Bring It...

I recently finished performing in my church's Christmas production - a tiring yet rewarding priviledge! I met a lovely new choir member during our dress rehearsals. When we met, we were discussing death and I shared with her that I had this fear of Heaven. That sounds crazy doesn't it? But I just kept thinking how it would just be DIFFERENT - not being with my family who was still on Earth, not being in my house, etc. I pictured myself sitting in a hard wooden pew for all of eternity - even though I know it won't really be that way. I just can't wrap my brain around what it will be like. This friend shared with me that she died when she was 12 years old. She was lifted out of her body by angels, she floated above her body watching the doctors work feverishly to revive her. She soared through the solar system and finally arrived at "the" tunnel of light. At the end was the source of this light - Christ Himself. They spoke and agreed that she should come back and, thus, here she is. Fast forward to the last night of the concert. My very favorite part of the entire concert was the manger scene. The song we sang was SO beautiful - I mean it really took my breath away to hear it, to be a part of it. All of our voices - mine and all my choir friends whom I love so much - blending together to make such a magnificent moment. I often had tears in my eyes - it just felt so sacred, so real, like you were really at the manger. It was an incredible high! I was sharing this with my new friend and she said something that changed everything for me. She said "Imagine being in that unbelievable, magnificent moment for the rest of eternity. That's what it's like in Heaven." She would know - she was there. That quick little exchange that took place in the stairwell of our church seriously changed my life! That seems a little weird. But I don't have that uncomfortable fear about the "unknown" of Heaven anymore. It will be even MORE wonderful than any moment we experience here on Earth - BRING IT!

Simple Christmas

At my most recent MOPS meeting, we were asked to consider Christmas simply. Mary was a mom, just like me (except her child was God!). I'm sure she had morning sickness, swollen ankles, exhaustion, varicose veins, weight gain, headaches and all the rest of it during her pregnancy with Jesus. And then, when she was nice and huge, she had to ride to Bethlehem ON A DONKEY?! Um...no thanks. No wonder she went into labor as soon as they arrived! Oh, and there were no epidurals. Just labor on the dirt floor covered in dirty straw. Back then, a woman's family would attend her birth. But Mary didn't have her mama. Just Joseph, who was probably as nervous as any dad would be today. Oh, and lets not forget the farm animals! Um...no thanks. What did she think when she heard Jesus' first cry? I imagine it was much the same as the rest of us when our babies were born. Except she had the added stress of knowing she had to raise God's son. After the baby was born, they had to wrap him in dirty rags and use an animal feed trough as a bassinette. The first visitors were a bunch of shepherds who probably smelled of sheep. No hand sanitizer to get rid of the sheep germs before touching the baby! But you know what, Mary pondered ALL of these things and treasured them in her heart. I had never thought of Christmas in this way, but I really enjoyed that MOPS meeting! I hope that you are able to take some time this Christmas to treasure in YOUR heart the precious simplicity of the birth of our Savior!