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What is it about waking up early to see that snow has fallen while you were sleeping?   As I stand on the porch, I don’t hear anything.   Just a calm quietness. All around are fresh patches of snow that haven’t been disturbed by any critters, neither the two footed nor four footed kind. The white is so bright that even in the early hours, the darkness seems to evaporate. The cold is beginning to seep in, but I remain outside feeling no motivation to begin my day scurrying from this activity to the next. I’d rather just stand and enjoy because……it’s just so…..peaceful. 

As Jesus is talking to HIS disciples in John 14, HE promises in verse 27:

“Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you.” 

If you are like me, you can so easily find yourself asking (or in my case, demanding), “Jesus, where is that peace!?!”  

And if you’re like me, you might be just as apt to be reminded by Him that Paul told you where that peace is in Philippians 4:4-7:

“Rejoice in the LORD always; again I will say, rejoice! Let your gentle spirit be known to all men. The LORD is near. Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”     

So simple right? It’s right there for the receiving, and Paul laid out exactly what I need to do to have that peace.  

But it’s often easy to believe the world: I need to make more money.  AND build a bigger house.  AND bake food for all the neighbors within an 80 mile radius. AND participate in the 12 Dinner Parties of 2018. AND go into debt in order to have ample things for my family and friends under the tree. AND either have myself or my children participate in every activity offered in our area. AND…. AND…..no! There are no “ANDs” for what I need to do, and the list is so simple.  

Rejoice. It’s so simple, he even repeats himself….again, I will say, rejoice! Pray with a thankful heart.  

That’s it. It doesn’t require more money. It doesn’t require more time working at the office or around the house. It doesn’t require any great skills. It transcends age, work experience, or any other demographic.   Simply rejoice and pray with a thankful heart. THEN, that peace will come. 

So simple, but I get so caught up in other things that I miss it. I think that’s why I love this time of year.  Not just because it’s a time to celebrate the birth of our Savior, but I find myself finishing the story and moving ahead to what He did for me on the cross. Knowing I would still struggle with certain sins, still struggle with wanting to “be good enough”, still struggle with dying to self, My Savior still chose to leave His throne and come in the form of a baby, the weakest creation, to submit Himself to His Father’s will, to place Himself at the mercy of those around Him to care for His needs as an infant and child, to grow in wisdom and stature, to face trial upon trial, to be persecuted, to refrain from commanding His army of angels to come to His defense, to walk that painful path to His death, and to conquer death……..simply to give me life everlasting. Not only me, but anyone who will repent and call upon HIS name and Believe. 

Rejoice. Again, I will say, rejoice!!  Webster defines rejoice this way, “to experience joy and gladness in a high degree; to exult.” 

When I consider Christ lying in that humble manger, I can’t help but rejoice and pray with thanksgiving for what HE willingly has done for me, and as HE promised, HIS peace comes. Filling me completely. Causing my anxieties to evaporate.  Without fanfare. Quietly. So that in the midst of the chaos of the world…..I am peaceful. Just like the snow.   

I’ll be honest. It never looks like I picture it. In my mind I see a row of upturned, eager, clean faces above matching PJs, sitting in a row on the couch by the fire, hanging on every word my husband reads out of the Bible.  This is followed by rich theological discussion from the Advent devotional, and we end in sweet prayer time.

The reality is my tousled, sweaty kiddos are stuffing dinner down as fast as they can because it’s already bed-time and we just got back from some activity. We’re scattered about the living room, rushed and distracted, as I push to fit in a quick devotion to remind us of the season. And if I’m really honest, I’ll admit my left-brained side pushes to do at least 3 days of devotions at once because we’re always behind.

I’m praying for the best way to prepare our hearts. Will you join me as we prepare to welcome Him?

Is it worth it? Am I trying too hard? Is this what God really wants from us?

“Consecrate (prepare) yourselves and be holy, because I am the LORD your God,” Leviticus 20:7.

Moses, Joshua, and Nehemiah all called on the believers to do this before worship. Prepare, get your hearts and minds ready for an encounter with God.

I want to do this as I look toward Christmas. But how? I love watching The Nativity Story movie, to put myself in Mary’s shoes as the incredible truth of Jesus’ coming to earth really happens. My mom, bless her heart, hand-made cardboard and felt disks to represent every major story in the Old and New Testament for an Advent Jesse Tree. (Yes, there are hundreds of disks!) I grew up doing these, and looked forward to doing them with my kids. I’ve been better at this some years than others. Once we started the Jesse Tree in June, so we’d have enough time to enjoy the trip through the Bible. We’ve chosen more age appropriate devotions some years, and others have stuck with our traditional stand by study.

But what is just me doing the “Be Prepared” Boy-Scout-duty, and what is God calling us to? Yes, prepare our hearts. Yes, he promises to be in our presence when we gather. He calls us to purposeful devotion, whether we feel in the mood or not…but how do I do this without making it a duty? Can I plan but be flexible? Can I let Him lead the discussion or moment? Can I choose to make it really about wanting Him and not about “getting ‘er done”?

What I really want is for it to be about HIM,  led by HIM.

So, as I write this I am convicted and challenged, and I hope you are too. I need to prayerfully reconsider my preparation; I need to ask HIM some questions. Would this year be best to do by myself, with my family, or both? Will it be in the morning, noon, or evening? Will it be daily, a few times a week, or once a week? What topics will challenge yet not overwhelm us?  I’m praying for the best way to prepare our hearts. Will you join me as we prepare to welcome Him?

Sunday mornings are beautiful, mostly. Sometimes they are chaotic; getting six people out the door simultaneously, in a timely manner, with shoes and coats on is not for the faint of heart!  Sometimes they go smoothly and sometimes we ask if it’s worth it! But when I walk in the door to the Church I KNOW that it is. Every time.

Sometimes I cry during communion. Perhaps it’s relief that we made it almost on time, or I feel bad I fussed at someone for their hair not being done or forgetting their coat. Often it's because I am reminded that life is not as I hoped it would be and it is not always as it should be; but here I am reminded that in Him, I am enough. But on most Sundays it’s because I just feel such a joyful relief that we’re here, with our people, worshipping this crazy God that refuses to give up on a sinner like me, like my kids and like my husband. Church is a safe place for me. It’s a place where people know me, people see me for me and where they accept me in-spite of my mess; it’s a place to be honest, transparent and vulnerable, to be welcomed and loved. More than that, it’s a place to intentionally meet with my Savior face to face during communion.

I need that Sunday morning reminder. Do you?

Sunday morning at church is the one time and place where I intentionally let myself slow down and let my guard down. When I walk in the doors, I take off the invisible armor I carry about the world; consciously or not, so that I can prepare to worship, to reconcile with my Savior, and fellowship with His people. I love Sunday mornings and try to live a Sunday morning lifestyle as many days of the week as I can. In a world of hurry, selfishness and want, it can be a struggle for anyone. And I am no different that any run-of-the-mill sinner.    

In a culture where we wait for nothing, waiting for a Savior seems almost counter-cultural in and of itself. In a world that too often seems hopeless, waiting on a Savior brings deep comfort; that too many don’t have.

This is the reason I am so passionate about the season of Advent. For me, Advent is literally a SEASON of slowing down, a SEASON of Sunday mornings, a SEASON of intentionally letting God in, a SEASON of hope, preparation, joy and love, a SEASON of waiting for our Savior to come. How could I miss this! In a culture where we wait for nothing, waiting for a Savior seems almost counter-cultural in and of itself. In a world that too often seems hopeless, waiting on a Savior brings deep comfort; that too many don’t have.

Maybe the name “Advent” seems liturgical or antiquated for you. For me, for my family, it is a season where we intentionally watch, wait, listen and celebrate the coming of our Savior. We celebrate the small moments spent reading scripture, praying for friends and family, lighting candles and singing Christmas songs, we read Advent-related books and fun kids-Christmas books. For us, is very much about spending time intentionally with Jesus and with one another.

We work hard to slow down and seek Him. We intentionally choose not to attend every Christmas or “Holiday” event so that we have time for these traditions. It’s a reminder that I need, not just during this season but throughout the year. It’s a reminder I am grateful for and that I celebrate.

Each may do “Advent” in their own way, but please friends, don’t miss this invitation to seek Him. Find one way to seek Him, prepare for and love Him anew. . . it is a tradition you won’t regret adding to this season.

HOPE is one of those familiar words that seems to get lost in our everyday speech. It gets mixed in as we flow from one thought to another. Or it gets used casually as we express well-wishes or concern:

I HOPE you feel better soon…

I HOPE I’m not disturbing you…

(or as parents frequently hear themselves saying)

I HOPE you weren’t about to do that thing I just told you not to do…

Pastor and author Paul Tripp describes in his advent devotional Come Let Us Adore Him that there is a “danger of familiarity” in the lives of the children of God. He describes how it “does bad things to us” such as robbing us of wonder and causing us not to celebrate something that used to captivate us. It’s a sort of “Law of Diminishing Returns” found naturally within us.

But HOPE has more power within it than we may realize. It is a feeling of confident expectation, peaceful assurance, and desire for something to occur. In Scripture, it is the foundation for faith to be built upon (Heb. 11:1) that comes from a God of HOPE who fills us with HOPE by the power of the Holy Spirit (Rom. 15:3). The absence of HOPE leaves us with a sick heart (Prov. 13:12), while the presence of HOPE renews our strength (Isa. 40:31).

We find this demonstrated powerfully in the story of Simeon as he proclaimed his “release” when he finally laid eyes upon the Messiah he had been HOPING and waiting for (Luk. 2:25-32). This righteous and devout man was filled with HOPE and led by God’s Spirit (reference Rom. 15:3 above) to the temple. But there’s something missing here… by definition.

One of the greatest and most important aspects of HOPE is the unseen. Romans 8:24-25 teaches us that “HOPE seen is no HOPE at all, for who HOPES in what they have?”. Simeon was filled with the Spirit and looking (HOPING) for the Messiah, and rejoiced when he finally embraced Him. Instead of focusing effort on trying to understand the details of how it would come about, he lived righteously, trusting faithfully that God’s Spirit would put him in the right place at the right time. Simeon didn’t become so “familiar” with the promise that he allowed its power to diminish in his life.

When it comes to the Christmas season however we find that our spirits are more drawn to the reminder that Jesus- the One in the manger, the One on the cross, the One at the right hand of the Father, is the one true HOPE.

In the Aigner house, we admittedly focus a LOT on details. There’s good and bad in that fact, but either way it’s there. Lately we have been HOPING for a number of things- rest, guidance, peace, even redirection from bad habits we have let creep into our routine. When we pause to evaluate all that we’ve hoped for throughout the year, we often find that we’ve HOPED in more of a haphazard fashion by expressing something and HOPING it actually happens. This is more of a “wishing well” approach to HOPE than a biblical one.

When it comes to the Christmas season however we find that our spirits are more drawn to the reminder that Jesus- the One in the manger, the One on the cross, the One at the right hand of the Father, is the one true HOPE.

Jesus’ return is our “blessed HOPE” (Tit. 2:13).

We are reminded of the grace poured over us moment by moment while on this side of heaven. And we are reminded of the undeserved inheritance and unimaginable glory as we approach heaven one day at a time.

Simeon HOPED – LIVED FOR it. And we can too.

This Christmas season, may God draw your heart near to His, fill you with His Spirit of HOPE, and the reminder that you are chosen, loved, and saved forever in His mighty hand.                                                           

 – The Aigners

For our family, the focus of Christmas was Christmas Eve.  Yes, we shopped for presents, listened to Christmas music, put up a Christmas tree, looked forward to posole and tamales Christmas Eve, spent time with Joan’s family in Albuquerque or mine in Kansas, and opened presents Christmas morning. But, from the time our children were small, we always looked forward to a Christmas Eve church service followed by a family time. 

That time started with reading “Twas the Night Before Christmas” (with each member rubbing the fuzzy surface of Santa’s clothes), then several children’s books built around Jesus’ birth.  Next, I would read about His birth from the Bible and we would have a short time of prayer. The kids would then go off to bed while Joan and I finished wrapping presents. 

As our children became adults and we began adding grandchildren, we continued meeting at our house for Christmas and the Christmas Eve service followed by the family time (without changes – including the mandatory rubbing of Santa’s clothes).

Then the Lord sent Joan and me to Africa and we missed the tradition for 6 years.  In the U.S. the meeting place moved to our daughter’s home since she had children and our son was not yet married.  But, other than that, Christmas Eve was the same.

In Nigeria, things were different. The months leading up to Christmas were marked by an increased rate of armed robberies. And there were no Christmas Eve services because it was too dangerous to be out after dark. So Christian families gathered in their homes early. There was little outward evidence of Christmas and, because of unreliable phone service, the likelihood that we could communicate with our children in the U.S. was slim to none.  But we had God’s Word, knew His abiding presence, and had experienced His utter faithfulness, and they were more than enough.

Now that Joan and I are back in the U.S., we still meet at our daughter’s home as they did when we were gone.  And now that we have grown grandchildren (as well as an infant grandson), the tradition still holds, always ending with Scripture.

The time in Nigeria was a real blessing to us in many ways.  One of them was in moving more of the Point of Christmas more from our heads to our hearts.  No matter the tradition of the culture where one is living, there are things that are firm and unchangeable. 

Particularly that “God so loved the world that He sent His one and only Son..”  By itself, that fact is an absolute wonder!  And He did it for a purpose “that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16). The accounts of His birth carry evidence that Jesus met all the requirements for the long awaited Savior of the world; the only One who could reconcile us to God as we put our faith in Him.

At the end of the day, our confidence and comfort are in Him and Him alone.  What a great privilege we have to be able to celebrate His birth openly and without fear!

May the reality of His presence fill you with His peace and joy this Christmas and always.