Greetings all,

I know it has been such a long time since my last post. I am going to try to post more this year – we will see how it all works.

Anyway, Over the last few days I have been reflecting on the holiday season and wondering if we really received all that God has for us. I know that we received gifts from friends and family, but I am not talking about these. I am not talking about salvation although that is such a wonderful gift. I am not talking about The gift of the Holy Spirit but I know without that we would all be in a world of trouble tying to do things on our own. What I am talking about is receiving the joy and the awesome wonder that the holiday season brings. As adults we say that all that stuff is for the kids but I think that is why many of us get so depressed during this time, we think it is not for us. I would ask that you would just take a few minutes and reflect with me.

Thanksgiving – A time on the calender that we set aside to give thanks to God for all the things that He has given to us or is it? It can only be this if we make it this on purpose. What did He teach you this year? Did we learn that giving thanks is not just for November 25? Did we we realize that we break the heart of God when we do not stop and take the time to simply say, “Thanks”. Do we realize how much gratitude play apart in our understanding of who God is?

Christmas – A time that our society has given it over to a commercial selling season (not bad for our economy but not so go for our spiritual health). What was learned this year? Did we realize why there is even a St. Nick? Do we realize that St. Nick, out of Christian love began helping those who needed help? Did we realize that most of what we “traditionally” do is really from a pagan celebration that took place on the Roman calendar on December 25th? Now, I say that not to put down tradition but to give thanks to God that He can use anything for His glory and His celebration. This is a great time to realize that even though God has given us people in our lives that we would of not chose for ourselves, but God given so that we would learn how to be servants to our own and to learn acceptance of others. Do you realize that God is using all this stuff so that we would grow closer to Him and that this is truly a gift from Him – a deeper relationship!

New Years – To most people this is another day to drink until drunk and more, to party like there is no tomorrow. But the next day, tomorrow comes and all the things that we wanted to forget is still there and we are just as lost as we were before. But this is not God’s intention! I believe that God can use this day so that we can give Him the next year sacrificially. When was the last time we truly did this? I mean really give him a full day? By doing this we say, “God what ever you ask, where ever you send and who ever you want me to meet – I will do, I will go and I will meet.

It is my prayer that all of us learned something new about Him and received the true gifts of the holidays; a deeper and more intimate relationship with Him and those that He brings into your life. It is my prayer that we will become a more compassionate people and to truly reach out with the hands of Christ in the year to come!

In His Grip,
Pastor Jason