Christmas is just around the corner. I can't believe it is only 21 days til the big day. I don't know about you and your family, but we have been struggling to get our kids presents. If your kids are like many I know, they don't really need anything. They have clothes and they have the essentials to live day to day. Anyone who knows our family, knows our kids are spoiled and if you are reading this and you think yours aren't, you are crazy.
Just this last Saturday, we shopped all over Oklahoma City and still came home after several hours with not much to give as presents for our kids. We have asked them several times what they would like to have from Santa Claus. The response in the same every time. I DON'T KNOW...
Madison, Parker, and Faith are at the age where they can tell us if they like stuff or not. Name brands are becoming important. Being cool and looking good in cool clothes is a must for them. Well, the girls anyway. Ethan and Emma don't care, but their momma does. Emma looks like she walked out of a Carters catalog every morning. Ethan doesn't care one bit...
As I thought about this Christmas, I wondered how many other parents were in the same place we are. I wondered how many people are going to buy presents for their kids they may or may not need. How many of us will spend time worrying about the presents under the tree from Santa? We will stress ourselves out and stretch our credit cards out in order to see our kids faces light up.
I began thinking about Christmas traditions and Christmas for what it really is. It is Christ's birthday. It is the day Jesus came to earth in the form of man to be the sacrificial Lamb for our sins. What an awesome day!
Then I thought about how I can make sure Christmas becomes a habit everyday during the year. How can we remember the importance of Christmas all year long? Studies show it takes 21 days of doing the same thing in order for it to become a habit.
Why not have a 21 day challenge of PRESENCE?
Its funny how we are worrying and stressing over PRESENTS and we should be worrying and stressing over PRESENCE.
Our family needs us to be a presence in their lives on a daily basis. Our family needs us to have the presence of God in our lives. Our family needs the presence of God in their lives.
If you are willing to participate in the 21 day challenge, let's get going.
(just so you all know, I am doing this with you daily too....)
DAY 1
Make a list of how you can be a presence in your family members lives over the next 21 days...
Examples:
- Fun places to go
- Fun games to play
- Angel tree gifts for them to help you buy for others
- Looking at Christmas lights
Once you have the list, don't show your family immediately. This list will be a valuable document as we move forward with the 21 day challenge.
Please feel free to forward this to your friends and family you may think would like to do this with us. I think it would be great if we all could hear for one another what we are doing.......
In John 17, Jesus has a prayer for us that believe.....
"I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one - I in them and you in me - so that they may be brought to complete unity."
Jesus is talking about the presence He has had with his disciples and how the presence they have with Him will be the same presence they share with everyone else.
Are you ready to be present in your families lives and share the presence of God with them over the next 21 days?
Thats the challenge......
No comments:
Post a Comment