In the midst of the hustle and bustle of holiday preparations, it was so nice to take some time out to relax and celebrate Christmas with our fellow MOPS moms. We heard some wonderful truths from our speaker, made a fun ornament craft, and played a Christmas "Four Corners" game to get us chatting with others and in the mood for the Christmas season!! Our speaker today spoke on the topic of blessings and the true meaning of Christmas.
She started by sharing some fun statistics about how we (as a nation) spend our money and just how long those Christmas gifts will last....setting up the idea that our "things" are not eternal or of much worth. Then, she went on to tell us that our word Christmas comes from two Latin words meaning "Christ" and "mass". Also, "Noel" is French for good news.
She shared that the hidden treasures of God are everywhere. Our job is to mine, search, and hunt for the things of God in our lives and our children. We need to hold onto those little "gold flecks", such as an "I love you" from our kids, an extra long nap, sharing time together, etc.
Gold has beauty, it sparkles, and it has unique properties (most pliable/pure metal, doesn't decay or corrode). It also symbolizes wealth and honor. But still, it is only physical material and won't last forever.
However, there is something more special/valuable than gold and it WILL last forever. That is our faith in Jesus. "Trust" in God is the action word for faith and it can give meaning to every aspect of our lives.
One great practical idea was to picture yourself sitting on God's lap asking for faith, the help to trust him, and for him to open your eyes. Our speaker suggested that we need to have faith like a child because a child simply believes without having to understand how everything works. God has a way of making himself known to us.
Finally, she shared 2 Corinthians 9 with us. She pointed out that God gave you resources/talents/things to share. Whenever you use what he's given you, he will make something happen. So, we are to be generous with what we have and find opportunities to share our faith, help others, etc. We should pour out what God's given to us on others so that they might see God. Be generous with your time, talents, and resources this Christmas season.
Have a very blessed Christmas and we will see you again on the first Tuesday in January (2011!!!!)
This blog is dedicated to the Moms of Influence group at Northbrook Church in Richfield, WI.
