Christmas is truly a magical time of the year. As we celebrate the birth of Christ, our hearts are filled with joy, peace and harmony. During this time, we are kinder, gentler, more generous and something miraculous happens to us. Wouldn’t it be nice if we could carry that spirit of Christmas through the whole year?
The good news? We can carry that spirit throughout the whole year. Christmas doesn’t have to be a season or a one day event — the true spirit of Christmas is to observe and celebrate the birth of Christ and the truth is, His spirit can be re-born every single day of the year…by us.
Some time ago the piece below was making the rounds on social media and I believe it to be very apropos to this post:
Read this only if you have time for God.
Let me tell you, make sure you read it all to the end. I almost deleted this message but was blessed when it came to an end. Important: Read it only if you have time for God.
One day satan and Jesus were talking. satan just went into the Garden of Eden and was messing about and laughing, saying:
“Yes sir. I just took a world full of people out there.”
“I set them up, used bait, I knew they couldn’t resist. They are all down!”
“What are you going to do with them?” Jesus asked.
“Ah I’m going to have fun with them, satan replied. “I will teach them how to marry and divorce how to hate and abuse each other, how to drink and smoke and of course, I will teach them how to invent guns and bombs to destroy each other. I’m really going to have fun!”
“And what will you do when you get tired of them?” Jesus asked him.
“Ah, I’ll kill them,” satan said with a look full of hate and pride.
“How much do you want for them?” Jesus asked.
“Ah, you don’t like those people. They are not good. Why would you want to take them? You take them and they hate you. They will spit in your face, curse you and kill you. You don’t like those people!”
“How much?” Jesus asked again. satan looked at Jesus and answered sarcastically:
“All your blood, tears and your life.”
Jesus said, “done!”
…And that’s how I pay the price.
NOTE:
I wonder how easy it is to disrespect God and then we wonder why the world is going to hell.
Funny how someone can say “I believe in God” and yet follow satan.
Interestingly, we send thousands of messages with jokes via email that water like gunpowder, but when we start messaging referring to the Lord, people think twice before sharing them.
Funny how people can be more concerned about what others think of them than what God thinks of them.
MAY GOD BLESS YOU GREAT!
10 things God didn’t ask you:
1. God will not ask you what model car you used; He will ask you how many people you have taken places.
2. God will not ask you the square meters of your house; He will ask you how many people you got in it.
3. God won’t ask you for a clothing brand in your closet; He will ask you how much you helped to clothe others.
4. God won’t ask you how high your salary was; He will ask if you earned it clean.
5. God won’t ask you what your title was; He will ask you if you did your job with the best of your ability.
6. God won’t ask you how many friends you had; He will ask you how many people considered you as their friend.
7. God will not ask you which area you lived in; He will ask you how you treated your neighbors.
8. God will not ask you about the color of your skin; He will ask you about the purity of your interior.
9. God will not ask you why it took so long to seek salvation; He will take you with love to His home in heaven, not to the gates of hell.
10. God won’t ask you how many people you have shared this message with; He will simply ask you if you were embarrassed to do so.
Jesus Christ said, “If you deny me before friends, I will deny you before my Father. Today is the day to bless you, I bless you, I bless your heart your life, your home, your family your projects and dreams, in Jesus name.
If you finish to the end, leave amen and share it! Share God’s love!!
– Author unknown
We know there is a lot of bad things happening in the world and its easy to lose heart and give in to the negativity. But, there is an awful lot of good in this world too and I believe that is what we need to not only hold on to, but also share with everyone we meet. Jesus literally gave His life for us. Don’t you think the very least we could do is remember that sacrifice every single day? Couldn’t we celebrate His birth each and every day…to remember it, honor it and cherish it? The spirit of Christmas isn’t meant to be for just one day per year — its meant to be alive and in our hearts all of the time.
What We Can Do to Live by the Christmas Spirit Everyday
Love: If we lead from a place of love in our heart, we’re living by the teachings of Jesus. Even if we don’t necessarily like someone, we should still love them and want the best for them
Gratitude: Let us all be grateful for what we have — a gratitude journal is a great way to start.
Compassion: We can care for people — respect them, understand their perspective, help them.
Peace: I believe that if we all commit to calming down and relaxing a bit, peace and tranquility will prevail; why do we let ourselves get so worked up over every little thing? We should try to remain calm, avoid petty gossip, reject conspiracy theories and embrace tranquility.
These beautiful quotes remind us that the spirit of Christmas is one we should embrace and live by all the time:
“Christmas is most truly Christmas when we celebrate it by giving the light of love to those who need it most.” – Ruth Carter Stapleton
“Let us have music for Christmas…Sound the trumpet of joy and rebirth; Let each of us try, with a song in our hearts, to bring peace to men on earth.” – Mildred L. Jarrell
“God never gives someone a gift they are not capable of receiving. If He gives us the gift of Christmas, it is because we all have the ability to understand and receive it.” – Pope Francis
“Best of all, Christmas means a spirit of love, a time when the love of God and the love of our fellow men should prevail over all hatred and bitterness, a time when our thoughts and deeds and the spirit of our lives manifest the presence of God.” – George F. McDougall
“My idea of Christmas, whether old-fashioned or modern, is very simple: loving others. Come to think of it, why do we have to wait for Christmas to do that?” – Bob Hope
“Christmas is not a time or a season but a state of mind. To cherish peace and goodwill, to be plenteous in mercy, is to have the real spirit of Christmas. If we think on these things, there will be born in us a Savior and over us will shine a star sending its gleam of hope to the world.” – Calvin Coolidge
“Christmas is the perfect time to celebrate the love of God and family and to create memories that will last forever. Jesus is God’s perfect, indescribable gift. The amazing thing is that not only are we able to receive this gift, but we are able to share it with others on Christmas and every other day of the year.” – Joel Osteen
“And when we give each other Christmas gifts in His name, let us remember that He has given us the sun and the moon and the stars, and the earth with its forests and mountains and oceans–and all that lives and move upon them. He has given us all green things and everything that blossoms and bears fruit and all that we quarrel about and all that we have misused–and to save us from our foolishness, from all our sins, He came down to earth and gave us Himself.” – Sigrid Undset
