Distractions 04/28/2009
 

FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. (April 22) - Police are looking for a pregnant woman they say tried to rob a North Carolina bank at gunpoint but left empty-handed after answering her cell phone. Fayetteville police spokeswoman Teresa Chance said Wednesday the woman had a handgun and demanded money when she entered a Carter Bank & Trust branch at 9:43 a.m. Tuesday. But she got distracted when her cell phone rang. Police said she began talking to the caller and left the bank without taking any money. No one was hurt."

Hmmmm...talk about getting distracted! Talk about losing focus! Good grief. I can't help but wonder what the conversation on the phone was about? Was it a friend calling to talk her out of the robbery?Did she receive some bad news or good news that caused her to reevaluate what she was doing? Did she turn to go out to the car to look for something that was brought up in the phone call and "wake up," so to speak, when she got outside? Did she just get caught up in a conversation and forget what she had been doing? Whatever caused it...the phone call distracted her and a robbery was prevented. That was good.

But what about when we get distracted and it's not good? What about when we are in the process of raising our kids, or pursuing an education to better address what God has called us to do, or tenaciously engaged in a task for the betterment of God's Kingdom...and we get distracted? Oh...it could be that we become enamored with a hobby, or get caught up in gossip, or maybe we mire ourselves in complaints about something we don't like, or maybe we just stop doing what God wants in order to do what we want for awhile. Whatever the cause...we  become distracted, unfocused and
tragicallyineffective. When that happens...there is a loss. Not only for us, but also for those we are failing to adequately engage in the gospel.

Jesus needs you...He needs me...by choice. He has chosen to use us to be couriers of the gospel. He has purposely left the challenge of reaching our neighborhood, our city, and our world to us...and He needs us to be focused.

Oh...count on it...Satan will be "calling" you in one form or another. But it won't be to avert a theft...it will be to create one. He wants to steal you...to steal me...to steal as many as he can from being and doing what God desires. On what are you focused? Is Christ in that picture? Are you in a position to be used effectively for Christ?

"But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus." Philippians 3:13, 14




 
 

I can't believe it!! Read this..."Most kids complain bitterly when they are grounded. Some will sneak out, while others will settle for slamming doors and announcing that they hate the person making the rules. But sometimes, kids get creative when they're punished: A 6th grader in Quebec sued her dad because she felt that his punishment was too harsh. The 12-year-old girl's parents are divorced; in the spring of 2008, the girl's mom gave her permission to go on a class trip to Quebec City in June. But the middle-schooler lived with her father, and after she disobeyed daddy's orders to stay off the Internet, he told her she couldn't go. So what did she do? She took him to court. Of course. A lower court ruled in favor of the girl, who went on the embattled class trip. Her father appealed -- on principle -- and, amazingly, the girl won again. The father's attorney, Kim Beaudoin, says that her client is "flabbergasted" and they are considering another appeal, this time to Canada's Supreme Court. But, the attorney adds, the father has no regrets about the court proceedings. "Either way, he doesn't have authority over this child anymore. She sued him because she doesn't respect his rules," Beaudoin said. "It's very hard to raise a child who is the boss."  

I hardly know what to say. Unfortunately, precedent rules in our nation's courts, so we may begin to see the United States follow suit, with kids taking their parents to court because they don't like how they are being disciplined. Really...people should not put all of their efforts into addressing climate control, education and political correctness, and instead start to think about how to ratchet up their common sense. That seems to be evaporating faster than water in a tin cup on a hot beach.

But...should we be surprised that any court system would be undiscerning about issues of discipline and right and wrong when moral standards are as certain in today's society as a GM employee's future retirement fund? People are stumbling through life, flopping from one decision to another based on their desires and emotions, rather than on truth and principles of right and wrong. We have seen fundamental family values usurped by a "justice" system and many have surrendered our society's foundation to "political correctness" (talk about an oxymoron). I don't know whether to be stunned, angry, disillusioned or heartbroken. Perhaps all of those.  

It should be noted that none of this is news to God. The ineptness of humanity has been gaining steam since Adam and Eve ate that fruit dish served up by Satan. Sin will never develop wisdom. Disobedience to Christ will never foster understanding. Human arrogance will never make the lens of day-to-day living any clearer. If you doubt that...just listen to the news and be prepared to scrap the disbelief from your brain as it collects like barnacles on a ship.
 

But...the good news is that God has addressed this and offers help and hope. That's what Easter is all about. Jesus Christ came to address sin, conquer sin, and offer life, peace, forgiveness and wisdom to all who desire it. Christ rose up from the grave, He rose above those who thought they could "discipline" the Messiah. He rose above the systems of humanity and demonstrated the power of God. The resurrection is the doorway to eternity. It is the opening to a holy reality. It is the pardon the world has waited for...and still stands as a valid gift from God.
 

He is risen! He is risen indeed! Are you experiencing the resurrection of Christ in your own life?
 

"Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?"  John 11:25-26

 
Dieting 04/02/2009
 

Well...we're at that point in the year when "diet" talk becomes the main dish on the talking table of people all over the states. Why? Because summer is approaching and people want to be "beach ready." We want to recapture that svelte physique that says, "Whoa...look at this!" Come on...you know it's true. No one wants to walk down to the water with a built-in tube around the waist. We don't want to look like an amphibious boat waiting to launch or a beached whale thrown upon the shore by a storm. So...it's time to talk diet.

What does it mean to diet? Obviously, the point isn't about eating less...no, it's not. The point is to lose weight. Eating less is merely the means to the end. That's why lots of diets will tell you that you can eat all you want and still lose weight. (They don't tell you initially that eating all you want means eating voluminous amounts of asparagus or celery sandwiched between pieces of cardboard). We all recognize that, to shed pounds, we must adjust what goes into our mouths. Personally, I find this repugnant...but nevertheless necessary. Sometimes it's easy to become focused on the diet and lose sight of the point...shedding pounds. 

That sometimes happens in our spiritual journey, as well. We become focused on the path and forget about why we're on the path. We think the journey is about reading the Bible and praying and serving and going to church and helping the needy and all the "doing" that comes with our faith. There's certainly nothing wrong with these things...but the point of the journey is to know God. It is to live with Him and breathe His breath and sync our hearts and lives with Him. 

You see...there are some things about relationships that can become difficult, such as resolving conflicts, forgiving offenses, learning to communicate effectively and thinking more about someone else than about yourself. But...we do all of that because the other person matters. We see the end result and we want to keep the relationship more than we want to languish in the pitfalls and potholes along the road.

More and more it becomes easy to lose sight of where we're going...to lose sight of Christ and each other. Don't do it! Don't overlook your relationship with Christ because you don't like something about "organized Christianity." (I've never understood that phrase. Perhaps the Church should try to be more unorganized. :-) ) Don't abandon your relationships because they require hard work and investment of self. Don't get bogged down in the journey and wander away from your destiny.

"Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things." Colossians 3:1-3

"A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity." Proverbs 17:17

 
Post Title. 03/20/2009
 

  Read this..."PROVIDENCE, R.I. (March 18) - A Rhode Island woman faces charges after allegedly punching and biting her 11-year-old son's school principal after being told the boy was being suspended. Police said 30-year-old Aleyda Uceta also bit an officer trying to arrest her after Friday's incident at Roger Williams Middle School in Providence. She was charged with assault on school officials, assault on police officers and resisting arrest. Principal Rudolph Moseley Jr. was allegedly assaulted after he told Uceta that her son would be suspended for three days for refusing to go to a room for misbehaving students. Police said Uceta punched Moseley in the face and bit his left arm. Attempts to reach Uceta by phone for comment were unsuccessful." 

I wonder where this misbehaving boy learned his behavioral standards? Hmmmm. When reports such as this surface, few are surprised at the child's poor conduct when the parent seems to practice such abhorrent behavior. It makes us hurt for the anger that must hang like a cloud in this home.

This story reminds all of us that we are examples and models to those around us...even when we don't want to be cast in that role. How we respond to tough situations, crises, injustices, harsh words, and challenges reflects who we are inside. If foul language and anger erupt from us...then that is what lives in us. When that sort of behavior is evidenced it says that the person reacting in such a poor manner has little or no respect for those impacted by their behavior. The expression of that kind of behavior has...at the point in time it is evidenced...become more important to the person doing it than the emotions or well-being of those around them. It is essentially selfish, insensitive behavior. And...let's face it...not the kind of example that any of us want to leave.

What kind of example are you leaving? How would those who work with you describe your actions and reactions? Do you respond with wisdom or react with emotion to the challenges before you? Is your behavior reflective of the person of Christ? Is your behavior centered more on yourself or more on others? We need to make sure that the model we live points positively to Christ. Others are watching...and so is Jesus.

"Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone." Colossians 4:5,6

 
 

Read this: "MADISON, Wis. - An atheists' group and a church are taking their rivalry on the road, using ad space on Madison Transit buses to display their competing messages. The Madison-based Freedom From Religion Foundation is spending $2,100 on six signs appearing for up to two months inside 50 buses. Each sign has a quotation questioning religion or giving reasons for not believing. A quote from the late actress Butterfly McQueen, who appeared in the movie "Gone With the Wind," says, "As my ancestors are free from slavery, I am free from the slavery of religion." In response to the ads, Pilgrims Covenant Church in Monroe said this week it purchased space on the outside of 11 Metro Transit buses for an ad quoting Psalm 14, verse 1: "The fool hath said in his heart, 'There is no God.'" The church's ads cover a large part of one side of each bus. The Rev. Ralph Ovadal said the foundation has a right to air its opinion, and the church has "the privilege to respond with truth from the word of God." The church's ads cost about $5,000. Madison Metro spokesman Mick Rusch said any ad sales help the bus system."  

Of course, the obvious question of "Why?" always arises when people spend time, effort and resources to combat what they believe doesn't exist. On their Web site, the Freedom From Religion Foundation members advertise themselves as "freethinkers." I honestly don't know what they mean by that. I'm assuming they believe that anyone who espouses "religion" has somehow lost the ability to think freely for themselves. If so, we must assume, then, that (according to that line of reasoning) anyone who does not line up with non-faith-based logic is considered mentally handicapped in some form or another. But...again...it appears that their freethinking is costing them money, time and effort to fight against something they don't even believe exists. Maybe I'm not thinking clearly...but I don't get it.  

Now...I do admire people who have convictions and stand their ground. Obviously, these individuals believe there is no God. They must. One does not spit in the face of God in a cavalier fashion or casually blaspheme His name. This group would not believe they are doing such...since they don't believe God exists. I'm guessing their understanding is that a mammoth number of people in the world have been duped by believing in God and they are seeking to awaken those people to their belief that He does not exist.   From my perspective, the Feedom From Religion Foundation seems to be on a crusade to alter reality...a power they don't possess. Yes...I know that is my belief...and it is predicated on what I believe to be God's Word, the Bible. The Bible defines reality and eternity. It contextualizes life within the framework of God's creation and His will for His creation. And...free thinking, contrary to any other assumption, is very much built into God's creation. We are not puppets. We all choose to believe, do and pursue whatever we want. And...there are rewards and consequences to our pursuits. We must remember some important truths.
 - Denying or ignoring God won't cause Him to disappear.
-  Attacking believers in God won't eliminate belief in God.
-  Calling yourself a "freethinker" doesn't make you one or cause someone else who thinks differently to not be one. 
-  Regardless of what any of us believe...we will all stand before God someday. (Yes...I know. You can say that is only my opinion. Time will tell and I am certain that is true.)

The Freedom From Religion Foundation Web site quotes atheist Richard Dawkins, who said: "The God of the Old Testament is arguably the most unpleasant character in all fiction." Again...I ask...if that is true, why would Dawkins or anyone else waste their lives fighting fiction? For myself, I would rather build my life on a foundation of truth and pursue it. So...I build my life on Christ. What about you?  

"The fool says in his heart, 'There is no God.'"  Psalm 53:1
 

"For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities-his eternal power and divine nature-have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse." Romans 1:20 

"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him." John 3:16, 17

 
Complaining 03/06/2009
 

 "FORT PIERCE, Fla. (March 3) - Authorities say a Florida woman called 911 three times after McDonald's employees told her they were out of McNuggets. A police report said 27-year-old Fort Pierce resident Latreasa L. Goodman told authorities she paid for a 10-piece last week but was later informed the restaurant had run out. She says she was refused a refund and told all sales were final. A cashier told police she offered Goodman a larger portion of different food for the same price, but Goodman became irate. Police say Goodman was cited on a misuse of 911 charge. A current phone listing for Goodman couldn't be found. A McDonald's spokesman says Goodman should have been given a refund, and she's being sent a gift card for a free meal."

This is for real! No kidding. Now...let's face it...we've all been yanked around for one reason or another at fast food restaurants. Many are the times I've pulled away from the drive-up window only to discover that what was in my bag didn't' match the order I placed. Based on the above news article, I apparently should have called 911. Sheesh.

Ok, so let's ask ourselves...about what do we complain? What happens in our lives that validates our making a big stink? I have noted through the years that seldom do people complain about issues that really matter. Let's take this lady who called 911 over a shortage of Chicken McNuggets to fill her order...I wonder if she has ever been upset by the number of people starving around the world. If she saw a homeless person...would she call 911? Would she have deemed it a critical need requiring emergency response if she were asked to buy products produced by slave labor (and she probably has). What really constitutes an emergency?

The same can be asked about our spiritual understanding and journey. What do we complain about? What constitutes an emergency? Are we more upset about the fact we didn't know something that happened at church or that there are those who don't know Christ? Are we more rankled about feeling that we didn't receive the attention we thought we deserved at church or that countless millions receive little to no attention when it comes to their nutritional and spiritual needs? Do we call 911 (our prayers to God) more readily about our needs than the needs of others? What upsets us? Is it of eternal value? It can be very disconcerting when we realize that a great deal of humanity's bellyaching is self-serving and that we are not often enough stirred up about what really matters. 

Let me say "thank you" to all of you. Honestly...I have encountered very little complaining at BreakPointe. That is very unusual and is one of the characteristics that adds to the strong unity and community we enjoy. It's why people can walk in to BreakPointe off the street and feel welcome. There are no undercurrents...no complaining that would undermine our mission, which is to make disciples of Christ. Let's make sure we always keep our focus, keeping our eyes and hearts on what matters to the Lord.

"Do everything without complaining or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe as you hold out the word of life-in order that I may boast on the day of Christ that I did not run or labor for nothing." Philippians 2:14-16

 
Windows 02/27/2009
 

Ever wonder if there is a healthier seat than others on an airplane? MSNBC reports the following. "If you're worried about blood clots, sit on the aisle. A recent study from Lahey Clinic Medical Center confirmed that getting bumped by the beverage cart can help keep deep-vein thrombosis away. The research team found that 75 percent of these cases occurred among non-aisle passengers, because they were not moving enough. Flights lasting between four and eight hours were worst. It's not just a matter of leg room. Window seats in business class led to the same results. Fortunately, there are steps you can take to keep yourself healthy. Put on compression stockings, and you'll reduce the blood clot risk. If this is too cumbersome for you, try drinking plenty of water ... and avoiding alcohol and caffeine (well, that might actually be harder). Before you loosen your seatbelt and move freely throughout the cabin, just make sure the "fasten seatbelt" light is off and that you're not blocking the meal service. Hungry, thirsty passengers can put your health at risk, too."

How about that?! Where we sit makes a difference! That is especially true in how we live our lives. Where we position ourselves affects our health...our emotional and spiritual health. Unfortunately, in much of life, it's not that people sit by the window...some sit by the wrong window. They look and focus on the underside of life. Some position themselves next to the bottom feeders in society and adopt those individuals' description of life as reality. There are still others who "look out the window" and let what they see (bad experiences, hurt, rejection, etc.) color their views of the world so much that they disengage and miss all God has for them and all the opportunities for which God might have used them.

There is another dynamic. Whenever we look out a window, it not only reveals to us what is beyond the window, it is an invitation to explore that beyond. Unfortunately for some, they never move. Looking is as far as they want to go. They are the "window shoppers" of life. They never expect to invest, spend, engage or in any way merge with what they see, good or bad. No...they shouldn't engage the "bad," but the reality is...their apathy won't allow them to engage with anything. As a result, they remain stagnant in their fears or comfort zones, all the while staring into their dreams and within touching distance of a greater reality. 

Because we fail to move beyond and because we sit by the wrong windows, we experience what Jeremiah said in Jeremiah 9:21, "Death has climbed in through our windows and has entered our fortresses..." What's happening at your windows? Where are you positioning yourself today? Are you near a window? If you are...are you willing to go beyond that window? What do you see? Is it only what others tell you, or are you asking the Lord to open your eyes to what He sees? When you explore God's Word, do you ask Jesus to turn on the lights of understanding in your mind? When you see problems and crises, do you ask the Lord to reveal wisdom? 

What's happening at your windows? Are you seeing Christ? Are you seeing what can happen when you are in Christ? Are you excited about exploring what you see? What's happening at your windows? Are you getting sick or are you getting challenged?

"Come and see what God has done, how awesome his works in man's behalf!" Psalm 66:5

 
No God? 02/26/2009
 

AOL news reports..."Ads proclaiming, "Why believe in a god? Just be good for goodness' sake," will appear on Washington, D.C., buses starting next week and running through December. The American Humanist Association unveiled the provocative $40,000 holiday ad campaign Tuesday..."We are trying to reach our audience, and sometimes in order to reach an audience, everybody has to hear you," said Fred Edwords, spokesman for the humanist group. "Our reason for doing it during the holidays is there are an awful lot of agnostics, atheists and other types of non-theists who feel a little alone during the holidays because of its association with traditional religion." Edwords said the purpose isn't to argue that God doesn't exist or change minds about a deity, although "we are trying to plant a seed of rational thought and critical thinking and questioning in people's minds." The group defines humanism as "a progressive philosophy of life that, without theism, affirms our responsibility to lead ethical lives of value to self and humanity."

I'm not sure what to do with such a campaign. Obviously, the philosophical bent behind the ad campaign is 180 degrees from truth. Since their campaign is built on the concept of "there is no god," I have to ask the following:

    1. What is goodness? Who defines it?

    2. Where did the concept of goodness come from?

    3. Do the person or persons who define "goodness" then become "god" by virtue of the fact that they are setting the standard?

    4. If there is no god...who determines any standard? And...if it's humanity...then which standard of the multiple individuals defining "goodness" do we choose?

    5. And...regardless of how goodness is defined...why should anyone be good? And...certainly we have to ask...why be good for goodness' sake? That seems to make no sense with or without a defined standard of good. If there is no god.. .there is no "higher" authority other than the opinions of people.

    6. Why on earth would anyone want to live an ethical life outside of God? What would an ethical life look like outside of God? 

I can't help but ask...how can this campaign or the line of reasoning taken by the American Humanist Association be considered "rational" or "progressive?" 

Anytime our opinion seeks to trump God's directives...we lose. We lose sight of life; we lose a grasp on reality; we lose perspective on the essence of character. This group claims that they feel alone during Christmas because of its association with traditional religion. I genuinely grieve that they feel alone. But it's not because of Christmas, a time when the birthday of the Incarnate God is celebrated. They feel alone because they have distanced themselves from the very One who brings peace, hope and the presence of God.

How about you? What do you think of this campaign? Where do you line up? Don't let Christmas be a time when you distance yourself from the very One who came to be near you...to indwell you...to fill you...to give you peace. Jesus...the light of the world has come. 

"The true light that gives light to every man was coming into the world. He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God..." John 1:9-13

 
Mission 02/26/2009
 

AOL reports: "A church has vanished from the Russian village where it stood for almost 200 years, the local diocese said. The Church of Christ's Resurrection, in the central Russian village of Komarovo, was built in 1809 but in early October someone took it away brick by brick, Father Vitaly a spokesman for the local Russian Orthodox Church, claimed. "We have sent a letter to local prosecutors," he said. 'Who exactly did this, the investigation will show.' The church was in an isolated area only occasionally visited by clergymen, so the disappearance was not immediately noticed."

Interesting story, and it makes me wonder...who would miss our church if we suddenly disappeared? Would anyone notice if we closed our doors? At this point in time...I am confident that the answer would be Yes...our absence would be noticed! The Lord has enabled us to make significant inroads into our community and we have given a great deal to those around us in the name of Jesus. 

However...we need to be alert to the fact that the Enemy would love to dismantle us...and he'll do it brick by brick. That means...person by person. When you begin to fall prey to disobedience, you are not simply headed for personal destruction, your disobedience is contributing to an erosion of the body. It is not an overnight destruction...but with slow deliberation the enemy picks away at the body of Christ. When Satan is able to weaken you...he weakens the Church at the same time because each of us are built into the body of Christ.

Don't allow the Enemy to remove you from your place in the mission of the church. Don't go unnoticed by others. If you are able to leave the church...and no one notices...it means you aren't making a contribution to the mission. You aren't making a difference. Please...be sure you would be missed...be sure you aren't lost in a cloud of apathy. Be sure you are engaged in the call of God to proclaim Christ.

As we all move into a time of Thanksgiving, let's not be negligent in expressing our gratitude to God for all He has given us...especially thankful that He is using us as a testimony to His character and grace. And, let's thank the Lord for the grace and mercy that we've all received. It's a gift that reaches into the everlasting.

As for me...I'm especially thankful for you. You bring hope to my soul for the future of the Church. You inspire my vision...you model the person of Christ...you seek to imitate Jesus rather than culture. You make me so grateful that God called me into ministry and allowed me to be your pastor. Thank you.

"Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him." Colossians 3:15-17

 
Finding Jesus 02/26/2009
 

Reported on AOL news (Dec. 1) - "What do you say to a brother you didn't know existed for 80 years?" So asked Jack Shore of Lew Manilow in March, The Chicago Tribune reported. The two men had recently learned they were brothers -- and that they happened to live right down the street from each other in Chicago. Manilow was born Irvin Inger in August 1927 in Wayne County, Mich., to Gussie and Sam Inger. The couple already had a 13-month old, Jacob (Jack Shore), and four children from Gussie's previous marriages. Overwhelmed financially and with their marriage on the rocks, the couple gave Irvin up for adoption. A year later, Irvin was adopted by Minette and Nathan Manilow of Chicago and became Lewis Manilow. He found out in 1955 that he was adopted and had a brother named Jacob, the Tribune reported, but he didn't track him down until this year. Shore didn't know that he had such a brother at all. It turns out the two men were not only neighbors but that they had met once when Shore visited a previous home of Manilow's. Now the two men are meeting each other's families, taking things slowly. "I didn't just find a brother," Manilow told the Tribune. "I found a new family. Digesting that, relating to that is going to take time."

Can you imagine?! A brother you never knew you had living just down the street...and you were both unaware. It makes me wonder how much history or valuable information or life-changing insight is within reach of all of us...and yet we are oblivious to its existence. 

We have entered the season of Advent...the coming of Christ to earth, and all around us are the sights, sounds, smells and tastes of Christmas. From trees to cookies, from presents to bells, from eggnog to mistletoe, from nativity scenes to advent wreaths, Christmas beckons. Even more so...Christ beckons. For many, He is the brother that lives in their shadow. He is the sweepstakes they long to win. He is the love they hunger to experience. He is the grace they crave to receive. He is the hope on their horizon. He is breath of their existence. And yet so often...He is the unknown on their radar screen, always overseeing but often overlooked. 

I love Christmas. It is unquestionably my favorite time of the year. As a result, I tend to burrow into the heart of the season in search of fresh insights and fresh fodder that I can feed my always-expanding curiosity. I don't want to miss the obvious. I don't want to be dazzled by the colors of the season and miss the Light of the World. It would be almost criminal to receive gifts from others and bypass the gift from God...His son, Jesus. I don't want to fill myself up with the culinary delights of the yuletide and miss the importance of the admonition of God's Word to "Taste and see that the LORD is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in him." Psalm 34:8

How about you? What hidden, unknown reality is residing just down the street from you? What great gift might you be overlooking? Take the time to explore the gift of Jesus. Know Him. You'll discover a whole new family.