All I Want for Christmas.....

If you read the last post you already know that I want a much needed simpler holiday without all the stress. This post continues on that same theme.. While I am writing this at Christmastime, it really can apply to any season of our lives.

 It seems we have a serious case of discontentment in our nation...and dare I say, even in our own homes. This time of year, people are planning what gifts to buy as the list of "What I Want for Christmas" gets longer and longer. And it's not just the little guys that want new things, it's us, adults, as well....we think we need the latest, the fastest gadgets on the market. What ever happened to this verse in scripture, Phil. 4:11, that tells us to be content in whatever state we are in? I think sometimes we put a lot of stress on ourselves, listening to that voice in our head that the kids' lives will be more complete with a new toy, that our lives will be better if we just had __________........you fill in the blank.

The following quote is by Craig R. Smith and published on WorldNetDaily.com on Thanksgiving 2006....

“Newsweek poll alleges that 67 percent of Americans are unhappy with the direction the country is headed and 69 percent of the country is unhappy with the performance of the president. In essence 2/3s of the country just isn’t happy and want a change. I started thinking, ”What are we so unhappy about?” Is it that we have electricity and running water 24 hours a day, 7 days a week? Is our unhappiness the result of having air conditioning in the summer and heating in the winter? Could it be that 95.4 percent of these unhappy folks have a job?

Maybe it is the ability to walk into a grocery store at any time and see more food in moments than Darfur has seen in the last year? Maybe it is the ability to drive from the Pacific Ocean to the Atlantic Ocean without having to present identification papers as we move through each state? Or possibly the hundreds of clean and safe motels we would find along the way that can provide temporary shelter? I guess having thousands of restaurants with varying cuisine from around the world is just not good enough.

Or could it be that when we wreck our car, emergency workers show up and provide services to help all and even send a helicopter to take you to the hospital. Perhaps you are one of the 70 percent of Americans who own a home. You maybe upset with knowing that in the unfortunate case of a fire, a group of trained firefighters will appear in moments and use top notch equipment to extinguish the flames thus saving you, your family and your belongings.

Or if, while at home watching one of your many flat screen TVs, a burglar or prowler intrudes , an officer equipped with a gun and a bullet-proof vest will come to defend you and your family against attack or loss. This all in the backdrop of a neighborhood free of bombs or militias raping and pillaging the residents. Neighborhoods where 90 percent of teenagers own cell phones and computers. How about the complete religious, social and political freedoms we enjoy that are the envy of everyone in the world? Maybe that is what has 67percent of you folks unhappy.”

 Sometimes we are discontent because we have believed the lie that says, if we have more "stuff" we have more happiness. Stop believing that and buying into it. True happiness does not come from things,  it comes from a personal, intimate relationship with God. There is nothing wrong with buying new things, or acquiring possessions, but when you do it because you feel under pressure to buy it to fill a void in your life, then you are buying for the wrong reasons. 

I want you have the best Christmas ever, but I don't want you to feel that the things that you buy and receive bring you true happiness....I want you to leave this Christmas season stronger than when you entered in to it...My wish for you is that your walk with the King become stronger, deeper, and more intimate with Him because only then will you find true peace and contentment. Then, you will be ready to go another step on the journey....

Be Blessed,
Regina