I wish you a new year!

I wish you a new year! Tonight is one of those nights where the entire nation (for the most part) gathers together to celebrate something that almost all can celebrate with freedom. There are no political agendas. No religious motif or significance. No commonwealth or national human interest to contribute to. It is an opportunity to celebrate another year of life with one another, or maybe that special someone, and to hope for more and better things in the next year to come for you, for us, and for our most cherished ones. We look back on where we’ve come from and the tests and challenges that have oh-so-ensnared-us all through the year. It’s one of those rare moments where we all look back on our lives over the past year and reminisce about it, and maybe what’s behind it all.

Which brings me to what I’ve been thinking about: death.

HAHA, I know, strange addition to this post, but to be honest, sometimes I think new year’s resolutions and thoughts about what your next year will look like, and what you will accomplish is a bit… well, foolish if there isn’t any meaning and depth to it. It is wise to have goals. It is wise to have plans. But I think in order for those things to have their full meaning and their full weight, I think they need to be grounded in something. And that something is the VERY real reality that none of us are guaranteed tomorrow. We probably all know someone we’ve lost this year. My pastor always says, “Everyone knows death is coming for them, but no one thinks it’s coming for THEM!” Death, the rather morbid topic of my post, is the very possibility that makes TODAY so sweet and rich! Not tomorrow, not next week, not next month, not next year….. TODAY! So, although today is the day we think most about “the next year” and what it may look like, please don’t forget to live TODAY! Be a dear friend today! Be a family member and contributor today! Be an example today! Be a joy today! And be safe today!

I do hope this next year will be all the things you hope for.

As the Christmas Day comes about…

As the Christmas Day comes about, we begin with all its festivities and traditions. Starting with our groggy families waking up with a slight headache; most saying it’s from the late night and early morning, but I think granddad’s eggnog or mom’s Christmas punch probably had more to do with it 🙂 This early rousing at what some would consider to be an unholy hour is usually the doings of our lovely little sons and daughters, nieces, nephews or little ones who are so excited about presents and what Santa brought them, that the idea of NOT wetting their pants is long gone….

And so, I find myself in another Christmas morning: Sleepy eyes and bed-head, check. Presents opened, check. Breakfast on the way, check. Second cup of coffee, double-check. But with all these things, I’ve always thought the “after wakeup and stir the enitre family into a frenzy until all presents, gifts, and cards have been opened, and wrapping paper trashed in a corner resembling a new and twisted form of a Christmas Day Massacre event” was the most interesting part to me. Because, let’s be honest, unwrapping present (unless you’ve a family who goes CRAZY on gifts) takes about thirty minutes at the most. Breakfast, one hour. Showering and changing and getting out of the Christmas morning gear, one hour too. So with all that time passed, what happens in the time when you’re not decimating gifts and paper or stuffing your face with another round of Christmas food? I think you have to decide for yourself what Christmas is all about. For some, it’s about family. For others, it’s about showing your heart and care for others. And for some narcissists, it’s about them and what gifts they’re getting.

However, I must contend like my friend Jude that it is about much, much, much more than that. As simply as I can say it, albeit ineffectively since it is truly hard to fully explain, Christmas is about someone who LOVES you more than you can ever fathom, who you owe everything to, forgiving you of what you could never do because of who you are. You (and I) are broken, evil, and in need of a savior. Simply look at world news and your own life of “little sins” (emphasis on the last word) to understand this undeniable truth. And God, who created you, me, the world, and everything in it, is deserving of all glory and honor. You and I are incapable of this because of our selfishness. Our failure requires a sacrifice. The only sufficient sacrifice to cover our sin would be the death of God Himself. And so, that is what He, in His infinite Love and Grace for us, did. Jesus Christ, the Son of God, came to earth to show His love for us in His death for us. Sing with me: AMAZING GRACE, HOW SWEET THE SOUND, THAT SAVED A WRETCH LIKE ME! And so, from me to you, Merry Christmas!! I hope you find joy in today, and that you reflect on what role God plays in your life. Give him Glory and Honor, and enjoy your day.