Merry Christmas! God Showed Up!

“He was here! He was here!” Kids all over the world are waking up their families with shrills and abounding excitement! The “jolly old soul” made it to their homes last night. They are sure he was here because the cookie plate only has crumbs on it. Most importantly, stockings that were hung by the chimney with care are now bulging with gifts on the floor and around the tree. I can visualize all the celebrations going on. I remember those Christmas mornings with my young children and grandchildren.

My excitement is no less exuberate in my heart as I am nestled in my sweet, little, “alone” and quiet spot by my fireplace this morning. I woke up with overwhelming joy and started singing “Joy to the world. The Lord has come!” And exclaiming “He showed up! He showed up!” What proof do I have? After all, there were no presents from Him under the tree. I know, because His PRESENCE is in my heart today. I feel Him. I sense Emmanuel – GOD WITH US. God is with ME!

Shortly, I’ll be heading over to my children’s home for Christmas breakfast and lunch while continuing our Christmas celebrations of family joy and laughter. Last night we worshipped Christ at my church's Christmas Eve service and prepared Him a room in our hearts for this beautiful Christmas Day. We will celebrate the greatest gift conceivable. Actually, inconceivable that He Who sat on heaven’s throne showed up here on Planet Earth – all because His Dad came up with a grand idea of taking heaven to earth by sending His Son to show us the way! Before His Mama's "Yes", He said "Yes" -- I'll go and SHOW UP for them! It ALL happened in a moment, a most remarkable moment. God became a man! Heaven opened herself and placed her most precious ONE in a human womb that brought Him to this side of heaven. How marvelous! How wonderful! EVERYTHING we would ever need or want, wrapped in one package.

It seems almost irreverent to think of the Son of God coming to earth. There’s something about keeping Him divine that keeps Him distant and predictable. BUT DON"T DO IT! For Heaven’s sake, DON'T! It was a Master Plan for Him to be human so that you and I have someone who gets us -- who gets our needs -- who understands our pains -- who SHOWS UP for us when we need Him most. Let Him be as human as He intended to be. Let His human example of loving the unlovely, forgiving in spite of rejection, understanding everything about us because He was one of us -- be our example to others, too. Let Him into the mire and muck of our world. That's how He showed up and that's how He "finished up". Only if we let Him in -- can He pull us out! Let Him be God with us for in letting Him be God with us -- we are never alone and never without a Savior. Let Him SHOW UP in you and your world today! Merry Christmas!

Did You Get the Perfect Gifts for Everyone?

Merry Christmas Eve! Perfect Gifts for Everyone!
Merry Christmas Eve! Those were the words my sweet mama gave to each of her children on Christmas Eve by way of an early morning phone call. That memory is so sweet. I pray that it stays a “merry” Christmas Eve day for you even though it may mean last minute shopping, wrapping those final presents, cooking, and getting ready for the Christmas festivities to begin. Thankfully, my family and I will attend Christmas Eve service tonight that will draw us into a "Silent Night. Holy Night".

Yesterday, my pastor’s Sunday message was about the perfect Christmas gift. Do you remember your favorite Christmas gift as a child? Mine was a Tiny Tears Doll set. It was so "perfect" that she cried real tears and wet her diapers. In my pastor’s message, he said: “Lots of time is spent on finding the perfect gift. Joey, a 4-year old boy had a very busy dad with little time for his family but he found time to give Joey a bedtime story each night. After many nights of telling stories, the dad found a device that would read the stories to his son for him and gave it to his son as a gift. It worked a few nights, but the boy returned the gift to his dad saying he didn’t want to listen to the stories from the device anymore. The dad asked, “Why?” The child’s answer was: “Because it doesn’t hold me in your lap.” The child wanted his dad’s time and closeness. He wanted his dad’s “presence” more than he wanted presents.

I keep getting email messages that the subject line reads, "Give your family and friends "The Perfect Gift". I've been deleting most of those and not checking to find out what they meant until yesterday. "The Perfect Gift" is a Gift Card. My thought is “Well, it’s better than getting something you don’t need or want. But, PERFECT? I don't think so.” Back to my pastor’s message of presents versus our presence in those we will be with this Christmas and beyond.

Maybe you’re hustling and bustling around at this last minute to buy the final presents for friends and family. Be sure to include with these gifts, the gift of YOU. That looking into their eyes and them hearing your voice expressing your love for them, putting aside the cell phones to really, really listen to them. Go the extra mile of your presence by asking them how they’re REALLY doing and offering your encouragement and support. Let them know they matter – really matter to you.

And while you're at it, give them the only PERFECT GIFT we could ever give, the gift of HIM, Who is the PERFECT One, Who isn't a tangible "thing", but is the All in All, Beginning and End of joy, comfort, peace, life, love, happiness, and life everlasting. He is God's PERFECT GIFT to us. John 3:16 "For God so LOVED the world that He GAVE His only begotten Son -- that whoever believes in Him, would not perish but have everlasting life."

So how do we give that "Perfect Gift"? By giving ourselves as peacemakers, joy-peace-hope bearers, by being LIGHTS that this world desperately needs so much. Though Jesus is the ultimate, ever-ready, radiant, source of LIGHT that dispels darkness.....He told us in Matthew 5:14-16 that we are the light of the world. Your PERFECT GIFT this season? YOU, Your Presence and YOUR LIGHT shining brightly so that others will come to know Jesus Christ and His presence -- the ultimate PERFECT GIFT.

Fire Hazard Warning – There'll Be 70 Candles on my Cake!

I'm saluting my age 70+ friends today and counting my blessings because in two days I'll join you as I embark on my own 70+ ride! My Frisco family and I are making our way down to Austin for my "7-0 party" weekend. I’m so thankful that I made another year, particularly when I consider the alternative! I'm not downplaying having another birthday and thinking "no big deal". How silly would that be, especially when we throw a gigantic, blow-out of a birthday for a one-year-old that won’t even remember? Those here for DECADES are the ones that should be celebrated. Every year we're still here, we should own it and take in all the congratulatory celebrations we can!! We earned it BIG TIME!

I’m justifying my family "putting on the dog" this weekend for me and it’s bound to be quite the celebration based on “the older we get the more we should be celebrated.” I’ve made it to 70 years – 7 decades. OMG! I told my son to be sure there's a fire extinguisher around if they're putting 70 candles on my cake! How can it be? Where did the years go? We’ve ALL been sort of shocked that I’m turning 70. Oh, I know “70 is just a number", BUT, it’s a BIG number! Suddenly I’m getting more calls and more attention. I'm glad I've made it a habit to send "love" text messages to my children every morning. If they don't get that message from here on out....well, let's say I'll be sending kisses from heaven instead!!

I’m so thankful for this attention. They’ve planned this weekend for months. I have no idea what’s going to happen, except that I requested Franklin’s BBQ at some point”. The rest is top secret. Well, except for the text I received from my son: “Make sure you bring your swimsuit….hot at 70!”

I’m totally on a bandwagon of celebrating our lives – the only one that God gave us. Children anticipate their birthdays so much. In fact, they will say “I’m 8 and a half” with excitement that in a few months they’ll turn 9. They embrace turning 10 because it’s double digits. And, 13, because they'll be a teenager and 16 because they can get their driver's license. As children, we believed in the magic of birthdays. We counted down and planned for our party's theme: Princess, Super Hero, etc. We treasured the people who made our birthdays special, like the grandmother (me) who created a treasure hunt trail of rhyming notes that led to the grand finale's supremo birthday gift. We were stoked that our friends came bearing gifts and shared our yummy cake after we blew out the candles in one breath!

Let’s be clear – it’s not as much about the presents, as it is of the PRESENCE of those who love us and make us feel special. Here’s the real crux of the matter: We always were and always will be a treasure of God's, and on our birthday, we get to rock that truth. I’m rocking even as I type this post today. If my family wasn’t throwing me a party for this BIG 7-0, I’d be throwing myself one to celebrate I've made it this far and this long!

Birthdays are a big deal because birthdays represent our God-given mission and destiny and every year that we’re here, we get to celebrate our journey. And with each year, we have the opportunity to celebrate -- not for just THE day, but EACH day that God gives us. Celebrating it with a merry heart, a glad heart, a thankful heart, a forgiving heart, a heart open to the abundance of God's love and bringing forth fruit, being vigorous and flourishing. So, today, you’re invited to party right along on with me. Whether you are 27 or 57 or 97.....you are to be celebrated. You're still bearing fruit. We're still here so we're not done! We're not giving up until we're taken up!

"They shall still bring forth fruit in old age; they shall be vigorous and flourishing." Psalm 92:14

Merry Christmas Eve!

Merry Christmas Eve!
My sweet Mama would always make her calls to each of her grown children on Christmas Eve morning, saying -- "Merry Christmas Eve". We expected that call. And I say that to all of my FB friends today -- MERRY CHRISTMAS EVE! That little greeting and memory certainly does turn my heart to this day 2,000 years ago. Mary, in labor and fast approaching the birth of her baby boy, and Joseph scurrying to find a place for the big debut of the Son of God, knew what "last minute details" were all about.

We're getting closer to "Silent Night -- Holy Night", but until then...this day is probably filled with lots of activity for us all -- last minute shopping, wrapping the final packages, and getting some of our Christmas meal ready to go for tomorrow. After two more Christmas productions that Staci and the kids will perform in today, we'll settle down for our Christmas Eve traditions. Then, when these two grandkids wake up tomorrow morning, I will have arrived in Austin after an early morning drive to celebrate Christmas Day with my family there. I'll wave at Santa enroute, as he'll probably be delivering his last presents along the the way! ;-)

What a treat it was to see my sweet cousins, Mary Ellen Snow and Charles Snow and daughter and two of their grandchildren at the production. Of course, I had to have a quick photo opt. They live nearby here in Frisco. Lots of sweet family memories invade my mind when we're together. Our Mamas are sisters.

Tonight we will have our traditional "Wuerch/Wallace style" opening of all the presents -- except for what Santa brings in the stockings, of course which will be tomorrow morning. Sweet, hilarious time of making memories for another year.

Yes, the traditions and festivities are so enjoyable, but rolling out the red carpet and recognizing the Guest of Honor is what this awe-inspiring season is all about. And.....it's up to us to ensure the Honoree is positioned in His rightful place of distinction.

I love the story of St. Nicholas. He was a very kind man and had a reputation for helping the poor and giving secret gifts to people who needed it. And that story inspires us all with a heart of giving. St. Nicholas is where "Santa Claus" came from. But, as sweet as those "treasured" photos of Santa Claus with our little ones are, and seeing their little eyes sparkling with wonder, and putting cookies out for this jolly old soul to pay us a visit, Santa ISN'T the "Guest of Honor".

The leading characters of the Christmas Story are Mary, Joseph, the shepherds, the angels, and, of course, the Headliner, the main attraction and the Star of the Show is Jesus Christ. He is the REASON for the celebrations and He should be the Guest of Honor at each one. I love that we have a role to play in this great story, too. Perhaps we can be one of the shepherds. We don't need eloquent words and we don't need a place of prominence or status. We just need to be bearers and sharers of "the good news of great joy".

People expect pastors and priests to talk about Christmas being about Christ. But what people need are shepherds of the world to teach and preach that message.

You and I have the ability to amaze someone today with the message of Christmas. "For God so loved the world He GAVE His one and only Son."

Even Santa bows down to Him as the Guest of Honor.

I pray that the awesome richness of this gift is experienced in the lives of you and your precious families -- that makes this a Christmas to remember. Much love and MERRY CHRISTMAS, one and all!

Birthdays Really Matter

I’m heading back home today after several days of celebrating my son’s birthday. I brought Payton and Alexia (my daughter’s two) with me to Austin and yesterday Larry and Staci drove down after having just returned from a missions trip to Mexico the night before. Our family is BIG on birthdays, and while it may sound child-like to make such a big deal about birthdays, it really shouldn’t, because birthdays mean we made it through another year, and we're still here for a reason. That should be a BIG DEAL to us!

Yesterday I heard a lady say “I’m not having any more birthdays. In fact, I don’t even know how old I am anymore.” And I quickly replied, “Goodness gracious, I'm thrilled to celebrate my birthday. It means I made it through another year." I heard Christine Caine's remarks about birthdays. She said, "The older we get, we downplay having another birthday. We don't want any 'big deals' or ANY attention given to us having another birthday. How silly it is to throw a gigantic, blow-out of a birthday for a one-year old. What has a one year old done to deserve that birthday? Those who have been here for half a century and more are the ones to be celebrated. For goodness sakes, every year that we're still here, we deserve fireworks, celebrations, recognition and tributes..... because we EARNED this birthday and every other birthday! We made it another year."

Let’s be clear – it’s not as much about the presents, as it is of the PRESENCE of those who love us and make us feel…..”I am special”.
Here’s the real crux of the matter: You may not have had the ideal family life or have the perfect body OR be the “sharpest tool in the shed”, but you always were and always will be a treasure, and on your birthday, you get to rock that truth.

Birthdays say, “You’re special!” That’s what we do with the red “special plate” where we go around and share why “the birthday boy or girl or man or woman” is special to us. Birthdays say, “Hey, you, you’re great! I’m so glad you’re in my life.” And that’s why birthdays are a big deal – because birthdays represent our God-given mission and destiny and every year that we’re here, we get to celebrate our journey.

And with each year.....we have the opportunity to celebrate -- not for just THE day, but EACH day that God gives us. Celebrating it with a merry heart, a glad heart, a thankful heart, a forgiving heart, a heart open to the abundance of God's love and bringing forth fruit, being vigorous and flourishing.

I have a dear friend who doesn't wait for someone to throw her a party. She throws a birthday bash for herself, and she invites us all to join her for her BIG DAY. I love that. She knows she is special to us AND God, so, of course, we celebrate her.

So, today, whether you or 6 or 60 or 96.....you are to be celebrated. You're still bearing fruit. You're still here....you're not done!