Holidays

Keepsake Ornaments

Will you decorate a Christmas tree in your home this year? Most likely your answer is yes. For most of us, a beautifully trimmed tree helps rings in the season with traditions from the past and ho pe for the coming year. A well-dressed Christmas tree draws pe ople together.

In a recent article, Shara Bevan, a pastor's wife from Kingsland, Georgia, asks four challenging questions for those of us who need to break the habit of rushing through the season with too much emphasis on the outward expressions of Christmas.

She says "When we see a Christmas tree we say, 'It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!' But are people drawn to us when they see the branches of our lives? Are we decorated in such a way that we attract others to us and in turn they see Jesus? Are our branches laden with ornaments of service, love, peace and hope? Are we beginning to look a lot like Jesus?"

Ornament of Service

Colossians 3:23 says, "Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men." Many hurting and lonely people find joy at Christmas in soup kitchens, homeless shelters and toy drives. The important thing is not to wait for an invitation but to find someone who is less fortunate than you are, and serve them with a willing heart. Hudson Taylor once said after a formal introduction, "Dear friends, I am the little servant of an illustrious Master." As little servants, we must train ourselves to look around and see what we can do today "as working for the Lord, not for men."

Ornament of Love

Jesus, born in a manger, came to this earth because He loved us. He loved the widow, the maniac, the sick and those sorry for their sin. Author Max Lucado says,

If God had a refrigerator, your picture would be on it.
If God had a wallet, your photo would be in it.
He sends you flowers every spring and a sunrise every morning.
When you want to talk, He'll listen.
He could live anywhere in the universe, and He chose your heart.
And that Christmas gift He sent you in Bethlehem ?
Face it, friend. He's crazy about you!

Share Christ with someone this Christmas. Tell her there is Someone who will love her like she's never been loved before.

Ornament of Peace

Will you rush through the holiday season wearing a "NO MORE ROOM" badge? You will make time to visit the toy store, the market, the mall. But will you make time during this hectic season to connect with God at each opportunity? Writer and humorist Barbara Johnson says, "When stress overwhelms, try to focus on the wonderfully peaceful future Jesus promises us. Heaven will be a glorious place. No more stress or pain. A medical expert once said, 'Laughing for twenty seconds. gives the body the kind of workout you'd get from three minutes of rigorous rowing.' Finally, a holiday gift I can use!" Laughter dispels sadness and stress and is good for the soul like medicine (Proverbs 17:22 ). Give the gift of a peaceful home to your family and friends this Christmas. They will thank you for it.

Ornament of Hope

The word encouragement means "to fill the heart, to puff it up, to enlarge it." By encouraging a friend this season you are giving that person a special, heartfelt gift. Think of tangible ways you can bless someone: a phone call to a forgotten senior citizen; a basket of fresh-baked cookies for a shut-in from your church; or an hour of reading Scripture to someone in a nursing home. Bring good tidings to the hurting. Hope for good things to come is the best part of Christmas. Celebrate hope!

What will our Christmas trees look like this year? No matter how many, or the size and shape of the decorations, remember that when we look at them we want to see things that bring smiles to our faces and warmth to our hearts. May the branches of our lives be decorated this Christmas season with ornaments of service, love, peace and hope!