The Promised Messiah

"Hope of all hopes, dream of our dreams,
     a child is born, sweet-breathed; a son
          given to us; a living gift.
And even now, with tiny features and dewy
     hair; He is great.
The power of leadership, and the
     weight of authority will rest on His shoulders.
His name? His name we'll know in many ways -
     He will be called Wonderful Counselor,
          Mighty God,
Dear Father everlasting, ever-present never-failing,
     Master of Wholeness, Prince of Peace."
                                                                     Isaiah 9:6 (The Voice)

This is probably one of my favourite verses in Scripture that prophecies Jesus' birth. I know it well. But earlier today when I read it in a translation I had never read it in before, I found myself slowing down to pay attention to what was being said. It truly describes something amazing and the reason we celebrate this time of year.

"For unto us a child is born,
     to us a son is given,
     and the government will be upon His shoulders.
And He will be called,
     Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
     Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace."
                                                                   Isaiah 9:6 (NIV)

That verse out of the NIV is probably more familiar to many of us. But I read that one more quickly and move on without really thinking about it. A different translation often makes me pay attention again.

In one verse the prophet Isaiah says a lot about the coming, promised Messiah. It's a great prophecy. And it describes Jesus so well.

The hope of the world in a tiny child come down.

But no ordinary child. And certainly no ordinary circumstances for His birth.

Just stop and think about what Isaiah's prophecy says His name(s) would be:

Wonderful Counselor
     The One who will always give the best guidance in our lives.
     The One who will always listen when we need to talk.

Mighty God
     The One who is all powerful.
     The One who has control of all creation, because He created it.

Everlasting Father
     The One who is "ever-present never-failing."
     The One who will always be there for us, waiting for us to come back to Him no matter
          how far we wander.
     The One who we can always count on to be there, even when everyone else fails us.

Prince of Peace
     The One who is the "Master of Wholeness."
     The One who came to bring peace in the midst of the chaos life became with the fall.

Isn't is amazing what we're privileged to celebrate this time of year?

why Christmas matters

Sitting in my living room, looking at the tree. Lights and decorations that reflect that light.

I turn off the rest of the lights in the house to just enjoy the lights on the tree. It's not enough light to do much, but that's okay, I just want to enjoy them.

As I sit, I start to think about the holiday this tree is named from - the day that we'll be celebrating soon.

Christmas.

I've had many years when I've dreaded all that comes with this time of year. The sappy music. The pressure to buy more stuff that we really don't need.

But, the last few years, I've looked forward to this holiday. I stopped letting everything the world around me says it's about impact my thinking.

To me, it's about celebrating Jesus come to earth as a baby. The day Jesus was born is a day that changed the world.

And whether all care to acknowledge it or not, Jesus coming to earth is acknowledged in many things in history today.

As much as Jesus' death and resurrection changed our relationship with God and sometimes I feel like we need to make a bigger deal of remembering and celebrating that day, that never would have happened if Jesus hadn't come to earth first. It's important we celebrate the day that Jesus was born, because it is a day that changed the course of history.

And so, as I sit here by a tree and think about this holiday, I can't help but look forward to it.

What about you?

What does Christmas mean for you?

Christmas traditions that really matter to me

With Christmas quickly approaching, I've found myself reflecting on various Christmas traditions in my family. What they are. And what it is the makes them special.

As I've reflected on them, I've noticed that most of the traditions I see as special are that because they involve people I love and care about. The other things are nice, but it's the people that make them special.

Things like Christmas day brunch. My mom, my sisters, and I in the kitchen together. It's always crepes with fruit and whip cream. And sausage or bacon or maybe both. We've done it for so many years, we work efficiently together. Other people stay out of the kitchen so they don't get in the way. Everyone has their job to get it ready. And the fun part is working together to do it. I can make crepes any time I want - it's special on Christmas because we do it together.

Or things like the big family dinner. It's work to make it happen. But having all of us together as extended family is what I like about it. Even in the imperfections of us all and how we sometime drive each other crazy, I love it. Because they're the most important people in my life and I want to spend time with them.

And decorating the tree and the house at my parents. My mom, my sister, and I usually do it together. We turn on Christmas music and get started. We laugh. We make it fun. And time goes by quickly while we do it together.

What about you?

What are your favourite Christmas traditions?

What makes them special?