Tuesday, December 22, 2009

A biscuit with honey


Today’s Reading: Matthew 2:1-3 NIV

1 After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem 2 and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw His star in the east and have come to worship Him.” 3 When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him.

Good morning!

Jealousy is a terrible thing. When people feel threatened, they sometimes say and do things that they often live to regret. King Herod was no exception. He knew about the Jews’ long awaited Messiah, and when he heard the news of a newborn king, he completely flipped out. Have you ever been wronged by someone who was obviously jealous of you? Have you ever been jealous of someone else? Did you choose to act on those feelings?

I think our two year old grandson, Andrew, may have been a little bit jealous of his five year old sister, Emily. For the last several weeks, Emily has been recovering from a kidney/bladder surgery. This has required a major shift in attention, as Mom and Dad have been spending a lot of time with Emily at the hospital and at home. Andrew, whose was nicknamed “Biscuit” by his mother on the day he was born, decided to have a little honey for breakfast while she was taking a shower. She left him in front of the television watching his favorite cartoon while she took ten minutes for herself. Rachel couldn’t believe what mischief a two year old can get into in just ten minutes’ time. Andrew went to the kitchen, climbed up on a footstool and pulled out a plastic bottle of Honey Bee® Honey from the shelf. I don’t know how he did it, but Andrew managed to get the entire lid off the sticky bottle. Carrying the bottle upside down up the stairs, Andrew left a trail of honey all over the carpeted steps and upstairs landing. Then, he decided to play in it and run all over the house with sticky hands and feet.

His choice to wreck the house certainly caught the immediate attention of his mother. I had to laugh out loud when I saw the photographs of the mess Andrew made and his time out spent in the bathtub, posted on Rachel’s Facebook® page. My sister Pam commented, “There is nothing better than a Biscuit with Honey! I would have to agree with that statement. How could such a sweet little face get into such a sticky, ugly mess? Do you think Andrew was looking for a little extra attention from Mommy?

From Adam and through every generation, we have certainly found ways to act out and disobey our heavenly Father. Our sin, which has resulted from a growing jealousy deep within our hearts, cries out for the Father’s immediate attention. This is exactly why we need a Savior to help us, and this is the very reason Jesus came. Herod had no clue that his actions could not hamper the will of the Father or the obedience of His Son. His fit of rage cost many families in Bethlehem the lives of their first-born sons. We read this Scripture every Advent, and yet, our culture has yet to learn the real lesson offered from this story.

Are you starving for a little extra attention today? Are you misbehaving to get what you think you need or deserve? Whom have you hurt by your actions? This is a great day to take some time to confess all of your sins to the Father. Ask Him to forgive you, in Jesus’ holy name. The infant king died and rose again to save you from your jealous rage inside, eating you alive. Do not hesitate to give Him your whole heart today.

Grace and peace,

Deb Spaulding

Faith UMC - St. Charles, MO

www.songofdeborah.com

___________________________

© Copyright 2009, Deb Spaulding

All rights reserved

Articles may not be printed in any “for profit” publication without further permission by the author. Articles may be freely distributed via e-mail, reprinted in church bulletins or in other non-profit publications without further permission. Please keep this copyright and Web Site information intact with copied articles.

Monday, December 21, 2009

Gold, Frankincense and Chicken Nuggets

Today’s Reading: Matthew 2:11-12 NIV

11 On coming to the house, they saw the child with His mother, Mary, and they bowed down and worshipped Him. Then they opened their treasures and presented Him with gifts of gold and of incense and of myrrh. 12 And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route.

Good morning!

Yesterday, our family gathered to celebrate Jesus’ birthday! All three of our children came home and all five grandchildren were together over the weekend, playing and laughing, and enjoying the blessings of family.

The meal was delicious, but my favorite part was the dessert! We should have eaten dessert first! Grandpa Jeff bought an ice cream birthday cake from our favorite fast food restaurant. We sang Happy Birthday to Jesus and enjoyed a little slice of heaven. Even my mother ate an entire piece of ice cream cake! I don’t know of anyone who would turn down ice cream cake at Christmastime.

The grandchildren were delighted to find Bible trivia card games in their stockings. We played Bible trivia most of the afternoon. I learned something new! Grandpa Jeff asked the following to Joshua and Emily: The three wise men brought gifts of gold, frankincense and ______________ to the baby Jesus. Without hesitation, five year old Emily filled in the blank – chicken nuggets! Seven year old Joshua loves trivia. He took the cards and was reading questions to the adults sitting around the room. He turned to me and said, “Nanny, this question is for you because you are a church person.” His mother, Rachel, laughed out loud and said, “What – I don’t count even though I go to church and teach Sunday school every week?” I am convinced that Grandmothers are very special people for young hearts. I am glad my grandson sees me as a church person; yet, I still have so much to learn. I am sorry to say that I failed the spelling bee when I tried to spell Frankincense without looking at a Bible to help me.

It is easy to forget the reason why we give gifts at Christmas. Sometimes, we make way too much over purchasing large, expensive packages, and we end up missing the point. The wise men had traveled for months, following the star in the east, just to see and worship the newborn king. They brought special treasures and gave gifts from the heart, knowing it would carry a special meaning for the baby boy and his parents. Are you missing the point this year?

The greatest gift the world has ever received is the gift of God’s only Son, Jesus Christ, who willingly became fully human; yet, remained fully divine. He arrived in a most unlikely way, born as a babe to a poor young girl and her soon-to-be husband in a cold, dark stable one extraordinary night in the town of Bethlehem. Jesus is our true present! May you find yourself drawn into Christ’s holy presence this week. What gift would you give to honor our Lord?

Grace and peace,

Deb Spaulding

Faith UMC - St. Charles, MO

www.songofdeborah.com

___________________________

© Copyright 2009, Deb Spaulding

All rights reserved

Articles may not be printed in any “for profit” publication without further permission by the author. Articles may be freely distributed via e-mail, reprinted in church bulletins or in other non-profit publications without further permission. Please keep this copyright and Web Site information intact with copied articles.