well… and it has come, the Day after Christmas. or the DAYS after christmas. When we take the time to throw away the trash, put away the tree and decorations, but most importantly return all the gifts that didnt fit, weren’t working well or exchange gifts to get something we wanted but didnt get.

I hope that you were able to share in the Joy of Christmas with your entire family, and got a chance to enjoy seeing the miracle of Christmas light up your family like it did mine.

 
 
 
 
However, I just got back from getting my hair cut, and I thought about something. The lady who was cutting my hair had a very different response to the question I asked her, “How was your Christmas?”

She said…. “I almost didnt make it through”

I guess I was expecting something like, “outstanding! how was yours?”, “You know it was very enjoyable.” or maybe even something as simple as. “it was good.”

It dawned on me that for many of you, this christmas had an incredible amount of stress. Stress to give the right gift, or stress to make the house just perfect for your mom so that she wouldnt nag you like she has every other time she comes and visits. Stress that you made sure to get your son or daughter the perfect thing that would express your love, express your joy and express your devotion to them. Stress to make someone’s life light up, and stress that no matter what you do, you can’t control the joy of your family.
 
 
 
 
I don’t know what exactly it is for you, but what I wanted to say to the woman who cut my hair is this…
 
 
 
 
 
 
Life is not about performing. It’s about transforming!

Transforming Lives.
Impacting people.
And guiding them to living a better, more fulfilling life!

I hope that for you, Christmas wasn’t as much about buying the right gift, as much as it was being with the people you love!
 
 
 
 
 
So as you take down the decorations, remember who it is you’re doing it with! And know that Life is more about relationships than ANYTHING ELSE!

 
 
 
Merry Christmas,
Luke

Tags: Uncategorized by Luke
No Comments »

 
so, we’ve been walking through the christmas story and picking out things that are relevant to everyday life, everyday people, and everyday situations. If you’re just joining us… i would highly encourage you to start at the beginning and work your way through them from there. First, we started with the unbelievable promise Gabriel gave us that God was with us. Then we learned the importance of family, and we just recently discovered how to respond to the blessing of God.

Today… we get to finish the story… so I join you to continue reading where we last left off…

So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

The Shepherds and the Angels

And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night.An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ[a] the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”
Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,
“Glory to God in the highest,
and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests.”
- Luke 2:1-14 (NIV)

 
 
 
I just received an email just minutes ago that informed me that a good friend of mine was going to be heading to a funeral because a guy they went to high school with past away in his sleep two days ago.

if you jump over to CNN.com right this moment… the most prominent story has to do with a city that has over 30% unemployment.

The Atlanta Journal Constitution just posted a story about EMTs in brooklyn not saving a dying pregnant woman from a fire because they were on break.

On top of all of that, the earthquakes in the Philippines are causing more than 79,000 to have to evacuate.

These are just the stories that hit the headlines on December 22, 2009 near 11am EST.

 
 
 
 
It’s crazy to think about all the hardship these family will experience just three days before Christmas day. The sadness that will overlook the joy of a Christ. and the number of people who won’t make it to see the ball drop into 2010.

It seems like everywhere you look, there’s another life lost, another person who past away, or another global tragedy that are ruining the lives of countless people. We live in a world where we hear and experience the stories of lost life everyday don’t we? The question i have wrestled with is “do we ever get so immune to it all that it just passes us by and we never understand the ramifications of all these lost lives?”

I mean, put yourself into the shoes of the families of all these people. Imagine the grief, the loss, the unbelievable darkness and illicit pain they will endure over what should be a glorious time of the year… Christmas.
 
 
 
 
I know many of you have been in similar situations before and you recognize the loss of life everyday. But today, and this season I think we need to understand the unbelievable gift that our creator and God of the universe gave us.
 
 
 
 
you see… in the midst of all this lost life, our God gave us life.
 
 
 
 
He gave us LIFE.
 
 
 
 
 
He sent a savior to the world, that nearly 33 years later would die on a piece of wood in the shape of a cross so that we may have more than just life here on earth… He sent a son. To die so we may have everlasting life with Him. I think sometimes we become numb to this. And we don’t realize exactly what this means.

Think about it… Every time you or I screw up, and I mean royally screw up… we receive grace from our heavenly father in the form of death on a cross! The very thing that used to separate us from the chance of being with God forever in eternity, this savior in Bethlehem… Died for. The virgin’s first born son… died for. Jesus died for. So we may have life.
 
 
 
 
Jesus said in John 16:33 “…you will have trouble, but take heart! I have overcome the world.”
 
 
and again in John 6:47 “…he who believes has everlasting life.”
 
 
and again in Mark 10:45 “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve and to give his LIFE as a ransom for many.”
 
 
 
 
You see, for you and for me… this guy named Jesus came to give us Life, not take it away.

He is here to allow us to live in the glorious riches of life with him in eternity.
 
 
 
And so this christmas, may you have life. And have it abundantly!
 
 
 
 
Merry Christmas.

Merry Christmas.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

 
 
 
Having life this Christmas,
Luke

Tags: Uncategorized by Luke
No Comments »

 
Once again, I hope that these have challenged you a bit more to live out of the fullness of Christmas this season! We’ve been reading the Christmas story and tracking with Mary over her announcement that she was going to have a baby, then she found out that her cousin Elizabeth was going to have a son as well. This is where we catch back up with the story… remember that line, “Mary Didn’t waste a minute”?

…

… Mary didn’t waste a minute. She got up and traveled to a town in Judah in the hill country, straight to Zachariah’s house, and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby in her womb leaped. She was filled with the Holy Spirit, and sang out exuberantly,

You’re so blessed among women,
and the babe in your womb, also blessed!
And why am I so blessed that
the mother of my Lord visits me?
The moment the sound of your
greeting entered my ears,
The babe in my womb
skipped like a lamb for sheer joy.
Blessed woman, who believed what God said,
believed every word would come true!

And Mary said,

I’m bursting with God-news;
I’m dancing the song of my Savior God.
God took one good look at me, and look what happened—
I’m the most fortunate woman on earth!
What God has done for me will never be forgotten,
the God whose very name is holy, set apart from all others.
His mercy flows in wave after wave
on those who are in awe before him.
He bared his arm and showed his strength,
scattered the bluffing braggarts.
He knocked tyrants off their high horses,
pulled victims out of the mud.
The starving poor sat down to a banquet;
the callous rich were left out in the cold.
He embraced his chosen child, Israel;
he remembered and piled on the mercies, piled them high.
It’s exactly what he promised,
beginning with Abraham and right up to now.

Mary stayed with Elizabeth for three months and then went back to her own home.
- Luke 1:39-56 (The Message)

 
 
 
Have you ever been telling a story, maybe something that you thought was incredibly funny or humorous? And as you’re telling it, you get pretty excited because for once, there isnt anyone needing to check email or respond to a text message in the middle of what you’re saying? and so as you continue you are doing every thing inside you to hold in just busting up in the middle of the story.

you continue to tell it… and BOOM. the punch line.

and no one laughs?
 
 
 

Doesn’t that just suck? I mean absolutely nobody who heard your story responded the way that you were imaging? It seriously could be the worst thing in the entire world! You sometimes wonder what it was you missed, sometimes you go back and try and repeat the parts that you thoughts were funny, and yet still there is nothing but crickets?

Yeah. that has to be the worst.
 
 
 

Well, as I was going through the past few scriptures we have been digging into together, I realized that God sent Gabriel to share with two people a very similar story… One had one response and the other an almost polar opposite reaction.

If you remember (or you can go back and read it… Luke 1:8-25) Gabriel… the arch angel… also came to Zachariah. However when you look at the response of Zachariah and the response of Mary… it’s really quite different. Above, we get the joy of reading Mary’s response.

The one thing that allowed Mary’s response to be so different from Zachariah’s is that Mary understood the Blessing that God had just given her.
 
 
 

There’s something powerful about realizing the blessing of God. Isn’t there?

I mean if we just take this story, we can only imagine what the impact of Mary’s reaction to this news had on Elizabeth. It was probably contagious. I mean… as you read through her response… and read through it trying to identify her emotion, excitement and Joy… its unbelievable how happy she is.

 
 
 
You know, I think that sometimes we have an angel in our own lives that comes and tells us of the glorious blessing our savior has given us and we just sit back and have no reaction. It’s like when I told that story and no one found it funny… I mean seriously… think about that. Our reaction to the fact that we are sooo incredibly blessed is the same reaction our friends have when we tell a story that isnt as funny to anyone else. It’s disappointing, it’s a letdown, demoralizing and diminishing isn’t it?
 
 
 
 
I wonder what this season would look like if we had the appropriate response to our “gabriel” when he shares that we have been given a very similar blessing. That blessing may not be a baby or carrying in our womb the son of God who will change the entire world! But, I do think we are blessed enough to have internet to read this blog.

I do think we’re blessed enough to have heat this winter.
I do think we’re blessed enough to have family over this holiday.
or be able to call them and talk.
I do think we’re blessed enough to enjoy the giving and sharing of presents.
I do think we’re blessed enough to eat an ENORMOUS meal on Christmas Eve.
I think we’re incredibly blessed to be able to hear the story of the birth of the christ too.

 
 
 
And so, I just wonder… what should our response be when we get to live the lifestyle of the “blessed”?
 
 
 
I hope this Christmas we begin to realized that we’re blessed… and I pray that our reaction is much like Mary’s and not like Zachariah’s. But that’s for you to decide I guess.
 
 
 
 
Be Blessed this Christmas.
 
 
 
 
 
As always… Merry Christmas,
Luke

Tags: Uncategorized by Luke
No Comments »

 
Let’s continue reading where we left off…

She was thoroughly shaken, wondering what was behind a greeting like that. But the angel assured her, “Mary, you have nothing to fear. God has a surprise for you: You will become pregnant and give birth to a son and call his name Jesus.

He will be great,
be called ‘Son of the Highest.’
The Lord God will give him
the throne of his father David;
He will rule Jacob’s house forever—
no end, ever, to his kingdom.”

Mary said to the angel, “But how? I’ve never slept with a man.”

The angel answered,

The Holy Spirit will come upon you,
the power of the Highest hover over you;
Therefore, the child you bring to birth
will be called Holy, Son of God.

“And did you know that your cousin Elizabeth conceived a son, old as she is? Everyone called her barren, and here she is six months pregnant! Nothing, you see, is impossible with God.”

And Mary said,

Yes, I see it all now:
I’m the Lord’s maid, ready to serve.
Let it be with me
just as you say.

Then the angel left her.

Mary didn’t waste a minute. She got up and traveled to a town in Judah in the hill country, straight to Zachariah’s house, and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby in her womb leaped.
- Luke 1:29-45 (The Message)

This really is a crazy time of the year isn’t it… I mean think about all that the typical american has to deal with this month… finishing all their projects at their jobs, going to christmas parties, secret santas, concerts, pagents and church performances, dealing with Kids end of the year parties and holiday celebrations, buying gifts for friends and family, tackling the door busting sales (or so they call them), preparing a huge christmas meal, coordinating with the family who’s going to host what holiday meals, cleaning the house, decorating the house, in some families… fixing the house, finishing well in school, studying for finals, wrapping gifts, christmas cards, christmas pictures, and on it goes doesn’t it.

This is one CRAZY time of the year… and it doesn’t shock me one bit. [Read more →]

Tags: Uncategorized by Luke
No Comments »

Season Greetings.
 

God has been really working on my heart a lot lately and I was reflecting back to something I did on the blog more than three years ago. (it’s amazing to see all that God has inspired in me back then) Do you remember the series I did called “The Gift“? in those three posts I tried to take the actual story of christmas to show and help us understand what true gift we needed to focus on that season.
 
 

so I got to thinking…
 
 

Why not go back through the christmas story and see what stands out again.
 
 
so I wanted to take the christmas story and apply it to everyday life. Everyday issues. and Everyday people.

I call it the Christmas Story REMIX. Lets begin. [Read more →]

Tags: Uncategorized by Luke
2 Comments »