He is not the reason...

We are the reason for the season; He is the answer to our dilemma.  

"When we were utterly helpless, Christ came at just the right time and died for us sinners...God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us..."  Romans 5.6,8

Christmas is joyous because God's love never fails.

In Christ, Shalom L'Chaim.  

MerryΧριστός (Xristos).

A Tattered Stable...

Delighted to share this from a very talented writer, thinker and friend...Lori Schuster VenderLende.  Thanks for giving us a voice Lori!

"Away in the manger
no crib for a bed
the exhausted Lord Jesus
laid down his tired head,
and pounded it on the table
Again and again and again.

Oh Winter Tree
Oh Winter Tree
How lovely are your barren branches.
The Nativity is empty
save for the snowplow parked underneath
the tattered gable
where an Angel once stood watch.

Shut your eyes, children
Shield your ears
The courthouse lawn is strewn with religiosity
Now go and watch your MTV.

And a mile up the road,
three well-dressed kings of Orient are
hitching a ride in a gas guzzling car.
They’ve lost their way
misplaced their star,
along the coastal highway.

There is no room in the PC ring
for people who worship a small infant King.
But the credit cards are flying
pulled by eight tiny non-denominational reindeer
and Madison Avenue is praising Jesus.

We wish you a Merry something.

So, have yourself a Silent Night.
The choirs have given up the fight,
the instruments nestled all snug in their bed
while Jesus is nursing His tired aching head.
And Peace on Earth is in the Court
the First Noel a brainless tort.

We the people of the United States of America
have lost our collective minds.
And now the bullies are running the show,
and we are just plain running.
So help me ACLU.

Joy to the World.
Unless it can be thwarted,
by the ones who never learned
to play well with others.
The ones who took the ball home
so no one could enjoy the game.
They look out the windowand smile
at the snowplowparked under the gable
of the empty stable.

Glory to God in the highest,
And on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests."

Bravo!! 
Live it well...bN tGit

Bleeding out...

Culture in America is on an inverted spiral out of control--devolution.  "Civil rights" have replaced "the moral imperative" as the final arbitrator in America.  We've come to embrace the idea it's (here's the irony)  "immoral" to deny the rights of individuals to act as they see fit as long is "no one is hurt in the process."  But this rubric fails to understand that morality isn't defined as just "the absence of a victim."  Debased behavior, wether it's Wall Street, the Silver Screen, Congress, Education, Church or at home diminishes the entire culture and has set in motion a "death by a thousand cuts" cultural bleed-out.

In the name of freedom we have acted in ways that have produced unintended consequences.  We have come to believe that because we have the protection under law to do something, produce something, say something--we can.  The problem is that liberty in that context is license--and license leads, inevitably, to lawlessness.  One of the most important lessons I learned at home was this; just because I CAN do something, doesn't not mean I SHOULD do it. 

If we as a culture, can get back to this simple lesson and apply it with consistency to the way we LIVE our lives, run our companies, invest our money, lead our homes, churches, communities and our nation, THEN I believe we will have taken a FIRST-STEP toward restoring sanity to our decision making process and rebuilding the ramparts that protect our culture from evil and devolution toward certain destruction.

But mark this, healing our culture must ultimately address our spiritual need.  The Older Testament prophet Micah lived in a truly evil world.  The theme of his prophetic letter stresses the integral relationship between true spirituality and righteous conduct. Toward the end of his letter he turns to an axiomatic concern: Micah 6.6 "...with what shall I come to the Lord and bow myself before the God on high?"   In today's vernacular it might sound something like this..."What kind of life will reflect and infuse truth in a world whose reality is based solely on pragmatism and driven by relativism?"  He reveals that answer to us in chapter 6, verse 8... 

"He has showed you O man, what is good.  To act justly, and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God."   Micah 6.8

Friends, it's not a fiscal cliff we see looming on the horizon.  bN

Success & Failure...

Several years ago I decided it was time to fix my shoulder--torn rotator cuff, labrum and a large calcium deposit on my bursa.  I'd postponed the inevitable surgery for 42 years. Two months after the repair I began my rehab process.  I am intrigued by how fast our joints "freeze up" and muscles atrophe when we don't use them. As I strained to lift my arm above my shoulder, I could only move it half that distance; no matter how hard I tried--I could not "will" it up. Getting my "shoulder back" took discipline and hard work.

Life is like that too. When we live careless, reckless, aimless lives, we miss the best life has to offer. People are filled with potential; we are "wired" for growth, relationships, productivity and yes, achievement. Realizing these possibilities brings shape to life, purpose for living; talent and apptitude must be transformed into ability by disciplined effort. "Willing" it won't make it happen. Success and failure are two sides of the same coin and people tend to get what they expect. Our expectations tend to dictate our effort; dicipline tends to dictate our success. Successful people do the things unsuccessful people aren't unwilling to do; the door to success isn't hard to see, but it demands much of those who choose to pass through it.

But, what about "life" after death?  People of faith believe that we've been created with eternity in our hearts. The Scriptures tell us that...

"When we were utterly helpless, Christ came at just the right time and died for us sinners...God showed His great love for us by sending Christ to die for us."  Rom 5.6,8 NLT

We embrace this gracious provision by trusting Christ as our Lord and Savior. But this kind of effective faith doesn't just kick back and "let it happen." Saving faith points us to "a long obedience in the same direction." Life becomes the canvas where we see worked out, what God has worked in. Like purposeful living, spiritual strength and godly character are the by-products of disciplined effort. The apostle Paul understood this...

"Don’t you realize that in a race everyone runs, but only one person gets the prize? So run to win! All athletes are disciplined in their training. They do it to win a prize that will fade away, but we do it for an eternal prize. So I run with purpose in every step. I am not just shadowboxing. I discipline my body like an athlete, training it to do what it should. Otherwise, I fear that after preaching to others I myself might be disqualified." 1 Cor 9.24-27 NLT

Good outcomes don't just happen.  Life and eternity demand our very best and our very best is always more than enough.