It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas, everywhere you go. In just three weeks we will be hearing our choir and orchestra present their Christmas program on both Friday evening and Sabbath morning. I’ve heard them practicing and it is sounding fantastic. This presents a very easy opportunity to get friends, family, and neighbors into our church.
Christmas, probably more than any other holiday, stirs up memories of childhood. Anticipation was the key word as I think back to the late 40’s and early 50’s. I was in awe of the store decorations when we would go to downtown Seattle for a day of shopping and usually lunch at the Bartell Drug lunch counter. My standard fare was a hamburger, but the real treat was the chocolate malt served in that big, heavy glass and the metal container that held another serving.
Of course, there was always a point in the day where my sister had to keep me occupied somewhere in the store so my mom could buy our presents. We didn’t get all that much for Christmas back then, but the whole process was magical. As I look back, the warmest memories come, not from the presents, but from the sights, sounds, and smells. We had a one bedroom house with a very, very small living room. Most of the daily activity took place in the kitchen. I remember mom baking cookies and we kids got to help decorate some. Together, the three of us would sing all the Christmas songs we knew. Those were simpler times and they were family times.
We talk a lot now about the commercialization of Christmas and it can’t be denied. However, I am not going to focus on the woes of the world. I choose to create my own surroundings. I still love the sights, sounds, and smells of Christmas. I still love to see the awe and excitement in the eyes of our grandchildren. Our home is beautifully festive and, knowing Ingrid and Hanna, you can imagine the aromas that fill the air.
But, what about the reason for the season? Is He pushed onto the back burner and buried beneath the glitter? No, rather, I choose to find a balance point and enjoy fully each aspect of Christmas. The Babe in Bethlehem is not only the true focal point of Christmas, but He is the focal point of every day of my life. Is it only at Christmas that I need to remind myself to not get caught up in the hustle and bustle of commerce? Many of you grew up in the era of “guilt trips” that kept you from enjoying Sabbath afternoons. Do we really want to do that with this uniquely special season? Didn’t most of us find that it really was possible to honor our Creator on the day that He blessed and sanctified and still enjoy fully His creation along with friends and family? Likewise, don’t you think it is possible to enjoy the traditions and participate in the magic seen by the children and still cause them to see beyond that to the Babe that made every good thing possible? I don’t have to remove the holiday in order to see the Holy One. The key to most things in life is found in the word, “balance.” I know there will be some who would disagree. You are always free to do that. I’ll pray for you. I just want to make Him the focal point of each of the 365 days of the year and then allow myself to enjoy the special memories of childhood and create new memories for those around me.
As we do that, I want to share a new address for Manny Lopez. Wouldn’t it be fun to flood him with expressions of love for Christmas? This will be his second Christmas in prison. He may have to serve two more. It would be wonderful to allow the courts to deal with the judgment and we could just pile on the love and find a way to make this Christmas special. He is working hard to be able to get on a fire fighting crew. I hope we can make sure he knows that he is still an important part of our church. If you know of others in our church family in prison or perhaps in the military I would be happy to share other addresses as well. Here is how you can reach Manny:
Manny Lopez
CDC #F43970 – 3311 UP
5150 O’Byrnes Ferry Rd.
Jamestown, CA 95327
I do want to share one special prayer request with you today. Ingrid’s mom, Hanna, had surgery yesterday to remove a kidney that had cancer. At least that was the plan as of the time of this writing. She needed to have some other tests done this week that could cause that to be altered, but I’ll fill you in today. She had asked me not to talk about it ahead of time, but I want to have the whole church praying for this sweet, remarkable lady who has been an active part of our home and ministry for most of the past 34 years. The prognosis for her condition is very positive and we are completely optimistic that she still has a lot of baking left in her, but right now she just needs to be lifted up to the Great Physician.
Well, thinking again of Christmas, you will all have your own memories, traditions, and thoughts concerning the season. Whatever your position I truly hope that His birth, life, death, and resurrection dominate everything you do, not just in December, but all the year through. I want to use this life to prepare for eternity, but I choose to enjoy it with a smile. The result is that in our home you will hear the sounds of “The Messiah” and many of the wonderful Christmas hymns, but you will also hear some “Jingle Bells” and other songs that stir up family memories of seasons past when my mom and dad were still alive. And maybe, just maybe, you might even see mama kissing Santa Claus underneath the mistletoe. Let’s hope!
