Tag: birth

Birth Day

Consider Christmas – the most significant birthday ever recorded. Christmas is the grand celebration of our Savior’s birth, Christ the Lord.

 Luke 2:11 for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. ​​​​ 

 What is​​ Christmas, why do we celebrate? ​​​​ Towards the middle of October,​​ decorations begin​​ to pop​​ up in the stores for Christmas. ​​ At​​ the end of this​​ same​​ month, tree lots appear on intersection corners. ​​ Christmas is​​ a day celebrated throughout our country in a majority of homes. ​​ It is as much a cultural tradition as it is a religious celebration. ​​ Ask​​ others what this time of year is about and you will receive a variety of answers. ​​ Santa Claus, snowmen and reindeer, food, family, and friends. ​​ Amidst the​​ presents​​ and parties, lights, trees, and​​ decorations, some people will focus on the birth of Jesus.

 At this special time of year,​​ Christmas carols and holiday music abound everywhere. ​​​​ Interesting to note – and perhaps why I personally get really excited about this holiday is the acceptance of recognizing and talking about God and His Son, Jesus​​ Christ.​​ People seem more open to the Truth at this time of year.​​ The​​ opportunities to share​​ the Gospel abound as many of our cultural traditions point to the Christ child. ​​ Turn on​​ almost​​ any Christmas music station and carols of old will be playing. ​​ Listen carefully to the words and recognize that truth is shared as if they are hymns. ​​ Individuals everywhere sing of the glory of Jesus’​​ birth at Christmas time, even​​ if truth has not been accepted, some oblivious to the words they are expressing in a familiar tune. ​​​​ ​​ ​​ 

 In the Christian household,​​ the center of​​ Christmas is the celebration of a birthday – the birth of Jesus Christ. ​​ Consider the planning of a milestone birthday for an individual. ​​ Perhaps it is the very first birthday of a child or the birthday that puts a child in the category of ‘two digits’, or becoming a teenager. ​​ Maybe it’s the fiftieth birthday commonly known as ‘over-the-hill’. ​​ And for some, we may even be around to celebrate our sixties, seventies, eighties and beyond. ​​​​ 

 Most everyone has either had a significant birthday party or has been to one. ​​ A lot of effort goes into the planning and preparation. ​​ There is food to make, decorations to put up, presents to purchase and usually a cake to bake. ​​ Party hats, balloons and banners are often part of the celebration.

 Consider Christmas – the most significant birthday ever recorded. ​​ Christmas is the​​ grand​​ celebration of​​ our​​ Savior’s birth, Christ the Lord.​​ What happened when Jesus Christ was born is the world was given a gift.​​  It is not that we brought something to Him, God gave His Son to us. ​​ We give gifts because we care about someone. ​​ God gave Jesus because He loves you. ​​ Have you accepted the gift He offers? ​​ It is free to receive yet was purchased with a great cost. ​​ Christ was born to die for the sin of all mankind. ​​ God’s love is so great that He gave us His Son as the only acceptable and perfect sacrifice​​ that would pay the price of man’s transgression. ​​ 

 I pray your Christmas is a celebration of the birth of Jesus. ​​ Not only the birth but the gift of life we have in Him. ​​ He was born to die, He willingly suffered for man even while He was innocent, He alone was able to pay the price we owe for our sin. ​​ Jesus was crucified, died, was buried and arose from the grave in His victory over sin’s power. ​​ All because of God’s love for you. ​​ The greatest gift we can give to those we care about is the Truth of Christmas. ​​ 

 Luke 2:10-11 And the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of a great joy which shall be for all the people; for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.

 Good news​​  – the gospel: Jesus’ birth, death, resurrection; God’s​​      ​​ ​​​​ forgiveness, our​​ atonement​​ and the promise of a​​       ​​ ​​​​ glorious future in heaven

 Great joy  – exceeding gladness​​ 

 All people  –​​ offered to​​ everyone everywhere

 A Savior​​   –​​ our Deliverer

 Christ​​   – the anointed, the Messiah

 The Lord​​   – supreme in authority, Master, God

 

 This is Christmas. ​​ Celebrate the Truth!

 

 

Focus Heavenward

Flash back to the spring of 1998. My first child was accepted into a college he had applied to. This was great news and this was not so great news as felt by a mother’s heart. This university happened to be located almost fifteen hundred miles away from home! Think the late 1990’s, before FaceTime was available to the general public. Keeping in touch was done by phone, email or snail mail. There was no snap chat or instant messaging, and pushing a “purchase” button on an Amazon shopping icon wasn’t familiar, if it even existed. We had cell phones but compared to the devices we have now, they were pretty slim in their options (however, not in their size!! They looked like big black walkie talkies with antennas, and forget fitting a phone into your jeans pocket!). Everyone we knew had land lines as their main phone connection.

I plastered a smile on my face to hide the hole in my heart and helped our son get ready for the grand adventure ahead of him. We decided to make the trip into a vacation for all of us. The traveling provided some good together time before the makeup of our family, as we knew it, changed forever.

We gave our son several prepaid phone cards, and after we helped settle him into his dorm room, we said good-bye. There is something about that first child moving out that brutally reminds parents that this person they had nurtured from birth until now, had always belonged to God. It’s something you know and fully accept and even want for them but the reality hits hard when you begin the long drive home with an extra seat in the van.

Ge 33:5 And he lifted his eyes and saw the women and the children, and said, “Who are these with you?” So he said, “The children whom God has graciously given your servant.”

In accordance with Scripture, everything we have belongs to God. We are stewards of His creation. This includes our children!

Any type of change disrupts our comfort. The birth of a child, the release of a child, marriage, relocation, illness, loss of a friend, and even ministry changes, serving in a different area or assuming different responsibilities. It doesn’t matter whether it’s good, bad, exciting or disturbing, chosen or forced upon. Change is difficult and scary and leaves you feeling vulnerable.

What does one do with the emotions that accompany significant change?

In the world you turn towards the things that seem to offer stability, albeit temporal. You may concentrate on the things you feel you can control. You may decide to ignore changing circumstances until the point in which they must be acknowledged.

In the believing Christian world, the effects of change are still felt but (hopefully) the reaction is different. You turn towards God for peace and assurance. You trust He is in control and will guide your direction. You pray for perspective and a response that proves you are His child. You focus heavenward.

At the time of releasing my first child I began writing via email to him, signing each letter with the reminder to keep his focus heavenward no matter what circumstances were presented. (I always drew an arrow pointing upwards as a visual.)      Focusing on God, keeping him close in heart is the one thing I knew would act as a comfort and guidance to my son. I’m not sure if that reminder did more for me or my child. But, I knew God’s plan was for good and I personally needed that constant message to keep my focus on His truth, His promises, His care and to trust in God’s ownership of my son.

How do you focus heavenward?

I had a website at that time under the name ‘Focus Heavenward’ with the statement that its purpose was to be used as a tool to look to the Bible for growth, purpose and encouragement. The site was a collection of past and present Bible studies and women’s retreats I had written over the years.

In order to focus heavenward, a direction is assumed. That direction is up. Up towards a higher position, up towards God. Up towards something that has greater value. In order to focus heavenward, faith in someone bigger than ourselves needs to have been claimed. In order to focus heavenward, a desire to give attention to someone other than ourselves is necessary. In order to focus heavenward, we need to follow the One whose established throne is in heaven.

Whenever life’s direction is significantly altered or disrupted from what is familiar, we respond in one of two ways. We fight it or we accept it. Fighting change won’t stop change, it will only make change more difficult. Accepting change as a necessary part of life will ease the paths of uncertainty.

God permits and sometimes even instructs circumstances in our lives in order to draw our eyes upward. Hanging onto God’s overwhelming love for His children, and His perfect plan and control of all things will allow us, through His grace, to focus heavenward through joyous times and even through tears.
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