In Those Days

"And it came to pass in those days..."

Luke 2:1

Hi there! It's me again...I made it through Thanksgiving in spite of being sick. It was a blessed one for sure...and here we are with Christmas bearing down upon us now.

I turned to Luke to begin reading, and the first line caught my attention: "in those days".

I can't help but to keep thinking about "in those days" recently. As the holidays approach, we may begin to reminisce about the good ole days when things were much simpler and more wholesome. It doesn't take long to look around and see that this beautiful world the Lord created perfectly is waxing worse and worse. That's Bible folks!

I think back to the Thanksgivings of my youth and recall visiting my grandparents during the holiday. In those days, we'd look forward to watching the Macy's Day Parade. Can I just tell you that I thought I'd share that memory with my grands this year, only to quickly turn it off because of what I saw and heard going on. We don't live in the same world anymore! So much more evil, immorality, and glamorizing of sin. It makes my stomach sick to think about it!

I turned it off and entertained my kiddos with thinking about and writing down things they were thankful for. They colored. Played with toys. I read them a book. The stuff they might have done more of back in those days!

My attitude and perspective has since began shifting. I felt it happening beginning with the moment I turned off the offensive, vile parade that was once something enjoyable to do with the family. My goodness, what will this world look life when our kids and grands get our ages? What will the world look like in those days if the Lord tarries?

Some things, I've determined, will not disappear in my home with the passing of the days we live - God be my helper. We will continue to make new memories while incorporating ones from the past which continue to line up with our lifestyle. My friend, there are just some things I cannot allow to become part of our normal though. It's not worth it! When my grands look back, I want them to remember meaningful moments with fondness. I don't want a screen to replace me! I want them to remember my voice as I read them books. I want them to remember the smile on my face as they presented me with a colored, or scribbled, coloring page. I want them to recall feelings of closeness and peace they felt, not a bunch of chaos. In those days…I want them to look back and know they were protected and loved enough to be told "no" to things of the day which might seem to be the norm. I want them to grow up and appreciate the fact that we took a stand for goodness and that they didn't miss out on any of the artificial fluff this world has to offer.

This Christmas, Santa won't be displayed in my house. This year, I'm not putting out my Grinch decorations. You know, even though there may be nothing wrong with those traditions in themselves; I'm going back some days. I'll have a nativity scene my grands can interact with. I'll have books we can read, games we can play together, cookie baking and decorating sessions, and Jesus will be the center of our celebration...just as it should be in these days. What if we all went back to the basics? To our roots? To the true meaning of Christmas? What if we gave of ourselves and of time - not all the fluff!

I invite you to make lasting memories your family will look back upon years from now and proclaim, "It was good back in those days. I didn't miss out on anything the world had to offer." What greater legacy and heritage could we leave our children and their children than to go back to doing what matters most? Those things which will be remembered way beyond the stuff.

My friend, let's give "Jesus" this year. Let's give and do what He would approve of. Why? Simply because someone is going to look back and refer to in those days - and what will they say about the piece of history we are responsible for? It's a sobering thought! I don't want to get carried away with the world's view and lose sight of the meaning of Christmas.

Just a thought! Something to make us think...I know I sure have been doing a lot of that. It might just be the best Christmas yet, if we'll back up and rethink our strategies. I'm feeling a lot like Mary as she pondered things in her heart. I might not do it perfectly, but I'm going to make a conscious effort to do some things differently.

It might not make sense to you yet, that’s okay; but the light shining in my heart is leading me down a different path this year. Whatever you do and however you do it is up to you. This is just what I’ve chosen to do. I hope you'll consider this thought tho and be sure you're giving your family the best you can this holiday season. It's not about who gets the most toys or most expensive gifts; it's about the goodness and memories of togetherness. Toys will break, time will keep moving on, but the memories and impact of your decisions will one day become an in those days topic. Make them count!

God bless you this holiday season~