Cameron's Christmas Holiday Movie Special Marathon Extravaganza

So today is Christmas Eve. As I have said many times before this is my favorite time of year. I love getting into the Christmas spirit by going to the Christmas Choir. But even more than that I love to watch Christmas movies with friends and family. They never fail to get me into the Christmas mood, in fact I have been known to watch them during the summer so I can pretend its Christmas.

So I give you, My Top 6 Favorite Christmas Movies. They will definitely get you into the Christmas spirit.

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5

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I want to wish you all a Merry Christmas and I hope to see you at our Christmas Eve service tonight at 6 and 7 PM.

The Twelve Days Of Christmas

...On the twelfth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me: 12 drummers drumming, 11 pipers piping, 10 lords a-leaping, 9 ladies dancing, 8 maids a-milking, 7 swans a-swimming, 6 geese a-laying, 5 golden rings, 4 calling birds, 3 French hens, 2 turtle doves, and a partridge in a pear tree...

We have all heard this Christmas carol many times before. It is in fact one of the most popular and most recorded Christmas songs through out the past century. The song was actually first published in England in 1780, but it's thought to be older and of French origin.

One of my favorite recordings is by a band called Relient K. In the song they add a bridge which goes, "What's a partridge? What's a pear tree? I don't know so please don't ask me, But I can bet those are terrible gifts to get." On the surface, these do seem like terrible gifts to get, I mean, there are no less than 23 birds on this list. 23 birds! I don't think I want 1, let alone 23. But I believe, as do many Christians who have speculated, the gifts have a deeper meaning. The meanings are as follows:

The "partridge in a pear tree" is Jesus Christ

The "2 turtle doves" symbolize the Old and New Testaments

The "3 French hens" stand for the 3 virtues: Faith, Hope, and Love

The "4 calling birds" represent the 4 Gospels.

The "5 golden rings" symbolize the first 5 books of the Old Testament called the Torah

The "6 geese a-laying" are the 6 days of creation.

The "7 swans a-swimming" stand for the gifts of the spirit.

The "8 maids a-milking" represent for the beatitudes.

The "9 ladies dancing" symbolize the fruits of the spirit

The "10 lords a-leaping" are the 10 commandments

The "11 pipers piping" stand for the 11 faithful disciples

and The "12 drummers drumming" represent the 12 points of belief in the Apostles Creed.

Our true love who sent these gifts is God, who unconditionally loves us. Looking at the meaning of this song, the gifts become more real, and not so terrible. I'm glad God gave us all these gifts and even more!

All Jr. High students are welcome to come to our Christmas party and join us as we look deeper into the meaning and symbolism of the Christmas carol, "The Twelve Days Of Christmas". The party is going to be at a special holiday location. Email me, and I can send you the address and directions. Don't forget to bring a "White Rhino" gift for the gift exchange.

God's Story

For the last few weeks, in Crash, we have been looking at God's story recorded in the Bible. This is the story of God and His relationship with His creation. How God continually loves, guides, and seeks a relationship with His creation.

Three weeks ago we opened God's story with His creation, and man's fall. Despite the fact that man turned away from God, He still loved them and sought after them. We saw that even though we've made mistakes, God will forgive us, and still loves us, and still seeks a relationship with us.

Last week we continued God's story looking still in the Old Testament. We focused on the Israelites, and how God tried to get the attention of the Israelites. But alas, they found themselves in a vicious cycle there was no way out of. This constant cycle of being close to God, sinning & being far from God and then getting close to God agian. At the end of the Old Testament we saw the Israelites divided, far from God, and exiled from the land God promised them. This was not what God had intended from His creation. We looked at this cycle in our own lives, and asked ourselves the question, "What if the cycle could be broken? What would that look like?"

Tonight we will see that this is not where God leaves the story. The Old Testament ends with a hint of hope- the promise of a Savior, a Messiah. Tonight we will look at how God broke the cycle, and helped man out of the mess that they found themselves in. Tonight we will see just how God restores and redeems His creation. Tonight we are going to look at the simple truth that is found in John 3:16, "For God so loved the word, that He gave His one and only son. That Whoever believes in Him will not perish, but have everlasting life."

Jesus is God's son, the Messiah. Jesus is the reason for THIS season. Christmas is all about the birth of Jesus, our Savior. Jesus is the only way out of the cycle, the only way out of the mess we find ourselves in. Jesus is the only hope we have to fulfill our purpose of having a relationship with God.

The Secret of Contentment

Christmas is about celebrating Jesus' birth. God gave us His son. But we have started celebrating the gifts we get instead of Jesus, who is the reason for the season. This sunday we are going to be continuing our series in the Advent Conspiracy, which is a return to the true meaning of Christmas. Last week, we looked as a church at the idea of Worshiping God Fully. This week we will be looking at Spending Less, drawing the conclusion that we need to learn, with God's help, the idea of contentment in Christ.

Paul explains in 1 Timothy 6:6-10, that contentment is what we should strive for. He says really what we need is food and clothes, and we can be content. In Philippians 4:11-13 he calls himself content no matter what. He is satisfied with that he has, and does not want anything more. He attributes the strength he has, to be content, in Christ.

As I was studying for this lesson something struck me. I had an "Ah-Ha" moment. An aspect of being content is being thankful for and appreciating what God has blessed us with. This sounds like another holiday... it's the big one that comes before Christmas- Thanksgiving.

I have a friend who has a young daughter, and every year for her birthday and Christmas my friend and her daughter take one toy that was given, and give it to someone else who is in need. My friend is trying to instill this valuable principle of contentment to her daughter.

I dare you to practice contentment this Christmas season. When you want to give a present to a friend, make it, or have it situate around doing something with that person. If you do this, you will get more out of the holiday season.