Christmas in your heart

A wise friend of my family once told my mom that it was good to keep a little bit of Christmas out all year to remind ourselves of what God had done. When I moved into my own place, I kept the tradition alive, placing a tiny pewter Nativity scene on a shelf in my hallway. It’s a simple Nativity scene, just Mary, Joseph, the Baby Jesus, along with a cow and a donkey. Mary looks simultaneously surprised and serene; Joseph seems a little shell-shocked; Jesus looks like any ordinary baby—and the donkey and cow just seem to be there to add a little context.

I keep that Nativity scene out all through the year because my friend’s advice was good. I need to remember the message of Christmas all year round. There are moments when I need to be reminded that Jesus walked this earth just like me and knew the joys and sorrows of life. There have been seasons in my life when I’ve become consumed by the good works of faith, so much so that it would have been easy to forget that salvation itself is a gift.

Salvation is a gift we can’t earn, no matter how hard we try. Even as believers, it’s sometimes easier to think that we have to somehow do good things to become worthy of that salvation. Sometimes, God’s free gift of salvation to all who believe just seems too good to be true.

But the fact is, all those years ago in Bethlehem, we got our first glimpse of the plan of salvation that God had put into motion before the foundations of the earth. He knew our deepest need, and He gave His only Son so that we might have a right relationship with Him.

This Christmas, we don’t want you to get so caught up in the trees, the lights, and the tinsel that you miss out on what God has done for you. We want you to hear and understand the gospel message that God loves you, and He sent His Son to live, die, and rise again so that He might have a relationship with you. That’s the topic of Carol Sallee’s cover story, “The gift that can’t be earned,” on page 26 and the theme of many of this month’s devotions. It’s the reason we asked Sam O’Neal to talk to you about how to make Christmas meaningful (p. 16) and enlisted Erin Davis to answer the tough question of why we need a Savior in the first place (p. 46). It’s the message we want your lives to proclaim and for you to share with others, which is why we included an article on witnessing (p. 60) and Adam Richards’ personal account of sharing Christ with a friend (p. 62).

Christmas isn’t just any holiday. It’s the time we set aside to ponder how much God loves us because of the extravagant nature of His gift: Jesus. Accept Him, love Him, follow Him, and let Christmas live in your heart all year round.

We need your help!

Christmas is just around the corner!

OK, it's more like six months away, but we're already making plans for the December issue of ec. And we need your help to make it one of our best issues ever.

We're looking for some of your favorite funny Christmas stories. It could be that time your grandma made the pie without sugar. Or when your little brother got a gag gift and didn't take it well. Or maybe you just have a favorite holiday memory of your family, friends, or church. We just want to hear your stories and print a few of them in the December issue. So, e-mail them our way! Include your name, age, and hometown. You should also send a jpg photo of you.

We can't wait to hear your stories! So start thinking snow and start talking!

15 cool Christmas gifts under $15

If you’re scratching your head, trying to figure out what to give that person on your list who is hard to buy for, consider our suggestions. Just click on the item's name to link to its Web site. (Prices listed do not reflect shipping and handling. Prices are correct as of Dec. 15, 2008.)



Luggage tags ($10)
This handy set offers some laughs while saving other folks the trouble of accidentally picking up your bag.






Reminder to save ($10)
It’s a better take on the traditional piggy bank. Spare change is always available if you obey the simple reminder to “save.”


Gadget pen ($13.95)
Better than a pocket knife (and maybe even more useful!). This pen is actually a 12-function tool, and it comes in three colors. We think guys and girls alike will find this one of the most practical presents they’ve ever received!




Make your own chewing gum kit ($11.95)
Almost everybody likes gum. This is a fun gift idea, although it is not suitable for your friends with braces.



Faucet light ($14.99)
We're not really sure that this product serves a functional purpose, but it sure is fun! Talk about a conversation starter. Plus, you don’t have to worry about not being able to watch yourself wash your hands if ever the power goes out.






Mini water cooler ($12.99)
Instead of getting up to get a drink of water while you study, work on homework, or finish that big project, this mini water cooler keeps you hydrated right where you are. It's way more fun than a water bottle.






Stapleless stapler ($12)
If you have less than five sheets of paper to keep together and you don’t want to use a stapler, check out these! They punch a hole in the paper and fold the flaps together to keep your stack in tact. And there’s a bonus: you get two per set!




Grocery bag holder ($4.99)
Tired of struggling to lug lots of little bags (or tired of watching your mom or dad do it)? Order this handy handle and the problem disappears!




Grow your own Venus Flytrap ($8.98)
Got a friend who likes plants? We bet he or she doesn’t have one of these! The Venus Flytrap grows in 10 weeks and then the gift recipient can watch this carnivorous plant do its thing. (And learn from production editor Emily’s mistakes: don’t feed it bread. It won’t open up again!)




Computer screen cleaners ($6.99)
Tired of the fingerprints, smudges, and other unknown smears on your computer screen? This is the (rather cute) solution to a very common problem!







Lunch decision spinner ($4.50)
If you and your friends waste minutes or even hours trying to figure out what to eat, order one of these little gems! While it won’t pick the restaurant for you, it will give you a more concrete type of food to work with.





Remote Finder ($14.95)
Does your TV remote seem to sprout legs and walk away all the time? Find the missing device quickly and easily with this whistle-activated remote locator. Just blow the whistle, and the locator (which attaches to the remote) starts beeping!


Blockheads ($14.99)
Just because you’re too old to play with blocks doesn’t mean these aren’t really fun! There’s an image on each side of the block, so the combinations of faces you can come up with are endless. A great gift for the person who constantly complains of being bored.





USB desk lamp ($11.99)
These lamps shine the light right where you need it. Practical and fun, one of these lamps will make a great gift for the computer addict in your life.




Auto Air Purifier ($14.95)
Got a brother/sister/parent/friend with a stinky car? Give them the auto air purifier, and the problem’s gone! It operates in the cigarette lighter to rid a car of any bad odors.

Who, what, when, where, and why

Every Monday morning here at work, the ec team gathers with all the other folks in the student ministry department here at LifeWay for a time of prayer and devotions. This morning, our fearless leader (and director of the department), Jimmy Hester led the devotion time.

And even now, almost two hours later, one phrase of what he said keeps replaying in my mind: Christmas is not just about when Jesus came, but why He came.

Think about that. Oh, sure, it's easy to get excited about Christmas. There's all the songs, decorations, gifts, bell-ringing, parties, and special events, even at church. There's a lot of noise around Christmas, and as Christians, we often find ourselves angrily remarking to the sales associate who wished us a happy holiday that Jesus is the REASON for the season.

And He is. Christmas is when we celebrate Christ's birth, when we remember and commemorate that God sent His one and only Son into the world as a tiny baby born in Bethlehem to parents of lowly social standing. He was and is the Messiah, the fulfillment of prophecy. That tiny baby was God in the flesh, the Hope of the nations, the Prince of Peace, Wonderful Counselor, Emmanuel, God with us.

Yes, Christmas is about all those things, but it's also about a God who would give Himself up for us so that we could be saved. Jesus' birth—from His first cry to when Mary swaddled Him in cloth and laid Him in that manger—began His steady march toward the cross.

Jesus came to this world with a purpose. He came to live among us and display God's love, but He also came to die so that we might be saved. That baby in the manger grew up to be the Man pierced for our transgressions, crushed for our sin. And it is His wounds that heal us from the deadly disease of sin.

So as you prepare to celebrate the season this year, don't forget that Christmas isn't just about Jesus coming to earth; it's also about why He came and what His birth meant for all of us.

Spend some time reading in the Book of Isaiah this week. Try Isaiah 7:14; Isaiah 9:2-7; Isaiah 53; and Isaiah 60:1-2. Thank God that His Light has come, in the Light of the World, Jesus, who lived and died and rose again so that we might be saved.

Reclaiming Christmas

We’ve got to get Christmas back. Not that it actually went anywhere. It’s just that it’s gotten way out of hand lately as we’ve let all the holiday celebrations overshadow what we’re actually supposed to be celebrating. You probably heard about the Wal-Mart employee who was trampled by shoppers rushing the front door on Black Friday last week. But did you hear about how some of those shoppers then refused to leave that store as it was being closed due to the death? They said they’d been in line for hours and were there to shop, no matter who was killed in the process.

Does anyone else see what’s wrong with this picture? Isn’t it ironic that the holiday that’s supposed to celebrate the birth of our Savior incites such a frenzy in shoppers bent on getting that “perfect” gift that someone ends up dead? When do we, as Christians, step in and say, “We’re sorry, World, but this is not what Christmas is about!”

Then again, it’s easy to point fingers and spout out that Jesus is the reason for the season, meanwhile being offended that someone wished you a “Happy Holidays” instead of a “Merry Christmas.” But how often do you let the thought of gift-purchasing, party-going, and time off from school overwhelm your own sense of awe at the actual meaning of this holiday? When you think about Christmas, where does your mind go?



My mind kind of settles on the decorations, sadly. I was decorating my house for Christmas last night, and as I ate breakfast this morning, I was admiring the sparkliness of it all. I felt like Christmas cheer had finally settled upon me. Then it hit me. As I had been decorating, my primary thoughts had been about how much a friend of mine would love the silver reindeer I’d bought or how disappointed I was that my fireplace didn’t have a mantle that I could hang my stocking from. Hello!? Is that stuff even important? I didn’t even have a NATIVITY SCENE in my apartment to remind myself the real reason I’m even celebrating this particular holiday. I’d once again managed to take something sacred (Christmas, not decorating) and somehow twist it so that it’s just as much about the food, the décor, and the parties as it is about Jesus.

Right then, I prayed and ask that God give me a new sense of awe of Christmas. Of the miracle that He provided. Of the meaning of His Gift. If you too are realizing that you want to shift your focus this Christmas back to the One who started it all, then turn to page 8 of this month’s issue of ec for some ideas on how to do that.

Start now. Don’t let Christmas sneak up on you. And that way, when Christmas afternoon comes and everyone else is complaining of that letdown that occurs once all the gifts have been opened and the anticipation is over, you’ll recognize that Christ’s first coming is not something that you just celebrate while the Christmas decorations are up. It’s a gift you can be grateful for all the time.

A baby born in Bethlehem

About a month ago, my family celebrated the birth of the first grandchild. My brother and sister-in-law welcomed their new addition, Eli, to the family and life as we know it changed for the better. There's nothing like holding that sweet baby and a special joy when he grabs onto your fingers and holds on for dear life. He'll be a month old this week, and from the first minute I held him, I knew without a doubt that he was a gift straight from God.

But that thought also led me to think about another gift from God: His Son, Jesus. As I held my nephew some 3 days after his birth, I was struck with how tiny he was. Fragile. Breakable. Unable to care for himself. Vulnerable.

Those thoughts led me to think about Jesus. Yes, I've known the Christmas story since I was just a little older than Eli. I know about Mary and Joseph, the donkey ride to Bethlehem, the birth in a stable. I know all of that, but as I held Eli, I was struck by the vulnerability and fragile nature of God's plan for our salvation.

God's plan included Jesus being born to a virgin in Bethlehem, welcomed by lowly shepherds, and cradled in Joseph's worn carpenter's hands. Jesus came to earth as a tiny baby, just like us. He came to walk among us, to be vulnerable and fragile . . . just like us.

Christmas is about love, God's love for us and His plan to be in eternal relationship with us. Eli has taught me about the depth and scope of God's love. It's easy to say that Christmas is about love, but this is a kind of love in which God wraps Himself in flesh and comes to our world to live among us, share in our sorrows, temptations, and the everyday drudgery of life. Christmas is about Jesus making Himself vulnerable and fragile so that we—who don't deserve it—could be in relationship with Him and truly know God. Christmas is about a God who was willing to give Himself up for us.

So be vulnerable and fragile this Christmas. Let the true meaning of the season pour over you and celebrate that this year.

And God bless us, every one. . .

As the ec team heads out to all the corners of the world (OK, the mid-South, Midwest, and South) for the Christmas holidays, we wanted to wish you all a merry Christmas. Think of this as our Christmas card to you.

More than that, we wanted to encourage you to spend some time thinking about the reason behind this season. Sure, Christmas is about family, fun, good food, and time off from school, but really, it's all about Christ. It's our prayer that this year, you truly experience the Savior. He was born in a manger, walked among us, and died so that we might live. Celebrate His presence this year. Ponder these words this year as you open the gifts and celebrate Christmas: "Today a Savior, who is Messiah the Lord, was born for you in the city of David" (Luke 2:11).

(Find more goofy pictures of the ec team by clicking this link.)