Like newborn infants, desire the unadulterated spiritual milk, so that you may grow by it in your salvation, since you have tasted that the Lord is good. – 1 Peter 2:2-3 (HCSB)

A speaker once shared with us that he struggled to maintain a regular quiet time. So he made a decision – he would not eat physical food until he had taken in spiritual food, that is, his personal time reading the Word. There were days when he did not eat or drink until after noon.

One particularly hectic semester in college, I also failed to read the Bible as a part of my routine. This man’s testimony came to mind; so I tried it. But I learned quickly that if I miss breakfast, or merely delay it, I get light headed and nearly pass out. Clearly this plan was not meant for me.

So what has helped? I began to ask God to give me the desire to read His Word. I knew He would grant me this request. In fact, I knew that in answering it, my life would change. My desires would change. Watching tv became less alluring. Working on craft projects for hours seemed pointless. Once I started reading Scripture, I kept wanting to read more.

I first needed God’s help to hunger for His Word in the same way my stomach growls. I needed Him to show me what it felt like to have my soul parched. And how it felt to have it quenched. I needed to thirst for God’s Word like a deer thirsts for water.

Was reading God’s Word last year a priority for you? If so, keep it up! If not, what’s holding you back? Stop right now, turn off your computer, and ask God to change the desires of your heart. Ask Him to draw you into His Word. And then, go read it!

This is a guest post by Caroline Davis

At a recent family Christmas gathering, my family and I went to a very nice restaurant to celebrate the holidays. Upon our arrival, we ran into a gentleman who asked my parents for some money. He said that he and his family were stranded on the interstate, didn’t have a cell phone, and didn’t know if they were going to be able to have a Christmas this year. As the rest of my family and I went on into the restaurant, my father stayed and talked with the man. He gave the man all the money in his wallet and a blanket that was in the back of our car. The man thanked him and went on his way.

Ever since that evening, God has greatly been challenging my heart. God has given my family and me so much and through this holiday season, we get so caught up in getting gifts when we already have more than enough. God has challenged me to look beyond all of the world’s standards and get a more Godly view on things. So, this year, my New Year’s resolution is to give more. Give more time. Give more money. Give more effort. Give more love to everyone I come into contact with.

Why are New Year’s Resolutions important?

New Year’s resolutions can typically be a vehicle for unsuccessful weight loss attempts, and promises that are easily broken. However, setting goals that are more focused on God’s desired for our lives can lead us on a divine journey through His comfort and promises.

Resolutions in general can help us to learn from the past and make fresh, new attempts at our decisions, desires, attitudes and thoughts. However, perhaps one of the most important resolutions we make in our lives occurs when we recognized the error of our sin and turned to Christ hoping to do better with our lives for His glory.

What types of resolutions can I make to seek God’s presence in my life in the upcoming year?

1. Commit yourself to giving to a specific cause.

2. Pray for a community in  need.

3. Serve in a special organization or use community service to share God’s love with others and give hope to those who are lost.

4. Go! Whether to a different country, nearby city, or a nearby neighbor – make an effort to go and be a light in the darkness and make God’s glory known to others.

 2 Corinthians 2:9 – “Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.”

Blog by Caroline Davis

Caroline is from a very small town in Kentucky. She is the proud daughter of two wonderful parents and has two siblings, Betsy and Evan. She is a sophomore in high school and enjoys dancing, swimming and writing.

Have you adopted an elf this Christmas? Do your children wake up each morning on a new hide-and-seek adventure with them? If so, be warned – the elf on your shelf may not be a Christian.

This statement may curl your elf slippers and cause your stocking cap to stand straight up. Not every elf believes in God.

In case you’re completely out of the trendy Christmas loop, Elf on the Shelf is a rather recent product…excuse me…tradition. You can “adopt” an elf at stores such as Target. For thirty bucks you get an elf, book, keepsake box, and access to Santa’s special online activities. The Elf magically appears around December 1st in your home. His or her job is to keep a close eye on your children and report back to Santa every night in order to more accurately update the “Naughty and Nice” list.

Just exactly how popular have these elves become?

• They had an elf balloon at this year’s Macy’s Day Parade.
• The company has partnered with “adoption” centers in Canada, the U.K., and Australia.
• Over 2.5 million copies have sold in North America.
• A movie, “An Elf’s Story” was adapted from the book.
• In 2010, the three founders were named the Georgia Small Business Person of the Year by the Small Business Administration.

Before we  examine your elf’s theology, let’s take a quick glimpse at the creation of Elf on the Shelf.

The team: mom, Carol Aebersold and her twin daughters Chanda Bell and Christa Pitts. The concept is based on Carol’s tradition as a child that she passed on to her daughters. Carol was going through a hard time and her daughter encouraged her to write. They were rejected by all publishing companies so they self-published at first. Their one product sky rocketed and was developed into seventeen products, including a movie. In fact, in 2011, in association with Big Canoe Entertainment, Pitts and her family donated 100% of the net proceeds from the world premiere of “An Elf’s Story” to Atlanta’s premiere healthcare provider for kids – Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta.

In their own words, “We take Christmas magic very seriously.” The following is an excerpt from their website, www.elfontheshelf.com:

FAQ: What should I do if my elf is touched by mistake? – Christmas magic is very fragile, and if a scout elf is touched it may lose its magic. If your elf has been touched, please sprinkle a little cinnamon beside him or her before you go to bed; cinnamon is like vitamins for elves, and it helps them get back to the North Pole. Once they arrive, the North Pole E.R. doctors will check them out.

So, the question you’ve kept reading for: Is the Elf on Your Shelf a Christian? Read through these four points to determine your elf’s view of Christianity and how that impacts your family.

 1. Elves should foster imagination, not discipline.

Do not overemphasize the watchful eyes of the elf to the point that you ignore the reality of the Holy Spirit. Make certain your children clearly understand the difference between believing in a living God and make-believing a wintry wonderland.

2. Do not let your elf become your family’s idol.

The reason we as Christians celebrate at this time of year is to thank God for sending us His Son to earth so that through His sinless life, sacrificial death, and triumphant rising our relationship with our Maker is reconciled.

3. Let the elf bond your family together.

Traditions bring us together as a family. Some of my favorite Christmas memories as a child involve mom and I baking the same cookies each year. And the trail of candy canes that led you from your bedroom, past the styrafoam Santa, directly to the gifts on Christmas morning. As hard as it might be for kids to find the elf one morning, it’s even harder for parents to continue to create fun, new ideas. I may not believe in “Christmas magic,” but I do believe in the importance of traditions that create a buzz of excitement for every family member, both young and old. So have some fun with your spouse as you plot new hiding spots together. Encourage your children to work as a team as they search for the elf.

 4. As a parent, you control how your children view the elf on your shelf.

Always be mindful of the maturity level of your children. If you don’t feel confident that they can view your elf as a whimsical tradition, then don’t adopt an elf. There’s nothing inherently anti-Christian about the elf you choose to bring into your house. After all, the elf takes after the personalities and creativity of the parents.

“I want the J! Please! I want the J”

I looked down at the plate of sugar cookies I was carrying to the kids to decorate. There were a half dozen reindeer,  gingerbread men that more or less resembled the Michelin man, candy canes, trees, and stars.

“I’m sorry; I don’t have any cookies cut out in letters.”

“Yes you do!” She ran over, snatched a candy cane shaped cookie, and busily slopped red and white icing on it.

Of course, given the cookie’s context, I don’ t know how that shape could have been anything but a candy cane. But this girl got one glance of it and determined it was the letter J.

Which got me to thinking: Why isn’t the traditional candy cane a straight stick? It seems like that would be easier to produce. Perhaps it’s so that we can easily hang them on the branches of our Christmas trees.

Or is the candy cane more poignant than we realize?

In 1670, the the choirmaster at the Cologne Cathedral had sticks of candy bent into the shape of a shepherd’s crook and passed them out to the children who attended the Christmas ceremony. The use of candy canes seems to have immigrated to America in the 1800’s. However, according to pictures on Christmas cards made before 1900, the canes were still completely white.

Can we use the candy cane to point our children to Jesus this Christmas season?

Yes. The legend of the candy cane is that the shape resembles the shepherd’s crook to remind us of Jesus, our Good Shepherd. The white stripe represents the purity of Jesus’ birth and life and the bold red stripe represents God’s love. The flavor of mint is similar to hyssop, which, in Old Testament times, was associated with purification and sacrifice. In the New Testament, it was used at the cross as Jesus was dying in our place as a punishment for our sin.

Whether or not this legend is fact, the candy cane presents us as believers with a simple opportunity to share the truth of the Good News of our Savior.

Come, they told me pa-rum pum pum pum
Our newborn King to see, pa-rum pum pum pum
Our finest gifts we bring pa-rum pum pum pum
To lay before the King pa-rum pum pum pum
Rum pum pum pum. rum pum pum pum
So to honor Him pa-rum pum pum pum
When we come

Little Baby pa-rum pum pum pum
I am a poor boy too, pa-rum pum pum pum
I have no gift to bring pa-rum pum pum pum
That’s fit to give our King pa- rum pum pum pum
Rum pum pum pum, rum pum pum pum
Shall I play for you, pa-rum pum pum pum
on my drum?

Mary nodded pa-rum pum pum pum
The Ox and Lamb kept time pa-rum pum pum pum
I played my drum for Him pa-rum pum pum pum
I played my best for Him pa -rum pum pum pum
Rum pum pum pum, rum pum pum pum
Then He smiled at me pa-rum pum pum pum
Me and my drum

“The Little Drummer Boy” (originally known as “Carol of the Drum”) is a popular Christmas song written around 1941. As you read above, it’s about a poor young bog who was summoned to the nativity where he was supposed to give the infant Jesus a gift. Having no gift, he played his drum, and the baby Jesus smiled.

How do you buy a gift for someone who already has everything?

It’s officially December and Kevin and I have gifts stashed in various rooms in our apartment. Some of the gifts truly stumped us – we knew we needed to buy something for one person in particular, but neither of knew what this person would enjoy. We paced the aisles in Walmart fruitlessly for twenty minutes until finally one object caught our attention. “That’s it!” We knew we had found a good gift.

But I can’t imagine buying a gift for God. He truly does have everything. And it’s not like I can get a gift that can surprise Him.

Does that mean I shouldn’t even try?

No. We aren’t called to give God our iPads, cars, or jewelry. We are exhorted to give Him our thanks.

Psalm 118: 28-29 says, “You are my God, and I will give You thanks. You are my God; I will exalt You. Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good; His faithful love endures forever.”

Jeremiah 33:11 says there will be heard again “the voice of the groom and the bride, and the voice of those saying, Praise the LORD of Hosts, for the LORD is good; His faithful love endures forever as they bring thank offerings to the temple of the LORD.”

God never wearies of our praise. We never exhaust our thanks. His mercies are new each morning, so our praises never cease.

Is my gratitude enough?

1 Corinthians 12 and Romans 12 both remind us that God has given each of us different gifts but we are still a part of the same body whose goal is to bring praise to the same Lord. Some of the gifts include: service, teaching, encouragement, giving, and leading. No matter the gift, we are called to obey and bring glory to our Creator.

Like the little drummer boy, we are poor men and women – we can never own anything grand enough that  is fit for the King, the Lord Jesus. What we can do is be thankful for the gifts He has entrusted us with and faithfully praise His name.