Stay Hopeful
I love Christmas and all its trappings including the beautifully lit trees, Handel’s Messiah among all the other glorious Christmas music, the many and varied representations of the nativity… Invariably, Christmas conjures up images of softly falling snow, lovingly wrapped packages, warm family gatherings, delighted, awe-filled children, and so much more.
Stay Attentive
Walking through the market yesterday, focused solely on accomplishing my to-do list, I caught whiffs of words I knew. A familiar Christmas song was playing in the background. It wasn’t loud, but just enough to recognize an English song in my Hungarian context. Aside from the amusement of hearing American Christmas songs, once I “tuned in” to the words, all the other noises faded into the background. In one sense, the familiar calmed my mind enabling me to focus.
Stay Alert
For years they searched the skies for a sign. They stayed alert for even the smallest sign. Perhaps this happened over generations. All we know is that they were watching for it – they were seeking it – they were alert. And when the wise men saw the sign, they acted on it. They began their journey, following the star to find the newborn king of the Jews.
Stay Awake
In the week before Jesus died, the cat-and-mouse games in which the Pharisees tried to trap him filtered every conversation in and around the temple. The Pharisees had no love of truth, only of being right. Jesus was everything that was truth. So, when he stumped the Pharisees enough that they stopped asking questions, he naturally turned to his friends, the disciples, making sure they knew what was true.
Trust Ignites Hope
Peter’s head was spinning. Just a few days ago, everything seemed to be perfect. The crowds had finally seemed to realize who Jesus was – that he truly was their Messiah. They had greeted them with cries of “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.” They had waved palm branches and celebrated his entry on a donkey into Jerusalem.
Paul – Trust While Suffering
Things seemed so much easier in his former life when he could seemingly earn his own righteousness before God. He was of the right lineage, followed the law faithfully from birth, and even demonstrated his zeal by persecuting those who were promoting a false teaching. Put simply, he considered himself blameless (see Philippians 3:1-6).
