I took advantage of a "break in the weather' yesterday and took down all of my outdoor Christmas lights.  The "dismantling took about three hours."  That surprised me because putting them all up took about three days!  The contrast struck me:  How much easier it is to "tear down" than to "build up!"  Why is this so?  The answer is that to "build something" (even an outdoor scene of Christmas lights" requires creativity, intention, purpose, and considerable effort.  To tear something down is sort of easy...

We did something new at my church for Advent this year.  For years we have sponsored an Angel Tree which provides our members with an opportunity to purchase gifts for children who desperately need to know they are not forgotten at Christmas time.  We continue in this tradition, but this year we also wanted to provide a way for our members to pray for one another as we journey together towards Christmas Day.  So, on Thanksgiving Sunday (one week before the 1st Sunday of Advent) we provided decorations upon which our congregation could write out a "seasonal prayer request."  At our Hanging of the Greens party these requests were hung upon a Christmas Tree and on the first Sunday of Advent members were encouraged to take a prayer request and make this request a part of their daily prayer time as we continued through the Advent season.  In the midst of these decorations someone placed a "partridge," on the tree so we began to refer to this Advent experience as our Partridge In A Prayer Tree, prayer opportunity.  So far, the entire experience has been extremely well received...

For years it has been our family tradition to "turn on" the Christmas house lights during the evening of Thanksgiving day.  The "flipping of the switch" honor usually goes to our two grandsons who take delight in having the power to "make the lights shine."

I had an unusual experience the other day; I went into a fast-food store to have a quick lunch and ended up in a conversation with a store manager.  We talked about some "general things" then talked about the coming of Christmas and how that would effect his store.  (Open till 10 on Christmas Eve but closed on Christmas Day).  Then he told me how he and his wife would share Christmas morning.  As I listened I was stunned; this is a story to share...

Advent is a season of joy.  The theme of joy is found in many of our Advent and Christmas hymns:  "Joy to the world the lord is come...."  "Good Christian friends rejoice..."  "Oh come all ye faithful, joyful and triumphant."  The list goes on and on.  On the third Sunday of Advent we light the candle of Joy on our Advent wreath.  In some ways there is an expectation that even those who are "down in the dumps" will have their hearts filled with joy during the seasons of Advent and Christmas.  But even though this is a season of  joy, for many this is also a season that is filled with sorrow and grief...

The season of Advent began November 28th.  As a part of our Advent tradition we light a candle each week on the Advent wreath symbolizing the qualities of:  hope, love, joy, and peace.  On Christmas Eve we will light the white center candle - a symbol of the presence of Christ who is the "light of the world."  As we continue through the season of Advent I've been struck by the fact that perhaps there has never been a time when the qualities these candles represent are more needed in our world and in our personal lives as well...

On December 21, my wife, daughter, and I stood in our driveway (Sapulpa, Ok) and marveled at the beautiful sight of Jupiter and Saturn (the two largest planets in our solar system) as they "aligned" and gave off a marvelous light, marking the beginning of the winter solstice.  Their alignment this year is rare and hasn't been seen since the Middle Ages.  It is this phenomenon, many believe, that the Wise Men witnessed so many years ago.  How blessed we are to have been able to see it as we approach Christmas day, 2020.  It should cause all of us to stop and think...

I was very frustrated (driving West-bound on highway 117) as I got behind a car doing 30 mph at best.  "Why is he going so slowly?"  I exclaimed to myself.  I was preparing to pass and zoom to a normal highway speed when I glanced to my left and saw what was the probable cause of his slow travel:  He was looking at the Christmas light display which is prepared annually by the Paragon company.  I hadn't really noticed it as I was "zipping" by, but when I looked I was caught by the beauty and grandeur of these marvelous lights.  For me it was a "God moment" as i realized that I was rushing through Christmas and was on the verge of missing the wonder of it all.  I realized that I needed to "slow down" a bit.  Could this be true of you as well?...

We hear a lot about angels in the Bible.  At Christmas time, we are especially reminded of their presence in our lives: Gabriel appears to Zechariah to announce the birth of John the Baptist.  Gabriel again appears to Mary to announce the birth of Jesus.  Then after the birth of Jesus "an angel of the Lord" appears to Shepherds to announce the Messiah's birth.  Though angels don't show up on every page of the Bible, their work is mentioned frequently enough to let us know that they are at work in our world.  But the angels that are on my mind today are not the true celestial beings whose work is both mysterious and grand; rather it is those who are "angel like" in that often they work behind the scenes but bring great blessing to those who are the objects of their favor.  Today I'm thinking of people like you and me, who have the opportunity to be "angels" for the sake of others...

The story of the birth of Christ is recorded in both Matthew and Luke.  Both stories are beautiful in their own right, but recently the passage in Matthew (1:18-24) has especially caught my attention.  I would invite you to grab your Bible and read this story once again.  As you do, please notice how the message unfolds with key words, each of which begin with the letter P:...