With the big warm up to 23 degrees today, I got out for a run with Leia. I came around the corner to a familiar sight this time of year, as two UPS people darted out of a truck, parting ways to make their deliveries simultaneously. What was a bit unusual about the scene was the Penske truck they were jumping in and out of. I almost stopped to ask why; then figured whatever the reason, the delivery justified the means.
They don’t stop. They double team. They get whatever truck is needed. Those Christmas gifts are promised to arrive and they will make sure that happens.
It reminded me of this verse in scripture…
Whatever is good and perfect is a gift coming down to us from God our Father, who created all the lights in the heavens. He never changes or casts a shifting shadow. James 5:16
God our Father’s gifts are coming down to us. He is sending good and perfect gifts. He never changes. Whatever is needed to get them to us, we can rest assured - they’re coming!
Many of us are waiting and asking.
I hope the image of the Penske truck encourages you today. Your good gifts are coming. Surely they will chase you down and be delivered. They may not come in the way you expect; don't give up hope.
Living your best life is not only the arrival of gifts - it’s the anticipation… it’s the relationship… it’s the reassurance that the one who created all the heavenly lights is looking out for us.
May your life be full of all the good gifts from your Father. And the best one of all, Jesus. Merry Christmas!
'Tis the season of incredible kingdom joy, in a society and culture that seems to pull us in a million directions this time of year. My daughter's favorite Christmas song seems to capture the chaos well... The Christmas Can-Can.
After watching that you are either laughing hilariously (as my daughter) or annoyed by how true it is and having one more thing that has now interrupted the peace of a beautiful Jesus holiday (as me).
Once again, as I navigate the season and try to retain my sanity and worshipful heart... I consider what's important today. Maybe it will help you as well.
1- Be intentional. Use your 'yes' and 'no' without apology. Block out time for the things you really enjoy during the season.
2. Lead by example. Whether it's your children or the people you work with, realize the influence you have as we celebrate the season. Consider how you carry the meaning of the season by your choice of activities, words, attitude, and actions.
3. Keep it simple. Build in a little more margin in your life and enjoy the peace it brings. Look at ways to let go of expectations you have that are not really essential.
4. Presence is the greatest present of all. The birth of Jesus was God's presence here on earth. Likewise, the greatest gift we give to others at Christmas is our presence. Our core desires are for love and connection and that is something that can't be bought at a store or wrapped and put under the tree.
Living your best life doesn't happen by accident. Be purposeful in living your values. Cuddle up on the couch and read books together. Enjoy your tea and a Christmas cookie. Invite someone over for dinner and good conversation. Walk in the snow. Live meaningful, significant moments.
Photo credits to my little friend, Omarian, and the ornament he made for me last Saturday evening as we spent time around the table together.
May this be a truly wonderful holiday season for you and your loved ones!
Last weekend was my daughter Natalie’s birthday… her “Sweet 16” as my little romantic put it. In the months and weeks leading up to it, she kept referring to this monumental birthday event. There were talks about trips and such… like way more exotic than I was going to be able to pull off.
With the passing of time and further conversations I got her off the trip idea. However, all sorts of pressure was slowly mounting inside me. This girl has a big desire for a significant memory and I have no idea how I’m going to make that happen.
The hardest part of it all was balancing what might give a temporary thrill, but then really be nothing substantial to it. I didn’t want to provide a “cotton candy” experience that gave a rush like a sugar high only to leave her feeling empty on the inside after it was all over. Ultimately, I believe what she was craving was significance not sparkle and glam. And that’s a unique gem to find in this world we live in that hypes up consumerism and appearances.
I prayed about it. What could it be? What was going to satisfy that innermost desire?
On a run one day, I got it. A guitar. This was something we have talked about over the years and something she’s always wanted to play, following in the footsteps of her dad.
This was the gift that would remind her of who she is and who she is called to become in the world. Someone full of life and love and song. A gift for her to enjoy and one she can give to others. A lasting gift.
The Alvarez was a huge surprise. Beyond the thrill of nailing a great gift and surprise, it was such a deeply satisfying moment for me as a parent. I was able to push through all the worldly definitions of entertainment, frills and thrills, and tap into the real thing. And lead my daughter there.
Living our best lives takes energy, perseverance and getting to our core desires. It’s realizing how satisfying it is to know our significance and purpose and calling it out over and over again.
With that said, we did celebrate with unicorns and rainbows too. And it made it all the more fun, because we put first things first.
“. . . You can’t get second things by putting them first. You get second things only by putting first things first.” —C.S. Lewis
May you find in yourself your deepest places loved and growing. And may it be the gift you give to the people around you. It’s worth it. Then, celebrate it. Be a unicorn or whatever is fun for you. Go live your best life.
I love sunrises. The way darkness is gently, yet thoroughly overcome at dawn. The vibrant colors playing a beautiful prelude announcing the arrival of a new day. The evidence of more to come, the sun unhurriedly unfolds it's rays upon the earth.
My favorite scripture for the Christmas season echoes this image...
All this will be because the mercy of our God is very tender, and heaven’s dawn is about to break upon us, to give light to those who sit in darkness and death’s shadow, and to guide us to the path of peace.” Luke 1:78-79
Zacharias prophesies these words of Jesus to his newborn son, John the Baptist, the one called to prepare the way for the coming Savior.
Advent is the season of "Coming." It's pregnant with promise yet to be fully realized. It's the anticipation of our Savior and King arriving on earth.
Jesus' birth is given the picture of heaven's dawn breaking upon us. The Light of the world; a sunrise if you will. He came gently, and the darkness could not overshadow him. He showed us the Father and his kingdom in an unhurried, powerful life of compassion and generosity. He lived to die. Through dying, he lived again.
He is our guide to the path of peace. He is the gift of eternal life.
Where do you need heaven’s dawn?
Living your best life is embracing the King and his coming in our lives. He is heaven’s dawn on our dark shadows. He is our path of peace and gift of life.
May this Christmas season be an opportunity to celebrate his coming and to anticipate the rays of light to grow brighter and brighter until the fullness of day.
Peace be with you. The best is yet to come.
There is hardly anything more American for a child than the tradition of tracing your hand into a Thanksgiving turkey. And while there are a multitude of creative ways to complete the task, the goal of teaching our children to give thanks remains the same.
Beyond the fact that the hand makes a pretty good turkey with bright colors and finger feathers for our list of thanks… I think our hands are central as we celebrate this Thanksgiving week.
Consider two good things that happen with our open hands and how they go ‘hand in hand’. (Pardon the pun, just couldn’t resist!)
Receiving with thanksgiving. Open hands position us to receive the blessings in life that come our way. May be small, like someone offering to open a door for you, helping you carry a heavy item or taking a task off your to-do list. May be big, like your parents who provided a home for you, a teacher or coach who believed in you, or a good friend who walks with you in all the seasons of life. How good are you at receiving the gifts of life with open hands and giving thanks?
Giving with gratitude. Open hands also position us to respond with gratitude that pours out our blessings to the people around us. May be small, like sharing a smile and kind words with the cashier, offering to help a neighbor rake their leaves, or inviting someone without family to spend Thanksgiving day with you. May be big, like giving generously to the needs of others, investing time in helping others learn a new skill, or sacrificing your schedule to spend time with someone who needs a friend. How good are you at giving away the blessings you have to others with open hands?
I’ve found it takes both giving and receiving to live a rich and beautiful life. May we have open hands today and always.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Yesterday, getting into my car I was hit with this drift of odor, like that of old food. Thanks to a stuffed up nose, Natalie didn’t smell it. I did what every logical parent does in that situation and told Natalie to look around for it while I was driving. She came up with nothing.
We went on to our first stop and getting back into the car a second time, I could smell it again. “There’s something in this car,” I proclaim. Natalie shrugs her shoulders nonchalantly, her cold keeping her oblivious to the weight of this problem. On we go to our next stop.
Third time, yes it’s a charm. I needed to put something in my trunk this time. As I go to unlock it, I notice red handles dangling out between the edges of the trunk. And it all comes rushing back to me…. yesterday in my hurry of saving 10 minutes after cleaning up the church, I threw all the trash in my trunk to bring home rather than going all the way down to the dumpster, unlocking it, etc.
This is so funny, lame, and predictable all at the same time.
How many times have I stuffed “trash in my trunk” knowing I could deal with it later? Thankfully in this case, the literal garbage was easily resolved once I figured it out.
The more challenging garbage to deal with is the intangible effects of bad days, negative emotions, and unruly life circumstances. How often am I guilty of stuffing it away, only to have it come back out with an unpleasant aroma in the future?
We’ve all been there. Hard time sleeping = no patience with co-workers. Bad day at work = not so happy parent at home. The people in my life did nothing to deserve my short, snappy tone. I have garbage in my trunk and the smell is there.
Today I ask, how can we best process garbage and put it where it belongs - in the dumpster - not in the recesses of our minds and hearts?
A few thoughts…
- Create margins: As much as you are able, create margins of time into your daily activities. Don’t work through your meal times, stop and give yourself even 15 - 20 minutes of rest. Don’t stay up and get only 5 hours of sleep all the time, make it a practice to get 7-8 hours. Consider your transitions from home to work, work to home. How can you invest 10 - 15 minutes to resolve what is “unfinished” so you can leave it completed and not take it with you?
- Receive your gift of limits. If your life has you rushing and stuffing garbage all the time, it’s time to receive your gift of limits and say no to some things. Even to some very good things. It’s worth it for your peace of mind and for all the people you are around.
- Practice releasing. Pay attention to your environment, your thoughts, and attitudes. Practice releasing negativity. You can do this through deep breathing, stretching, hand-washing, brisk walks, meditation, or prayer.
Living your best life means not stuffing life over-full. It means having the time and emotional energy to process the garbage and putting it in the dumpster - not stuffing it within and living with the odor. May you find regular practices that help you do that. Beyond that, let's intentionally fill our lives with good things, so the aroma of our lives is pleasant and attractive to the world around us.
Let’s live our best lives, one day at a time.
God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change,
Courage to change the things I can,
And wisdom to know the difference.
At times, there is a fine balance between serenity and courage. And often, in the complexity of life, situations require both. Think about it. Can you really have serenity without courage or vice versa?
It takes fine-tuning to discern where one ends and the other begins. And that’s where the prayer for wisdom comes in. The ability to apply what we know consciously and intuitively to situations, embracing both the science and the art of living well.
A few thoughts in fine-tuning…
Free will is yours; it’s a gift from God. You have the power to choose, always. Notice I said choose and not control, which is what most people want and what trips them up. Be intentional with how you lead yourself. Choose your attitude, your values, and the person you will be.
Peace is a guard for your heart. It is not dependent on the environment around you, nor is it resignation or a wimpy spirit. True peace is a fortress that holds you unshakeable during the stormiest of days. It is a guide in the darkest of nights. Don’t abandon it ever.
Each day, a new day. How often we are recklessly worrying ourselves through tomorrow’s trouble or yesterday’s memory. It’s important to live with eyes wide open and focused on what’s been given to us in the here and now. And in case you didn’t know, fresh starts can happen any time of day.
Eyes on the prize. Keep your chin up, take hold of your purpose and your God who will get you through. Don’t let the fog mask His goodness and loving care for you. He has plans of peace for you and a hope and future. It will come together as you call on Him and courageously trust in the steps you take.
As delicate a process as it is at times, it is also a strong one.
Living your best includes it all. It’s accepting. It’s changing. It’s the wisdom to know the difference. It’s all the process of being fine-tuned.
