A New Year's Resolution

 “No one ever keeps their New Year’s Resolutions.” The pastor who stated this listed all the things that people put on their resolutions list that almost all end before the end of January. He even gave statistics of the low percentages of people keeping their resolutions. I have no idea what else he said because I decided right there and then I would prove him and all those statistics wrong. I would keep a New Year’s Resolution all year long. 

That pastor spoke in the end of 2014, and when the New Year began in 2015, I began on my resolution…to write every single day. On December 31, 2015, I had written for all 365 days of the year. So, what did I do that year that made it different from other years? I set up perimeters so I wouldn’t quit, even if I did miss a day, which I didn’t that year. 

I set a perimeter that if I did miss a day of writing, I would pick up the next day and continue my year of writing. This perimeter helped me a few times in the last eight years, even if I didn’t use it in 2015. The difference began the moment I switched my thinking of missing a day would be a failure to miss a day and pick it up the next day and not give up on the entire idea of my ultimate goal. The idea is to not give up. 

The other part of keeping that resolution required an end goal. To keep a resolution, you have to have an ultimate end goal. You can’t just do a resolution without an end goal. You keep your focus on that end goal. I wanted to write every single day because I had heard published authors and produced screenwriters say in every seminar that they write every single day. The one thing that improves writing is to do it every day. My end goal was to finish a book and get published. I did finish writing the first draft of that book. 

For any goal, you have to practice every day, but if you miss a day, you cannot just quit. You must continue where you stopped and pick it up from there. Anyone who has lost a significant amount of weight, became a professional musician, an artist, a baker or chef, or sports player has perfected their craft with working on it every single day. 

Don’t listen to the naysayers. Don’t listen to those who would rather you not reach your ultimate goal. They don’t have ambition, so they don’t want you to work on yours. Set goals for the New Year. Then write down the steps that you can do every single day to reach that goal. 

Make the goal doable. I didn’t set a goal that required me to sit and write for a specific time every day or even at a specific time. With my schedule with teaching, that cannot always be attained. I made my goal simple that first year. I challenged myself to write every day. I made other perimeters. I didn’t want my writing to be in my journal, my quiet time journal, or any lists. It had to be writing that would further my career in writing. 

Along with making my daily task attainable, I created a path for myself to do the task when I could. I would either write first thing in the morning or when I returned home. Make your goal attainable for you to reach with your lifestyle. 

That year I wrote every day for the first time in my writing career. It would begin a new habit for me. In fact, the habit of writing every single day developed by the end of January. Habits begin when you set a goal that you can attain. It became more than a challenge. It became something that I had to do every single day, like brushing my teeth. 

Make 2024 the year that you accomplish one goal. Whether you do something every day, or every week, or every month to reach that goal, make a resolution to achieve that goal. With every goal that you attain, the more you will grow and change. The more you grow and change as a person, you will have the change you want to see in 2024. Happy New Year! 

The Chaos of the First Christmas

 Christmas brings chaos. People rush through the shopping malls trying to buy the perfect gift on a budget. Children scream and cry because something didn’t go the way they wanted it. Relatives surprise you with a visit that they swear that they informed you. Something goes wrong with baking or cooking and burnt is now on the menu or pizza. You run out of paper just before you need to wrap the last gift. Finally, the family pet chases his ball and somehow the Christmas tree comes down. 

When people look at the manger scene at Christmas, they think of peace and calm. We want that peace and clam that Mary and Joseph had. If we look closer at their account, they had a chaotic first Christmas. First, they had to go to Joseph’s hometown for the census. When they got to Bethlehem, there was no room in the inn for them, so they lodged in a stable, a barn. Jesus was born in a barn. 

I questioned why they didn’t stay with relatives since Joseph came from Bethlehem. Mary’s pregnancy had everything to do with it. How was Joseph supposed to explain Mary’s pregnancy to anyone in his family? So, they lodged in a barn with sheep, cows, and horses. The scents of Christmas should be that of manure instead of pine trees. (Just kidding!) 

When the shepherds came to visit Jesus, the peace came. Mary pondered everything in her heart. Then she sang “Away in the Manger” and wondered why Jesus still cried. I guess our interpretation of the first Christmas is far from the truth. Jesus came to earth fully human and fully God. His humanness made him cry because he had to communicate to his parents that he needed food or a diaper change. 

At some point, the Magi came with three weird gifts. They brought gold, frankincense, and myrrh. I know those gifts have symbolism. I also discovered that those gifts could be used for Joseph to use for money to escape to Egypt to keep Jesus alive from King Herod, who wanted to kill him and all the male babies two years old and younger. That chaos happened too. 

Imagine having a baby and being warned in a dream that the leader of the country wants your baby dead. That’s not peaceful and calm. Joseph and Mary escaped to Egypt until King Herod died, and then they went to Nazareth, which fulfilled scripture that the Savior would come from Nazareth. Running for your life does not have an element of peace. You have to know who to trust and who not to trust. Joseph kept Jesus alive through that chaos. 

When you look at the manger scene, remember Jesus brought peace into the world, but not the peace that the world seeks. He brought us peace when he died for our sins. We have peace because we know that he sacrificed his life for us. Jesus encountered chaos throughout his ministry. He slipped away from the crowds because the religious leaders wanted to kill him before it was his time. He had to do this several times. 

When life becomes chaotic, look at the manger scene. See the strength of Mary and Joseph doing whatever it took to keep Jesus alive. See the hope that Jesus brings. Encounter the peace that Jesus gives with his love and sacrifice for our sins. That can make you breathe and bring you the peace that you seek during this season. 

“In the same region, shepherds were staying out in the fields and keeping watch at night over their flock. Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said them, ‘Don’t be afraid, for look, I proclaim to you good news of great joy that will be for all people. Today in the city of David a Savior was born for you, who is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be the sign for you: You will find a baby wrapped tightly in cloth and lying in a manger.’” (Luke 2:8-12; CSB) 

Have a Merry Christmas with peace and joy because you know that Jesus came for you, and his sacrifice brings you the peace you need in your soul. 

Following a Star

 If you have ever questioned your GPS system, then you might have a small understanding of how the Magi followed the star that they saw in the sky. It takes faith to follow a path that you may not know or have ever taken. Many people remember the days that we had to read a map. I struggle to read maps because in Los Angeles we had a confusing book full of maps. 

When I first moved to Los Angeles, everyone told me to purchase this book of maps to travel around Southern California. I wish I hadn’t. I would turn the page and instead of the road continuing, it took me to another part of Southern California. You had to follow the arrows of the pages. That’s great when you’re driving, NOT! That book became a greater distraction than texting ever could. 

I’m horrible at reading maps, but I’m great at adventures! I’ve taken my share of adventures. If you ask any of my former youth group members, they have stories of our trips that involved an adventure of getting lost. When I went to a large youth ministry conference, I discovered that all the other youth pastors struggled to read maps too. They taught me to tell the students we were taking an adventure when I got lost. 

When the GPS systems came, my mom bought me one for Christmas. She understood my map reading struggle. I took that system everywhere, including on my trip to Monterey, California in 2016 on my own writing retreat. On my way home, an accident clogged the highway. I got off at an exit and studied my GPS to find another way instead of sitting in traffic for six hours. It found another route. I drove without looking at the route. 

On the road it told me to turn right on this one road. I passed it. I made a U-turn and went back to that little road. I stared. That little narrow concrete road traveled through a vineyard. Are you nuts? I asked my system. She told me to turn. I held my breath and since the road was paved, I went through the vineyard. Trucks lined the outside of the path with farmers pruning the vines. They looked at my little compact car driving through their path. I drove for two miles. Then, at the end, I turned right onto the highway beyond the accident. I got through it! 

That journey reminded me of the journey of the Magi. They studied the stars. Their journey may have been anywhere from one to two years because they found Jesus at the house. King Herod lied to them because he worried that a new king would take his throne. Many leaders struggle to understand that they will not live forever, and someone will take their place, but Jesus did not come to be a political king to fight wars. He came to save us from our sins. 

The only part of the journey that we know is that they took a different way home. They did not return to King Herod because when they met Jesus, they found the truth and being warned in a dream, they returned on a different route. 

This Christmas, follow Jesus with this beautiful season. To navigate your journey, read the first Christmas journey in Matthew 1-2 and Luke 1-2. You will discover that faith brings joy on a journey that does not have a straight path. Follow your heart, read His story this Christmas, and have a conversation with Jesus of what you can do together on your life journey with Him and with your gifts to make a difference in the world. This leads to a Merry Christmas! 

Have a Mary Impossible Christmas

 I love Christmas. The lights, decorations, Christmas music, Christmas movies, (even some on the Hallmark Channel, church events) parties, Christmas food, and of course, no school. I love the true celebration of Christmas, the birth of Jesus. Although I know that Jesus may not have been born in December, Christians take the time to celebrate the birth of the Messiah. Jesus’s birth brought salvation to the world. When we see the events of the account of Jesus’s birth, we realize that we have put our faith into believing the impossible. 

It started with Mary. I don’t worship Mary, but I do respect her because her faith in the impossible brought Jesus into the world. When the angel came to Mary and told her that she would have a child, Mary asked how it would happen because she was a virgin. The angel told her that the Holy Spirit would come over her. Then, the angel said that “For nothing is impossible with God.” (Luke 1:37; CSB) Mary believed the angel. Her faith allowed her to be a part of the greatest birth in history. She believed in the impossible. 

Do you believe in the impossible? When the world around you falls apart, do you cry out to God, “Why?” I have. When people in your life let you down, do you wonder if you can trust anyone ever again? I have. When wars and natural disasters strike places all over the world that are out of your control, do you wonder how people can survive? I do. I have discovered in recent years that with faith in God, I can believe in the impossible that a horrible situation can turn a life into a great possibility. 

I’m not sure of the reasons of all tragedies, but I do know that possibilities come when we trust in God. Mary trusted God. She knew people would judge her. Her fiancé didn’t understand until an angel came to him and explained the whole situation. He had to believe the impossible too. He had to trust that God impregnated Mary and not some other man. He had to trust God and Mary. Joseph believed the impossible. 

We proclaim that we believe in the impossible, then when something does not go our way, we begin to cry out to God of how and why He could allow such a thing. Some people even give up on believing in God. Faith requires us to believe the impossible. Throughout the Bible, God asked His people to trust him and believe in the impossible and great things occurred and lives changed. 

Abraham and Sarah believed in the impossibility of having a child. Moses believed in the impossibility of freeing the Israelites from Egypt. David believed in the impossibility of conquering the giant. Joseph believed in the impossibility of God rescuing him from Egypt. He then became the second highest leader in Egypt and saved the nation. Hannah believed in the impossibly of having a child. So many people who followed Jesus believed he could perform impossible miracles to make their lives whole. We have so many examples in the Bible of people trusting God with impossibilities. 

With all the festivities of Christmas, let us take the time to remember that God wants us to believe the impossible. Jesus came to die for our sins. Some people struggle to understand the purpose of Jesus’s birth, so they minimize it to a good man who taught and did miracles. Jesus came to do so much more than teaching and doing miracles. He did the ultimate sacrifice of dying for our sins. Then, the true impossibility occurred. He came back to life. Jesus conquered death. 

Mary discovered her journey may have been long and tedious. She endured chaos at the birth and death of Jesus, but she experienced his life on earth, and proclaimed his life after he left the earth. She believed and trusted God. 

Believe the impossible that God can do in your life. Nothing is too big for God to handle. He wants the best for you, and He cares about your entire life. Trust God and let the impossible in your life become possible. Then, you will have a Merry (Mary) Christmas.  

Holiday Spirit with the Shepherds

 Chaos erupts at the holiday season. With all the tasks that we think we must do, along with life events that continue to occur, we may lose the holiday spirit before it even begins. We think we must find the perfect gift or create the perfect meal with all the best ingredients. We decorate and clean the house only to discover that one of our pets destroyed a decoration or storage eroded one. We want perfection, but we must look to the perfect one for having true Christmas spirit. 

A long time ago, in a place far away, lived shepherds who looked after their flock at night. They had the dangerous watch time. At night, the wild animals hunt for prey. I know because I hear the coyotes in our neighborhood at night. Sheep are prey. Shepherds must protect their flock at all cause. These shepherds knew this, but when angels interrupted them, they dropped their life of perfection and ran to see the perfect one. 

An angel of the Lord came to the shepherds the night Jesus was born and proclaimed to them the Good News that the Savior was born. “Don’t be afraid, for Look, I proclaim to you good news of great joy that will be for all the people! Today in the city of David a Savior was born for you, who is Messiah, the Lord. This will be the sign for you. You will find a baby wrapped tightly in cloth and lying in a manger.” (Luke 2:10-12; CSB) (The city of David, also known as Bethlehem is in Judea, not Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.) 

The shepherds hurried off to see this wonder that the angel told them about. Here’s the question. What did they do with that flock of sheep that they protected? Did they take them with them? Did they leave them to the predators of the night, which would result in their jobs being lost? 

We don’t have the answers to the questions of what the shepherds did or did not do with their flock. We do know what they did when they came to Jesus. They did not present him with gifts like the Magi. They bowed down and worshipped him. They knew Jesus would bring them and their nation salvation. They didn’t know how he would bring salvation, but they knew he would bring it. 

The shepherds ran to see Jesus. In the night, watching their flock, they dropped it all and went to Jesus. I’m not suggesting that anyone quits their job and hopes that Jesus will give them another one within seconds. I am suggesting that we drop the chaos and worship Jesus. 

We must stop with trying to be perfect and go and worship the perfect one who saved us from our sins. Jesus didn’t come to affirm us and our personalities or lifestyle. Jesus didn’t come to perform miracles or inform us of his political views, and which ones are right. Jesus came to die for us. He died for our sins, so we don’t have to. He was the perfect sacrifice. 

Here’s the irony. The shepherds guarded the former sacrifice. The Jews had to sacrifice a lamb to receive forgiveness of sins. They didn’t sacrifice any lamb, but a perfect lamb without blemish. Then, on that night the shepherds ran to the manger, they met the perfect lamb that would be the ultimate sacrifice for us. You know why the shepherds were the first to see Jesus? They were the first because they represent all of us who need that perfect lamb. God wrapped our protection in a swaddling cloth and placed Him in a manger. The shepherds left their flock to worship the perfect lamb, Jesus. 

This Christmas, shed the perfection of the ambiance of the holiday and meet the perfect one. Whether it is the first time you meet Jesus or the hundredth, take time to meet Jesus and spend time with him. He will accept you without your perfection. He doesn’t care about your food, decoration, or presents, but he cares about your presence. He wants your presence. 

This Christmas, come to Jesus and worship him with gladness. Pray, sing Christmas songs that reveal his coming, and study the Christmas story in God’s Word to find the truth of this season. That will bring you the joy of Christmas and brighten your holiday spirit.