Back to the heart

I guess this guy was hoping for a different answer -

“Someone out of the crowd said, "Teacher, order my brother to give me a fair share of the family inheritance."
He replied, "Mister, what makes you think it's any of my business to be a judge or mediator for you?"
Speaking to the people, he went on, "Take care! Protect yourself against the least bit of greed. Life is not defined by what you have, even when you have a lot."
Then he told them this story: "The farm of a certain rich man produced a terrific crop. He talked to himself: 'What can I do? My barn isn't big enough for this harvest.' Then he said, 'Here's what I'll do: I'll tear down my barns and build bigger ones. Then I'll gather in all my grain and goods, and I'll say to myself, Self, you've done well! You've got it made and can now retire. Take it easy and have the time of your life!'
"Just then God showed up and said, 'Fool! Tonight you die. And your barnful of goods—who gets it?'
"That's what happens when you fill your barn with Self and not with God."” Luke 12:13-21 (The Message)

Maybe the man was hoping that Jesus would agree with his fight for justice and take up his cause. Certainly Jesus is for social justice, but He is even more interested in the heart of a person.

One person may have felt for the man and fought for his rights, another may have said that he didn’t deserve it anyway. Jesus, knowing this man’s heart and indeed all hearts, warns him about greed and the dangers of prioritising possessions over having a heart that is right with God.

Your life will be defined by what you focus on most – what is your life defined by?

Excess extremes, Christmas and other insanities

I love the excesses of Christmas! Christmas has got to be my all-time favorite part of the year. I love the presents! I love that it's the time of year that you get to open presents without the accompanying feeling of getting older, instead you feel like a kid again. And I love giving presents - the creativity you can use to shop and wrap, and the feeling you have when someone really loves what you gave them! I love that you can eat as much as you want of all your favourite foods, that you can undo you top pant button at the end of the day and no one judges you - all in the spirit of santa. I love that it's Jesus' birthday and getting to tell the Christmas story over and over again to the kids. I love hanging out with family with no hurry and nothing to do but laugh and eat and play.


But there are some things that I really don't love about Christmas. The first thing, and I'm sure you would agree - the stress! Its that feeling of hurrying and what to buy and lots to cook, and rushing between families, parties, presentation nights and christmas carols. How is it that the best time of year can become the most stressful time of year filled with angst and worry? 
Then there's the crowds and the pushing and shoving at the shops and in the carpark! While we love to go shopping to be generous and giving and sharing to those we love, the rest of the world can go jump and we're happy to shove and push and grunt impatiently while we wait in line. 
Another thing is present envy, .. that sideways glance to see what your sisters unwrapping to see if its better than what you got, and thinking 'that's what I wanted!' (what you've never done that?), the times you hear "why didn't Santa get me a DS?", seriously, I'm beginning to wonder if he's even real!.
And in the end, while we're trying to focus on the real meaning of Christmas and loving our family and being generous, we instead begin to focus on ourselves and our worries and our stresses ending in a big blow up, a family blue, bottles being thrown, crushing your own Christmas present to prove a point and throwing up, accidently, on the Christmas tree! I'm just making this up, but I think you get the picture :)


Don't you think its time to stop ... take a breath ... and think about what we really want, what we really need, what we really don't need and really don't want. Christmas is the time of great extremes, the time when the real you is exposed, the time when the human heart is at its greatest point of need and longing, the time when we remember the poor, the lonely, the sick, the destitute, the time when the world's great excesses of wealth and extremes of poverty are brought into focus. Christmas is the the time that defines who we are, what we believe and what we stand for, through how we act, how we give and what we can't be bothered with. 


This Christmas, we want to redefine who we are as a family and as individuals. We want to think about the extremes and excesses in our life, and exchange them for something better, something simpler, and something more beautiful. We're going to officially start our blog on Christmas Eve and then for 40 days through the new year. Why not join us for the journey? Make it a true exchange and make a comment ;)


What do you think about Christmas?