Merry Christmas Eve!

It's a different Christmas for us. We usually travel to Knoxville for a few days before Christmas and stay through till Pam's birthday. That gives us about a week to chill, unwind, see family, etc... etc. Because of a couple of reasons, we are actually traveling twice this year. I wont bore you with the details, so keep reading.

What this has meant for us, and for our families, is change. No one, and I mean, no one, likes change. It always makes us a little uncomfortable. But for me, this change has been good. It's given us more time to think, and be thankful. It's given us a fresh perspective.

Last night, when Pam, Ben and I sat down for our traditional "night before we leave for Knoxville Shrimp dinner" (we've done that for 15 years!), everything seemed a little new. And hey, isn't that the point? Christmas, celebrating the birth of Christ, should make everything feel new. He brings new life, new choices, new opportunities... new birth.

So, whether you find yourself knee deep in Christmas tradition, surrounded by family, laughs, and noise, or maybe in a more quiet, reflective situation... remember, it's Christmas... celebrate the new, and don't be afraid to do it in a new way.

Merry Christmas from Eddie, Pam and Ben!

Taste of community

With the Christmas season in full bloom, it stands to reason that our Life Groups would be enjoying a bounty of sweet and savory.  Who am I to argue with that?  Pam and I were able to visit with two of the groups this past Sunday evening, and we had a great time.  What is really exciting, however, is to see people with varied past and interest come together not just for food, but for legitimate communion and fellowship.  

One of the groups that we visited last night put out a major spread, complete with a cupcake bar...  A what?  Yup, a cupcake bar.  The group laughed, ate, ate and laughed.  They truly enjoy being together.  Another group that we shared the evening with chose to go out for dinner.  Conversation was great, and the food superb.   The night held two very different venues, very different "feels," but with one huge commonality:  Christ followers and Christ seekers enjoying the evening and the season, and learning that we truly are created to do life together.  

I hope each of us can enjoy some time with those special people in our lives during this busy season.  

Good theology

I don't do this very often, but I want you need to take a look at another blog today.  Pat Hood is the Lead Pastor at First Baptist Church Smyrna.  I served with him for 4 years prior to coming to Ridgeview.  He is a self described, "dumb, old, country boy from East Tennessee," but God continues to bless his leadership, and he's written several really good blog postings back-to-back. Check it out, it's worth the read!

 

www.pathood.org

Christmas: from good to ....

Ok, we are almost through with the first week of December.  Everybody ok?  Everyone still breathing?  

It's almost funny (almost) how we simply get sucked in to this almost carnival craziness that our culture calls christmas.... yes, with a little "c" because it's not the way it should be.  

We've been decorating the house, doing some shopping, making plans for the rest of the month, and trying to keep "normal" life going.  Wow, I'm already exhausted.  

My friend, Kyle Goen, Exec. Pastor at FBC Smyrna, introduced a concept to me several years ago that has been so incredibly helpful since rocking my world originally.  This whole notion of good being the enemy of great can be applied to all areas of life.  I realize this is not really the place to discuss the philosophy of G2G, but I did want to comment on its application to Christmas.  

There are so many things that we can be involved in this time of the year.  And, most of them are good... few of them are great.  The challenge, both for me and for all of us, is to decide what is best.  What is best for us personally?  What is best for our family?  What is best the Kingdom purpose that we've all been called to?  We have to intentionally ask ourselves those questions or we will begin to spin out of control just adding "stuff" to our already busy schedule.  I talked with someone yesterday who sounded absolutely exasperated because of all that "they had to do."  Maybe one of the best things we can do is say "no."  It doesn't sound very "Christmasy"  but it might be best.  

So, I'm going to finish my Americano, take a final look at my "6 by 6" list for the next 10 days (we'll talk about that later), and get busy.  I'm going to say no today... maybe more than once.  I don't want just a good day.