actions speak louder than words

Robbie and I have been bored lately and trying to relax after the holidays, so we have been watching a lot of TV shows we've DVR'd for just such a day... the main show he has been recording is House, MD. Neat show, odd premise, (as always) Jeopardy, lots of Food Network programming and, recently, True Beauty.

Leave it to Ashton Kutcher to make another thought provoking show. If you haven't True Beauty, get ready for a really petty show, that is actually interesting. The show is made up of these contestants who think they are the most beautiful person in America. They think at the end of the contest they will be told which of them is the most beautiful. There are 3 judges who are judging their "beauty", but in reality, they are taking in both their physical appearance and their inner beauty. They measure the inner beauty by planting secret challenges to see how the contestants react... do they help a friend in need? do they reach out a helping hand to a stranger? would they look at other contestsants private medical files if they were left alone with them?

Watching this show, it is amazing how conceited people are, how "special" or "perfect" they believe they are. When you watch it, you'll see I mean. It just goes to show that people who think they are beautiful and perfect, really aren't. And the more you get to know them, many of them grow even uglier. Most of all, if you confront them with their flaws, they become very defensive. I was like, wow! who saw that reaction coming... this person that got eliminated even lied about looking at files (said it was hers) and when they showed proof that it wasn't, she tried to act like she was justified for looking and that it didn't matter. She was standing there disputing the importance of honesty, looking uglier and uglier as her true colors showed.

There was also an interesting moment in House. In this episode, House is in trouble with the law because of stealing prescription drugs and taking them. He goes to the prosecutor and apologizes for what he has done. It is a heartfelt apology that seems all mushy-gushy. When he is done with this seemingly heartfelt monologue, the officer says essentially, "Thanks, but I don't care what you say. What you say makes no impression. It's what you DO that impresses me."

1 John 1:5-10

God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin. If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word has no place in our lives.

Actions speak louder than words. To be truly beautiful and to get your life in order means to live a life not of pride, but of humility. Lives submitted to God, in his will, following his order and rules. Without Christ, we could not be truly beautiful, we would still have a huge weight of sin. If pointing out a flaw makes you erupt like a volcano, you probably have some work to do (and that includes me, I don't like being told I'm wrong). If you don't know the love of Christ, then you can pray a prayer asking him to come into your heart as you submit to his ways and believe in Him.

I once was lost, but now I'm found... Thank you, Lord!

Merry Christmas everyone!! I hope you have a very blessed day with your families and a blessed new year, too!!!

for the Love of Christmas...

I love Christmas and all that it brings.... family, friends, Christmas music, presents (no matter how big or small), food, Christmas trees, ornaments I've had since my childhood, my grandmother's nativity set which was made by my great-grandmother... what is there not to love! Oh, and I can't forget Christmas movies... no matter how cheesy they are!!

I was watching one of my favorite "standards" this time of year last night with a friend, Miracle on 34th Street. Wonderful, wonderful movie. As I've seen in several other cheesy movies this year, there is a little girl in the movie who no longer believes in Santa. Santa.. the guy who spreads joy to all on Christmas. A guy tries to rationalize with this little girl, "What if there really is a Santa and you don't believe in him? What if you are really missing out? Wouldn't it be better to hope, than to not believe at all?" Each time I've heard similar lines in these movies, all I can see is Christ. There is such a close connection in the way we relate to Santa. For example, Santa's story is quite unbelievable in many ways. You know, the North Pole, flying reindeer, magical sacks of toys, chimneys, traveling around the world in one night... So is Jesus's story if you think about it: Born of a virgin, the son of God in human form, 1/3 of a holy trinity, he could heal people with a word and raise the dead (Lazarus) and come back from the dead himself to ascend to his heavenly throne.  Here's some scripture I came across this morning:

Luke 18:15-17

People were also bringing babies to Jesus to have him touch them. When the disciples saw this, they rebuked them. But Jesus called the children to him and said, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it."

We take our kids to Santa to reinforce their faith in him, to give them something concrete to bolster their belief in him. Sometimes we take them to hear what they tell Santa, but most parents I know, already know what the kid plans to tell Santa. But we take them, to "prove" Santa is real. Do we do the same with Jesus? This goes with both the children and ourselves. Do we read the Christmas story one night during all the festivities out of obligation?  What do we do daily to prove to ourselves Jesus is real? "Now faith is the being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see." (Hebrews 11:1). What are we doing to bolster our own faith?

How can we prove to ourselves Jesus is real? This is what I think (and this is my opinion... you can try it for yourself and see if you think it works or not). When it all boils down to the nitty gritty, God is love. He is the epitome of it. The Bible speaks of faith, hope and love, these three abide, but the greatest of them is LOVE (see 1 Cor 13:13). His whole plan and purpose is Love. In Mark 12, Jesus is asked the question,

"Of all the commandments, which is the most important?". "The most important," answered Jesus, "is this: 'Hear O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.' The second is this: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no commandment greater than these."

So, the best way I've found to reinforce my faith in Jesus (and hopefully to spread that faith to others like an airborne infection) is to praise God for all that he has blessed me with-- salvation, new life through him, forgiveness of sins, redemption (worth and value), an inkling of understanding of what love truly is, etc-- and to share with others out of the overflow of love he has poured into my heart. It may not be a monetary gift, but just giving of your time or your skills can be an unbelievable gift of Love to someone this Christmas. Show them you love them, that they are worth loving and that someone out there cares for them..... whether they are family, friends, acquaintances or even strangers.... It may be the gift that sparks their own faith that God is real and worth believing in, a gift that changes a heart for eternity.

Merry Christmas, Blessed New Year!!