We all have our time machines, don’t we. Those that take us back are memories… And those that carry us forward, are dreams.  Über-Morlock

Where do you spend most of your time…remembering or dreaming?

So I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten.  (Joel 2:25a; NKJ)

“What if…?”  Interesting question, isn’t it?  It’s a question that can pull you down as you look backwards and wonder how things might be different if events, decisions, or what ever from the past had been different.  Or, on the other hand, it can propel you upward if you use it to dream of a preferred future.  Where do you spend most of your time?

As I move through the autumn season of my life, I believe the expectation is to spend more and more of my time looking backward, but I am excited to report that the opposite seems to be true for me.  As I take a few minutes to reflect on the question, I find that I’m almost hard pressed to remember the last time I even had a thought of “what if I had done this or done that differently?”  But I did listen to something yesterday that made me ask, “What if I had realized that truth at that age?  Where would I be now?”

The “something” I listened to was a graduation speech.  A what???  Yes, a graduation speech.  Turns out that a great friend of mine, Adrian Schoonmaker, sent me his blog in which he bragged on his “little” brother, Justin, who just graduated from William and Mary.  Justin was selected to be one of the speakers at the commencement ceremony, and the wisdom contained in his under 8-minute speech is priceless.  What if I had understood that when I was in my 20’s?  Or even in my 40’s?  But, praise God, it’s never too late to learn, is it?

Don’t miss this opportunity to be exposed to some incredible wisdom that will serve you well for the rest of your life–no matter what your age.  It’s very short.

Prayer Power
Father, I thank You for the promise that it’s never too late.  For the promise that the days ahead will be greater than those behind us.  I thank You for each and every precious day that You give us.  Show us how to best utilize our time.

Link of the Day
Justin’s graduation speech William and Mary 2009

Blessings on you as you choose to respond to the opportunities created by rejection.

“There are three stages of a man’s life: He believes in Santa Claus, he doesn’t believe in Santa Claus, he is Santa Claus.”  Author Unknown

What did you feel when you were told that Santa wasn’t real?

The Savior–yes, the Messiah, the Lord–has been born tonight in Bethlehem, the city of David!  (Luke 2:11; NLT)

Do you believe in Santa Clause?  At this time of year, believe in him or not, it sure is hard to ignore jolly old St. Nick, for certainly a significant portion of the attention of the season is directed his way even though he is NOT the reason for the season.

As a result of the above paradox, this time of year brings forth the ongoing debates about whether or not this should be so.  No doubt you’ve heard, and perhaps engaged in some of them yourself.  How should a Christian respond to Santa Clause?

Over the weekend, the Pastor of Student Ministries at our church, Adrian Schoonmaker, wrote a fascinating entry in his blog that I found to be a very sane and balanced response to that ongoing question.  Before I lead you to his blog, allow me to tell you just a bit about Pastor Adrian.

Adrian and Joyce now have three very young children.  This is a family that we have been very blessed to know quite well.  Adrian is one of the most passionate youth ministers I have ever known and who has a heart to reach what many would label the unreachable “street kids.”  The young people Adrian has pastored all seem to take great delight in going to improbable and seemingly impossible settings like the beach to talk about Jesus to those they meet.  They embody the notion of the church being “out there” rather than “in here.”

I say all that to assure you that what you are about to read regarding Santa was not written by a “luke-warm” Christian who is looking for ways to integrate the world into his Christianity.  Au contraire, Adrian is one who consistently seeks ways to integrate his faith into the world.  With that as a background, enjoy his message by visiting today’s link.

Prayer Power
Lord, we thank You for young ministry families such as Adrian and Joyce.  They are a truly a blessing and an inspiration to us all.  They are called to minister in a world that most of us don’t begin to understand.  We pray for Your favor and guidance to be on them as they answer Your call.

Link of the Day
Santa Rocks!

Blessings on you as you go into this season, remembering Who it is really all about.