WATSON FAMILY PRAYER REQUEST
Hello Family, As you may have heard, a branch of our family was involved in a tragic car accident recently. We say goodbye with sadness to Christopher Watson, aged 15. Our thoughts and prayers are with Rick, Deena, Chloe, Colby, Conner and the entire Watson/Frye family during this season of loss. If you would like to contribute to the burial fund for Christopher you may do so by clicking the link here. All donations in excess of the cost of funeral services will be placed in a college fund for the remaining siblings. Job 1:21 “Naked I came from my mother’s womb,
Watson Family GoFundMe Campaign
|
|
Jesus Is the Reason For the Season!
The Lord has quickened me to make good use of this time of year by using Christmas as another opportunity to spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ. No God is not asking for balloons and streamers, nor is He asking for a cake and candles.He just simply wants souls. Souls that will love Him,minds that will serve Him and hearts that are pure.God has already offered us a gift that cannot fit under any tree nor be decorated with pretty wrapping paper and bows. He has given us a gift that no man could boast on. He has given us the gift of eternal life through Christ Jesus.He paid a sin debt that none of us could pay.Jesus Christ was born and died so that we might live!(See my blog post on the blood of Jesus)God sent His only Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin condemned sin in the flesh: That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us,who walk not after the flesh, but the Spirit. For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit. (Romans 8:3-5)
Christians are not called to be the same as the world. We do not follow in the way of the heathen. We follow Jesus.The world and all its pretty lights will soon die out with the Christmas season,along with their joy. Jesus said,that we His body;are the salt of the earth and the light of the world. We cannot lose our savour by following traditions of men. This Christmas let us all take time to remember the gift of God and put it to use by giving a loved one,neighbor,coworker or friend a gift box marked to“JESUS” from “RECIPIENT'S NAME” to remind them to honor the Lord and what He has done for us. Explain to the recipient that you want them to fill the box with all of the things that they want to “give” JESUS in 2018. Often times we write down our goals or desires which end up being carnal worldly pleasures that do not benefit God nor have anything to do with our soul. I admonish you to write down spiritual things that are pleasing to God. For example:Having more patience or joy.Volunteering or saying I love you more. These are just a few things that we all could offer up to the Lord. At Christmas time next year they can look back at all of the wonder accomplishments that they made in their walk with the Lord and start all over again for the new year!You can create a box for yourself as well.
The word tells us that it is better to give than to receive. Jesus is in no way being honored by giving someone a new bike,an expensive handbag or earrings for Christmas,but He can be honored by our good deeds. Let's honor God with our lives and give Him everything!
To learn about Niaja and her ministy Stand Up for Christ, please visit her at StandupforChrist.com. |
|
Just Say No No is not a four-letter word, but some of us treat it like one. It's ok to simply decline invitations and requests for help. You don't have to offer a gazillion excuses or sit in the house with all the lights off so people think you're not home. Just say no and keep it pushing. The world will not fall apart and people will not put your name on the naughty list if you take a step back and decide what's really important to you during this season. Which leads me to my next tip.
Take Time to Remember What's It's Really All About No matter what faith you practice, the holidays are a time for love and reflection. I think it's safe to say that most of the Frye-Mason clan are Christians, and this is the time of year to take a few moments daily to think about the miracle of Christ's birth, and what it means to our lives of faith today. So slow down...breathe. That sale's not going anywhere and those recipes can wait for a minute while you take in what it all truly means. I promise you'll feel less frazzled and more at peace if you do!
Create a Budget and Stick to It A lot of us spend too much money at Christmas and ring in the New Year broke, stressed and kicking ourselves for our '<span class="SpellingError SCXW213285147" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; background-repeat: repeat-x; background-position: left bottom; background-image: url(" data:image="" gif;base64,r0lgodlhbqaeajecap="" 8aaaaaaaaaach5baeaaaialaaaaaafaaqaaaiilgaxcchrtcgaow="=");" border-bottom:="" 1px="" solid="" transparent;="" background-color:="" inherit;"="">C'Est la Vie' attitude during the months leading up to it. I admit I've been guilty of that sort of foolishness in the past myself. Trust me on this one; having a budget and sticking to it makes for a much happier holiday season and bank account. It's the thought that counts, not the amount of money you spend on a gift. But, if you simply love to spoil folks at Christmas, you can start a Christmas Fund account with your local credit union or bank at the start of the year and contribute to it all year long. Talk about a win/win.
You Don't Have to Do It All You don't have to do it all, but I understand that you want to do some of it. Holiday traditions are beautiful. They help strengthen family bonds and the familiarity of them bring a sense of comfort that many of us look forward to all year long. There's nothing wrong with that. In fact, there's something inherently right about it. Please use this time of year as an opportunity to keep family traditions alive. The tips above are not meant to disregard tradition, but are rather meant as a way to enjoy those traditions more. When we come from a healthy, peaceful place, we're better able to enjoy the holiday season and the people we choose to share it with.
And honestly, isn't that what it's all about? What do you do to take the stress out of the holidays? How do you practice the act of self-care? We'd love to hear from you in the comments! |
|
|