Christmas is about Presents....

"What did you get for Christmas?" No doubt, that question has been asked alot this week as the kids headed back to school after Christmas break. Let's face it, Christmas is about the presents, right?

No doubt, the Combs family loves gift giving! My youngest daughter got a new scooter and lots of Barbie stuff. The older daughter got an ipod and clothes. My husband got lots of new clothes, and books, while I got jewelry and books. We sponsored a young man through social services and bought his Christmas gifts. We sent gifts to children through our church mission. We love presents!

But the truth is, many folks think Christmas is JUST about the presents. And that isn't true. Christmas is about Jesus. We do love to give gifts. But the gifts are to draw our attention to the gift of eternal life we received through Jesus coming to earth as a baby on the first Christmas, growing up, dieing on the cross, taking our sins with him, rising up from the dead and conquering death for us all.

Presents are what the wise men brought to young Jesus to honor him. Gifts are not a bad thing. But when you think Christmas is only about the presents you get confused. Christmas is about Jesus, and the fact that he came to earth, and gave us His presence. And through the Holy Spirit we can always have His presence with us. Christmas really is about presence!

Fame

Remember my name, (Fame).
I'm gonna live forever,
I'm gonna learn how to fly, (High).
Fame, Irene Cara, 1980

Immortality, and not the Spiritual kind. People long to be remembered, noticed, important. Fame. It's the stuff reality show contestants long for. Don't we all want at least be noticed? We may not long for fame in the true sense of the word, but we at least want people to remember our name.

For me, its the hope to see my name in print. I want to write. And while I love writing, I long for my writing to be noticed. Remember my name! (fame!) To be acknowledged as good enough to appear in print makes my writing worthwhile. But what if nobody reads?

Let's just say my blog stats are not off the charts. I don't go visiting other blogs as I resolved to spend less time on the computer at the end of 2010. So of course, my readership dropped. I don't have a book or column (Fame!) to bring people over to read.

At times I question whether to keep writing. Yet, every time I do, God sends me a little nudge to keep going. So I keep writing, even if I'm unsure of who's reading. Because I write for the Lord.

I love him. And because I love and trust in him...I'm gonna make it to heaven.
Light up the sky like a flame, (Fame). I'm gonna live forever. Because I remember HIS name!