Un-Complicate through contentment to seize the season

Christmas time is a period of paradoxes. What we thought would happen didn't; what did happen surprised us. God made Christmas a time to reorient us and reaffirm His way, where we live with the needs of other as focal, not our own. It's humorous that many times the costliest gift brings the least pleasure; the most fun toy gets ditched for its packing box; we get greater joy from giving to others than from receiving the very things we relished. I believe God meant Christmas to be a time of contrasts. This time makes us understand what God deems important. In short, Christmas is meant to simplify our lives. By year end, we tend to become more demanding and more complicated. You may notice that with each passing Christmas, things go more and more not the way we planned. God's great concern is that we live our moments with preparation but with simplicity. Because He knows how prone we are to pride and over-sophistication; He ensures things don't go our way again and again to keep us filled with child-like glee and grace over his surprises, wholly content with a life of trust in Him. It's amazing how better we're able to relate with others and rain happiness  into their lives by choosing the causeway of ongoing transparency and simple beauty. God appeared a Babe, a lesson in contrast. A Babe, a little boy-talk about burnt expectations. Through the Babe, the One depending on a 13 year old for His very livelihood, we gain a pixilated picture of the life God intends for us. We need never grow out of walking with God for our existence, joy, fulfillment, and our needs. The moment we start holding our own is when God moves to empty our life fridge, forcing us to trust Him implicitly to provide our need. Un-complicate is God's call; allow the disappointments and surprises of this season to place you in the fetal position, dependent on God, alive only through total trust in Him.

The designated gift wrapper and Gift who made all the difference

In every family, there is one special agent who has the title "designated gift wrapper." In my family, I've achieved this rank through no merit of my own but by God's grace. Seriously, if my wife could she'd buy gift cards only as presents and make me wrap my own, pysch?! An earnest look above through the mirror of The Book displays heaven's designed wrapper Christ, coming wrapped a Babe. He came to experience humanity in its gain and pain. Yes, He came to bear the mockery and reproach of false friends, to shoulder the load of human failure-past, present, and future; but in His heart He had to experience life first as a helpless, blissful baby. Christ was the only designated wrapper and Gift (don't try this at home) worthy to die in our stead and give life eternal. He came on His own-a Baby-knowing apart from His Gift man would stand bare and broken before God. His Gift was accepted by the Father so that our trust in Him, the only worthy Gift, would guarantee our acceptance into a living, transforming relationship with God, let it begin, let it begin... Take time today and tomorrow to thank Him for trading the red carpet treatment of heaven for life as a fugitive for most of His earthly pilgrimage. His miracles may have made for fleeting rock-star status with the masses; but with the "well-churched"  Pharisees He was still enemy One. His time as a baby turned quickly to  the blood, sweat, and tears of forming followers as He  poured Himself into His chosen twelve. His status marginalized Him from the masses, prodding Him to prayerfully minister to His heartbeat, Israel, you, and me in solitary retreat. He contemplated Calvary more than ever as His status made for more alone time with His Father. He truly experienced life in  its highs and lows. He came a willing Gift but experienced life its full fury to rescue a sinner like me. Now, knowing our pain He remains the Gift that keeps giving, empathy-infused and focused on filling our needs. I trust you'll either begin a relationship with Him or continue to know the encouragement which follows our knowing He knows our pain,  lived it, and is capable to carry us merrily to Glory on eagle's wings. Merry Christmas, my glass is raised to your having a dream-drenched, prayer-bolstered new year. 

Winning World War Me starts with me and continues only through the support of others

Life is designed to help us lose confidence in our power to live it on our own. At the saddle of our lives is Christ's rightful place, where He leads and moves us into the more He has for us. At Massah and Meribah, God allowed the parched throats of the children of Israel to help move them past their quarreling unbelief into quiet confidence in His care. Later, when fronted by the children of Amalek; they would come to terms with their primary struggle in life, overcoming their own sinful flesh, a lesson pictured in the battle which ensued.
It turned out that whenever Moses raised his hands, Israel was winning, but whenever he lowered his hands, Amalek was winning. Exodus 17:11 (The Message) 
We're powerless to win World War Me, without our hands and hearts raised to God in prayer, heart expectation that God will move to meet our needs. Israel pummeled Amalek when Moses' hands were raised to God in trust. Interestingly, Moses was unable to keep His arms raised to heaven for help by himself. He needed the support of those near him, because prayer is not mere preparation for the battle, it is where the battle is won. Winning World War You begins with our prayerful trust in God's power but continues only with the prayerful support of others woven into our journey as our trust wanes weekly. Scripture teaches that our daily victory is a team effort, we need others believing God with us for what God alone can do. How imperative it is then that we live with hand and heart raised to God, believing Him for grace to live above our sinful inclinations. But of greater importance is our need to surround ourselves weekly with a core of Christ followers, who rally  us to remain confident in God's power to live the daily victory in His plan for us.

It's all in your perspective

The challenge of living oft times is keeping the right perspective; as perspective is ultra-important to a painter, it is essential as we seek to live life in the equilibrium God's ever-present Spirit provides. Israel's journey into freedom from Eqyptian captivity was nothing short of a roller coaster ride as is our lives. Leaving Egypt, Egypt knew exhilaration as they left with much loot; their new iPads, Kindles, and XBoxes reminded them God cared enough to provide their needs and wants. But without warning, in the shadows were 600 of Pharoah's elite warriors huffing and puffing and ready to return Israel to slave labor. Quick to complain, they decried Moses for robbing them a better burial place, saying Egypt had enough fair-sized cemeteries. Why did he have to play with their emotions, giving them false hope of freedom as two million strong they neared the moving waters of the Red Sea. Their move from renewed faith  to primal fear was spawned by their failure to remember the One behind the different seasons of their  lives. God would mercifully move them beyond the boundary of the Red Sea, burying Pharoah's faithful behind them. Again, they knew exhilaration; but a lesson unlearned is a lesson to be relearned. Soon they neared Marah and felt the parched dry of life in the wilderness. When they reached for water they found it bitter. In God's plan they experienced the flip side of exhilaration-exhaustion. Marah waters were bitter; soon the thirsty turned angry, blaming Moses, the religious way to blame God. At Marah, they'd learn a timely lesson, for the stream that was bitter was made better by a tree, when the tree was placed into it. Calvary's tree is where we find renewal, for there our perspective is enlightened and we view life for what it is a beautiful roller coaster ride with highs and lows designed to make us a people of Spirit-infused equilibrium. God is behind your journey. With this perspective even your failings will make sense as you feel what they've made you. I hope this encounter with God takes you from wandering and worry to wistful trust in a God, who hand-crafted your destiny before you were a thought. To make you all you can be, He has to invade your life with blessings and burdens to better you. Know that Marah is just part of the dessert road to Elim. After Marah's lesson, Israel would know rest and renewal at Elim where water was bountiful and jacuzzis plenty. Bear your Marah today; find glee as you ride life's roller coaster, through exhilaration, exhaustion, and all in between. God is at the engine of our life, engineering you through your experiences. Your perspective of your life means everything; it'll determine your disposition through plenty, through pain. 
And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them. Romans 8:28 NLT

Recovery re-imagined transports us to Christ's empty tomb with 3D glasses

I've woken today to the wonder of what Christ's resurrection means. True it is the season where we remember His coming; but in His coming we find the seed of His giving, enabling life. Christ gave Himself once for all; His death on Calvary was a forecast of His resurrection to come, for the God-man could not be held by death. When He rose from the dead, the gateway to personal recovery was opened for all see, feel, and relish. Scripture helps us re-imagine recovery through God's eyes. God's road to recovery begins in our choice to stand broken by the cross then run strong in the unchained power of His resurrection. It's time we re-image recovery. All of us find ourselves held by chains. Whether we're floored by pride or personal excess; Resurrection Road is a throughway we must traverse weekly if we're to live free from what easily binds. A ready view of the resurrection proves life-altering and empowering. By its nature, Christ's resurrection was immediate and transforming. The stillness of death was lost in the untethered brightness and true Glory of God, alive. Everything changed when Christ rose alive. The church would find its fuse to turn a stone-hearted world upside down; for the the curse of death was reversed as Christ knew restored life by fulfilling His Father's mission. 
As Christ's living His Father's mission was a guarantee of favor and power: your living your Father's mission is a grant of favor and power in your living. Faith alone in the resurrection power of Christ is a sure pathway to recovery today. As Christ stepped from death's darkness into the excitement and expectancy of the coming Church Age;  we must step out of darkness into the new beginnings in God's choosing for us.  Each step down Resurrection Road begins with belief in what Christ did, which bears further down our road to recovery. As we feel the story of how Christ's trust in His Father's mission raised Him to new heights of life and restored glory; we'll feel our potential to relive that power daily. The resurrection power of Christ is our only sufficient reserve of strength and grace to walk in victory. When we lose sight of this all-important reserve, choosing instead to man life on our own; our strength fails and we're reduced to reliance on His resurrection power, which alone can save. Will you begin broken at the cross then feel Christ's quality life replace your lostness as you choose to live again.

The good, grateful life is God living through us

An honest appraisal of the lost and  Christian world leads us to a sad realization. Many roam as strangers craving release.

and say to him, 'God, the God of the Hebrews, sent me to you with this message, "Release my people so that they can worship me in the wilderness." So far you haven't listened. Exodus 7:16

We live in a world on the run where the desire to have more, be more, and do more dominates. The pull to mirror modern-day ways lures many into living to impress. This lure tends to bring with it financial, relational, and spiritual luggage, which scar irreparably.  Release me is the silent cry of many in search of the good life, particularly in urban areas. 
The cry is the same in Christians. Quickly we forget our status and stature as citizens of a better country, heaven, falling rather for the glitz and fancies of this life. In our passion to reach others through the River running through us, God, and our relevant lives; we oft get enchanted by the world's Turkish Delight, allowing its treats to hook us. Believers also fall under the "doing" spell where they forget the secret of authenticity, a life knit with God, which overflows in passionate heart and help to a lost world. Not careful we settle instead for the "right path," living defined by our fidelity to Christ's commands and our call to service. Though this is necessary, without the backdrop of a relationship with Christ, which runs deep; our service will be be loveless, self-serving, and fleeting.
Release me is the recurring cry of many desiring to stay current. 
Renew me becomes the cry of those opting to do God's will and work their way.
The fix to wrongful enchantment in unbeliever and believer,alike, the fountain the believer lost in "Martha Syndrome" craves is found in Jesus.

Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Matthew 11:28 ESV
Walk with me and work with me-watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won't lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Matthew 11:29  MSG
Keep company with me and you'll learn to live freely and lightly."
Matthew 11:30 MSG
Find your fix and fountain of fulfillment today in the reservoir of a  personal relationship with Jesus.
We can graduate into thankful, selfless living if we'll allow our souls  to tap and touch the refreshment ours in Christ.
As Christ is given free rein to live His life through us the rest is history.

Thrive at what you do though it isn't what you planned to do

Most would agree that we spend most of lives doing something we didn't see ourselves doing. The challenge of our lives then is to do what God deals us heartily and creatively regardless of our feelings regarding what we do. The Tim Tebow story has riveted me. How about Timmy taking it to the Jets last night. His story resonates with me in a special way because I share his belief system as a fellow Christian. Tim could easily have been a tight end or wide receiver in the NFL, but time proved that he'd be a quarterback in high school, through college, and remarkably now as a Denver Bronco. As a quarterback, Tim is unorthodox and lacks the fine-tuned pocket presence and throwing motion, which define greats like Elway. Heart and will trump ability most days. As we struggle with what we do daily, wishing at times we were doing something more in keeping with our gifting; we need to wear an attitude of willingness accepting our present calling. I'm thankful Tim didn't choose to moan his lack of pure throwing motion or his disinclination to even throw the ball; Tim knows he thrives best when he accepts the gifts, specially granted him by God, using them to man his life mission. It's the same with us, it's not where you are in life but what you do about where you are. We can choose to live the poor outlook of most, living wishing we were more gifted at what we do or we can bloom where we're planted, growing where we are. To thrive in life will require our being content with our God-given place in life. Live and grow where God has you now and find yourself a thriving, normal person others want to emulate.