Mama Mel IS SO BUSY that I don’t have time to put into sensible paragraphs my own thoughts, so I want to share a few thoughts from Dr. Adrian Rogers, our pastor while we were in Memphis when we were first married. He recently passed away, but his legacy and wonderful insights live on ….

“This holiday, I want you to get a bulldog grip on God’s great goodness and don’t let go. Don’t let the holidays turn into hollow days. Make this holiday a holy time for you and your friends and family.

One of the things we do as a family on Christmas morning is to have breakfast together before we open any presents. Each family member reads a Bible verse and then I will tell what the Christmas story is all about. Then, we thank God for the greatest gift of all – His Son Jesus. Here are some ideas to help you turn the holidays into holy days this year:

1. Make your first priority each day to spend time alone with God. Here are some verse in which to meditate during this time: Isaiah 53:1-12, Matthew 16:24-26, 1 Corinthians 13:1-13, Ephesians 1:1-11, Colossians 3:1-4, 1 Timothy 2:5-6, Hebrews 4:14-16.

2. Make a “Christmas Gift for Jesus” out of a jar or small box. Decorate it and put money in it on a daily or weekly basis. Then, give this gift as a love offering to a needy charity or the Lottie Moon Christmas offering at church.

3. Take some time to ask yourself, “If I could give one gift this Christmas to someone, what would it be and why?” Ask God what He would like you to do about that gift…then do it.

4. Ask the Lord to lay upon your heart the names of men and women without a relationship with Christ. Write down their names and let this be on your New Year’s Resolution list to be a part of the process of leading them to faith in Chris by sharing with them, giving to them, showing them the love of Jesus.

5. Ask friends and family to think of at least three gifts they can give each other throughout the coming year that doesn’t cost anything.

6. Don’t forget to communicate the Good News of Christmas with your postman, the person who does your lawn in the summer, the dry cleaners person, the newspaper delivery person, and others who serve you throughout the year.

7. Spend a couple of hours taking inventory of your life – listing your possessions that mean the most to you. Make a list of those possessions you have in Christ that money cannot buy. Spend the next few minutes talking to God about both of these lists.”

Merry Christmas to all of you in Bloggerland …

I hope to pick back up my blogging thoughts when the new year roles around. Thanks for the many thoughts through these blogs that have stirred my mind and challenged me this year.