Twas the Morning After Christmas

"Arise, shine, for thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee..." Isaiah 60:1

Twas the morning after Christmas, when all through the house,

It's quiet at last for the Mom, save the click of her mouse.

The stockings that were hung by the chimney with care,

Now lay next to the tree on the floor that is bare.

The children all sleeping, cuddled next to their toys,

Their hearts filled to overflowing with this year's latest joys.

And Mamma with her coffee, and a cat in her lap,

Asks herself the question:  "Is it too early for a nap?"

When up the stairs there arose with a clatter,

Noisy children!  She springs up to see what was the matter?

Away to the stairwell, with haste she then fretted :

"Don't make me come up there, or you will regret it!"

When all was then quiet, the Mom settled in,

And began counting all her Christmas blessings again.

When there in the Bible, God's promise she sees

in Isaiah, chapter sixty, verses one through verse three.

"Arise, and shine, for thy light has come!" 

is a message for all, not a message for some.

The work God began that first Christmas Day,

Is more than a baby nestled "asleep in the hay."

Those words are a promise, in a land oh so stark,

Of a radiant presence that bursts through the dark.

It's a message of hope, to all those lost in sin,

Of a God who was willing to welcome them again.

"The glory of the Lord is risen upon thee!"

God's presence with man, as a tiny baby.

And though for many Christmas Day is already done,

The reason for it, is the miracle of one:

One God, who loved His creation so completely,

That He sent His one Son in a form that so neatly

Expressed for the people His one message of grace.

One God, dressed as man, dying for one human race.

Though this year's celebration is over and done,

God's working with man has only begun.

The light that was birthed on that first Christmas Day,

Still shines forth today, calling men to the Way.

Yes, Jesus is that Way, that Truth, and that Life.

And those who will come will finish their strife,

And relive again, no longer dark and dispondant, 

But partaking of a life overflowing and abundant.

Twas the morning after Christmas!  The celebration continues!

Let us walk in the light of that first Christmas venue!

Let us share with our neighbors, our family, our friends,

The hope of this day, and God's love without end!

Susan Abbett, with sincerest apologies to Clement Clarke Moore

Service for Others, or Service for Christ?

"And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men; knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ." Colossians 3:23-24

Good morning, dear friends,

Christ in Christmas, sounds simple enough, right?

Until the demands of the season outweigh the time, and the energy, that a normal mom (like me) should have to bear.

After all, who is the one who wraps the presents?  Bakes the cookies?  Decorates?  Plans Christmas meals and grocery shopping?  Cleans up after all the stuff is unwrapped?  Puts together the toys with a zillion tiny pieces too small for even my children's fingers?

(OK, the last one is my husband's job.)

Not to mention all of the normal chores and necessities that need to be done in the first 24 days of the month.

Sound familiar?

Photo: moritz320 pixabay

I'm sure that I'm not the only Mom that gets overwhelmed this time of year, in the service of others during the holidays.  Of course, I am glad to be able to love on my family and friends and serve them in the most practical ways, but there are times when I get caught up in all the service, that I lose sight of WHOM I am serving.

So, before that overwhelmed, "why me?" whine begins to whisper its voice in my head, I want to refocus my thoughts RIGHT NOW.

Instead of "why me?" in a pitiful, pampered, spoiled child voice, maybe I need to find a different tone.

Why would God be willing to give up His only Son, for me?

Why would Jesus leave the splendors of heaven, for me?

Why would Jesus "make himself of no reputation," for me?

Why would others be willing to take the gospel to great lengths (or across the street), for me?

"Why me?" is not always a bad question to ask.

When it comes to my service for others this holiday season, may I be constantly reminded of the WHO of my service.  My family and friends may receive some benefit for my efforts, but ultimately, my service should be directed not to others, but to the Lord.

"And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men; knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ." Colossians 3:23-24

Every act that my brain conceives should be an act of service, first to the Lord.

Every task that my hands undertake, should be for His glory and honor.

Every step that my feet take, whether during the holidays or everyday, should be first and foremost toward Him, and then in loving service for others.  

"For ye serve the Lord Christ..."

This holiday will be busy.  December is always a busy month.  If I am not careful, my eyes will constantly turn away from the Lord toward all the distractions and "busy-ness" of the season.

May every act that I undertake this month be an act of loving service first toward my Lord.


(Just a disclaimer:  I have a great family that helps me out in every way imaginable.  The rants above are just those lies that Satan whispers.  We have all been there, right?)

Keeping Christ...in Christmas?

"Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.  For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds." Hebrews 12:2

Good morning, dear friends!

Photo: falco pixabay

I have a confession to make.  (It seems like I do a lot of that here--oh well, you heard it here first!  Just trying to keep it real!)

Are you ready?

I have a love/hate relationship with Christmas.

(Collective gasp!)

How can that even be possible?

Is it possible for a Christian to feel -ish about Christmas?  After all, this is the birth of my Saviour that we are talking about here!

Before you start throwing things at me, let me explain.

I LOVE the reason for Christmas.  I love the carols and songs that announce Christ's birth.  I love the time spent thinking about God's love, His amazing gift, Jesus's sacrifice for my sins, and the thought that God came to live WITH His creation.  All of that makes me want to sit down and cry and shout and everything in-between.

The part of Christmas that leaves me feeling a little less fuzzy is...all the rest.  Every year, there are traditions that are carried out, that have become routine.  Setting up the tree.  Christmas stockings.  Even reading the Christmas story and gift giving can become, well, routine, if I'm not careful.

So, as I'm gearing up for the Christmas season, and thinking about our family's traditions, I want my Christmas this year to be anything but traditional.

Many people talk this time of year about "keeping Christ in Christmas." Let's face it--if you're going to have a holiday named after someone, shouldn't that day be all about that person?

Perhaps the problem isn't so much keeping Christ in Christmas, but just in keeping Christ in the forefront...period.  Just like I shouldn't only be thankful on Thanksgiving, I'm sure that Christ would appreciate it if "God with us" was a reality in my day-to-day walk with Him.

This month, if you will allow me, I want to share some of my "Christmas struggles" with you.  As we approach the Christmas season, maybe you are having some -ish thoughts about Christmas as well.  Maybe I can find encouragement this year to have a fresh look at my attitude during this holiday season ("holy-day"=set-apart days) and spend some time in meaningful worship of the Lord.

As I was thinking about the phrase, "keeping Christ in Christmas," the passage quoted at the top of this blog came to mind.  Many times as a Christian I have read Hebrews 12:1 and been encouraged by the great cloud of witnesses that have lived faithfully in difficult times.  At the same time, I realize that their struggles are very different from the life of relative safety that I lead here in France.  Sometimes I think that a little tribulation might be just what I need to walk closer and more faithfully for Him.

(Be careful what you wish for.)

At the same time, many times I skim over the instructions in Hebrews 12:2:  "...looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith."  That is my "raison d'être," my reason for being, as the French say.  My eyes need to be firmly planted on Him.  Everything through Him is possible.  Without Him, nothing is possible.  It is not I who should be in the center, but He.

As I rethink my Christmas traditions and living this holiday season, I want to look afresh at my focus.  Do I really desire to "look unto Jesus," or am I going through the motions in empty ritual?

I hope you will join me through my musings for this month.  I would love to hear how you keep the Christmas season meaningful in your home.  Feel free to leave a comment in the section below.



Looking for something interesting to do with your family this Christmas season?  There's a fun family countdown devotional to Christmas called The Promises Advent Study with a coloring book available from Stone Soup for Five.  (I'm not much of a doodler, but I'm excited about revisiting the promises of Christ's coming in a new way.)  To find this advent devotional, visit their site!  There are many other interesting resources as well!