Good morning, world. Things are looking pretty good from the front porch of my farm in Virginia today. It’s 25° and snowing, so I had the most important Meeting of my day inside the warm farmhouse with a hot cup of coffee, and I gave thanks for the warmth to the God of all Creation. I don’t think most people pause to give thanks for something as simple as a heated home, but that’s because they’ve never been cold. Our plans are to shop for our Christmas tree today, and I can’t think of a better way to grab on to the Christmas spirit than to shop for a tree with snow on the ground. This time of year is filled with family and festivities, and if we aren’t careful, we can find ourselves in a state of exhaustion even before Christmas Day arrives. It’s this time of year that takes more focus on equipping myself for the Season, so it’s this time of year that I am sure to take the time for me and my God despite the madness. My focus won’t just be on the birth of baby Jesus and presents under the tree – my focus will be on the only Way, the only Truth, and the only Life, and I’ll be sharing Him far beyond the manger. Isn’t that the way you see the season, too?

It’s so easy to hoard for our own pleasure this time of year if we aren’t careful. We get busy decorating our homes with a tree and some lights and a multitude of other things, as if there’s a contest we hope to win, and somehow the gentle beauty of the season gets lost in the shuffle. The 3 wise men may have found their way to the manger where Jesus was born by following a beautiful, bright star, but I’m sure the rest of the sky wasn’t lit up in bright, flashing colors in celebration of the birth of the King. We’ll shop until we drop for our loved ones, and we’re inclined to spend money that we don’t have to make people happy, as if the more we buy for them, the sweeter the season will be. But the 3 wise men KNEW that they were headed to meet their Savior, and they didn’t bring a U-Haul to shower the King of all kings with gifts. Sadly, we’ll see a whole lot more of Santa than we will of Jesus in and out of our homes, and somehow the legend of a mysterious guy in the North Pole bearing gifts has overshadowed the greatest Gift of all and the reason we celebrate this time of year in the first place. We’ll cook, and we’ll bake and we’ll have more treats than any human could possibly consume, while countless others will spend the season alone and hungry…and cold. Yes, we are definitely inclined to hoard this time of year for our own pleasure – I just wonder how that feels to the One who was born to die for you and for me?

I’m not legalistic, and I KNOW how to have fun. I don’t believe for a second that Christians are supposed to be broke and miserable. I’m filled with Joy for my King every day of the year, and when I celebrate Christmas with my family, it will be obvious that the day is all about Him and not about us. I’ll have a Christmas tree, and I’ll put out a few decorations in my home. I’ll be busy making gifts for my family and a few of my friends so that I can share a piece of my Heart with them that carries a whole lot more meaning than merely pulling out a credit card. You won’t even find a HINT of that mysterious guy named “Santa” in the farmhouse because we’ll be WAY too busy celebrating the birth of our Savior and giving thanks to the King of all kings…our Prince of Peace.. our Wonderful Counselor and Almighty God for ALL that we are and ALL that we have and for the Hope that He brought to the world when He was born in that manger so long ago.

I’ll have a lot of fun with my family (and a stray or two as the Lord sees fit), and this old farmhouse will rattle with laughter and love. We’ll exchange gifts, and we’ll eat too much food while we give our time, our attention, AND our Honor to the REAL reason for this season…and we’ll give thanks for the warmth. I’ve got a feeling that the One who was born to die for me and for you likes it that way.

How about you?