Ode for a Christmas Tree

When first we wed, and decorated the tree,
Stylish and colorful is what we wanted to be.
Blue and silver it was for years,
With glass bulbs hanging on all levels of the tree.

Ten years have come and gone so fast
Thank God the tree we bought did last!!
We slowly move the glass bulbs higher..
Making room for Mickey, Montana, and Scooby.

Yet as I sit and look tonight
The style is gone, the colors are faded..
The glass is gone or up at the highest.
Filled with homemade, and kid stuff the tree is weighted.

But for the stylish I do not yearn
For the childish theme, and lopsided tree
Is what I always will want to see
Each and every Christmas holiday.

Lessons from a Drummer (boy)

It is that time of year again. The news can only talk about if the Money is flowing or not. On rare occasions you hear the story of some church or business who is giving Money to people in their community etc… But the real story is lost in the midst of it all. As well, we who work in the middle of it too easily get caught up in it, people’s rude attitudes, crazy drivers, bad weather… and the entire time we are planning our next 2 months out for after Christmas, just waiting for it to be over so we can have some vacation time.
I am one of those people some days. But not today. Today I want to share some thought with you about Christ and this wonderful season.
I heard the song ‘Drummer Boy’ in my head today (Yes, not on a radio or CD just in my head.) and it got me contemplating the story. This young boy represents how we should all come to Christ during this season, as a child. We see people giving their gifts of expensive worth that we can’t do, their gifts of large donations of money to groups etc… Yet not all of us can give one Million to their local charity. But we can do just as that drummer boy. Give what we have, our time, and our love. Remember the Widows Mite? She followed those who gave of their wealth and out of vain reasons, yet she quietly gave it all and God praised her.
Look at the entire Biblical story, God wasn’t doing anything to what we would have expected. There was no palace, just a small cave hole in the wall where the poop and hay mingled together. Where the animals slept everywhere. There was not a large announcement from Heaven proclaiming ‘Time’s up! I sent my son and your in trouble!’ Instead, the most beautiful song in the entire world was ‘wasted’ on a few small, dirty, lowly shepherds the gypsies of their day. I could go on; the town was a small town of no significance. The father and mother were not known by kings.

Jesus did not come into this world to use the rich and wise things. He even said I choose the foolish things to confuse the wise. So when your gift to God seems foolish, when spending time with the local homeless shelter, or the local battered Women shelters, or even just ringing a bell outside of a store this holiday, DO IT and do it all year round! God will be pleased with your gift of sacrifice.