Ready for Christmas? Not Even Close!

I've kept thinking about the question:  "Are you ready for Christmas?"

I get it anywhere I go this time of the year, from busy cashiers at the stores to frazzled family members and dear friends.  Like I said yesterday, the question is meant to ask whether I'm done with all my shopping or not.  This last couple of days, however, I have felt a certain tension in my spirit every time anyone asks me this question.  I believe the tension has to do with the fact that I am truly NOT ready...not even close!

The reason I'm not ready has nothing to do with shopping.  Thanks to Amazon.com my shopping is pretty much all done.

The reason my soul shudders when I get the dreaded question is that I have been so preoccupied with the urgency of the mundane brought up by every-day-insignificant-emergencies, that I can't believe it is December 20th of the year that I'm leaving my 40s behind, and I had just, literally, just five minutes ago, for the first time, actually taken time to read the lyrics of one of my favorite Christmas Carols:  "Do You Hear What I Hear?"

Another question pops into my mind:  "Have I ever been ready for Christmas?"

The thing is that last night, at the High School Christmas Concert where Grant played in the Jazz Band and Concert Band very beautifully by the way, the Chorus Director introduced the song "Do You Hear What I Hear?" before the performance by saying that the song was written in 1962 during the Cuban Missile Crisis as a call to peace.  The thought intrigued me. 

I didn't grow up with American Christmas carols.  But I've always liked this one because of the tune and melody.  The lyrics, however, I could never really decipher.  I knew that they were talking about things as big as other things or is it "bigger"?...but I was never sure if it was a star as big as a pike? Or if it was a shepherd-king or a boy dancing in the sea? Then, how did the Snowman from Rudolph end up bringing silver and gold? 

My point is, I did not know what was going on in this song until just now.

I woke up with the song in my head...the tune, that is...then I remembered what the choir Director said last night.  So, I looked up the lyrics and I was in awe...I realized what a wonderful son this is!  Instantly, I grew to love this song even more...but now for the right reason...for the content and the truth that it brings forth, rather than for the frills and the tune.

Lord, I've been so busy taking care of things that have no eternal consequences or dazzled by the frills and superficial glitz of the season, that I have forgotten the reason and the purpose for the celebration.  Thank you for bringing me closer to being ready to acknowledging the miracle of Christmas and Your sacrifice...Your gift...the gift of Your presence among us.  Allow me to proclaim this truth with a voice as big as the sea, and to be as brave as the mighty king to say:

Said the king to the people everywhere
Listen to what I say
Pray for peace people everywhere
Listen to what I say
The child, the child
Sleeping in the night
He will bring us goodness and light
He will bring us goodness and light

He will bring us goodness and light

Are You Ready for Christmas?

The last few days have been truly crazy and hectic.  The regular semester FINALLY ended on Friday then, tomorrow, Wednesday, the Winter Term begins.  As the genius that I am, I decided to teach a course during the Winter Term.  It's an online class so I have been frantically working since Friday to organize and display all the material needed for students to begin tomorrow.  I'm still not done.  And I'm so focused on the stuff I still have to get done, that I'm having a hard time being able to relax and realize that I have done a lot...and that...in reality...there isn't much left to do...

Then, of course, I get all distressed once I start thinking about Christmas!

My distress comes not so much from the fact that "I'm not ready," but from the fact that "I'm NOT ready."  You know what I mean?

When people ask me: "are you ready for Christmas?"  I know they are truly asking if I am done purchasing all my presents.  I say stuff like: "mostly, yes...I'm ready."  (And the only way I actually am ready in that respect is thanks to Amazon.com) However, that question stirs conflict in my soul.

Am I really READY?

Of course I'm NOT!

I have spent hardly any time meditating on Scripture and on the significance of the birth of my Savior!  Of course I am NOT ready!

In Sunday School last week, it was mentioned how those who are in Scripture KNOW...

We were pondering the question of whether or not Mary and Joseph "knew" what was going on.  The conclusion was that, perhaps they did have an idea.  They were most likely taught the Word and especially all the prophecies that dealt with the coming of the Savior.  So we think that maybe, yes, they were definitely taken aback  by the news of Mary's Holy pregnancy...but...as they pondered...the Holy Spirit was able to help them find peace in the knowledge of fulfilled promises.

By the time Mary visited Elizabeth, the Holy Spirit had already brought up to the front of her mind all the knowledge of Scripture she had learned in her short life, as she was able to offer her song. Prompted by Elizabeth's greeting:

“Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear! 43 But why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? 44 As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. 45 Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfill his promises to her!” Luke 1: 42-45

Mary went ahead and proclaimed:

“My soul glorifies the Lord

 and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,

 for he has been mindful

of the humble state of his servant.

From now on all generations will call me blessed,

 for the Mighty One has done great things for me—

holy is his name.

His mercy extends to those who fear him,

from generation to generation.

He has performed mighty deeds with his arm;

he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts.

He has brought down rulers from their thrones

but has lifted up the humble.

He has filled the hungry with good things

but has sent the rich away empty.

He has helped his servant Israel,

remembering to be merciful

to Abraham and his descendants forever,

just as he promised our ancestors.” Luke 1: 46-55

To be able to "magnify" the Lord in such a way, the Word needs to be hidden in our hearts and souls.  

Those who know the Word...KNOW.  That's why Elizabeth knew.  That's how Mary accepted.  That's why the dream Joseph had was not dismissed as yet another nightmare.  That's how we will know that that He is Emmanuel.

Christmas is almost here.  Let's become ready by going back to Scripture and fixing our eyes on Him who came and will come again. 

I'm going to dedicate the last few posts before Christmas to Christmas.  Then, I will continue with my comments of the book You Are Going to Be Okay, by Holley Gerth.  

Am I Going to Be OK? The Truth

“We all need to go to bed early tonight!” Yep! In our household, that would solve a lot of our issues. We need to be more intentional about our bed-time…about keeping it an early, bed-time. That is an example of a plan, as author Holley Gerth advices in her practical guide to guarding our hearts.

She says that after we have identified what we are feeling as well as the source of such a feeling and what we need to do in order to feel better, it’s then time to make a plan. The plan should also try to meet the need as soon as possible, even if in a small way, but if not, at least it should aim toward meeting the need in the near future…I’m telling you, the cookie/chocolate thing…that is a plan that will solve many of my problems in a most efficient way…

But anyway…the part that I really loved about this whole segment was the paragraph that she titled: “Reclaim Truth.” It’s so simple and so profound that I’m going to reproduce it here because I believe it could be beneficial for you to read, in case you haven’t yet:

“Finally, when our hearts are unguarded emotionally, the enemy will try to take advantage of the opportunity. You will probably hear some kind of lie that goes along with what you’re feeling. So, after you’ve worked through these steps, ask God to show you what truth you need to believe right now.

Your emotions might be saying, “you are unloved,” but God says, “I have loved you with an everlasting love.” (Jeremiah 31:3)

Your emotions might be telling you, “you have completely blown it,” but God says, “I work all things together for good for those who love me.” (Romans 8: 28)

Your emotions might be insisting, “you have no hope,” but God says, “I have a hope and future for you.” (Jeremiah 29: 11)”



I love it! The truth…that’s what we need. The truth of God’s unique kind of love for all of His children…the truth of His Faithfulness despite our unfaithfulness…the truth of His constant presence regardless our inability to perceive it…the truth of His sacrifice on the cross…the truth of His forgiveness… the truth of His resurrection…the truth of everlasting life in Him.

No matter how disciplined and intentional we are about following all these steps and recommendations on a daily basis...what we need is to seek Him first, His Kingdom, His Truth...all the rest will be given unto us according to His perfect will...His perfect plan.

Am I Going to Be OK? Hangry??

“Mama, can I wash my jersey?”

“What?”

“Hey, where’s my wallet?”

“Probably in your backpack.”

“No, it’s not there. I already looked…”

“Mama, I forgot my saxophone at home, can you bring it to the school?”

“Mama, what soap do I use?”

“I found my wallet.”

“Where was it?”

“In my backpack.”

“Mama, how do I get this washer started?”

“I don’t need any help with math.”

“Then, why do you have a D?”

UGH! AAAHHH!!!

After naming our feelings, author Holley Gerth advices to pray that God helps us recognize the source from which those feelings and emotions are emerging. In page 76 of her book, she refers to the “immediate why,” the current issue, not the long-term, long-ago cause. Why am I so irritable right now? Why am I annoyed at my kids at this moment? Why did I just lose it? In my case, probably because I’m tired and hungry.

The author says:

“An immediate why is not about the past. It’s about right now. It’s valid at times to analyze those deeper “why” questions. But I firmly believe that it’s best not to do that on our own – and especially not when we’re stressed.” (76)

Once we identify the “immediate why” of our current emotional state, the next step is to “figure out what I actually need.” (76)

This is a very practical advice which can save a lot of bitterness and ugly moments in my house. If I can pause long enough to name what I’m feeling and find out what is triggering it at that moment, I can do something about it!

Some examples of needs could be: sleep, food, companionship, help, or truth. In the book, the author says to ignore our mind’s first suggestions such as “cookies, slapping someone or running away to Hawaii,” but I have to say that a cookie might save lives in my case. So, I might not slap someone (too hard) or run to Hawaii, other than in my imagination, but I might go take a nap if I’m tired, or I might have a bite to eat if that’s what’s causing the issue at the moment. I suffer from “hanger” (anger while hungry) so sometimes, a cookie might solve it!

But anyway, we will continue with the rest of the steps on the next post. Right now, I have paused long enough to identify that I am hungry, so I’m going to go and have a piece of chocolate…

Am I Going to Be OK? Give Me a Break

Activating my God-given, internal stop light called the Holy Spirit, by hiding more and more Scripture into my heart takes time and intentionality. However, it is so very important for volatile people like me to not skip this step. The Spirit floods me with the Word at exactly the right moment when I need it most. He creates a perfect “flow” of Bible verses to settle my nerves and allow me the strength to pause long enough so I can name the feelings I’m experiencing.

Naming the feeling is important because it gives me a level of control and ownership over them. Naming something or someone is a powerful act of authority. He/she who names the pet, owns it, right? He/she who names her emotions, may be closer to be able to control them. In other words, if we are able to exert authority over our emotions, we have most of the battle won…because we would be more apt to master them, rather than letting them master us.

None of these things are automatic, though. They develop over time and through constant prayer and intentionality. That’s where patience comes in handy. Praying without ceasing for the Lord to grow the fruits of the Spirit within us is a must.

It’s not magic…it’s life. Therefore, let’s not be so hard on ourselves that we stop trying…I’m talking to myself here…

The thing is that we should not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. (Galatians 6: 9)

When we have set backs, and we will, instead of letting the enemy win as we quit; we need to persevere, repent and pray! We need to give ourselves a break and move on.  Otherwise, we would be letting the enemy gain more of a foothold in us…

So, let’s not despair and continue to lift up our heads and our hearts to the Lord of All who reigns in our lives and is the King of all that we are. He will not leave us in the pit. He will pull us out again, and again until that glorious day when we see Him face to face.

Am I Going to Be OK? Stop Light

Dylan has already made about 5 Christmas lists. I find them everywhere. He just wants to make sure I don’t miss them, so he makes several versions and strategically places them all over the house. Grant, however, is a different story. He doesn’t even want to make a list. I have to guess what he might want. He keeps saying he doesn’t want anything. I love that about Grant, he is really not into the materialistic aspect of this world. But that doesn’t help me! I need to get him something, so I spend a lot of time searching through the mother of all online stores: Amazon.com

Gosh…what don’t they have in there? Sometimes I think that if it isn’t in Amazon.com it doesn’t exist! It’s awful! But I’m hooked. I’ve been searching and searching, until finally I think I found a few things I think Grant might enjoy. Now…this searching, brings me back to the book You’re Going to Be Okay…

In the book, author Holley Gerth says that naming our feelings will move the emotions we are experiencing into a more rational/reason-oriented part of our brain, which will help us tame them a bit. In my case, however, how do I make myself stop long enough so I can examine my feelings and identify them?

I need a stop light.

Hmmmm…. Where do I get one of those for my heart? I wonder if Amazon has it?

Nope!

Maybe, there is an app for it?

Nope again…or should I say: “not yet”? Someone will come up with some kind of app that sounds an alarm in your phone when it senses you are getting “emotional.”

Anyway, that won’t work for me, since I don’t have my phone in my hand 100% of the time…soooooo…what then?

My stop light is incorporated into my soul. It’s called, The Holy Spirit.

But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you. John 14: 26

I just need to get out of the way and let Him do His thing!

First, I have to ingest Scripture and commit it to memory. I need to be able to proclaim that:

I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you. Psalm 119: 11

That way, I will know that,

…the word is very near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart so you may obey it. Deuteronomy 30: 14

Then, I will be able to,

…Let us examine and probe our ways, And let us return to the LORD. We lift up our heart and hands Toward God in heaven… Lamentations 3: 40-41

So, the promise of Christ could blossom in my heart:

If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. John 15: 7

Becoming familiar with the Bible and actually memorizing verses is a practical way for me to be ready as the Holy Spirit brings them to my remembrance during times of trial.

Memorizing Scripture is one of the most powerful ways to activate the internal stop lights in our hearts. That way, the Holy Spirit brings it back even without us consciously thinking about it at the right moment when we need it. But if we don’t have it memorized, it would take the Spirit through unnecessary rerouting which could be avoided if we had Scripture already abiding in us.

Please Lord, open my mind so Your Word may dwell in my heart forever.

Am I Going to Be OK? Inside Out

Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it. Proverbs 4: 23

Where do we start doing our part when it comes to guarding our hearts?

I believe Holley Gerth has good advice on practical steps we can take in order to guard our hearts and begin to restore the balanced and healthy flow of everything we do.

In her book You’re Going to Be Okay, the author talks about how it is helpful and important to first, identify our feelings. We need to name our feelings, put them into objective, concrete words. There is a long list of different feelings on page 75, but there is also a short list of basic 6: anger, disgust, fear, happiness, sadness and surprise.

While I type this list, I can’t help but to think of the movie Inside Out. I really like that movie. We see there these basic emotions represented, except surprise. Also, in the movie, happiness is Joy. I like that better! The basic premise of the movie is that as we mature, our emotions get more and more complicated because they blend into one another. When we are adults, sadness is often not just pure sadness, but a mix of fear, disgust and also joy. The movie also furthers the idea that often, joy comes after sadness:

Weeping may tarry for the night, but joy comes with the morning. (Psalm 30: 5b)

Naming the feelings, therefore, becomes more and more challenging as we grow up. It’s not so clear-cut to be able to isolate and identify our emotions at any given circumstance. We have to do a lot of soul-searching in order to realize what really is going on inside of us. We totally have to bring the inside all the way out.

And that, might be hard for someone like me. Someone who lives in a constant state of rushing and hurrying has a hard time stopping to ponder.

Sigh…

But just like the traffic lights on the streets of my small-town attempt to keep the mid-December traffic flowing, I need to install and activate traffic lights in my heart, so I can too keep the flow balanced. How do I do that? Let’s explore that idea in the next post.