Wrapping up the week…

As we come to Friday, what a Friday it is.

Not just the weekend but one of those years where Christmas Eve and Christmas Day are the weekend.

Just kind of perfect in my mind.

And since we have been unpacking boxes, and retrieving boxes from storage and directing mover’s as to where to put more boxes…I am ready for any kind of weekend but especially Christmas weekend.

People have been so kind to offer help but quite honestly it would take me longer to explain where things go and what in the world I was thinking putting this move together.

We look more like we were fleeing the Apocalypse then moving across town.

But it’s working…and we are settling… and a new chapter begins.

This morning I sit at our old table in a new kitchen as we ponder our way through more of this year’s Advent theme song.

I feel more words are a scattered so my prayer is the Lord to edit out anything but what He would have you hear on this eve of Christmas Eve <3

Bring your peace into our violence … bid our hungry souls be fed

Word now breaking Heaven’s silence….welcome to our world.        Chris Rice lyrics

I could just breathe those lines as a prayer.

There is so much violence.

So much hatred and so little respect for the sanctity of life.

There is the violence of hearts that have grown cold towards others, even in covenant relationships vows are set aside and God views this as violence.

And the only peace that will last is the peace that Christ brings.

We have a soul hunger that can only be filled by Him.

Although we have more and more in the way of knowledge and technology…

we can post and tweet and carry on a war with someone through the feeds on social media.

Words of rhetoric can stir people up to a frenzy or cause a slow simmer that eventually drives someone to literally drive into a crowd of people.

Mockers and cynics rob us of hope with pompous and arrogant words.

It’s ok to say “Pray” for a situation…but my goodness…keep God out of it all and please don’t bring Jesus in unless you just want to say

Our culture is loud and rude, arrogant and cynical.

Or filled with the empty promises of false religions that rely on the evolution of humanity to save us.

But only Christ will save us.

Only He who gave Himself wholly can make us Holy.

He alone brings Peace…not as the world gives…

not a compromise and a grudging concession to set aside our differences…

but PEACE…

PEACE between God and mankind.

RESTORATION…to all that He intended.

And so we welcome Him…

into our homes and our businesses and our government.

Into our own battered, wounded and yes…sometimes violent hearts.

We invite Him to enter in.

To speak, Lord, for we are now listening.

To break the silence and to nourish our weary souls.

He is not like us…He doesn’t force an agenda on us or debate with us.

It is, after all…

His world…

let’s welcome His Spirit to invade every corner <3