Christmas

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Waiting Is What Drives Christmas Each Year

There is a lot of waiting that takes place at Christmas time. Sure, there is anticipation and celebration and, of course, there is a ton of preparation.

waiting is what drives Christmas each year

You can see the preparation by how full the parking lots are at the mall, or the crowds filing in and out of Costco. People are looking for presents to give, decorations to display, and food to make.

But besides all that, Christmas is a time of waiting. 

We wait for people to respond to invitations to get together. We wait to see if the day we set the invitation for will be acceptable to those invited. We wait to set dates for when the family can all gather together. 

We wait for the big turkey dinner to be ready on Christmas Day, and the smells of it all cooking make the wait seem never-ending.

We also wait to open presents as we see more and more gifts pile up under the tree. 

I remember when I was little, the waiting was the hardest thing for my brother and I. Most years the waiting was too hard for us and we started snooping around. Our parents had to be good and creative at hiding our presents before Christmas. 

One year we found our big present all wrapped up, trying to blend in on a shelf in our dad’s office area. The waiting was over the top torture. Waterboarding is nothing compared to the waiting that year. 

We thought we were pretty stealth in lifting a corner of the coloured wrapping paper but somehow our parents found out. Christmas morning the present was not in the pile. When we opened all the presents, our parents said because we had peeked, they took that present back. 

Both John and I were quite devastated for a few minutes until they hauled it out. 

It was the biggest hot wheel track set you could buy at the time. 

It was the waiting – or lack of it – that nearly cost us to miss the experience of setting up that hot wheels track and watching our cars zoom the length of our basement.

This year one of the most difficult things was waiting for our kids to arrive for Christmas. And the waiting was hard because they didn’t get here until late Christmas afternoon.

Though Christmas Eve and Christmas morning don’t pause for anything, in effect the waiting for our kids delayed Christmas for us on an emotional level until they got here.

You can’t really get into the whole Christmas spirit when you are still waiting for everyone to show up. We had to be patient and wait until one couple arrived, but then wait longer for the other couple to show up.  

It’s like you can’t start Christmas without them all there. 

Waiting is the nemesis of Christmas, but it is also part of what fuels how big that Christmas is. The unknown, the expectation and the excitement are all exaggerated because of the waiting.

So waiting is what we do at Christmas.

Here’s the thing: For hundreds of years God’s people waited for the birth of the Messiah. There were prophecies and signs of His coming, but they could only wait. Even now we wait for Christ to return. And one day He will. We don’t know when, but we wait. And God waits for all those who have and will be invited to show up. Be sure you are one who’s waiting for Christ. Put your faith and hope in Him.

That’s Life!

Paul

Question: What were you waiting for this Christmas? Leave your comments and questions below.

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So It’s Christmas – Say It Isn’t So

I’ve been thinking, “Is it really Christmas when the family is not present?”

so it's Christmas - say it isn't so

This was the first Christmas where our kids weren’t at home on Christmas morning. 

We have probably had a longer run at Christmas time than many families. But still, it seemed a little off not waking up to a house filled with our children.

And it’s not like there are little ones running around. Our kids are grown and live in other cities.

But still, part of me thinks that at Christmas you revert back to the days when you were all together all the time … maybe because it was tradition, and traditions are hard to let go of. 

There’s nothing wrong with making new traditions, and we have done that over the years.

When we lived in Edmonton, we would have a Christmas Eve meal at the revolving restaurant atop the Chateau LaCombe hotel. When we moved to Kingston we realized they didn’t have a revolving restaurant. For that matter, Kingston and all its restaurants close at about 6 pm on Christmas Eve.  

We needed a new tradition.

We started having a family fondue after the Christmas Eve service. That became our new tradition. It was an easy switch; the family was still all together.

This year things were much different.

There was no one getting up early. There was no dragging anyone out of bed to open Christmas stockings.

On the other hand, there was no “wife saver” brunch thingy that Lily used to pre-make that we never really appreciated.

But this year Lily and I were not really excited to restart an old tradition of doing Christmas with just the two of us. Those first four Christmases were many years ago. 

Back then they may have been special, just the two of us, but we’re not sure we are ready to go back to that. So we decided to stop time for one day. 

Our kids arrived later and much later on Christmas Day. So we had our Christmas on Boxing Day. That’s the new Christmas for us … well, at least for this year.

John Lennon sang the words, “So this is Christmas.” … Yes it is. It’s not what it was, not what it should be, but this is what it is.

The day after we got up, opened stocking and presents and later had Lily’s side of the family over for a meal. 

It’s like Christmas Day came one day late. 

In all that shifting and adapting, I realized that really to me Christmas is all about family. Family has replaced the central focus of the day.

There is nothing wrong with family, but this day – Christmas Day – is about the birth of Jesus. 

The idea of any birthday is to focus on the one who is celebrating his or her birthdate. I’ve come to realize that I’ve replaced that focus with my family. 

I need to rethink Christmas from the ground up. 

Here’s the thing: We celebrate Christmas because it marks the time God sent his Son, Jesus, to us. The reason we celebrate the birth of someone who is not part of our family is because of what He did. Jesus grew up and died on a cross to pay for our sins. Then He rose from the grave and offers us forgiveness for our sins and a relationship with God. Just as we have a connection with our family members, we can all have a connection with what Christ did for us. We just need to take Him up on His offer and put our faith in Him. 

That’s Life!

Paul

Question: What Christmas tradition do you need to rethink or make next year? Leave your questions and comments below.

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Getting Old Is Not Just A State Of Mind

I think I figured out a new way to tell that you are getting old … and it has nothing to do with counting wrinkles or loss of hair.

getting old is not just a state of mind

I know that some people might be thinking, “Well, if it’s not those things, it must be all the aches and pains, or the mystery ailment that can’t be explained.” 

These are all traditional signs that we might be aging, but I just discovered a new one. 

From the earliest memory that I have, I always had a long list of things I wanted for Christmas. 

When the Sears Christmas catalogue came out, I would scour it for ideas of toys that I could put on my Christmas list. That “wish book” was always a good source of inspiration for the dreams that would keep me awake on Christmas Eve. 

My son, Mike, also loved that Sears catalogue. 

When he was quite young, I came home from work one day and my wife, Lily, handed me the catalogue. All she said was, “Take a look at what your son wants for Christmas.” 

I began combing through the pages, starting at the toy section. He had circled every single toy in the book! Literally, there was not one toy that Sears sold that he didn’t want. 

On the one hand, it made it pretty easy for Santa to come up with a present for him. But on the other hand, how indiscriminate can one be?

… And maybe that is one of the signs of youth. There is no consideration for cost, size, use, even appropriateness. They just want it. 

Not that I should pick on my son too much – I’ll do it anyway – but there was a time when we were at Disney World and he saw some venders selling turkey legs. Then he saw people eating those turkey legs. 

He wanted one bad! 

Those hunks of meat were about a third of his body mass. They reminded me a little of the ribs that Fred Flintstone ordered at the drive through in the closing credits of each episode. The ribs were so big that they tipped over his foot-driven car. 

Well, there was no stopping Mike from wanting a turkey leg. And when he did get it, it became a community exercise in eating it. We all had to have some just to put a dent in it.

I guess what I’m saying is that when you are young, you want lots! 

But there comes a time when you don’t want as much … maybe because you have so much. 

When Christmas comes around and older people are asked what they want for Christmas, they all have the same answer: “I don’t know; I don’t need anything.”

I never thought I would get to that stage in life where I wouldn’t have an answer to the question of what I wanted for Christmas. But this year, I don’t know what I want. I don’t really need anything. 

… Wow! I guess I’m old now.

Here’s the thing: Sometimes the desire for material things is so great that we overlook or don’t even realize the other needs we have in our lives. We can be so fixated on and striving for what we see that we don’t consider our spiritual needs. There are two wants or needs that we all have – whether we realize it or not. We have the need to understand our purpose and the need to know our eventual destiny. The only answers to both those needs come from God in Christ Jesus. Receive His gift of salvation and He will meet those two great needs. 

That’s Life!

Paul

Question: What are you hoping for this Christmas? Leave you comment and questions below. 

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When It’s Time, You Just Have To Act

You just know when it is time to move on to something else. 

when it's time you just have to act

It’s the 9th of January and we still have our Christmas decorations up. The outdoor lights still come on precisely at 5 p.m. And the Christmas tree lights in the living room still get turned on every evening. 

We’ve milked the Christmas mood or feeling to the limit. 

Most of us like to do that, especially if we don’t have something specific to move on to.

After Christmas there isn’t another season to transition to – it’s just the cold and dirtier side of the same winter season. 

After Christmas you notice that the white blanket of snow that falls on the trees and grass is just dull, grey and brown. Maybe it has to do with the sanding trucks that are running at full tilt at this time of year. Our church parking lot has about a pickup truck full of salt and sand on it and we haven’t even made it to February yet. 

That wonderful winter scene that adorns Christmas cards and instagram posts is never shot in the middle of January. That’s because nothing outside looks good in the middle of January. 

So why not keep the Christmas look and the Christmas feeling around as long as possible. Certainly the lights make looking as the filthy mounds of snow in parking lots a little easier. 

But you know when it’s time to take it all down. You can delay but eventually there comes a time you just have to make the switch. 

I used to instinctively know when to make a switch when I was a youth pastor planning activities for a Friday night group. I would plan lots of games or things to do, but I wouldn’t necessarily mind whether we did them all. 

If a game was going well, if the students were really getting into an activity, I would keep it going and not switch to a new activity. By the end of the night if we didn’t run one or two games, it was fine. It just meant that something else was a hit. 

There is another reason we delay putting Christmas away. No one likes packing it up and putting everything back in the boxes. 

Yet when I look outside, I’m thinking it’s time. 

It’s a nice day today, most of the snow on our lawn has melted and the outside temperature is sitting at about 4 degrees. I don’t like putting the lights away at the best of times, but I really hate putting them away when the wind is howling at -15 degrees. 

Ya, we know when it’s time to move on, when it’s time to give in to the dull, bleak, overcast January blues. 

I’m ready for spring now … only that won’t come around for another two to two and a half months. 

Without the Christmas lights as a camouflage to what’s really going on outside, I will have to dream of summer a little more. 

… But with the weather we have today, I just know it’s time to say goodbye to Christmas.

Here’s the thing: When God nudges you to do something, maybe even to place your faith in Him, you know it’s time to act. Don’t think that there will be a day ahead that will be just as good as today. You don’t know if that day will come. All you know is that today is a good day; just do it. 

That’s life!

Paul

Question: What have you been delaying that you should just do today? Leave your comments and questions below. 

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Traditions Are What Make Memories Come Alive

I wondered the other day if my family holds onto traditions a little too tightly. 

traditions are what make memories come alive

Traditions are nice, familiar, comfortable. They foster memories from the past that further entrench the traditions. Traditions also show up around special times of the year, making them even more memorable.

We have a tradition on Christmas Eve of having a special meal after our church Christmas Eve Service. 

It first started when Lily and I lived in Edmonton. We would have chateaubriand for two at the La Ronde Restaurant at the top of the Chateau Lacombe. 

It was a revolving restaurant so while we ate our meal we enjoyed a panoramic view of the city. We gazed over the river valley to see the Muttart Conservatory all lit up with Christmas lights, and later watched the glow of the city lights from the downtown buildings. 

Every fifteen minutes or so the view completely changed. It was magical; it was beautiful. It was our tradition. 

But when we moved to Kingston, there wasn’t a revolving restaurant above the city. In fact, we couldn’t find any restaurant in the city that was open Christmas Eve. 

So instead, we kept our tradition alive by having a fondue. And for the last twenty-six Christmases that is what we have done. It has become a special time for our family and we have created great memories. 

Sometimes we even recount events from them … like the time Lily set fire to the kitchen table trying to add fuel to an already flaming burner. It was a memory we all still tease her about. 

And even that has become a tradition. 

But there seems to be one tradition in our family that is a little over the top: Our kids have been out of the house for years, but for some reason, when they come home for Christmas and our Christmas Eve fondue, the seating arrangements must remain the same. 

This tradition is a curious thing because we have one more family member who fits into the seating plan – Karlie’s husband, Matt. 

When our kids were growing up, there was a shuffling of where Mike and I sat. But Karlie and Lily mostly sat in the same spots. When Karlie and Mike left home I changed my seat at the table to be closer to Lily. 

… But apparently that seat is not available to me on Christmas Eve. It’s Mike’s seat.

I don’t really pay too much attention to where I sit. Wherever there’s a plate of food, that’s where I plunk down. But on Christmas Eve, both Karlie and Mike said they don’t feel comfortable unless they are sitting in their spots. 

Poor Matt and I have to try to figure out where we should sit. It seems he and I don’t have a traditional spot yet. 

I don’t think it really matters though, because I think he and I are of the same opinion: wherever there’s a plate of food set, that’s where we make a beeline for.

Here’s the thing: Everyone has traditions, especially at Christmas. Some of those traditions change over the years; some of them just evolve a little. But one tradition that should remain and not change at Christmas is the celebration of the One the holiday is for. We celebrate Christ, who came into the world, lived a sinless life and died for all our sins. He rose from the dead three days later and remains alive with God in heaven. This celebration should be a tradition and the focus of our hearts. 

That’s Life!

Paul

Question: What is your fondest Christmas tradition? Leave your comments and questions below.

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A Rally Call For Your Family; Do Your Have One?

Hockey is a rally call for my family; I don’t know what your family’s rally call is.

A rally call for your family; do you have one?

When we get together we talk hockey, even a little bit in the summer. 

There have been a few years when my family has gotten together for our Christmas gathering in between Christmas and New Years. The evening entertainment has usually been watching the World Junior hockey tournament. 

My family enjoys humour around hockey as well. The other day I got a tweet regarding the many NHL teams that are reporting players who are out with covid. The tweet read, “If you own a NHL jersey of any kind, please report to that team’s stadium now for practice. You have been called up.”

I immediately sent it to my son and texted, “I’m leaving for TO now with the Leaf jersey we got you as a kid.” 

He didn’t text me back. He just called me and asked when I’d be getting there. We had a good laugh.

I only have two siblings, but in each home we have embraced the game and that is why it is one of the focal points of our families. 

About sixteen years ago my father passed away. One thing I remember about my dad is that he would always watch us play hockey – not so much when I was younger, although he did coach me for a few years. 

It was really when my brother and I hit our late teens that he started making it out to all our games. He would drive us or just show up at games. And when the grandkids started playing, if there was a game they were playing, he would want to attend.

After dad died we wondered what we could do at Christmas that would remind us of the bond we have together. I think it was my sister who suggested we rent ice and have a family hockey game. 

We’ve been doing it ever since.

The kids were younger when we started, but now they are all adults and the games are fast. At one time we played the old guys against the young guns but we can’t do that any more. They are bigger and faster. Now they have to watch out for the two old guys (my brother and I) with the suspect tickers. 

So we divide up as evenly as we can and just enjoy the rivalry.

The other week we assembled for our annual Christmas get together and our traditional hockey game. Then we met back at one of my siblings’ homes for an awesome Christmas family meal. 

Of course there are some in the family that wouldn’t care if we got together for a game of hockey, but over half of us would really miss that time on the ice before we settle in for the spread. 

Here’s the thing:  Every family has a rally call. The other rally call we have is our faith in Christ. This year my brother-in-law shared how greatly honoured Jesus is when the audience stands in the singing of Handel’s Messiah. Kings and queens stand in His honour. It’s a rally call to all of us to bow before Jesus, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. I hope you will this year. Merry Christmas. 

That’s Life!

Paul

Question: What is your family’s rally call? Leave your comments and questions below.

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Christmas Tree Memories

From time to time I will repost an old article. This post is from December 2015, I hope you enjoy.

This morning I’m sitting in our family room looking at our Christmas tree. The lights from the tree and the winter village are the only lights that are on.  

Christmas tree memories

The tree lights draw my focus in and, as I sit quietly alone, I can’t help but reflect on what the tree represents. 

I know that some people say that the Christmas tree is some pagan holiday symbol that we’ve stolen and now use as a symbol of Christmas. I don’t get too hung up on that because for years we sang hymns that had stolen their tunes from old bar songs. 

It’s almost like hymn writers were the first “Weird Al Yankovic”. And if you don’t know who Weird Al is, don’t worry about it – it’s not important to my Christmas tree reflection.

To me this Christmas tree has become a burden and a blessing. And this year we decided to be done with the burden part. 

You see, for the last 30 years Lily and I have exchanged Christmas decorations, and since our kids were born they also have received decorations. So let me do a little calculating here … that works out to 110 ornaments!  

No wonder Lily sighs when she thinks about putting the decorations on the tree. But that’s nothing – our poor Christmas tree starts drooping in preparation for all that extra weight on its branches.

Let me tell you about the burden … These decorations are not just any decorations. They have to reveal something about the kind of year that person has had, or something memorable in that person’s year.

Like the year we vacationed without the kids, I got a small picture frame and added a picture of two people in beach chairs on a beach. The year the doctor told me my triglycerides were sky high, I went on a diet to get them down. Lily gave me a grapefruit ornament that said “the year of the grapefruit” to remind me of my progress. 

At first I didn’t take this ornament giving too seriously. I think for the first four Christmases I got her a red ball decoration that said “our first, second, third … Christmas together”.  

But that didn’t last. They don’t make “our 13th Christmas together” shiny hanging balls. 

There were some dark years that I had to struggle to find a theme for the year. Eventually I ended up making many of my ornaments. That in itself took a lot of work. 

It seemed sometimes that it was more work than it was worth. But on Christmas morning when Lily would open her gift, her reaction was always worth the effort I put into it.

But year after year it’s a burden, and there’s not much room on the tree anymore. I suggested that from now on we should just pick a ten year period and only put decorations up from that decade. 

She didn’t like that idea. Instead, out of the blue one day, Lily said maybe we should stop giving ornaments to each other. I jumped at the suggestion and said, “Great idea; let’s stop.” 

So I’m looking at the tree right now, with all its memories, because that’s what they are. The burden is over; I don’t have to make another ornament. But the blessing … the blessing of the memories that fill that tree will continue to bring comfort to my mind. 

Here’s the thing: Remember special times in your spiritual life, like when you accepted Christ, when you made a spiritual breakthrough, how God met a need, how He helped you at a crucial time in your life. It’s those memories that will stay present with you, and give you comfort in the years to come. 

That’s Life!

Paul

Question: What traditions do you have that bless you with great memories? Leave your comment below.

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Bring On Christmas!

From time to time I repost articles from the past. This post is from December 2014. . . Enjoy.

Well, our house is finally decorated for Christmas. It has been about a two week process. We’ve lived in a Christmas construction zone in that time, with boxes and decorations lying in wait to be placed where they need to be.

bring on Christmas!

It’s not just the living room that needs to be decorated, our family room gets almost as much glitter and lights as the upstairs.  

For me, I’m glad that it’s all finished now because the in-between stage looks so unfinished and I really don’t like the clutter.

For two weeks I haven’t been able to walk around our pool table and if I need to get in a few more steps for the day, I need that space to pace around in.

But now everything is in place where it should be and the Christmas work site has now turned into a beautiful scene of lights, ornaments and ribbon. Lily’s happy with it and that makes me happy.

I don’t really contributed to the putting up of all the decorations. Lily has an idea of what she wants to do and I’d probably mess things up if I got involved … at least that’s what I’ve convinced myself of. 

Sunday afternoon I sat down on the couch and ended up taking a well-deserved nap. When I awoke, Lily had just finished the last touches on the decorations. I figured I woke up just in time.

She asked what I thought and I said it all looked great. I think she was looking for something more, maybe something more flowery or possibly a “I’ll help take it all down”. But the best I could offer at the time was “great job, dear”.

Hey, I was still waking up.

It’s not like I don’t do anything to contribute to the Christmassy look around our house. I put up the lights outside … and Lil doesn’t help me with them.  

I have to risk life and limb going up on a ladder to string the lights along the garage eavestrough. Then use an extension ladder to secure the lights along the peak of our roofline.

I don’t see her needing a ladder to put her newly spray-painted star on top of the tree … well maybe a step stool.

I was able to get all my decorating done in one afternoon and not the two weeks that we have had to wade through the junk.

But it’s all good now. We are ready for this season we call Christmas. 

The decorations are just a mood-setter for what the season is all about. I think the trimmings trigger memories and alter our mood. And this ushers in a most special time of year. Where we celebrate the birth of Jesus, God’s Son, who came to restore us to God.

Here’s the thing:  Like decorating for Christmas moves us into experiencing the season with a greater depth of feeling, taking time in the next couple of weeks to focus your attention on Jesus and His birth will move you to cherish Him more. The thing is, like putting up the decorations takes effort, take effort to spend some time in God’s Word around the miracle of the Messiah’s birth.

That’s Life!

Paul

Question: How much effort goes into preparing for your Christmas? Leave your comment below.

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Christmas Shopping – Love It Or Hate It

I have a love hate relationship with Christmas shopping. It’s been like this for years.

Christmas Shopping - Love It or hate it

Generally I don’t like shopping. I guess that’s why I don’t do it that often … though there was a time when I would check out the computer shops on Saturday afternoons, not to buy anything but to look at what I might want to purchase in the future. 

My kids like shopping for clothes. I really dislike it and that’s why I only shop for clothes when I’m in desperate need, or when my wife, Lily, has conned me into trying something on.

What I’m saying is you won’t find me in stores very often … well, maybe Costco on occasion. 

However, at Christmas time I make up for a whole year of store neglect. 

You know how many stores go from being in the red all year to getting in the black at Christmas? Well, I’m part of their Christmas statistic.

I have to say that I still don’t like the shopping aspect of Christmas, but I do like purchasing gifts for my loved ones.

And, for that joy, I will drive to the store even if it’s a dollar store to get stocking stuffers.

But what I don’t like is roaming around a mall or store looking for some illusive item that will be the perfect gift for my wife or either of my kids. 

Maybe that’s why I dislike hunting. 

Hunters go in the bush, get a nice comfortable spot and wait and wait and wait. 

Sometimes they come back to the camp at the end of the day and they never took a shot. They never saw anything to shoot or they didn’t have a clear shot when there was something in their sights. 

The thing about hunters is they are okay with that. And the next day they go right back out there to wait and wait all over again. 

I would want to shoot the gun. After a couple of hours I’d been looking for something to shoot. I wouldn’t even care if it was a stump or a tree or even just into the ground. I would want to fire that gun. 

When I Christmas shop I want to bag that gift. I don’t want to look and look and not find anything to buy. I want to get into that store, pick up an item and head to the till with my purchase. 

What gets me all frustrated though is that my family has a difficult time giving me suggestions of what they want. 

Look, I’m going to buy you a present. Don’t tell me you don’t know what you want. 

Give me a target to shoot at. Please!

All I need to see is the twinkle of the lights on the packaging and I will not miss.

I will come home with the trophy.

But sadly this Christmas looks like it is going to be spent waiting and waiting, then looking and looking for the perfect gift for some important people who don’t know what they want or need. 

Here’s the thing: There are a lot of people who don’t know what they need. They seem to be oblivious of their need. They’re happy to go along without knowing what they really need in life. That is when we have to let them know what they are missing out on, what they could have if they were aware. What we all need is Christ in our lives. If someone doesn’t know it, it’s worth telling them so they don’t miss out. 

That’s Life!

Paul

Question: What do you need most this Christmas? Leave your comments and questions below.

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We Fit More People In Than I Thought We Could

You can always fit more people in than you think you can. This has been proven over and over, but we just proved it once again. 

We Fit More People In

I remember in the 70’s – before seat belts were a must – we would, at times, pile insane amounts of people into cars.

Sometime we would do it for fun, but mostly it was out of necessity. We frequently needed to transport more people than there were available seats in the vehicles. It was routine that we would go somewhere with friends, often sitting in the back seat, squished between two guys, with two or three girls sitting on our laps. 

It was similar to a gang tackle in football, only we were under the pile a lot longer. 

Sometimes we would shoehorn so many friends into a car that we had to ask someone to move a bit so we could shift gears. For long trips that wasn’t bad, but for city driving it meant for a lot of moving parts.

Well, for the first time in 24 years, we hosted the Christmas meal at our home. We really should have done it the first year we moved back to Ontario – we would have had a few less people. But having the whole family for Christmas dinner at our place this year, as apposed to 24 years ago, created an even bigger space issue. 

In 1996, 6 of the 14 family members at the meal were 7 and under. Not now – everyone is an adult – no little people anymore. 

We have a dining table that seats 8. With some creativity and ingenuity from my wife, we were able to up that to 12 people. That left 6 people eating standing up, so we brought in a folding table that extended into the living room.

It was going to work we could fit everyone in. But when everyone started to arrive and the tables were set up, it didn’t leave a lot of room for people to mingle. 

There were people sitting in the living room but then a whole lot of others standing around the perimeter of the room … much like a bunch of junior highers at a school dance.

 Fortunately we soon saddled up to the tables and got down to some serious eating. 

And when dinner was over, we pushed the extra table against a railing in the living room and shortened the dining room table. People spread out to other parts of the house; some went downstairs to the family room. Before too long the family was fitting in the space.  

I’ve been to parties where there was a crowd in every room you entered, wall-to-wall people. It was not nearly that bad … certainly not too crowded for a day.

The day after I was talking with a friend and told him about the 18 people we had over to our little home and he just smiled at me. Then he said, “We have 16 people living in our house all the time.” 

… Maybe we should have the whole family over every weekend.

Here’s the thing: People have joined God’s family for over 2000 years, putting their faith in Jesus Christ. We don’t know when Christ will come back, but one thing we know is that there will always be room to fit more in. So if you have not joined God’s family by claiming Christ as your Saviour, the time to do that is now.

That’s Life!

Paul

Question: How can you strengthen you family ties? Leave your questions and comments below.