I Took Down the Christmas Tree

So that you don't think I'm the worst grinch ever, let me explain.

We normally have two trees in our house. One the kids pretty much decorate in our family room. The second tree I decorate with our prettiest ornaments and this one is in our living room. This year we got decorated the kids' tree and we got the other tree up. I put the ribbon on it. I put the berries on it and it sat there for a few weeks with no ornaments. Honestly, it looked fine without the ornaments, but every time I looked at it, it just screamed at me, "Please finish decorating me". And so, I just took it down. Done. The second tree is no longer adding stress to my life because it's back in the box until next year.

If you're my Facebook friend, then you know I'm asking lots of questions this year about how we do Christmas.

Blogs like this one and this one really make me think that I become so weighed down with the stress of Christmas and shopping and all that comes with it, that I miss the very heart of Christmas and the heart of my Savior. I don't think He would ever want His birthday celebration to be the most stressful month of the year.

And so I decided that 2012 would be different. Derek and I have already started talking about how things might be different for our family in December 2012. But then I heard this sermon and I realized that I needed to make changes in 2011. The title is "I won't survive the holidays". The takeaway from this sermon is "I won't get lost in lesser things. I will make the most of Jesus." It's a sermon from Luke 10 about Mary and Martha and it's one of the best sermons on that passage of Scripture that I've heard. Everyone's always so hard on Martha, but where would the world be without Marthas? The problem was that Martha was distracted with the preparations. She should've prepared the best she could and then just let it go to sit at the feet of Jesus. Anyway, it's really worth the listen if you have 40 minutes of time.

After hearing the sermon yesterday, I decided to remove a distraction from my life (namely a tree that needed to be decorated). And so the tree is down and I don't feel bad about it at all.

Tuesday's Takeaway

Sometimes you just need a reminder that our God is still in the miracle working business. Sometimes you need a reminder that nothing is impossible with God. This book was that reminder and it was a good read.



The title is Sun Stand Still...What Happens When You Dare to Ask God for the Impossible by Steven Furtick

It's based on a passage in Joshua 10 when Joshua prayed and asked for the sun to stand still in the sky so that they could continue to fight a battle. God heard and answered a prayer that was prayed with audacity. I'm thinking that it doesn't ever hurt to have audacious faith!

Here are a few quotes from the book:
"The people who accomplish the most astounding things for God's glory aren't the people who feel the least fear. Often they're the ones who deal with the most intense fear. But instead of letting that fear disable their dreams, they start increasing their capacity for faith. They act on the part of God's direction they do understand. And they leave the rest up to him."

"Our audacious faith is not built on the fault line of feelings or the flood plain of our performance. We build our faith on solid ground. Higher ground. We build on the faithfulness of God."

"Audacious faith does not guarantee a crisis-free life. But audacious faith does enable you to seize the opportunity to see God's glory in the midst of every crisis in your life."

The book is full of stories from people in Scripture and people in his church who have prayed with audacious faith. And God has answered some Sun Stand Still prayers. Steven says, "If you're not daring to believe God for the impossible, you may be sleeping through some of the best parts of your Christian life."

I'm not willing to sleep through the rest of mine and so I'm believing God for the impossible. I'm praying with audacious faith and believing that God is going to answer some Sun Stand Still prayers.

If you're like me, then pick up the book and read it. It'll encourage you to believe God for more!

Finding Favor

I heard a sermon recently about being a "favor finder". This was in reference to God's favor in our lives. We pray for it, but then sometimes we don't even recognize when it when it comes.

I've been more intentional the last two weeks about looking for "favor" or those "sweet kisses from God".

Here are just a few simple ones.

A close parking spot at the mall.

I paid for a stranger's meal at the McDonald's drive thru one day and this woman went crazy with gratitude. She was blowing her horn and yelling out the window how I had just made her day. I meant to be a blessing, but instead I was majorly blessed. It made me want to pay for someone's meal every day! :)

Elizabeth has a solar system project at school (NOT my thing...projects...they may be the death of me this month of December). Anyway, a trip to Joann's today to buy dowel rods and styrofoam balls of all sizes and acrylic paint, etc. As I stood in the aisle staring at styrofoam balls, there was one, just one, solar system kit on the aisle. All items included in this kit. Honestly, I wanted to shout hallelujah in the store. I didn't, but I did just stop right there and thank God that I found favor at Joann's.

And so during this busy month of December, I have found favor at the mall, at McDonald's, at Joann's and who knows where else it's been and I didn't even recognize His favor.

Are you looking for His favor? I promise you'll find it if you just look.

For the Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord bestows favor and honor; no good thing does He withhold from those whose walk is blameless. Psalm 84:11