Comments on: Season of Joy

By: Dottie

Dottie — Mon, 22 Dec 2008 19:03:33 +0000

Sherry….I was out of town and just now reading the site. I’m wishing you a belated happy birthday…and a wonderful year in the Lord. God must surely have smiled the day you were born. May you have great and abundant JOY.
Dottie

By: Sherry

Sherry — Sun, 14 Dec 2008 05:41:22 +0000

well I\’ve been stewing over this one for a while…and just trying to \"get over it, for crying out loud\", sadly enough my biggest disapointment is that my b-day is 5 days before Christmas, and it\’s really tough, because I always feel like it would be an inconvenience to ask anyone to take time out of their busy schedules to celebrate with me. I feel like a big whine bag.. and then I think Jesus is probably disapointed a zillion times more…every one pretending to celebrate \"His\" Birthday and all the fuss to \"Christmas Shop\" and \"decorate\". Really makes me angry that everyone is more concerned about retailers saying Merry Christmas or Happy Holidays, than they are about celebrating my Lord and Savior. Personally I would prefer they not use Christ at all to advertise, that is the real crime in my opinon. and subsequently my whole attitude toward christmas is pretty pathetic to say the least

I LOVE YOU JESUS! May your name be praised and exulted on high…

just one more thought, someone told me tonight that JOY to The WORLD was written in reference to Christ\’s return, WOW gave me a great new perspective on the song.

By: Sherry

Sherry — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 16:12:40 +0000

These are great questions Phil!
AWE and Wonder and Fun~~
I have for a couple of years now been trying to understand how to really flesh out my FREEDOM in Christ. It feels kind of complicated at times because I know I am sinful in my flesh, yet His mercy and grace are so awesome. Maybe this comes under the heading “work out your salvation” just how does that look in my life? I think it is an evolution of me becoming who I am in Christ, who He made me to be. And constantly learning of who He really is.

I constantly struggle with am I pleasing God and can I be having fun at the same time? I think we take ourselves too seriously, Torah Syndrom on one side of the pendulum, and too “Spiritual” and absolute abandonment on the other.

It’s a difficult thing to wrap my heart and mind around This God who must Judge because it is His character and also gives extreme Mercy because it is His character. Who has a great sense of humor, and gives us so many gifts, like laughter and sorrow. Who stoops down into the mud and muck to be born in a manger just so I can possibly concieve that He can relate to me. Yet He dwells in the heavenly realm.

maybe this is the Awe factor? wonder of wonders?

By: Greg Joel

Greg Joel — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 21:30:03 +0000

Good Afternoon Phil,

I\\\’m so grateful for Luke\\\’s account of the the annunciation of God\\\’s gracious gifts and the tie to Abraham and Sarah. I am so grateful to see God\\\’s love for His people come full circle (as it does time and time again).

I wish I knew why so many at church lose their wonder for God\\\’s wonderful sense of humor. One of the biggest setbacks to our appreciation and wonder is that they\\\’ve been replaced by a \\"reverence and fear\\" that really isn\\\’t biblical.If God truly is who he says he is and Jesus truly did what he came to do AND
I live like I really believe it then why can\\\’t I act like I\\\’m part of the family I belong to. One of the highest forms of worship (if there is such a thing)I can partake in is a good belly laugh and sense of wonder at God\\\’s outrageous sense of humor and share that with those around me.

One of the ways I hope to stay connected through the holiday is to be centered in the joy that a Saviour is born and refuse to participate in conspicuous consumption. Our gifts this year are simple and homemade (with the exception of some books from the church bookstore). Our home is open (even to strangers) and our friends are welcome to stop in to the \\"ALWAYS ON COFFEE POT\\". We don\\\’t schedule anything if we can help it other than to be available for others. There\\\’s something about serving that allows God to show up and show out.

Thanks and God Bless,
Gre