A Charlie Brown Christmas and the true meaning of the holidays

I may not get a chance to post a Christmas update, because I’ll be with my family all day, but I wanted to share one of the first  that actually introduced me to Christ: the segment of A Charlie Brown Christmas where Linus recites Luke 2:8-14 and shows the masses of children and their families watching to the true meaning of Christmas:

“‘And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.’ That’s what Christmas is all about, Charlie Brown.”

Have a very merry Christmas! God bless you!

Dear God, I thank you for this day, the day your son, Jesus Christ, was born of the Virgin Mary, who would later save us all. Please be with us this day, and keep our hearts and minds firmly on you and your Son, the wonderful Savior that Christmas is all about. Amen.

Be prepared in season and out of season

Am I the only one who, since going off to college, feels like they don’t get into the Christmas spirit until days before Christmas, if at all? I’m just now starting to get into Christmas this year, and honestly, that’s only because my family is Eastern European, so we celebrate Christmas Eve more than Christmas – which means we open presents on Christmas Eve. O.o

Yes, we know it’s Advent, and hear about peace and joy and hope and Christ at church, and those are some of my favorite times from this past month. I really got a chance to just be with Christ outside of my stress and schoolwork and just be with God and fellow believers. But normally, day to day, there just isn’t a group of college Christians who sits around the dinner table and lights an Advent wreath and does devotionals. Even when such an activity exists, it’s almost impossible to fit into our schedules. I know I didn’t attend a single Advent devotional this year because it was held at a time that I was always studying.

So what does God have to say about preparing ourselves for Advent and making time for him? I looked up “prepare” in the concordence of my NIV Study Bible, and I discovered these words from 2 Timothy 4:1-2, “In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I give you this charge: Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke, and encourage – with great patience and careful instruction.”

The phrase that struck me from this verse was, “be prepared in season and out of season.” Would God like us to give him as much time as we can give him in the season of expectation before Christ’s birth? Yes – that much is a given as it’s a constant theme throughout the Scriptures. But I believe that God puts our other activities, the ones that aren’t related to God in a direct way, in our lives because those also lead us in our personal mission here on Earth. More importantly, I believe that God wants us to be prepared year-round, always thinking of him day in and day out and crafting the moments of our weeks to more closely fit his ways. Yes, the Advent season is one of the more showy times in the Christian church, but that does not mean anything unless Christ is also integrated into our daily lives.

Dear God, thank you for this day, the Eve of your Son’s birth. Help us to remember the importance of his birth in our daily actions, and help us to always be prepared to do your will, no matter what the season. Amen.