My Favorite Christmas Song

"The Night Before Christmas" by Brandon Heath is by far my favorite Christmas song. I know it doesn't qualify as a "classic" Christmas song, but I feel it represents the hope and joy that came into the world the night before Christmas. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jCitZPr2oD0

Figuring Out Who Brought Christmas Presents

There are two people in history that are associated with Christmas. The first is obviously Jesus, but the second is almost just as well known. His name is Santa Claus. However, it took me a little while to get the whole Santa thing. Spoiler Warning: If you believe in Santa, stop reading now!

My parents never told me about Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny, or the Tooth Fairy. They figured, I'd find out eventually they didn't exist, and it would save heart break down the road if I didn't think they were real in the first place. Since I had no idea about Santa, I came to my own conclusions about the giver of gifts. My first guess happened when I was about three years old. My parents owned a picture Bible, and would read it to me every night. On this particular evening, the Bible story was about Moses leading the people out of Egypt. In the picture, Moses had a long, white beard that showed his wisdom and flowing silvery hair; a typical Moses picture. However, to a three year old, this was a quaint looking figure. The next day my parents took me Christmas shopping. While we were in the store, we passed an inflatable Santa. Dad, wondering if I knew about Santa, asked who I thought it was. I thought for a moment, but then it all made sense. This inflatable man had a long, white beard and flowing white hair, so it had to be..."Moses!"  My dad started laughing and preceded to the checkout isle. My parents never told me my answer wasn't correct so for about three years I thought Moses brought us gifts on Christmas.

My next guess happened when I was about six years old. I finally figured out that Moses was dead, so he couldn't bring Christmas gifts. One day I was busy doing whatever it is a six year old does, when I had a thought. I know someone that brings packages. He comes everyday, and leaves envelopes in our mailboxes. The mailman had to bring our presents! He must have a key to every house on his route, and on Christmas Eve, he sneaks in and leaves gifts under the tree! I think I told my mom this time, and she gave the same response my dad had given three years ago. But again, they never told me I was wrong so the mailman had to bring us presents.

After about three more years I figured out it had to be Santa. However, I wasn't totally convinced. A man in a big red suit with a reindeer sleigh, travels around the whole world in one night and fits through a chimney? The mailman made more sense. But everyone else I knew believed this man existed, so I went with it. I was still skeptical until Christmas Eve of that year. That's when I knew Santa had to be real. My dad had logged on to NORADsanta.org (North American Aerospace Defensive Command for those who don't know) because he had heard they do a mock Santa tracker. This website tracked Santa on his journey around the world on Christmas Eve. It even had 3D computer videos of him flying through cities such as London, Paris, New York, etc. My dad called my brothers and I up to track Santa. I was amazed. Here before me was a radar map, showing where Santa was! It was incredible! I looked at my dad and blurted out, "Santa has to be real, because that's the government, and the government wouldn't lie to us!" Go ahead, laugh, but I was only nine.

I believed in Santa about four more years after that. Eventually I concluded that a man in a suit flying in a reindeer sleigh didn't quite fit into the possible. This conclusion was confirmed when it occurred to me my parents always had a "special night" around Christmas time. I finally asked my parents if he was real. They smiled a kind smile, and said that he wasn't. I wasn't sad, but I was a little disappointed. I knew that he didn't exist, but to have my suspicions confirmed proved it. I remember feeling disappointed because Santa was a sign of universal good. It seemed to me everyone got along because of him. That he brought the gifts so people would know about Jesus. My disappointed faded away Christmas of that year. Whether or not he was real, I still got my gifts!

I am much older now and the biggest lesson I learned from these experiences? The government is anything but honest! 

A First Time for Everything

Hey everyone!  This is Zach's friend Abby here to post on a blog for the first time!  I am so excited to have this opportunity to share my thoughts and feelings with you over a wide variety of topics with my friend Zach.  These topics may range from serious spiritual discussions to questions like wether or not the human population as a whole should really be continuing to consume the translucent, jiggly, and vibrantly colored substance known as jello (bleh).  However, for the rest of this month I will be helping Zach write some "Christmas themed blog posts" considering that it is December now (finally!)

So, Christmas.  What do you normally think of when you read that 9 letter word?  For me, I think of putting up a tree, hanging up stockings, giving and receiving gifts, etc.  In short, I guess that traditions come to mind for me as I would say they do more most Americans.  There is something special about a family tradition or maybe just traditional items in general that seems to appeal to us as humans.  Maybe it's the warm felling of remembering your childhood or simply because its what your brain has grown accustom to, but I think that sometimes traditions can do as much harm as it can good.  We loose sight of what were doing as we go through the general motions expected of us without even realizing it.

Even Jesus talked about the danger of tradition in the church and how we must be careful to not so wrapped up in the laws or tradition regarding Christianity that we forget what it is really all about: a relationship with our Heavenly Father.

So make sure to set aside some time to really explore what it is God has for you this holiday season.  It may even be time to break an old tradition to make way for a new one that brings you back in focus with Christ.

- Abby

It's Your Move

"A piano sits in a room, gathering dust. It is full of the music of the masters, but in order for such strains to flow from it, fingers must strike the keys. . .trained fingers, representing endless hours of disciplined dedication. You do not have to practice. The piano neither requires it nor demands it. If, however, you want to draw beautiful music from the piano, that discipline is required. . .

"You do not have to pay the price to grow and expand intellectually. The mind neither requires it nor demands it. If, however, you want to experience the joy of discovery and the pleasure of plowing new and fertile soil, effort is required.

"Light won't automatically shine upon you nor will truth silently seep into your head by means of rocking-chair osmosis. It's up to you. It's your move." -Charles Swindoll; The Finishing Touch

Commercial Christmas, part 2

Christmas is a hurtful, bitter time for many. Losing a loved one, losing a job, or whatever else the situation is, doesn't bring joy to people on Christmas. These people are hurting and broken. Christmas is a time of joy and hope, but they have none. Memories bring sorrow for them. Christmas reminds these people of another year gone by, another year someone has been gone. Or think about the people all across the globe that will have no Christmas. These people wake up as they do on every other day, just wondering how they will make it. This is our world.  This is what the society of Commercial Christmas doesn't mention. This is the part that is put on the shelf behind toys, electronics, and appliances. This is what a society looks like without Jesus. This is what a world looks like without Jesus. This is a society without hope. But, in God's perfect wisdom, that is not the case. We don't live in a world without Him. Our world was the same way two thousand years ago. The world was hurting, it had no hope. But that night the Hope of nations, the Son of God, Jesus, was born into a tiny manger in the small town of Bethlehem. That night the world had hope. We were no longer separated from our Heavenly Father. The magnitude of that night will never be surpassed in all of history, because it was on that night that God sent His Son so that we might be "white as snow" (Isaiah 1:18). It was on that night that God sent His Son so that we could worship Him forever in eternity. Jesus came to give us hope. This Christmas season, our world is the same as the one Jesus came into. People are busy, looking for other things to provide joy. People are hurting, and hopeless. For those of us who have professed Jesus as our Savior, we need to share that hope. The hope of a God that loves them, and wants to spend eternity with them. So this Christmas season, enjoy the fun, the lights, the family, the memories, the gift shopping, the sights, and the sounds. And while you do these things, don't forget to tell about the One who gives us hope and joy, the ultimate Christmas present: Jesus.

Commercial Christmas, part I

Thanksgiving has come and gone, signaling the beginning of every one's favorite holiday: Christmas. Christmas is a magical time. The aroma of the air is sweeter, a sign of good tidings, and great joy. Human interaction is kinder, people are happier, and the world is eager and excited. Parents rush about, waiting in endless lines, traversing numerous shopping websites, and driving miles to get the gifts so desired after by their children. Child after child dream of the joyous day when a man in a suit  will come down a chimney and leave treasures under the glimmering tree. People illuminate their homes with an array of multicolored lights to show Christmas spirit. Stores become warm and inviting places, beckoning people to purchase items for their loved ones. Holiday parties occur throughout the month as a sign of community. But there is a problem. While this all appears great and fantastic on the outside, and no doubt brings great memories, we have forgotten something. We have forgotten Jesus. I'm not talking to an individual person, or a group of people, but rather to our society as a whole. We have forgotten the Reason for the season. Christmas has become a commercial business for our society. It tells people that their children will be disappointed if they wake up to nothing. It states that your spouse will love you if you buy him or her this item. Christmas is about buying things. However, even worse than this is the fact the our society is making Christmas only about things. Jesus is getting pushed to the curb on His birthday. It's about us now, not Him. We as Christians should know better than to fall into this trap of a Commercial Christmas, and I believe many of us do, but we still feel pressured by society to buy. My own life can serve as an example of how most of us feel. My parents asked me to write a Christmas list of the gifts I would like to receive on Christmas day. To be honest, I could not think of anything. I did not want anything! But something in my subconscious being, guilted me into thinking that if I did not ask for anything, I would be against the crowd. I can't explain the thought, but I can tell you I'm ashamed I thought that way. The Commercial Christmas has taken  the world by storm, and it is only getting worse. Christmas isn't what it use to be, and the reason for the season is becoming something other than Jesus.

The Ultimate Manual

Manuals are the most helpful pieces of advice never used. How many of us have bought something that came with instructions, and thought we could figure it out on our own? I'm guilty as charged. I think that I know better than the instructions, that I don't need them to tell me how to put something together, or how to work something. The best example I have in my life is that of my camera. I've had my camera for almost a year, and never once have I read the instructions. Because of my stubbornness, I don't really know how to do anything on it except shoot pictures. Unfortunately, we also take this approach in reading our Bibles. Many Christians only read their Bibles on Sunday mornings, and it sits on the shelf the rest of the week. A study conducted earlier this year showed that only 19% of Christians read their Bible everyday. 19%! One of the reasons for this is that we think we know how to run our lives. We don't want to read our instruction manual, but no one in the history of this earth has ever succeeded doing things their own way. We need to be constantly reading the Ultimate Manual, and letting God lead and direct our paths. It is God's plan, not ours, that will succeed.

How Much Control?

We love to have control. Control over things, people, and situations. I know, because I speak from experience. I wouldn't call myself a "control freak", but I do like to control certain situations. You may not be a "control freak" (most of us aren't), but you like to have control over basic things. For example, you like to have control over your television remote. Or you like to have control over your car when you are driving (rightfully so). But do we really have control? If so, how much? Well, think this way. You may have "control" over your television remote, but you don't control what shows are on the television. You don't control the electronic components in the remote that make it work, or the TV electronics. In a car, you may have "control" over the steering of the vehicle, but you don't control other drivers. You don't control the steering shaft and chasis doing their jobs correctly. We may think we have control, but we really don't. Our control is based on the dependence of other things. We truly can't control anything. This is kind of a scary thought. We can't control anything. Nothing. If you are anything like me, having control over nothing can be very worrisome. When I don't have control, I start to worry. I worry about things, people, and situations. However, worry is not from God. Matthew 6:25-34 talks about not worrying. Why not worry? We aren't in control of anything, that is a good reason to worry! But Jesus commands us not to worry. Why? Because we have a God who is in complete control of everything on this earth. Nothing happens without His knowledge of it. God doesn't have control that is based on other things. God controls it all. If God controls all things, then shouldn't we trust Him? We worry because we can't control something, but we forget we have a God that controls everything! Instead of worrying about our problems, we should give them to God, and He will be faithful to deal with them His way. So the next time you think you have control, remember, we don't, but God does. So trust in Him, and He will direct you and lead you.

Time for Another Adventure

Time for another adventure...a blog. But not just "a blog" because this one is unique. It is unique because not one person is using this blog. Instead, it is an endeavor by one of my friends and me. It is unique because, not only is it a "co-blog", but it is a blog where we will be absolutely random. One day, there may be a post about something God has impressed on one of our hearts, and the next day, it could be about music. We may have similar posts on similar topics, differences, or even disagreements, but that's what makes this blog unique. I'm looking forward to this, and I know it will be amazing!