Celebrate Good Times, Come On! Let's Celebrate!

Three weeks ago I had the honor of getting to host a milestone SURPRISE birthday celebration for my dear mama. Our evening was complete with tons of laughs, 8 wonderful ladies, minute to win it games, a soup and sandwich supper, all the yummy snacks and sides to go along, homemade cupcakes and Olympia Candy Kitchen sea salt caramels…dark chocolate of course! And by the way, if you have never tried these little delights, I strongly urge you to get to Olympia (they have extended hours through this week!) and buy yourself some – go for the full pound of them while you’re at it - I can assure you, you will still be wanting more after that!

Do you remember being a little child and anticipating your birthday? Maybe you had a special little countdown for the day? Perhaps you helped to plan and prepare for your birthday party? My birthday falls right before the Fourth of July, so one of my biggest recollections of my childhood birthday was always having a Fourth of July party at our house to celebrate! We always had a big picnic with lots of yummy food, four wheeler rides and normally a few fireworks to finish out the night. I also remember as a child thinking the night of my big day, that I would have to wait 365 more days for it to come back around again and that seemed just too far away.

Did you know we are currently in a season of waiting and preparing? I’m sure with all the commercials on tv for Kohl’s biggest deals of the season, Target’s Dollar Spot being filled with Christmas knick knacks and Hobby Lobby’s 60% off all Christmas decorations you are very aware of the upcoming holiday. But I’m not just talking about the “Christmas” season, I’m talking about the season of Advent.

Advent: derived from the Latin term “adventus” is defined as the arrival of an event or coming. Advent began this year on Sunday November 27th and will run through December 24th. And I bet you can guess what the coming or expected arrival is for Christmas….Jesus, of course! I grew up in a United Church of Christ church until it closed its doors just a few years ago. I can always remember the beautiful Advent wreath and candles we used at that church to signify each week of Advent. There was an evergreen wreath that laid flat on a table that was in focal point to the congregation and on that wreath was four candles, three purple candles and one pink candle. In the middle of the wreath was a white “Christ Candle” that was lit during our candlelight Christmas Eve service. And that was a big deal too! It’s those traditions that I miss most. Christmas Eve was never just about cookies and hot cocoa, it was about coming together as a community to celebrate Christ’s birth, to hold candles, stand in a circle around the church facing each other and joyfully sing.

Hope, peace, joy, love. You’ve probably seen these words stitched on pillows and painted on mugs this time of year. But did you know each of these words signifies a candle on that Advent wreath.

Hope: is it hard to have hope some days? Is it hard to believe there can be any hope certain days of the year? I understand, more than once this year I have pleaded to God, “where is the hope” because the pain of life and it’s situations became too overwhelming. But it is through the birth of Jesus Christ that we can have hope. If the world was not filled with heartbreaking visions and hearts that need mending, we wouldn’t have needed to have a “Light of the World” walk on this Earth, be born to take away our sins, and prepare for His arrival a second time. I am here to tell you that you can have hope. Even in the darkest of days, Jesus is with you and I pray that you lean on him to give you Hope. Hope that your heart can be healed, hope that Jesus is closer than heartbreak ever will be, hope that better days are ahead for us, hope in eternal life. And isn’t this what this season is all about, hope? Hope for the awaited Messiah. Many, many, many, many years ago in the Old Testament, the people were waiting for the Messiah to come. Now as we have read that the Messiah has come and walked on this Earth healing many, driving out demons and feeding thousands with just two fish and five loaves of bread, we too can have hope for His second coming. For we know that Jesus’ second arrival will bring an end to sin and heartbreak, pain and suffering. It is through anticipated hope that we wait for Christ to come again.

Peace: ahhh, don’t we all just dream of peaceful days lying on the beach reading a book or sitting in the Great Smoky Mountains taking in all the nature around us without a cell phone ringing or yet another email coming through that needs your immediate attention? But sometimes a lack of peace goes beyond just our phones dinging and someone needing one more thing from us – a lack of peace comes from violence and unrest around the world, from the ripple effect of people’s choices in our lives, from sadness of the stories we see and hear going on in the lives of those around us. Our peace is disrupted when devastating hurricanes hit homes and droughts cause farmers to stress over their crops. But Isaiah 9 reminds us that God would send a child that “of the greatness of his government and peace there will be no end.” There will be no end to His peace...no end because He died for you and I’s sins so that we do not have to have bondage to those sins. So that peace could fill our hearts because of His sacrifice and God’s amazing grace. Jesus - the Prince of Peace. Until Jesus returns to this Earth one day, let’s share peace with others today as we wait and prepare for His second coming. May we have peace in our hearts this holiday season that surpasses any and all understanding.

Joy: did you know that there is a difference between joy and happiness? It’s true! Have you ever heard that catchy tune “I’ve Got the Joy, Joy, Joy, Joy Down in My Heart”? Joy down in my heart. And that’s the difference my friends! Happiness is an external emotion that doesn’t always last, it’s fleeting. But joy, this is an internal feeling. It is a feeling that comes from a deep connection with God. We feel joy because Christ died to save us from our sins. This feeling isn’t fleeting. It doesn’t come and go. It is felt deep inside our heart and it isn’t goin anywhere! Can you remember a time when you got such a fantastic Christmas gift? It was just the best gift and you were tickled to pieces! I remember when I got a Kitchen Aide mixer for Christmas from my parents. Ten years ago, my very first Christmas in my own home and I was blessed with this mixer. I can assure you, a huge multitude of baked goods have come from using that mixer, but what I can also assure you is this – no matter how excited I was for that mixer, nothing could ever compare to the joy that I have knowing that Jesus not only walked on this Earth once but He will come back a second time. And that second time He will wipe out sadness, pain, grief, anger and tension. Can you imagine the joy that was felt on Christmas day when Jesus was born as a tiny little baby to a virgin mother? Just think of how joyful Mary was that she would be the chosen one to give birth to a king! Just think of how joyful we will be when Jesus comes again. Are you praising God for the joy you have? Are you singing out just as Mary did with joy? I pray that you have joy in your heart as you live out each day with the grace that can only be given through Jesus and His resurrection.

Love: did you know the word “love” is mentioned 551 times in the New International Version Bible? 551 times?! I bet you can guess why it’s mentioned so many times too! Jesus is the ultimate symbol for the word love. Our church that we attend has had a Good Friday Tenebrae Service the past two years that I have attended and participated in. If you have never been to one of these services, I highly recommend you go at least once. To experience the sacrifice that took place- it’s incredibly thought provoking and really works at your mind and your heart. It makes you think about the pain, suffering, humility, obedience and faith of Jesus. Through the life, death and resurrection of Jesus, God had a plan that would allow us salvation through His son, so that even though are hearts may be deceived and we sin, we can still experience His ultimate love. It is through Jesus’ suffering and resurrection, that we remember that God does have an ultimate plan, a much bigger and better plan than we could ever imagine. And even if we are experiencing pain and suffering in our daily lives, God loves you just as He loved His son and God has a plan for you too.

Are there times when maybe you feel unloved? It has been a hectic year for me, many changes – some amazing and some completely heartbreaking. As an introvert, there are days when it is hard to face the world when you feel so depleted. Some days you feel so alone, like no one understands your heart, not because they don’t want to, just because it’s hard to relate to others sometimes. But God understands your heart, God loves you and He is working all things for your good. Don’t give up hope, don’t let your heartache steal your joy and peace and never ever ever feel like you are not loved – I can assure you my dear friends, you are loved beyond measure!

Hope, peace, joy, love. How are you going to demonstrate those words and their meaning this Advent season? I invite you to consider a few ways you can share each of these terms:

1. Share hope with someone:

• Email/text them a Bible scripture; after all, this is the Golden Age of technology – let’s use it!

• Find an encouraging card to send to someone who needs to be reminded of God’s goodness (cards are totally my love language, I love to give them and I definitely love receiving them)

• Tell them the Christmas story and all about Jesus’ love

• Encourage them to come to church with you or invite them to watch your church service online if coming to a service is a little too intimidating yet.

2. A few ideas for how to share some peace this holiday:

• Provide a listening ear to someone in need

• Offer a smile (it doesn’t even need to be to someone you know, you can share one with a stranger – promise they’ll appreciate it just as much!)

• Keep negative thoughts to yourself - if it doesn’t build someone up, let it go

• Be the first to forgive - I know it’s hard to admit fault or be the bigger person, but just think of how much better you’ll feel and the other person if you just forgive with words and your heart and don’t let the situation hang over you anymore

3. Joy: the many many many ways you can spread joy this holiday season. Christmas time is all about JOY so there should be no shortage of ways you can share this with others but here are just a few:

• Share a plate of cookies with someone: a coworker, neighbor, friend, maybe even someone you’ve gotten to know that works at the local grocery store

• Take time for someone – time can be one of the greatest things we give to someone, especially living in an era when life is so beyond fast paced

• Invite someone over for a meal – some of the best and most in depth conversations can happen around the dinner table (there always seems to be something about food that brings everyone together) and sharing your home and space with someone is a nice effect too.

And last but not least, love and is this ever a big one! We all know how amazing and heart warming it is to feel loved by someone, so let’s pay it forward to someone this holiday season!

• Give someone a gift, it doesn’t need to be expensive and homemade is even more heartwarming than anything bought from a department store. Hone in on someone’s interests and likes and share a little love with them this season!

• Pray for someone – one of the greatest and most wonderful gifts to give someone is to pray for them. You don’t even need to tell them, just do it and see the God’s hand working in their life.

• Share a hug! Research shows that a 20 second hug from someone instantly reduces stress, boosts our moods and creates a deeper connection between the two huggers. If that isn’t a picture of love, I don’t know what is!

• Surprise someone! Planning a surprise is a big deal; whether it is something enormous or simple, you still took the time to plan and execute and the time you took to do so will touch the recipients heart.

There you have it folks, the four themes of Advent. There are so many ways and techniques that we can share these four themes throughout the Advent season. But wouldn’t it be incredible if we shared these four acts beyond the Christmas season? I challenge you to not only give these gifts this Christmas week but to continue to share these throughout the upcoming year.

And as for the fifth and final candle of the Advent wreath, may you remember Christmas Eve night the white Christ candle that is lit. A symbol of love, purity, and our Savior, this candle is lit to remember the light that was brought into the world that very night that a baby, Jesus, was born. How can we continue to exclaim the good news and amazing acts of Jesus, even after the New Year begins?

Much love and many blessings to each of you as we enter into Christmas week!