Jesus at the Kid’s table

During this holiday season, I’m sure you will be familiar with setting up a tiny little plastic table, paper cups and forks for the little ones at your gathering.

This is the place that has messes, spills, and is a wonderful location for all sorts of funny kid conversations - so that the adults can be talking about politics, the news, and all sorts of other adulty things at the big person table.

During the time of Jesus, many of his disciples thought that He would be too busy to hang out with children - they thought He would be more concerned with daily politics, being the next ruler, and other “important” matters of state.

But they were wrong:

Luke 9:46 looks back to what had occurred earlier that day stating, “An argument started among them as to which of them might be the greatest.”

But in a surprising turn of events, “He (a man from the crowd) brought a little child to Jesus' side. Then Jesusop9 i said to them, “Anyone who welcomes a little child like this on my behalf welcomes me, and anyone who welcomes me also welcomes my Father who sent me. Whoever is the least among you is the greatest.””

‭‭Luke‬ ‭9‬:‭47‬-‭48‬ ‭NLT‬‬

His disciples were shocked, how could such a great man of God want to hang out with children, and be okay with interrupting His day?

Imagine Jesus is invited to your holiday dinner- you give Him the place of honor- The head seat.

Some time after talking about “adult stuff” you turn to look and Jesus is gone.

Jesus is at the kid's table- making silly faces, drawing on the napkins, making funny noises, and just giving high-fives to everyone.

This Christmas, let’s remember the wonder, the childlike, faith, and love that our savior brings into the world.

Let’s invite people into the simplicity of the gospel, pursuing peace, and returning to the roots of the season.

Presence over presents

Presence over presents

Did you know according to one study done this year that 30% of Americans are still in debt from last year 2021 Christmas?

(See source here: https://finance.yahoo.com/news/much-americans-spend-christmas-140028685.html)

It’s much easier to get a present and charge it on your credit card then turning off your phone, putting it on silent and completely being involved in a moment.

Being involved takes a creativity, it creates communication, it means that you’re not multitasking and being completely focused in that moment.

And I would know, we’ve been owning businesses and full-time homeschooling since 2020.

We live on our phones and social media to get the leads in order to put food on the table.

It is a constant monster to wrestle daily-

Having the discipline of time, and knowing when to say no, and to put up boundaries

-In order to have a work-life balance

during this holiday season, even though it’s very tempting to always be on-the-clock as entrepreneurs -make sure you put your phone on “do not disturb” between certain hours so you can enjoy your family and make memories.

Wake up earlier to get your work done while the kids are still sleeping so that you can be completely focus when they’re up - it’s easy to have an idea for a business, and to be very excited about it, but it’s much harder to sustain your work and family relationship over a decade of business, and not let it completely consume your life.

Have a wonderful holiday season and remember to be present over just giving presents.

• written by Christal Marshall

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Hope outside the box

Hope outside the box

According to Greek mythology, there was a box of all the world’s darkness and torment given to a girl Pandora from the gods. She was curious to open it- even though she was warned not to.

Finally she did open it- releasing evil into the world- so the myth goes. But hope was left locked in the box for all time-

This story has been interwoven throughout movies, pop culture, writings and philosophy for thousands of years.

You can’t even turn on the TV without seeing darkness with no hope.

Friedrich Nietzsche comments: "Hope is the worst of evils, for it prolongs the torment of men."

This is where our world is left if we believe that nothing is orchestrating the fabric of time- that there is no hope- a very dark world view indeed.

To parallel this story- the Ark of the Covenant- a golden box, was created to house the glory and presence of Yahweh- the creator of all things, in the Bible.

After the exile- we have 400 years of “silence” where no written words were recorded. Creation was holding its breath- waiting in the darkness for hope to come.

The Ark is missing or captured. All hope seems lost.

After 400 years-hope glimmers in a quiet birth of a child- born into poverty.

Yahweh show us hope in the person Jesus- now grown- who for 33 years walked out the perfect picture of hope on earth.

But then Hope was killed and buried in a tomb after leaders were jealous of Jesus’ influence-

Hope was buried- locked up tight in the darkest box of all- a stone cave with a Giant sealed stone.

Now darkness covered the earth. All hope was truly lost- or so it seemed.

3 days later- the never-ending Hope resurrected from its stone housing- exploding to all the corners of the earth- infilling its followers with light- so that they can bring hope to everyone forever.

The same power and hope that brought Jesus to life- lives in us. We become the new vessels of hope- opening daily our never-ending supply to those blinded in darkness.

I am so glad that Yahweh- the One True creator has given us forever hope.

I am so glad that Hope was not shut in His box- never to be opened.

Let us constantly be aware of our inner power to bring the love and light of the Father.

Romans 5:5 says:  “And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.”