I REMEMBER HOME

Greetings in the name of Jesus:



 I can get very nostalgic during this time of year because our family always enjoyed Christmas time so much.  My parents could not afford much because we were in a Southern Illinois town that was dominated by Coal mine stripping and RailRoad industries.  The only kinds of work back then were factories and foundries, but my mother loved to decorate the house and she had saved the best of bows and papers from the years before so that she could bring out the colors of the Season.  She could never afford to buy the expensive papers or decorations so she would meticulously save what she thought was the most beautiful papers and decorations for the next year.

  I don't remember half of what I got for Christmas as a kid, but I do remember the beauty of the Season because of my mother's careful planning and care to detail.  It is the memories of color, laughter, and love shared that I will take inside my heart and soul for all eternity.  Each one of these memories has shaped me into who I am today  It becomes that mixture of shapes, color, and love that we all experience in life that shapes us. It becomes what we allow to influence the people we are right this moment in time.

  Perhaps some of you do not have good memories of this Season or with family at all, but you can know that all of that love has been building up for you through the time of joy and celebration you have coming in your permanent home for all eternity with Jesus.  I will be there to celebrate with you as well!  In fact there is so much waiting for all of us that we cannot even imagine in our heart and mind the things that God has planned for those that love Him.

  I have found that if we feed the negative things in this life they will dominate us, so I concentrate on the light.  No darkness can hide from the light so feed on that light. Let it bring you energy this Season.  Just like the brightness and the colors of the tree pictured it tends to drown out all of the darkness around it. Let Christ become the part of light and color that your heart feeds this year.  Our memories of Christmas in past years may vary, but our future celebrations together in Christ are going to be beautiful and eternal.

  It is my prayer that as we begin these last days of preparation before this year's celebrations we can begin to include the thoughts of what is yet to come for our eternal lives together.  I am looking forward to the gifts that God has for me.  I would love to orchestrate the colors of a perfect sunset or know what it feels like to ride on a drop of rain.  Our future has no limits!  It is time that we begin to include what is to come and cling to our true home in the future.  It won't be that long.  May you richly bless God through your life in Him.



THE UNWORTHY SERVANT