be on the outside we are the same on the inside. All of us have the same inner need for a Savior.  

Romans 3:23 says, “All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.”  

1Timothy 1:15 says that “Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners.”

Looking at the shepherds’ experience reminds us that all people are important to God. He sent His only Son because He loves all of us! 

The Shepherd's Good News (Part 1)

The Shepherd's Good News (Part 1)

Luke 2:15-18 "When the angels had left them and gone into Heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.” So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, Who was lying in the manger.  When they had seen Him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this Child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them." 

I want us to focus on three things about the Gospel that the shepherds’ part in the Christmas story can teach us.

-They were the only ones to receive a personal invitation to be there on the night of Jesus’ birth, and they were a very unlikely group to receive such an invite because they were despised and mistrusted by everyone of that day for several reasons. 

(1) First, since caring for sheep was literally a 24-7 kind of job, they couldn’t observe all the meticulous hand-washing rules and regulations required by the Jewish religion. To make matters worse, their flocks kept them away from the temple for weeks at a time which made it next to impossible for them to be made clean in the eyes of Jewish law.

(2) No job paid less than that of a shepherd which put these men at the bottom of the ladder financially. Plus they had the reputation for making off with things that did not belong to them, which led people to think of shepherds as crafty and dishonest.  In fact, their reputation was so bad that they were not even allowed to bear testimony in a court of law.  It was just assumed that people who worked as shepherds were people who would lie.

(3) On top of this they were illiterate because they had no formal schooling whatever. So to summarize, in most people’s minds, shepherds were like gypsies, vagrants, carnival workers, and con men all rolled into one. They were looked down on as being part of the lowest class of the lowest class of their culture. The only group lower were lepers.

Yet God issued His invitation to these men!  As the Christmas Carol puts it, “The FIRST ‘Noel’ the angels did say was to certain poor shepherds in fields where they lay.” Well, these guys are the exact OPPOSITE of the kind of person you and I would invite to a birth, especially the birth of the King of Kings and Lord of Lords!  The choir of Heaven only sang for a few, poor, smelly shepherds who were social and religious outcasts. As impossible and improbable as it seems the lowest of the low heard the heavenly hosts proclaim His birth before anyone else. 

I believe one reason our Heavenly Father intentionally chose the shepherds was because He wanted to let it be known that His love is all-inclusive.  He wanted everyone who would hear this story to realize that He loves all people. God wanted to make sure we know that He is not a respecter of persons. He does not show more respect to kings than He does to hourly wage earners. The point here is that the good news of the gospel according to Christmas is for everyone! Jesus was born for all people.

When the angel told the shepherds, “Unto YOU is born this day in Bethlehem a Savior,” he wasn’t just referring to those shepherds. He was referring all of us, and that is the good news of Christmas.

Our Heavenly Father does not limit His love.  God was announcing through these angels sent to humble shepherds that Jesus was not going to be the Savior of only the political, social, and religious elite.  He was to be the Savior of all people.  He doesn’t give preference to any group or class.  He doesn’t discriminate on the basis of intelligence, education, wealth, profession, political power, social standing, or any of the other qualities that human beings judge by. God’s love is offered indiscriminately to anyone who will repent and believe, anyone who will humble themselves and trust in Jesus as Savior.  

Dealing With Holiday Stress (Part 1)

Dealing With Holiday Stress (Part 1)

Truly, it’s easy to feel stressed out and annoyed by other people, but even when your feelings are justifiable, you don’t want anyone else’s presence or behavior to bring you down; and you certainly don’t want to add to the drama around you. So, what can you do when someone is being annoying, irritating, rude or just generally difficult especially in the holiday season?

Assuming you're not in any sort of real danger and you don’t need to physically protect yourself, the best choice is often a simple mindset shift.  Rather than trying to change the other person, you change your response to them.

I know that suggestion can be frustrating for some people.  Why should you have to make a change when it’s the other person who’s misbehaving? The key, though, is to understand that with a few simple mindset shifts you can find a lot more peace around just about anyone.  If you try to shift the behavior of others, you’re only going to drive yourself crazy.  

You can either try to control the difficult people around you or you can control your responses to them.

-Whenever you find yourself stressed out and irritated by how someone else is behaving, first notice that your mind starts to create a story of anger and resentment about them.  It’s about how they always behave in this irritating way, and how you are absolutely sick of them!  This story is harmful.  It immediately stresses you out, it keeps you exclusively focused on the negative qualities of the other person, and it ultimately makes you someone you probably don’t want to be. So, do you best to see this story for what it is.

-When you sense negativity coming at you, give it a small push back with a thought like, “That remark is not really about me, it’s about you or the world in general.”  Remember that all people have emotional issues they’re dealing with just like you, and it makes them rude and downright thoughtless sometimes.  They are doing the best they can, or they’re not even aware of their issues. In any case, you can learn not to interpret their behaviors as personal attacks, and instead see them as non-personal encounters that you can either respond to effectively when necessary, or not respond to them at all.

-It’s okay to change the topic, talk about something positive, or steer conversations away from pity parties, drama, and self-absorbed sagas.  Be willing to disagree with difficult people and deal with the momentary consequences.  Some people really don’t recognize their own difficult tendencies or their inconsiderate behavior.

You can actually tell a person, “I feel like I’m being criticized.”  You can also be honest if their overly negative attitude is what’s driving you away: “I’m trying to focus on positive things.  What’s something good we can talk about?”  It may work and it may not, but your honesty will help ensure that any communication that continues forward is built on mutually beneficial ground.

-When someone insists on foisting their drama on you, be an example of a pure existence.  Disregard their antics and focus on compassion.  Communicate and express yourself from a place of peace, from a place of love, with the best intentions.  Use your voice for good, to inspire, to encourage, to educate, and to spread the type of behavior you want to see in others.

All of this, of course, is easier said than done.  It takes practice. I catch myself being rude to people who are rude to me. I behave badly because they behaved badly.  I've learned though that even if the situation is absolutely their fault, my behavior only escalates the situation.  So, do your best to take a deep breath and set a good example of how to cope with anger and frustration.  Be patient and compassionate with them and demonstrate a positive way of handling difficult people. Doing so always brings peace, even if it’s not instantaneous.