Another Year Gone

If you are older than 20, you have probably began to perceive that life seems to move faster the older you get. Here we are at the start of yet another new year and I am still trying to figure out what happened to the last one. It seemed like September to December just flew by in a blur. I don't know if this is due to getting older or due to our world demanding more work and less rest.

My wife and I had a wonderful Christmas vacation and I had a great time visiting with all my family. It is amazing how fast the week went. We did a whole bunch of driving and spent time with four different families and multiple friends. I have to say that as happy as I was to leave my home for this vacation, I was every bit as happy to be back home! The ironic part of a holiday vacation is that you typically need time to recover from it when you get home.

So as I sit here on my lunch at work, I take stock of last year. There were many highlights, successes, disappointments, and struggles. I am honestly glad to have 2011 over with and I am looking forward to the prospects of 2012.

I believe our Lord is going to work in a big way this year in light of the "end of the world" that everyone is talking about. I have to say that it would be wonderful if Christ came and everything was made right this year but it would be sad to think of the billions of unreached people for Christ in this world. I pray that this year would be marked by a massive revival for Jesus across the world and that people all around the globe would start living an authentic life for Christ!

Blessings and happy New Year,

Greg

Prince of Peace

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


This year I truly hope we will get to know Jesus as the prince of peace.  It seems to me that each year violence is becoming more prevalent, hate is showing itself in new ways, and we seem to be finding new reasons to consider war.  I pray this Christmas we can look to peace across the world.  I pray that their will be peace in each person's home, each person's family gathering, and I pray that their will be peace in each one of our hearts.  Merry Christmas.


Blessings,


Greg

The Reason for the Season

Obviously not the reason for the season but a great picture of my dog with a new toy at Christmas when she was a pup :)

Don't miss the reason for the season. This time of year is not about gifts, food, or even family. This season is about remembering the precious gift that was given to us in Jesus coming down to earth to save us. Don't lose sight of this wonderful event. If you have never recognized Jesus as savior and worshipped in the true glory of this season, accept Him into your heart today. You will never regret it. He will fill the hole in your heart and bring you a peace and joy you have never known. Trust him and truly know him today! Merry Christmas.

Blessings,

Greg

Its Beginning to Feel a Lot Like Christmas

It's beginning to feel a lot like Christmas! This is not due to snow but the aura in our home and feelings in my heart. We have setup all the Christmas decorations, wrapped all the gifts, and last night started making Christmas goodies. I am so excited to spend quality time with my family. I am so excited to see the joy on each persons face as they open their gifts. I am looking forward to the wonderful food and incredibly fun conversations.

I really had a slow start this Christmas. I wasn't feeling the Christmas spirit and felt pretty detached from the season. Then we began to setup the decorations, focused on advent with our young adults and decided to make most of our gifts this year. My heart slowly began to remember the true reason for the season. I remembered how precious, simple, and poignant the Charlie Brown Christmas movie is. I remembered the beautiful act of love our Savior performed by coming to our world as a baby. I remembered the love I have been shown by my family and the wonderful Christian example that have demonstrated by their lives to me. I am so greatful and excited for such a wonderful time of the year. I hope you have a wonderful Christmas also!

Blessings,

Greg

Sprained Knees and Christmas Quizzes

Today, I spent the better part of my day at home doing nothing.  Yesterday, I apparently strained/sprained my knee while dragging file cabinets up two flights of stairs to the new office at my work.  I knew something was wrong the moment I twisted it.  I still did some work after I hurt it hoping that I had just stepped wrong and that the pain would go away as quickly as it came.  The pain continued to escalate throughout the evening and by the morning walking was quite a chore.  As I slowly made my way in to work this morning, I did not want to tell my boss that I needed to get the knee checked out but I knew that I couldn't do another day of work like I had the day before on such an unstable knee.

My boss sent me to the doctor where I had the opportunity to wear a lovely hospital gown.  A sweet old lady came to take a picture of my knee and after that I was given the wonderful prognosis of a common knee sprain from the doctor.  The doctor was kind enough to give me work restrictions that touched on every duty I perform at my job.  As I went back to my boss and he saw that I couldn't do much, he sent me home for the day in hopes that I would feel better tomorrow.

So that is how I ended up cooped up in my house today.  I have to admit that being at home wasn't all bad since I was able to complete some rebates I had been meaning to finish, pay some bills, and work on the music selection for church on Sunday.  All in all it turned out to be a pretty decent day.  I tried to be as kind to my knee as  possible and am really hoping that it will feel significantly better in the morning.

This evening Mel and I led our young adult group.  We decided to talk with them about common family traditions they perform.  Our young adults told us about many traditions their families do including: getting together, eating ham and other wonderful foods, going to candle light christmas eve service, giving white elephant gifts, hiding a special ornament in the tree, alternating who reads the Christmas story each year, and more.  As they went on and on about the many things they do around Christmas time, it was easy to identify with many of the traditions they shared.  Some of their traditions reminded me of when I was young, others are traditions that I still continue today, and some where traditions I had never thought of.

We decided to finish the night off with a Christmas quiz that tested how well people know the scriptural account of Christmas.  I have to say that it is alarming how many things we think are true that we received from tradition and children's stories.  Many of the questions were quite difficult and I have to be honest and say that I did not do as well as I would've liked.  I was tripped up by both past tradition and a few trick questions.  I highly suggest giving the quiz an honest try and seeing how you fair.  I hope you get them all right but if you don't, there are scriptures to go with each answer so you can be better prepared next year or even for an upcoming Christmas party this year. ;D Here is the link for the quiz, A Christmas Quiz: Is it scripture or is it tradition?

Blessings,

Greg

Most Wonderful Time of the Year

I don't know about you but Christmas and Thanksgiving are my two most favorite holidays.  I love being able to spend time with family.  I love getting to see the people I haven't seen since last year.  I love to connect, to relax, to share, and to partake in all the wonderful food.  I love these holidays because if you take the time to reflect on what they really mean, your life changes and you begin to focus back on the things that really matter like family, friends, charity, and living love.

Thanksgiving helps to redirect my heart to Jesus because I would have nothing to be thankful for without Him.  Thanksgiving brings an acute reminder in my heart that everything I have is from the Lord.  My thankfulness runs deep in the satisfaction that I have a good and loving God.  I bask in the loving family around me and the wonderful time and conversation we get to share together.  I cherish the fact that I have so many people who love me and in whom I also love greatly.

Christmas continues the process that Thanksgiving starts of realigning my heart to Jesus.  It can become so easy to get all tangled in the world throughout the year.  Our hearts get pulled in all directions by our spouses, family, jobs, errands, and our desires.  We can become so cluttered by life that we forget about the work that Jesus has done in us.  I know it is a sad prospect but I suspect that many of you have experienced piling the many worries and desires of this world in front of Jesus.  Christmas is my time to purge all of these things out of my heart again so I can see Jesus and the cross clearly again.  It is a time where I can reflect on His life and the sacrifice He made for me just in humbling himself to become a human.

I absolutely love Christmas music.  There are so many beautiful songs that bring so many new and wonderful insights into the birth of Jesus.  I love songs that tell stories of Christ's love in people being lived out authentically at Christmas.  I love to cry to songs such as Christmas Shoes and I desire the iconic white Christmas on the actual day each year.  There is absolutely no place I would rather be than with my family at Christmas.  I have quit jobs because of being hindered from spending time with my family and participating in Christmas programs at Christmas.  I love selecting or creating the perfect gift for someone and watching the joy of them opening it on Christmas day.

We have been given such a great gift in Jesus!  This world tries it's hardest to pull our hearts away from the true meaning of Thanksgiving and Christmas.  Don't get caught up in all the lights, Santa celebrations, and sales that you forget the true reason for the season.  Without Jesus there would be no Christmas.  Without Jesus there would be no reason for thankfulness or Joy.  Without Jesus there would be no salvation or understanding of true love.  Center your hearts on Jesus this holiday season.

Blessings,

Greg