Christmas Interrupted 2

2 1/2 weeks ago I preached on Christmas Interrupted. It came from the story of Joseph and Mary who had big plans for their lives until God interrupted them. The challenge was to let God interrupt your life and Christmas plans for something greater because God's plans are always bigger and better than ours. Aren't you glad God interrupted them and they said yes? Eternity will never be the same.

I've thought and prayed that a few times the last couple of weeks, but God tapped me on the shoulder this morning in Walmart to remind me of my own sermon. Sonya and I had just had a talk about our changed Christmas plans. She received a call this week that one of her cousins had been killed in a motorcycle accident in N. Texas. He was the same age as Sonya and they had been close growing up. He was one of the few strong Christians on her mom's side of the family. Sonya really felt strongly that she needed to be at the funeral this Saturday in OK. We had planned to drive to my parent's house after the Christmas Eve service to spend Christmas with my family and then her and the kids would travel on to spend some time in AR with her family. Now they'll head out tomorrow and we won't be together for Christmas. While I was very supportive and encouraging since I'm such a good husband :) I still was sad. Then God reminded me of the sermon. Would I be willing to let go of some of my traditions for the year so others can be brought closer to Jesus and ministered to in their time of loss? So while I'm still sad, the big picture always makes the valleys seem smaller. (Be careful what you preach too.)

On a lighter note check out this video from comedian Tim Hawkins on homeschoolers.

VIDEO

Tradition of the Day: I always read the full Christmas story (Matthew & Luke) before we open any Christmas presents on Christmas morning. This helps set a nice tone for the day and reminds us what's really important. (It drives the nephews crazy too.) We'll do this tonight or in the morning as a family since they'll be leaving in the morning.


Be Refreshed!

Proverb of the Day: Proverbs 20:12 Ears that hear and eyes that see— the LORD has made them both.

Scripture of the Day: 1 Thessalonians 5:12-13 13 Brothers, we do not want you to be ignorant about those who fall asleep, or to grieve like the rest of men, who have no hope. 14 We believe that Jesus died and rose again and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him.

Quote of the Day: "It might be easy to run away to a monastery, away from the commercialization, the hectic hustle, the demanding family responsibilities of Christmas-time. Then we would have a holy Christmas. But we would forget the lesson of the Incarnation, of the enfleshing of God—the lesson that we who are followers of Jesus do not run from the secular; rather we try to transform it. It is our mission to make holy the secular aspects of Christmas just as the early Christians baptized the Christmas tree. And we do this by being holy people—kind, patient, generous, loving, laughing people—no matter how maddening is the Christmas rush…" Fr. Andrew Greeley