SLP022 - A Special Christmas Edition

Another year is swiftly coming to an end. We are all busy about the business of Christmas, and thinking of turkey and dressing, honey baked hams, pumpkin pies, chocolate pies, parades, shopping, and big family gatherings. On this episode, I want to do something a little different. I want us to pause, consider WHY we celebrate this season, and look at God’s blessings, His Promises, and Our Future as he sees it.

Spiritual Principle

Luke 2:1-20

This is a timeless story. This is the REASON why we celebrate this time of the year. While the world has evolved, and the STORY has become less of a focus in so many places; it is still the greatest story ever told. On this program, we talk much and often about strategic living, about purpose, about becoming all that God has created you to be, YET …

If not for God Himself coming to earth as a man, wrapping Himself in flesh, accepting His assignment, and redeeming mankind back to His original intent, you and I would have nothing to talk about. It is HIS coming that provided us the opportunities. It is His willingness to become one of us, give His life for ours, take upon Himself all the sin, all the shame, all the failures of mankind that gives us the means to succeed. You see, it is important that we talk time to remember; it is imperative that we consider the REASON why we can pursue our dreams, our hopes; it is important that we recognize the source from which comes all of our meaningful ideas and contributions.

Life has a way of consuming us; completely and totally overwhelming us and demanding our attention. Work, kids, school, the economy, wars, killing, tragedy, threats, politics, the news media, ALL vying for our attention. There never seems to be a moment to stop, think, reflect, or in any way, get a reprieve from the hustle and bustle, the noise, and the rat-race that LIFE has become. Last year, we visited NYC, and I noticed (again), that people become so accustomed to noise, and hustle, and life, that they become blind and deaf to everything around them.

I can personally vouch for this, because over the last three years, I have taken some time (intentionally), just to get away, unplug, and PAUSE. In every case, it took me several days before all the clutter and noise subsided. We are so caught up in what has become so ‘normal’ to us, that we don’t realize how un-normal it really is. Each time I have taken the time to ‘PAUSE’, I was amazed at how much more of God’s creation I became aware of. Taking the time to notice the beauty in the clouds, in tree s, flowers, animals, a river, and ocean. I noticed how PEACE was always present with me, but I could not see it, feel it, or know it, because it had become shrouded in all the distractions of life. I noticed how CLOSE Father really was, but I could not be intimate with Him because my attention, and even my affections were given to other things. I noticed that God was always speaking, but I could not HEAR Him, because of all the NOISE. The answers I was so desperately seeking, He was trying to get through to me, but it would require me to PAUSE and listen.

There is BEAUTY everywhere, but can you see it?

There are blessings abounding, but are you too busy to notice?

Your heavenly Father is speaking, leading, directing you, but are you aware?

The answers you seek are already with you, but can you hear His still small voice amidst all the NOISE?

The Bible says … “Be STILL and know that I Am God”. You see, we don’t need a bigger God, we simply need to PAUSE, take the time to focus on Him, and in the intentional stillness, we will find HIM. What would life be like if we made the PAUSE a part of our daily discipline? What would our relationship with Father be if we would take the time to see, hear, and know Him?

My Christmas encouragement to you is …. PAUSE. My heart for us as we focus on Him, is that we would know Him, experience Him, feel Him, hear Him; see Him. Some time this week, take the time just to get still, clear the clutter, slow down for just a few minutes and … BE STILL AND KNOW

No matter what 2013 has been like for you; know this …

• His plans for your life are sure

• You have a hope

• You have a future

He has you in the palm of his hands!