Conversations with God

We have now officially entered the Christmas season.  Our bellies and hearts are full and we are beginning to turn our minds towards "the reason for the season." As I think about that phrase, I find myself wondering, "What is the reason for the season?" The obvious answer is Jesus, but what about Jesus? Amidst all the warnings not to get caught up in the commercialism, what is it I am supposed to be caught up in? This year I'm wondering if we've left something out of the traditional Christmas story. We know about the baby in the manger; we know about the young mother giving birth far from home. We remember the celebration of the angels and the shepherds. What I don't hear much about is the Father. We are so focused on the story unfolding on the Earth, we forget about what's unfolding in Heaven. The event we call Christmas was planned before the beginning of the world. Before Creation, before Eden, before Abraham, Joseph, and Moses, the F...

"It only feels like chaos because you're not in control of it." That's what God told me last night as we were discussing a situation. Ouch, right?! But he has a good point. Sometimes things can feel overwhelming, especially as we approach the holiday season. Family get-togethers, remembering loved ones, money struggles - it tends to coalesce into quite the storm if we aren't careful. But why is that? How is it that we so easily forget the promises of God to be faithful, to be with us always? I think the main reason is that we tend to be led by our emotions. It is human nature to react to what we see and feel. Remember the disciples in the boat with Jesus? Suddenly a furious storm came up on the lake, so that the waves swept over the boat. But Jesus was sleeping. The disciples went and woke him, saying, "Lord, save us! W e're going to drown!" He replied, "You of little faith, why are you so afraid?" Then he got up and rebuked the ...