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Living Water

This week the Target toys catalog and the Walmart holiday catalog showed up at my house. We have a 6 year old grandson living with us so you can imagine his excitement when they arrived in the mail, like they were sent to him personally. I wasn’t there when they arrived but I can imagine his wide-eyed expression as he sat on the floor, flipping through page after page of toys to fulfill his every fantasy. Oh the wonders of childhood and the anticipation of the arrival of Christmas and santa and presents and toys and the tree and family and excitement and wrapping paper everywhere, the smells and smiles and laughter and joy and all that makes the holiday season wonderful.

I remember as a child putting the string through the heavy woolen snow sock to hang on the bedpost at the foot of my bed and the excitement of Christmas eve. My brothers and I were so happy to receive the goodies that santa would put in those woolen socks. We would usually find an apple, an orange, a tangerine, walnuts, almonds, a large candy cane, and a few small gifts like a pencil and an eraser or some other small things. For presents we would usually get much needed woolen shirts, a dress shirt, apair of pants, underwear, handkerchiefs, socks, jeans, and one special gift. There might have been one or two smaller gifts like toys but there was always THE main gift. We were happy as clams to receive that one special gift year in and year out. We were on top of the world.

Today we all go so way overboard with our giving, so much so that we create incredible stress in our lives. Will we have enough money or room on our plastic to cover it all? Have we forgotten anyone on our lists? Oh man, I forgot to get Christmas cards. Darn, now I need stamps! Am I sure I haven’t forgotten anyone on my list? Gotta bake cookies, or a cake or a pie. How many parties did I commit to? Where did I hide that gift for <enter name>? I don’t want to see those credit card statements show up in January. Can’t we change our address? So what ever happened to the “reason for the season.” Where is the gift of Jesus in all of this?

A very special man that came into my life a year or so ago who shall remain nameless (Pastor Dan Perkins) has introduced to me and the elders of the church the Advent Conspiracy. When you get a chance (not if you get a chance, when you get a chance) take a look at their web site at adventconspiracy.org and read through and listen to the material they have provided. It will open up your eyes to a reality that exists each and every day. It really opened up my eyes. So, as we lead up to Christmas Pastor Dan will be opening the eyes of others at TOC (Twin Oaks Church) so that they too can get back into the “real” reason for the season.

I know what I want for Christmas and I know what I am going to give. How about you?

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