Yesterday, we ventured out in the ice and snow to go to church, and I am so glad we did. I wasn’t sure I was going to enjoy the message, knowing that our pastor would not be delivering it, and knowing that the message was going to be taken from the movie, “Elf” starring Will Ferrell. I just couldn’t envision how you could get a message about the real meaning of Christmas from that movie…

Like I said, I am so glad we risked the drive on the ice.

Steven Blair based his message on Galatians 5:22-23, “But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!” and Luke 18:15-17, “One day some parents brought their little children to Jesus so he could touch and bless them. But when the disciples saw this, they scolded the parents for bothering him. Then Jesus called for the children and said to the disciples, “Let the children come to me. Don’t stop them! For the Kingdom of God belongs to those who are like these children. I tell you the truth, anyone who doesn’t receive the Kingdom of God like a child will never enter it.”

and on the three rules of the North Pole:

1. Treat every day like it’s Christmas.
2. There’s room for everyone on the nice list.
3. The best way to spread Christmas cheer is singing loud for all to hear.

The message was about bringing the joy and the happiness and the hope back into Christmas, and becoming child-like in our faith once again.  He showed a few clips from the movie that made everyone laugh, but I loved the quote he used from G.K. Chesterton’s book “Orthodoxy:”

“Because children have abounding vitality, because they are in spirit fierce and free, therefore they want things repeated and unchanged. They always say, “Do it again”; and the grown-up person does it again until he is nearly dead. For grown-up people are not strong enough to exult in monotony. But perhaps God is strong enough to exult in monotony. It is possible that God says every morning, “Do it again” to the sun; and every evening, “Do it again” to the moon. It may not be automatic necessity that makes all daisies alike; it may be that God makes every daisy separately, but has never got tired of making them. It may be that He has the eternal appetite of infancy; for we have sinned and grown old, and our Father is younger than we.” 

Just thinking that God is saying, “Again! Again!” like Parker, Anissa and Andrae always said after I spun them around in circles, makes me smile. Just imagining that He takes complete pleasure in creating a sunrise every morning and the beautiful moonrise in the evenings and in making each daisy individually, makes me want to cuddle in His lap and feel so secure and content, knowing the Creator of the world is MY Savior and Lord, and that He enjoys presenting this beautiful world to me each day.

In the middle of the message, Steven shared this window sticker from the parking lot:

And he modified it at the end of the message:

   more,     less.

I am grateful for a wonderful message about sharing the Light of the World at Christmas and every other day, too.

I am grateful for super soft socks and really great Bath & Body Works coupons that enabled us to get big bottles of lotion for our Christmas gifts for Bingo tonight.

I am grateful for memories of giving and receiving Lifesavers books at school from Christmas gift exchanges.

I am grateful for those memories of spinning Parker, Anissa, and Andrae around in circles, making us all dizzy. Oh, how I loved their giggles and insistence that we do it again and again and again.

I am grateful for memories of this time of the year when we spent two weeks at Grandma and Grandpa’s house during Christmas break, and my girls would wake up in the morning, their hair all messy, sitting at the glass table all warm in their footy pajamas, waiting on Grandma to make them snowman pancakes.

I am grateful for a young woman who pulled up beside me while I was waiting in the McDonald’s drive-thru this morning, got out of her SUV, and asked me if I would like these two McDonald’s gift cards – she doesn’t go to McDonald’s very often and decided to give them to someone else. She handed them to me and said, “Merry Christmas!” got back in her vehicle, and drove away. I began to cry.

I am grateful for a phone call with Dad last night, and for being reminded of the memories of Mom’s Christmas poem letters that were always created with love. She was so good at writing the year’s activities in rhyme. I saved them, and now I wish I had them to read again.

I am grateful that I have a Dad who loves to read.

I am grateful with anticipation for tomorrow evening. Sam and I will volunteer in the nursery for the 7 pm service, and Sam will volunteer as an usher for the 9 pm and 11 pm services while I warm up with my choir in order to lead the music for the 11 pm service. I am grateful for the opportunity to serve at church in a new capacity. Last year, we handed out candles for two services, and this year, we will be privileged to hold babies so their parents can attend the Christmas Eve service. God knew what I was missing, and He is providing a way…He is so good to me.

I could so easily slip into a depressed state this week, but I want to focus on the blessings in my life rather than the losses. I want to remember that the tiny Baby that came to save the world, saved ME. I want to Elf more and Grinch less.