If you had asked me two years ago if it mattered what show I had on my television in New Mexico I would have said absolutely not, but now I want more.  My heart longs for more than what today’s worldly television shows can offer me.  Of course, I am not telling you that I do not watch television, because I do.  I am saying that I notice if a show is not edifying or even inappropriate now.  I don’t want to fill my head with uselessness.  I want to fill it with the Word.

The same thing goes for music.  The music that I used to love a few years ago is now unplayed on my iTunes.  The positivity that is exuded in most Christian music today is uplifting and keeps me in a good mood.  Occasionally I am offered reminders of what my Savior has done and is doing for me through the music too which makes it even better.

Again, I am no where near where I should be in this life, and sometimes I do still listen to and watch things that I probably shouldn’t.  Thankfully, God’s grace is much bigger than the negativity that I put into my head.  If you find though that you feel further away from God than usual, try filtering what you see and hear.  You might find that it was just what you needed.

But the angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid.  I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people.  Today in the town of David a Savior had been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord’…Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, ‘Glory to God in the highest heaven and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.’  Luke 2:10-11, 13-15

Now there are other traditions that are observed during this celebration of the coming of the King.  A lot of them are just things that people have done for numerous years, so they are not usually questioned, but if you wanted to know why we do some of the things we do during Christmas, here are some explanations.

Why is Christmas celebrated on December 25th?

The date that we celebrate Christmas was most likely a date when ancient Romans celebrated pagan activities and festivals.  Song singing, gift giving, and celebrating was done near this date in honor of the end of the harvest season.  After Christianity became the official religion for Romans, the date stuck.  The actual date is unknown, but based on the happenings and events in the Bible it can be figured that December 25th is not the actual birthday of Jesus Christ.

Why do people put up and decorate trees for Christmas?

In the mid 1800s Prince Albert put up the first Christmas tree.  It was a pine tree in the castle.  Germans were the first to put tinsel on trees.  They had a story of a woman who was poor.  Her tree was filled with spiderwebs and Christ the child turned them into silver strands.

Who was Saint Nicholas?

The man who we loosely base Santa Claus on today was a real person.  As a child Saint Nicholas was orphaned and left with an inheritance.  He was very generous in helping those in need.  At seventeen years old he became a bishop.  During the Christian persecution Saint Nicholas was thrown in jail for not sacrificing to Roman gods.  At the time of Constantine’s conquest, he was released from jail.

When you have the time today, count your blessings.  Literally, stop and think and count your blessings.  I realized the other day that I can count the trials I am facing with my hands, but to count my blessings I would need a whole lot more hands to keep count.  After you count your blessings, give thanks and praise to God for them all.  After all without Him those blessings would not even exist.

To give you inspiration to get in a thankful and happy mood, listen to the David Crowder Band’s “Oh Happiness.”  If that doesn’t get you in the mood to give thanks then I don’t know what will.

“Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.”  Colossians 3:15.

When we are put up against a trial, we should be thankful and blessed that God is working in us.  That’s a pretty difficult thing for us to remember, but it is so true.  Have you ever wanted an outcome to happen and the exact opposite occurred?  And after time passed did you not see the bigger picture and realize that you needed just what you received.  Maybe at the time you didn’t want to see it, but God always has a plan and His timing is perfect.

James 1:2-6 reads:

Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do.

I love that it not only mentions that if we do not understand or have wisdom about our circumstances, we can reach out to God and it will be given.  Did you realize that you do not have to struggle alone and on your own without any understanding?  God will give you the wisdom to understand.

So I say bring on the rain if that’s what God has for me, I’m ready and thirsty.

It is hard to believe that it has been 400 years since the first King James Bible was published.  I think this fact deserves a little celebration, which also might cause my Baptist grandmother to cringe but celebrating is in the Bible, Nana!  With that said, check out the infographic below about the King James Version of the Bible.  It is really cool, and I had no idea that the word “unto” was used so much!

All that keeps playing in my mind today are the words, “God is love.”  Seriously, I am hearing that played over and over.  I must be needing it, because otherwise I would not be hearing it.  Thankfully, He knows exactly what you and I are in need of and He feeds it to us.  It may not come right when we want it to, but it is always right on time.  You see not only is God love, but He is always on time, unlike my mother. I just want to dwell in God’s love today.  Won’t you dwell with me?

I guess I have been failing on living in love recently.  I have felt like I have been stretched to the point of thinness where I did not have to continue to live in love.  My stress and other things were getting in the way me showing my love to others.  In turn, no one was able to see God living in me.  This breaks my heart to think about, but it’s true.  As a Christian, I know I am not perfect and that sometimes God cannot be seen in me, but I want to continue to live in love always.

Could you imagine if God were to have a bad day and take it out on you and me like we tend to do to those that we love and care about?  Thankfully, His promise to us is that He will never leave us nor forsake us, and “God is love.”

So if you are ever having a day, week, or month like I have, take some time to just focus on living in love.  Living in love means you are living in God, and God in you.  Even if it takes legal herbs direct to be the thing that really calms you, do it and focus on God and His never ceasing love.

All I need is You - Hillsong United

“Where would my soul be without Your Son.  Gave His life to save the earth.  Rest in the thought that You’re watching over me.  All I need is You.  All I need is You, Lord…”

This song through its entirety is such a great reminder of where we need to be looking for our help and our hope.  It is true that all we need is God.  I love the above lyrics, where it is asked where would a soul be without Jesus Christ.  There is nothing more to need than the Lord, and this song is the perfect one for remembering just that.

Oceans From the Rain - Seventh Day Slumber

“And I’m amazed by You ’cause You’re never far away.  And all that I’ve been through, Your love has never changed.  You make oceans from the rain.  Breathing life into this place.  And I will drown inside Your love until I see Your perfect face.”

This is such a tender song by Seventh Day Slumber.  The lyrics and music combined make for a wonderful track, and it is definitely worth listening to.  The first verse remind us that we are not in this life alone.  Our God is always there, no matter what, with His amazing mercies and love.  On top of that, the chorus explains the power of God in an amazing way, making oceans from rain.  A rain drop seems to us to be tiny, but God can take those tiny drops to create such a large body of water.  The water is also a symbol of God’s love.  I just love the message of this poignant song.

How Deep The Father’s Love For Us - Phillips, Craig & Dean

“How deep the Father’s love love for us.  How vast beyond all measure.  That He would give His only Son to make a wretch His treasure…It was my sin that held Him there until it was accomplished.  His dying breath has brought me life.  I know that it is finished…”

This entire song is just a wonderful and beautiful display of the love of God and what His Son, Jesus Christ did for humanity.  The song ends with the words, “His wounds have paid my ransom.”  What a great song for relishing and rejoicing in our precious and marvelous Savior.

If You Want Me To - Ginny Owens

“…I’m not who I was when I took my first step.  And I’m clinging to the promise You’re not through with me yet.  So if all these trials bring me closer to You, then I’ll walk through the fire if You want me to…”

This song reminds me greatly of Psalm 17:5 “My steps have held to your paths; my feet have not stumbled.”  Though the path that God sets before us may not be what we would have chosen, we should walk it, because on that path we will not stumble.  It is the path that God Himself prepared for us.  This song states that the person will, in fact walk through fire, if that’s the will of the Lord.  That faith is amazing.

The Word Is Alive

Get Involved.  Become an active part of your community.  It is more than likely the case that your community puts on and hosts a variety of many different types of events throughout the entire year.  At these events there will be a plethora of all types of people for you to talk with and get to know.  There might even be opportunities where you can share with these people.  As someone who loves God, you know that He will open doors that you did not even know were shut, and talking to someone about your faith might open up a door in his or her life.

Fundraise.  Having yard sales and other fundraisers outside of your church along with your church family is a sure-fire way to ensure that a lot of people are going to show up.  And these will not just be people from your church, but people from all over the area who may not know anything about your church but are interested in it.  You might can invite people to join a service too.

Help Others.  Helping others is such a wonderful thing.  It makes you feel good and on top of it all, while you are being the hands and feet of Jesus, you are helping to make someone’s life a little better or easier.  Brighten someone’s day and share the love of Christ.  It’s a win-win-win.

As a Christian, I can say that I have daily battles with myself.  So much of me desires to be a true light to this dark world, and yet I find that I get easily swept up in worldly things constantly.  I struggle with trying to use my own strength to be a blessing to others, when what I really need to do is get out of my own way and let my Heavenly Father do the work.  It’s true, within myself I am so weak.  I’m sure that I am not the only Christian with this problem, so how do you let your light shine, and are you shining for the wrong reasons?  I think we all do it without meaning to, but have you ever been a good person, done good deeds and other things that you think would please God and except something in return?  Whether that something be a reward or a pat on the back, you think you feel entitled to something because of the works you did.  I have been there, and I pray that God will help me to be a light to bring glory to Him and not to myself. According to safefromthestart.org:

“You are the light of the world.  A town built on a hill cannot be hidden.  Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl.  Instead they put it on a stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house.  In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.”  Matthew 5:14-16

Think of a light in a room and why it is that you would turn it on.  You do not turn on the light and expect things will be hidden, yet you turn it on in order to see and expose the room and the items in it.  When you yourself are a light, you are exposing your true feelings and faith.  When your faith is revealed to others because you are being a light, then you are helping to fulfill God’s desires.  So many go out into the world and try to hide their light, but what is this saying about you?

“Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit.  Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.”  Philipians 2:3-4

When we do place our light “on a stand,” are we doing it for selfish reasons?  Remember, in Matthew 5:16 it says to let your light shine to glorify your Father in heaven.  I don’t want to let my light shine so I will receive the credit, but so that others will see the credit I am giving to the Lord.  For some reason, this can be difficult for me, and I’m sure for others too.  Let us all pray for one another so that we can humble ourselves and that when our lights shine, it is not to benefit ourselves, but our God.

Let me clarify, I do not believe all music and books are edifying, however, I witnessed just the other day a man completely tear apart a Bob Marley song, and interpreting it to mean that Bob Marley was anti-Christian and anti-Christ.  The negativity that he spit out all over someone else’s Facebook wall will be seen by many people.  And I can’t help but wonder what this non-believers or non-churchgoers may think when they read this.  I can tell you that the first thing that went through my head was, “what a negative religious nut-case,” but that isn’t very WWJD either.  I did say earlier that I am human.  Now, here’s the thing, like I said, I am a Christian.  I love the Lord, and I love Christian music.  I’m also a Bob Marley fan.  What, a fan of an anti-Christian artist?  While I do not believe all that Bob Marley believed as far as faith is concerned, I think that his music was not to persecute and put down the church like this man said.  The song in question is “Get Up, Stand Up.”  By a more positive person, this is a song against social persecution and if anything, it actually promotes not living for yourself and your flesh (that’s a Christian sentiment right there).

The fact is, some people who consider themselves to be Christian are in actuality scaring people away.  People who have no tolerance for books that allow thinking or music that may kind of sort of be interpreted to almost maybe go against Christian faith are hurting churches, not the arts.  When you put down, criticize, and freak out about what you, in your mind, interpret to be against your beliefs, then you are sending out a message that you are better than the people who do listen to or read or watch these things on allied satellite tv.  You are also driving people off that do not know Jesus, because you immediately are putting down ground rules.  I would think, “Oh if I do actually accept Christ as my savior, then I have to basically give up music, movies, and books.”  A relationship with Christ is not full of legalities.  That’s not to say that once your relationship grows that you will not notice that you start listening to more Christian music, reading Christian books, etc., because you will, but it is a growing process.  You don’t find that you are ruled by laws at any point in your Christian faith.

It’s the negative Nancy’s out there who are hurting Christianity.  As a Christian, you should not worry, so don’t post your worries all over someone else’s Facebook page, or even on your own for that matter, because you are terrifying all those who do not understand what the Gospel is all about.  Negativity is actually the opposite of the Good News.  So, let’s all the Christians come together and embrace positivity in our actions, our words, and even in our thinking!