Why Santa Never Comes To My House

Santa is harmless right? I mean, that's what you hear from everyone everywhere. He is harmless. Or this one, "Who doesn't like a jolly guy in a red suit?" And on the surface, yes, I like Santa. I loved him as a child, and I dreamed of his shiny red sleigh landing on my roof, and I strain to hear little twinkle bells jingle as I would lay awake in bed with eager expectation for Christmas morning.
But here is my issue with Santa as I am now a parent myself, and not only a parent, a parent who has been entrusted with children by God. God entrusted me with children who have wide eyes, and unwavering faith. And then I will take those sweet little faces in my hands and lie to them. I will tell that Santa is real. That A mere man can fly around the earth in one night and deliver toys to people everywhere. I will go on to lie to them that Santa knows when their being good, so if they are not good, they won't get as much. I will also lie into their sweet little faces about the fact that Christmas is Santa's big day!
Yes, all these lies I will tell. Really?!
Never. I will never lie to my children like this. Because here is the truth about those little "innocent" lies. The real truth is this, how will my children ever believe me when I tell them a young virgin girl, had a baby and the baby grew up to be a man who died on the cross. This baby who came to die, knows when we've have been noddy or nice, and He forgives us every time we ask for forgiveness when were noddy. He also gives us grace and mercy. Grace giving us what we don't deserve, and mercy keeps us from getting what we do deserve. This little boy who grew up to die for my sin, cares not about bad I was before I came to know Him, but He does desire me to live a life that is honoring to Him, not so I can get lots of nice things one day a year, but so that I can share in the joy of the life lived walking with God every day of the year.
THAT is the message I will share with my children. I will take their sweet little faces in my hands and I will tell them truth. Life giving truth that will save their souls for all eternity.
I always thought it takes more faith to believe in Santa then it does in Jesus.
Am I being to extreme here? It is a not very commonly shared view that I hold and propose here is it? But I have for some time thought that the idea of this jolly red man stealing the glory from the One and ONLY who came to save the world... has had the glory for long enough. Santa has stolen in such an innocent way mind you, the meaning of Christmas. Perhaps you think Santa harmlessly exemplifies what Christmas is all about, you know, good spirits, joy, giving, and the festive attitude that makes winter more bearable. How about this, the baby born to die, makes LIFE more endurable. He makes life worth living, and fills us with joy ALL year long. He makes me have good spirits even my world is falling apart because I know He is in control, cares not about the sins I passed confessed and committed. He is the reason for life...not to mention the reason for the season.
He is with me, in and out of season.
SO yes my friends, on the surface, Santa is nice. But I do not want my children to hear me tell them sweet fun lies about Santa, and in the same breath tell them the truth of Christ. How will they know if I am being honest about Jesus, if I lie to them all their young life about Santa? Can fresh water and salt water run from the same spring.... Can truth and lie come from the same lips? A house divided against itself cannot stand. So instead my house will stand on ONE foundation, One truth...One hope....One Joy....One Peace. One REASON for this season, and all seasons. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday today and forever. Merry Christmas friends...

Who I answer to..

As a stay at home mommy, I do not have a boss really, I mean, I work for family, serve them, and I guess you could say my husband pays my way...:) But really, who do I answer to?
I was giving this some thought because Jesus was in a similar place, (not that I am comparing myself to Him) but, I am saying, He answered to whom alone? God. God was His end point, and His starting place, His backboard and everything in between. I kinda like that we have that in common. You see, in my position as a mom, I could do all things just enough to get by. I could scratch together some dinner, (not that that doesn't happen once and a while) I could do things sort of half-heartedly, moping around, slothing my way though the laundry... that sort of thing, but I realize, I serve a leader who delights in excellence... I serve a creator who put utmost detail into everything He did, because He delighted in doing so. SO here is the catch...am I delighted? Delighted in serving my family? Delighted to wash the boogers off of my sweet baby's face? Am I delighted in the pure and simple fact that God made me with a purpose that makes me have reason beyond myself?
"We are not trying to please me but God, who tests our hearts..." 1 Thessalonians 2:4b
He is my end point. He is my start. He is my everything in between.
And I serve Him.
So my ministry is this: show people where-ever I am, that I love Jesus. And I don't mean with my words, note, I said SHOW. Show implies action. Show means walking it out with my existence, my facial expressions, the places my feet go. I am not in a Jesus box, I am in a place of co-existing with  a Father who speaks His love to others, hopefully through me.
Hopefully, my children feel this, as well as the cashier at Target. But it shouldn't be my words that convince a person I love Jesus. It should be in my very existence. It should be so organic to me, that the folks with me, will have a hard time finding where Jesus starts, and I leave off. Our writing should be so similar, one would wonder who was speaking, me or Him? That is how I want my life to be.
So when I say I want to look like the one who is mentoring me, I do. I want to be His twin, in my home, in my life, and everywhere I go.
The thing I have noticed, that has caused me to be very thankful, is that when you are right where He wants you, you find yourself being very thankful. Not that gratitude can't be a choice, because many days, we must CHOOSE to be thankful. And the great thing about thankfulness is that it breeds more thankfulness. So as you begin to list off the things you are thankful for that He has blessed you with, don't be surprised if you find yourself unable to stop the thankfulness list. I can only imagine how pleased this makes Him as well...
Think about how great you feel when someone says, thanks! And they mean it...
So as I go about the work I do, with an attitude of thankfulness for the role model who not only placed me in the perfect working place, but He also continually, constantly, shows me how to do better, and excel in my job. That is one amazing boss huh? Not to be cheesy, but I think He still has some mentor positions open...He seems to hire just about anybody, from prostitutes to handsome Kings, He apparently makes a job available for everyone who asks...( He will probably ask you to stop being a prostitute though if that is where your coming from) :) (I would guess He has work for you somewhere else...)
SO my friends, who are we working for? Who are we really working for? You may have a boss....and that's good too! You may have an earthly person you answer to, but do you know that even though you clock in and out somewhere else, your life with Jesus, your real boss is with you always and has some skill sets He is longing to teach you, encourage you on, and direct you in, if only we admit our need for some on the job training. I know I need it. My hand was raised before He even finished the question..."Pick me, pick me! I need your help! This life equation is really hard and I can't figure it out on my own...my pencil broke and my eye-sight is horrible...could you help me make sense of the mess I'm in??? And friends, every time I ask, and I mean EVERY SINGLE TIME I ask, He answers. Loud and clear. He gives me aid, He picks me up, and He sets me on my way.
My children are thankful He does this for me, as is my husband...what a journey. What a Savior. What a Friend. Thank you Jesus...thank you.

What I've got..

As I wrestled with the "why is life so hard" thought this week...and of course, "why can't things be easier for me" the Lord encouraged me today with some words. Perhaps they will encourage you as well.

"Whoever believes in ME, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him." -John 7:38

Living water? IN ME? Oh my goodness, that is what is available to me.
I've been licking the dust of my human, stark insufficiency to deal with my life's issues. Rather than tapping into the living waters the roll like the waves on the ocean that lives INSIDE of me.
INSIDE OF ME.
I just have to tap into it.
Sit at His feet. Surrender.

So today I told the Lord, "I give up" on trying to do "this" in my own strength. It's been a long couple of days, and i'm sick of the deceit that lives in my heart.
SO as I named my sin, and called it what it was, and requested the Lord rescue me from my hole of yuck, He did. He swept in like the river He is.
The river of life, living inside of me.
And I wrote this "poem" in my journal today:

Living waters!
    Flowing in me.
LIFESPRING.
Splashes on my face.
JOY of my salvation.
Constant.
Sustains me.
PROTECTS.
Creates thanksgiving within me.
Spurs me ONWARD in HOPE.
I AM REDEEMED.
Held.
              I have something to be excited about that will not fade away.
A hope that will not end in the end.
He takes my ASHES and turns them into beauty. beauty for ashes. 

"May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may OVERFLOW with HOPE by the power of the Holy Spirit." -Romans 15:13

No more dry bread crusts for me my friends. He has a banquet prepared for me, all I had to do was surrender my dead stuff, for His goodness. Not only can I be sustained, I can flourish. Like a 4 year old who is going to a crystal clear blue pool for the first time. I get to jump into His pools of joy and hope, and help. I surrender all. Jesus I surrender. Amen.