Merry Christmas!

Countries all around the world celebrate Christmas. In this country, it is a National holiday. Schools are out, and businesses close because of the holiday. Everybody is in a happy holiday mood.

The true meaning of Christmas is to celebrate the birthday of the Lord Jesus Christ. Most people believe Jesus lived. They know that He changed the world, and He affected many things in the history of the world. 

 

But some people think of Jesus as a good man that taught some good things. They do not believe that Jesus was the Son of God. 

 

Christians believe that God gave His Son Jesus, as the greatest gift of all time. Jesus died on the cross to pay the penalty for the sins of the world.

 

He did that because He loves you. But you must ask Him to forgive your sin.

 

Christians believe that Jesus gives true peace and real joy. Being happy is nice, but joy is more than that. Joy is lasting. As you watch Christians, you can see peace in their lives even when circumstances are hard or difficult. 

 

So enjoy the Christmas season, celebrate with your family, and remember Jesus on the day our country celebrates Jesus birthday. Then you too can have true peace, and real joy, when you know Jesus as your personal Savior.

Celebrate Christmas!

Thanksgiving was a special family time of sharing. Many thank you's were said. It is always good memories of family time.

The Christmas season is always a special time of celebration. Lots of fun things to do and dream about. Many fun and wonderful activities.

On the negative side, there are some sad memories of loved ones that died during the holiday season. And some sad memories of events that happened in the past of someone or something.

At one plant, a group decided to pull a prank on a fellow. It started out in the morning. The first person said, How are you? You do not look good. Then several others throughout the morning repeated the comment. By the middle of the day, the fellow went home sick. The influence and peer pressure caused the man to actually feel sick.

On the positive side are many good memories. The hot chocolate that Grandma made when the crew came in from the cold time outside. Maybe the Christmas eve candlelight service, or that baby born during Christmas.   

There is that person that just makes you feel good being around them. Nothing in particular, just a special time. I imagine Jesus was like that. People just felt special after they were around Him. 

When you see a painting, there is a focal point. The message of the painting is directed by the lighting and shading to direct you to that spot. Few Christmas memories are about the expensive game or gift that someone got. Most are of the special time with someone. 

The focus of Christmas is Jesus. Not the baby Jesus, but what Jesus means to you, and your life around Him, and what He has done for you. 

So enjoy the Christmas season. Celebrate family. Celebrate the Christian family. Celebrate what Jesus has done for you.

Cubs Win! Cubs Win!

Everybody was excited about the great World Series. There were some great wins. They were the talk of the country. 

Even in the championship games there were some fundamental errors, that may have cost each team a game. 

Fundamentals are an important part of any game. Whether you play rec basketball, little league baseball, or rec football, the coach's job is to teach each player the fundamentals of the game.  

The conservative or basic principles of the game are the basis of everything that you do. For example, all teams start out with the layup drill. If you cannot shoot layups your team will have trouble. The three point shots are fun to watch, but even the best shoot less than fifty per cent. 

In running, the fundamentals include the right shoes. Then you learn the proper way to run, and the amount to run. You start out conservative. Starting off with a marathon can get you in trouble. 

Parents start out with conservative views. They may liberalize as they have more kids. You have heard the older child in a family accuse the parents of changing the rules for the next child. They seem to go easier on the second one. Liberal is not always better. 

Some churches seem to start out conservative, but then they drop some of the fundamental beliefs. They are more liberal in what they allow or do. Some call that better. How do you judge those things? 

The Bible is the best source. Some people are trying to rewrite the Words in the Bible. The conservatives try to maintain their fundamental beliefs. The liberals try to change or alter the words or fundamentals of the Bible. 

You must decide what you believe and why. If you have fundamental beliefs, that foundation will help you decide what to do.   

Why did you start running?

A friend said he decided to lose some weight. So he started running, and started watching what he was eating. A friend invited him to a 5k run.  After he did the first one, he met some people and decided to do more. He soon became a member of the family of runners.

A lady decided to exercise, and joined a friend at a 5k. In a short time, she was running more than the friend, and was hooked on the running family with the Run and See Georgia Grand Prix. She was enjoying seeing the state.

The Run and See Georgia Grand Prix was started to get runners to see new places, and see more of Georgia.

A young teen was taken to a college basketball game. Seeing the players up close, and enjoying the excitement of the game peaked his interest in basketball. He wanted to see and do more.

A little fellow met a Major league baseball player. The youngster did not know much about baseball, but from then on his interest grew, and he wanted to learn more.

An older couple staying at a hotel in a big city noticed a group of extremely tall men in the lobby with them, and found out that they were the San Antonio Spurs an  NBA basketball team. Since then, any mention of basketball reminds them of that day. They now have a favorite basketball team, the San Antonio spurs.

  

A family visited the home of a former President. The setting of that time in history, and the style of dress, was okay. But the lady giving the tour was so excited, and made the tour so interesting, that the young person got interested in the early history of our country.

A friend invited a young person to VBS, at church. After the visit, the young man got excited about going to church. He started attending other services and activities.

The common thing in all these stories, is one friend inviting another friend to participate. Doing something with someone the first time, is much easier with a friend. All the advertising, and the talk, all noise is okay, but real results come from one on one recommendations.

So you need to tell someone about your interest, AND invite them to participate with you.

It also means that you may ask about an activity, and why they are excited about doing it. They would be glad to tell you. And you will be glad you did.

That's Going To Leave A Mark!

That is a popular saying now. It happens when someone falls, or trips, or some other thing happens. It is not fun to see.

It is not much fun to be the one it happens to either.

A runner falls, and someone rushes to help them get up afterwards. You see a kid on a bicycle or skateboard go down, you want to help. The Bible calls that the gift of service. It is the desire to be there for someone when they need help.

In school, when someone drops their tray, instead of cheering or laughing, that person helps to pick up the mess. Or when someone is struggling with a math problem, you help them to understand.  

You see someone having a hard day, that serving person is there to encourage them. It is someone that notices when something is not right, and wants to help.

A fellow on a bicycle this weekend said he could not run a 5k, but he rode five hours out on the marathon course to be there for anyone needing help. Or maybe it is that runner that just encourages other runners along the way. The same is true for the workers volunteering at the aid stations along the course.

As a Christian, those are the things that you just do. You do not need to be told to be that way. It is Jesus living His life through you. The inner joy from being there for somebody is special.

Most of the time, there is no recognition, but that does not matter. Those acts of kindness are not done to be seen.

They are done out of love. Every Christian should be doing those things naturally, and regularly.