How Will You Celebrate Advent Next Year? | Review of Unwrapping the Names of Jesus

About the Book

Most Christians agree that Christmas is all about Jesus, yet most of us spend little time preparing our hearts to celebrate Him. Why is this? Partly because we don't know how.

In Unwrapping the Names of Jesus, Asheritah Ciuciu leads readers through the four weeks of Advent (Hope, Preparation, Joy, and Love). Each week:

• Begins with an interactive family devotional that equips readers to celebrate Advent together
• Offers five daily reflections that focus on that week's name of Jesus
• Includes suggestions for fun-filled family activities or service projects

This devotional can be used by readers in their own personal worship times or as a tool to engage in family worship during the busy holiday season. Either way, participants will gain a greater sense of awe and wonder at who Jesus is.

By focusing on the person and character of Jesus throughout the Advent season, readers will prepare their hearts so that when they admire the live nativity, sit in the candlelight service, or wake up on Christian morning, they can join the faithful who sing from the bottom of their hearts, "O come, let us adore Him, Christ the Lord!"

Be Prepared for Next Christmas!

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My Rating

Spring

My Review

I enjoyed having a new Advent devotional to go through with my husband this year! The size, feel, and look of this book are lovely, perfect for keeping out in plain view throughout the holiday season. And I think it's a great concept, to daily go through the names of Jesus in preparation for celebrating His birth and who He is as our King and Savior.

As for the content, there are some good thoughts to ponder and creative (and fun!) ideas for families to act on what they've been learning together. I don't recall a whole lot of moments where something struck me in a powerful way...although the reading on "Jesus Is the Truth" has some really neat perspective to offer.

It's possible that reading the book aloud to someone else kept me from focusing and thinking as deeply as I ought to have done. Perhaps I would feel more impacted by the devotions if I read them on my own, or if I took more time to dwell amid the pages, look up all the suggested verses, and respond to the challenges. Still, there are important reminders in here, and this book does encourage daily thoughts of who God is.

The structure isn't my favorite... You have to be thinking and counting ahead to make sure you start the book on time to finish by Christmas. And while there are readings for each weekday, there aren't any for the weekends. However, if you choose to do the interactive candle lighting sections with your family, those can take place on Sundays, and the weekly activities can be done on Saturdays (or anytime during the week), as the author suggests in the introduction.

I have another Advent devotional that has daily readings for the whole month of December, and I believe I prefer that layout, especially if you're using the devotional on your own. But I think the layout for Unwrapping the Names of Jesus could be really fun for a family who's interacting with all the different components of the book.

All in all, this is a unique and meaningful take on Advent, and I appreciate that it points to the greatness and love of Jesus. The devotional is especially geared toward families and encourages participation. It's a book that will be nice to have on hand and perhaps read through again some future Christmas season!

*With thanks to Moody Publishers for providing me with a free copy of this book.*

Looking Back...and Feeling in Awe Once Again

I'm one of those people who has tons of journals, many of them partly used. I love having them around for writing down ideas, feelings, plans, lists. :)

While cleaning house and putting away Christmas decorations this past weekend, I delved into a box with several journals and other memorabilia. And, of course, I got sucked into a period of reminiscing.

I think we need those moments of looking back.

"Remember his marvellous works that he hath done; his wonders and the judgments of his mouth." - Psalm 105:5 (emphasis added)

I was deeply touched to come across an entry from a time when I was feeling really uncertain and worried about my future. I'll leave out a bit with some more personal details, but I wanted to share most of it with you...

* * *

January 15, 2013

Tonight is one of those nights... I'm feeling so uncertain about my future, and so afraid of my own fears and of never moving forward in love and life.

[...]

I don't know what's wrong with me. I think perhaps I'm being too prideful - I want to have a legacy, to see and know that what I'm dong has an impact on others, is meaningful, successful. I suppose that I want to be successful... And yet I'm lazy, and I'm scared of change. 

Do I really think God's hand is not strong enough or long enough to guide me, to help me? Heaven help me if I do. I know He can work His will for my life no matter where I live. I know He can give me the strength to take the steps I need to take. I just wish I knew what those steps were!

Am I like that second girl on Joe vs. the Volcano? She was afraid of declining her father's money and leaving to go live on her own. Joe told her, "See! You know what you're scared of doing. If you have a choice between ending your life and doing the thing you're scared of doing, why not take the leap and do the thing you're scared of doing?"

What am I scared of doing? I'm scared of applying for jobs. I'm scared of getting a job and having to work and maybe hating it. I'm scared of getting my license. What if I can't pass the test? I'm scared of the freedom - and the added responsibilities. I'm scared of taking the step between the sheltered life I have here at home and the life I can have out there. What if I'm rejected? What if I have to work in a negative atmosphere? What if I fail? What if I hate my job? I'm scared of having to make choices. I'm so impulsive, and my choices haven't always been the wisest. What if I make horrible choices?

What if I've been making excuses? What if I'm hiding from life? God help me, please, because I just don't know how to take another step. I don't know if I can make the right choices, and I'm scared of having to live with the consequences of wrong choices. Please, God, please guide me. My heart is quaking within me. 

"We'll jump, and we'll see." Make my crooked paths straight, please, God. Don't let me live in fear of the life you have given me.

"Thank you for my life. I forgot...how big... Thank you."*

* * *

I looked back at that time, almost exactly three years ago, and was moved by how God has worked in my life since then.

It would still be another year and a half after I wrote this journal entry before I'd be offered my current job.

A year and a half in which my editing business finally found traction and brought in some amazing clients who gave me wonderful work experience.

A year and a half in which I became an indie author.

A year and a half in which I got the driver's license that so terrified me.

And now, three years later, I'm living away from home. In my own little apartment, having survived job applications and moving and acclimating to a new job and life in a new town. While there have certainly been some rough patches and many, many learning experiences, God has brought me to a wonderful place.

Amazingly enough, I've even come to enjoy driving. My parking skills have greatly improved. :)

It's easy for me to caught up in the new journal entries. The ones where I stress about work and what I feel I'm lacking and the next step. Always the next step...

But the God who brought me this far, who faithfully helped me take those scary steps in His time, hasn't changed.

How could I doubt that He's just as much at work in this season as He was in the past?

Wherever you are in your own journey, I hope that you'll be able to look back at those previous journal/life entries soon and remember God walking beside you. You've come a long way, dear friend.

*These quotes are from the movie Joe Versus the Volcano with Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan (although likely not word for word). Yes, I do love to quote movies!

Life Lessons from Lupines

My mom and I went on our annual outing to see the lupines this past weekend - and while each year brings another wonderful experience, this year was especially marvelous! You see, that first year we heard about the lupine patches growing on Bald Hills (see info about the area at the bottom of this NPS Scenic Drives page), we excitedly took the drive and eventually, after rounding a corner, were astounded by what my mom calls the "carpets" of purple. It looked a little something like this (taken this past weekend):

But every return visit since then, we've been a tad bit disappointed. The lupines were still beautiful and still blooming, but nowhere near the way they had that first year. And then my mom heard online that this year would be different.

I was skeptical. I mean, we always hoped each year would be like the first - that this would be the visit when we'd once again be blown away. But as each new spring came, it didn't happen, and I was afraid to get too eager for something that might never come to pass again.

Still, as we got closer to our destination this past Saturday, we noticed that more lupines were blooming along the sides of the road than in recent years. Just little patches, but I began to think that maybe, just maybe, this year really would be better.

And we rounded the corner, and there they were... The purple carpets. The "royal waterfall," as I referred to them in Bleeding Heart. Maybe my mind didn't explode right away with the wonder of it like that very first time, but as we drove near the patches and finally got out of the car to take pictures and walk among the blooms, I was thrilled by the volume - the grandeur that I had been so hoping to see every time we returned.

My mom explained to me the probable cause of it - and it struck me as a lesson very pertinent to this season of my life.

Life Lesson: In order to see growth and multiplied blessings, sometimes you have to go through fire and seasons of waiting.

I suppose this isn't overly profound (in the sense that it's a very commonly heard saying), but it struck me afresh on this outing. My mom noted that they had burned the area a couple/few years back, I believe. So we experienced years of less blooms. And the disappointment grew with each passing year that demonstrated little change. But the fire, the tending, the time - all contributed to making this year more spectacular than ever, fulfilling a long-held hope.

Life Lesson: Blessings do come, and true hope won't end up disappointed.

I won't say that things like blossoming lupines will always come to pass at some point. I guess what I am saying is this experience reminded me that God does abundantly bless us, care for us, and bring about His good purpose in His right time.

We glory in tribulation also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; and patience, experience; and experience, hope: and hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.

 Romans 5:3-5

Life Lesson: The magnitude of a blessing - whether seemingly "big" or "small" - doesn't change the fact that it's a blessing.

I currently feel like I'm at a crossroads, where a huge dream lies just beyond my grasp, and the alternative scares me because it feels "less" and unimportant and monotonous. I'm afraid to hope - to open myself up to being badly crushed. And I'm afraid not to hope - to face new seasons of fire and waiting without knowing when they might end. I have no idea if this next step is going to be a time of glorious blooming or a time of continued preparation. Perhaps I shouldn't make those two ideas mutually exclusive, though. Because, as the last few very enjoyable lupine outings have reminded me, the number of the blooms (or lack thereof) couldn't take away the joy of the experience unless I let it.

My mom and I were unexpectedly blessed this year with the purple carpets we had so longed to see. I'm grateful for the reminder that trials that bring growth eventually bring rewards. And I'm thankful for the fact that God is merciful and loving, blessing us in all sorts of ways - even in something so "small" as a day among the lupines.

Following and Shining the Light: A Devotional

Watching The Croods for the first time with my family was an unexpected delight. When my sister said she enjoyed seeing it with others, and we settled in to watch it all together after she received the DVD as an Easter gift, I wasn't sure what to think. I mean, the title and the little I'd assumed about the premise of the story made me think I was in for something ridiculous, silly, and probably crude. But from the menu clips and the Owl City song playing along with them, I suddenly became intrigued. And as the story unfolded, I became entranced.

Sure, there were silly moments. But I loved them. I laughed so much, and I was absolutely touched by the surprising depth - and yet, simplicity - of the theme. Follow the light. Don't be afraid to face the unknown in order to follow the light. Don't hide or remain in the darkness. Ride the sun into tomorrow.

There was so much symbolism throughout the movie with fire, starlight, and sunlight. The characters respected and utilized the daylight from the beginning, but they grew to understand it more - to love it and embrace it and strive after it. What was once just a background element of existence became a hope and a reason to live.

In a similar way, God is the reason we exist - the reason the world is sustained and life goes on. But there's a difference between being in mere existence and being truly alive. As Eep notes in the movie regarding her family's cave-dwelling existence: "That wasn't living. That was just...not dying. There's a difference."

As I've posted about for several Easters in a row, Jesus came to give us life - eternal life, which is defined as knowing God (John 17:3; see also 2 Corinthians 4:6). Psalm 36:9 says, "For with thee is the fountain of life: in thy light shall we see light." In Jesus we find that Light we are supposed to follow, the Light that beckons us from our caves of ignorance and fear and draws us out into grace and challenging but rewarding journeys.

As we walk in the Light, we don't understand it all at once. Like the Croods, we're initially, simply in awe of the "baby sun" and the "fire babies," then eventually overwhelmed by the millions of suns in the night sky, and finally blown away by the glorious sun that beckons us into tomorrow. In other words, when we're following the Light, Jesus reveals more and more of Himself to us as we long for Him, and He gives us the hope of His presence in and through the hardships. We learn that...

The path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day.

Proverbs 4:18

Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ.

Philippians 1:6

In Cats Are Part of His Kingdom, Too by Cindy Vincent (currently on tour through May 8th), there are two devotions titled "He Leads Us to a Better Place" and "Let Your Light Shine." In the former, Cindy talks about moving - how cats can be frightened by the process but then come to love their new home. Cindy compares the experience with the ordeals we endure in life when we follow the Light...

Sometimes these ordeals seem like too much to bear, and sometimes it feels like we can't withstand another minute. But in the end...we often find ourselves in an even better place then we were before. The key is to trust in God, and know that He is leading us down the path to a better place... (p. 63)

And in the latter devotion, Cindy talks about bringing smiles to others while in a pet store, concluding...

Sometimes God puts things in our path that just makes us smile. For being a Christian isn't all about simply enduring and surviving. No, being a Christian is also about being in joy and faith, and knowing that God is in your corner. (p. 67)

Yes, we may feel less safe at times when we step out of hiding and face what is unknown to us. But the truth and the greatest comfort is knowing and believing that God knows, for everything is clear in the Light of the Son. If we bask in the Light, trusting in the Lord and acknowledging Him in every step, we gain direction and confidence (Proverbs 3:5-6). And as terrifying as it may seem at first to our unaccustomed eyes, we may be surprised by the joy we discover (see John 15:11).

I think that's one thing that struck me about The Croods - the honesty and hope and humor that came with following the light and seeking tomorrow. The characters' world changed drastically, but the fellowship of the journey and the hope of their goal made the story a "light"-hearted one that I fell in love with.

As my own life feels a little uncertain and a lot scary, comfort comes in knowing that - undeserved a gift as it is - the Son is with me. And though I've faltered and cried, I can sing along with this song from the movie...

No one can stop what has begun -

you must believe when I say

all of your tears will dry faster in the sun.

Starting today,

shine, shine, shine,

shine your way.

Grab your FREE Kindle copy of Cats Are Part of His Kingdom, Too now through May 6, 2014!

The blog tour for the book continues... Learn more on the tour page!

(Movie images from The Croods Facebook page. Music video from YouTube.)

Launch of the Cats Are Part of His Kingdom, Too Blog Tour!

On this, the U.S. National Day of Prayer, we begin a very special blog tour. Cats Are Part of His Kingdom, Too is a devotional book designed to remind you of the behind-the-scenes ways God is at work in your life. Through anecdotes from Cindy Vincent's experiences as a cat "Mom" and related Scripture, the thirty-three devotions offer encouragement and comfort. You'll get an opportunity to read the book for yourself via a Kindle freebie promotion - and by sharing your honest review, you'll have the chance to enter to win some very sweet prizes. So come be inspired during this week full of great offers, reviews, spotlights, interviews, and blogger devotionals!

The Schedule

Thursday, May 1st

• Introduction to the tour at Seasons of Humility ←You are here! 
• Spotlight at Black 'n Gold Girl's Book Spot

Friday, May 2nd 

• Review at Grace Thorson
• Cat interview at Buckley's Blog
• Spotlight at The Writer's Window

Saturday, May 3rd

• Author interview at The Wonderings of One Person 
• Devotional at Seasons of Humility

Sunday, May 4th

• Review at Jorie Loves a Story
• Review at The Power of Words...
• Devotional at The Borrowed Book

Monday, May 5th

• Review at The Borrowed Book
• Pet interview on May the K9 Spy's Facebook Page
• Author interview at The Power of Words...

Tuesday, May 6th 

• Author interview at Fictionally
• Author interview at Jorie Loves a Story
• Spotlight at Too Read or Not Too Read

Wednesday, May 7th

• Review at Bluerose's Heart
• Spotlight at A BookLover's Heart

Thursday, May 8th

• Review at Mochas, Mysteries and Meows
• Review at Labor Not in Vain
• Review at To Be A Person
• Conclusion of the tour at Seasons of Humility*

*Giveaway winners will be announced on June 2nd, in order to give readers a month in which to read the book, submit their reviews, and enter the giveaway.

As crazy and stubborn as he is, Muffin Man is a well-loved member of his family, just like the cats in Cindy's book.

The Giveaway

This giveaway, like the tour, is a special one - and a little different from the usual set-up! To enter, all you have to do is leave an honest review of Cats Are Part of His Kingdom, Too on  Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and/or Goodreads (it can be the same review on all three sites!). Then share the link(s) via the Rafflecopter form below, and you'll be entered for a chance to win a Swarovski cross necklace (valued at $130) or a set of the Buckley & Bogey Cat Detective Capers (one of which was featured here back in December)!

To make this giveaway even easier to participate in, check out these tidbits:

1. The book will be FREE for Kindle May 2-6 (starting tomorrow and ending next Tuesday night)! You can pick up your copy HERE. (Regularly priced at $2.99.)


2. The giveaway will be open throughout the month of May. The tour only lasts a week, but the giveaway will stay open the whole month so you have plenty of time to read this short but sweet read and submit your entries!

You can come back to this post or visit the blog tour page to enter when you're ready!

a Rafflecopter giveaway
If you have any questions about the tour, or if you'd like to link up your own devotional or review of Cats Are Part of His Kingdom, Too, please email me at amberstokes@editingthroughtheseasons.com. And if you'd like to learn more about the book or help us spread the word by taking a blog button, you can visit the blog tour page (also linked to at the top of the sidebar). We hope you are touched and encouraged by this devotional and the posts for this tour!

Easter and Eternal Life

Yes, for the third year in a row, I'm posting the same devotional for Easter. This post was inspired by my love of the movie Tuck Everlasting and my professor's comments in Johannine Theology class my last year of college at Corban. I hope that, despite the repetition, the discussion/encouragement might bless old and new readers alike. :) (And I do hope to share a new devotional for the Cats Are Part of His Kingdom, Too blog tour in May!)

This Easter will be different... Not away at college, and not with every member of my immediate family present as before. But the hope of eternal life is a comfort, and we plan to still gather together for a day of happy family celebration. Happy Easter to you and yours, dear friends!

***

What is eternal life?

I recently explored this topic in a paper for my Johannine Theology class (a class studying the theology presented in the books of John, 1 John, 2 John, 3 John, and Revelation). In Sunday School as children, and perhaps even in certain contexts as adults, we are taught that eternal life is that which will begin after we die and go to heaven.

When Jesus prayed for His disciples before being arrested and crucified, He said, "And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent" (John 17:3). And at an earlier time He declared, "I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep" (John 10:10b-11).

At Easter we celebrate the Resurrection of Jesus - that incredible, powerful reality that allows us to claim eternal life through faith.

So again, remembering and considering the Resurrection of Christ, what is the eternal life that God has offered us?

I think the movie Tuck Everlasting gives us a picture of what eternal life is not - as well as a beautiful hint at what eternal life is.

Tuck Everlasting is about a girl who meets the Tucks - a family who inadvertently found a spring that gave them immortal life when they drank from it. But while their way of life is unhurried and leisurely, and they don't have to worry about disease or death, they aren't exactly happy. Angus Tuck says at one point, "What we Tucks have you can't call livin'."

And it isn't living. The point of eternal life is not endless days. The point, as Jesus Himself declared, is a relationship with God:

"And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent" (John 17:3).

Eternal life isn't endless, meaningless days without God. That is hell. "Eternal life" here on earth is not what we truly desire or need. True eternal life begins when we believe in God - and it continues on through eternity, beyond death.

The glimpse of this in Tuck Everlasting is found in the line, "Do not fear death. Fear the unlived life." It's a great reminder of the message of 1 Corinthians 15:54-57...

"So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory.

O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?

The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law. 

But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ."

So if you are saved through the grace of God, through faith in Jesus, may today's (and every) remembrance of the empty tomb thrill you with the knowledge of the eternal life with the Lord that you have already begun.

"Do not fear death. Fear the unlived life."

(Movie image from tribute.ca. This devotional was originally posted HERE on April 8, 2012, then re-posted HERE on March 31, 2013.)

New Every Morning ~ Welcoming 2014

I'm the type of person who adores new beginnings. I love changing the calendar to a new month, turning to a fresh page in my planner, starting up a new blog, creating a list of goals for a new year. (Of course, I'm also the type of person who likes my books to be in neat, perfectly aligned stacks, and who straightens up my bed covers after someone's done sitting on the bed...) So I take the start of a new year rather seriously.

God blessed me tremendously in 2013 with the friendships and support necessary to finish writing my second manuscript, publish my first novel in both e-book and paperback formats, edit my first manuscript, officially start up my freelance editing & publicity business with actual clients, obtain my driver's license, and make my first solo road trip. But while it was a year full of wonderful joys, it was also a year full of very painful things: my grandpa's declining health (including a prolonged stay at the hospital and in rehab), stressful and hurtful family issues, and the loss of my godfather and my grandma.

To be honest, 2014 feels a little scary. We're selling my grandparents' house, which has been my "second home" since childhood. My grandpa might go to a home where he can get 24/7 professional care and assistance. I agreed to look for part-time work outside of the house to supplement my income for my business and writing, and also to see the world outside of my bedroom (an exciting but frightening prospect!). I have some happy publishing goals which I would love to meet, but otherwise, I'm just not sure what the year ahead will bring. I'm worried that a lot will change, and that the changes will continue to be hard for all of us. But I'm also worried that a lot won't change, because I realize that changes do need to be made, in my own life and for my family.

So here I am, at the threshold of a new year. While I've prepared some things - made a list of publishing goals, put up the new calendar, bought a 2014 planner, etc. - I feel like there are a lot more things I could have done to get myself ready to face the coming days. Yet the unknown remains. The difficult issues still have to be dealt with; they don't go away when the old year passes.

I can't look at the whole year ahead. It's too much pressure. While I appreciate the magnitude of the "newness," I need the mercy of new beginnings in a smaller size...

And thou hast removed my soul far off from peace: I forgat prosperity. And I said, My strength and my hope is perished from the Lord: remembering mine affliction and my misery, the wormwood and the gall. My soul hath them still in remembrance, and is humbled in me. This I recall to my mind, therefore have I hope. It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.

Lamentations 3:17-23

God's mercies, His compassions, are new every morning. Every morning. 

I'll always love a new month, a new year. And I need a big-picture perspective - but a year isn't it. I need a perspective as big as eternity: Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever (Psalm 23:6). But in that, I also need a perspective as small as a day, a moment, knowing that God is with me through every step. 

My favorite devotional book (Safe in the Shepherd's Arms: Hope and Encouragement from Psalm 23 by Max Lucado) puts it this way:

God isn't behind me, yelling, "Go!" He is ahead of me, bidding "Come!" He is in front, clearing the path, cutting the brush, showing the way. Just before the curve, he says, "Turn here." Prior to the rise, he motions, "Step up here." Standing next to the rocks, he warns, "Watch your step here." 

He leads us. He tells us what we need to know when we need to know it.

....

The discovery of David is indeed the message of Scripture - the Lord is with us. And since the Lord is near, everything is different. Everything!....

You may feel alone in the wilderness, but you are not. He is with you.

You and I are not alone in the wilderness of the year, in the crazy hills and valleys and curves of our day-to-day lives. His mercies are new every morning. I don't need to wait until the start of a new month or a new year to claim the refreshing of His mercies and grace. I don't need to feel like I've blown the whole week or the whole year if the transition was shaky or I wasn't fully prepared. Because the truth is, as many plans as I make and as many goals as I set, I just don't know what's coming. A man's heart deviseth his way: but the Lord directeth his steps (Proverbs 16:9). We have to plan ahead, yes, but we have to trust that God's will prevails, and that His will is good and holy in light of eternity. And sometimes - perhaps much of the time - we have to take one day at a time, one step at a time, and trust that God is at work.

We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed.... Though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.

2 Corinthians 4:8-9, 16b-17

The "weight" of our hope for eternity isn't heavy. Jesus offers us a light burden (Matthew 11:30). So in the year ahead, I'll try not to take the change of the calendar too seriously. Instead, I'll continue on this all-important but grace-filled journey of trusting God's eternal perspective, and believing that He is still with me in each little step, offering new mercies every morning for the sake of His glory.

(Pictures taken at Lady Bird Johnson Grove, Summer 2013.)

Campfire: Third Evening

Tonight I've set up an outdoor projector screen so that we can enjoy a movie while we snack on our s'mores and some popcorn! I "previewed" the movie yesterday in anticipation of talking about it tonight. For all you Disney fans out there, we're watching Brother Bear!

(In lieu of posting the whole movie on here, which probably isn't allowed anyway, I'm just going to share a YouTube video I found of a scene that shows the joy of relationships. Enjoy!)



Humility and Relationships

Brother Bear has a lot to say about familial relationships - whether it's blood-related family or love-related family. The three human brothers (Kenai, Denahi, and Sitka) all have different strengths and were given different ways in which they specifically needed to grow in order to become men. In order for there to be harmony and unity between the brothers, appreciation of their differences and a dose of humility are necessary.

Humility, you ask?

Well, Sitka is the eldest, and as such he is supposed to help guide his brothers. But all leaders need to be humble, and it is often shown in their interactions that Sitka doesn't choose to act high and mighty, but instead listens to his brothers, laughs at their antics when they are harmless, and helps them without the need to make himself look good.

Denahi is supposed to be wise. At the beginning of the movie, he often isn't. He mercilessly teases Kenai at times, suggests that he blames Kenai when Sitka dies, and then decides to seek revenge. And yet, he learns from his journey. In order to reconcile with his brother and with his future, he has to be humble enough to realize his errors - and humble enough to share the story with his village later on in his life.

Kenai has a long way to go to learn how to love when the movie first starts. He scoffs at his totem - "the bear of love." He thinks that real men don't need love - they need something much more "manly" like "bravery," "strength," or "greatness." But throughout the movie he realizes how important and powerful love really is. Love, too, requires humility. Kenai had to be humble enough to accept responsibility for his actions, to be open with Koda about his sin, and to choose to sacrifice for another rather than seek his own way. (Jesus Himself gave us the ultimate example of humility in love: "And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient to death, even the death on a cross. Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him..." ~ Philippians 2:8-9a)

No matter what position we have been placed in within our family or in our other relationships, humility can help us draw closer to one another. But it all has to start with being humble before our Lord, as our relationship with God is the most important relationship we can have, and it determines how we choose to act in our relationships with others.

Easier said than done, right? This is something I really have to work on! But I hope that on this blog we can remind one another of the value of humility and encourage one another to strive to be more humble. It's a journey, and I'm so glad that you are willing to share it with me!

(You can read more of my thoughts on the movie Brother Bear HERE.)

Campfire: Second Evening

It's been a long (but hopefully rewarding!) day - so let's relax around the campfire with a thermos of hot chocolate (complete with mini marshmallows) and some more s'mores.

Did you enjoy the fishing today? How many of you actually caught fish? And if you didn't, did you still enjoy the experience??

We're going to continue the fishing theme with our devotional tonight. What does fishing have to do with humility? - you might ask...

Well, plenty, if you can't catch any fish! ;)

But seriously, let's consider a story about a fishing miracle:

Humility and Miracles

When you think of fishing in the Bible, do the gospels come to mind? Some of the disciples had been fishermen before Jesus found them, and were still found fishing even after Jesus died and rose from the dead. Consider the account in John 21, when some of the disciples went out fishing, but "that night they caught nothing" (v. 3). In the morning Jesus called out to them and asked, "Children, have ye any meat?" And they responded, "No" (v. 5). So Jesus told them to "cast the net on the right side of the ship, and ye shall find" - and "they were not able to draw it for the multitude of fishes" (v. 6).

The disciples had to admit that they had "failed." They hadn't caught any fish. Having spent hours at a time fishing with my family, I know that it really is disappointing when the fish aren't biting. It's humiliating to go out of your way to catch fish and then not catch any! And to think - we fish for pleasure. While fishing might have been "pleasant" in some sense to those disciples, I'm pretty sure that catching fish meant much more to them. It meant food. For some, it meant a livelihood and a way to provide for their families. So I'm guessing a night of catching nothing was not something to be proud of.

The disciples had to experience what it was like going a whole night without catching fish to truly experience the miracle of catching a ton of fish (153 fish, according to v. 11). Why?

The humbling thing about miracles is that they don't occur because of our own strength or genius or prowess. They occur because of God's power and goodness and love. They occur in order to bring God glory. Not us, but God.

About a year and a half ago I wrote about my very own Christmas miracle - the almost-horrible trip home for Christmas break that turned into an amazing testimony of God's provision. I met a friend who kept me company during the long wait at the San Francisco airport, helped us get a ride back to our hometown when our flight was cancelled, and watched out for me to make sure I was alright. The long delays, the flight cancellation, the late-night drive with virtual strangers... Nothing I could do was going to change the fact that I was not going to be able to fly home that day, nor the fact that unless someone reached out to me and helped me along, I was clueless. The miracle didn't point to my own intelligence or abilities. It pointed to God's mercy and the blessings of friendship that He gives us.

Your Turn!

Can you think of any other connections between fishing and humility? (Feel free to be creative and stretch the connections a bit!) Do you have any miracle stories that you can share with the rest of us that can remind us of how amazing God is?

Campfire: First Evening

Tonight we're having a barbecue along with our campfire - so feel free to help yourself to some steaks or hamburgers or veggie burgers while we get the fire going. Renee brought marshmallows, and there are some graham crackers and chocolate bars over at the picnic table. I won't say anything if you choose to have dessert first. ;) I know this is a bit of a late start to the evening for those of you not living on the West Coast, but I hope you'll still enjoy the refreshments!

Earlier today I attended a Memorial Day service at a local cemetery. This year's service was especially moving, as the group the Avenue of the Flags was dedicated to was none other than our local branch of the Honor Flights program. (I interviewed Vince's sister a year and a half ago regarding her experiences working with this program - you can read more about that HERE.) The determination and dedication given to make sure our veterans get to see the war memorials in Washington D.C. is so admirable and beautiful. My own grandpa, who served in the Korean War, even got the chance to go last year.

I'll pass around some pictures of today's service while I prepare to tell you a story:

The story I want to share tonight isn't actually from today's service, though. It's actually from last year's Memorial Day service. My grandpa was the main speaker, and I was supposed to sing the song "This is My Son" along to the music from the CD "Don't Believe" by the bluegrass band Cherryholmes.

Everything started off great. I sat next to my grandpa on the platform, and I listened to him do a great job giving the speech he had been practicing over and over. At the end of his speech my sister was supposed to read a poem by one of my grandpa's friends who had recently passed away, but I ended up reading it instead. His testimony seemed to really bless the people in the audience, and they gave him a standing ovation. It was a powerful moment.

And then the man overseeing the ceremony turned to the man who was going to play the bagpipes and asked him to begin. But wait... What about my song?? I tried to make eye contact with the man in charge, but it didn't work. I had been forgotten, and the ceremony concluded without me singing a note.

As everyone mingled after the ceremony, I was eager to leave. Yes, I was proud of my grandpa, and nothing was going to change that. But I was also hurt and embarrassed, and I didn't want anyone to see my shame. My name and the name of the song I was going to sing had been written in the program, but still I had been overlooked. (As a side note, the man in charge apologized and was very kind about the whole thing!)

The whole way home I sulked in the car, huddled into myself and my own hurt. But when we got to the house, I spent some time outside thinking and talking with God - and God showed me that the way things turned out had more important things to teach me about humility than if things had turned out the way I had planned.

You see, my poor attitude was because I was embarrassed. I had been overlooked and forgotten, in my opinion. I felt short-changed. But that Memorial Day service wasn't about me. Sure, I think the words of that beautiful song by Cherryholmes could have blessed the audience. But they had already been blessed by my grandpa's story and his service to our country. And I shouldn't have let my embarrassment keep me from wholeheartedly sharing in the honoring of my grandpa and others who had served in the U.S. military.

In a twist of wonderful irony, the last line of the poem by my grandpa's friend that I read went like this:

"This once proud ship will sail no more."

When that realization hit me - how those words tied into what I needed to learn from the experience - I laughed. My "proud ship" really needed to stop sailing!

Oh, laughter really can be such good medicine! =) How can you stay angry and hurt when you can honestly laugh at your own folly and rejoice in the goodness of God?

As the author of Ecclesiastes noted, there is "a time to weep, and a time to laugh" (3:4a).

So now I'll open up the sharing time! Is there anyone else who has had to learn some lessons about humility the hard way? (Really, is there any other way than the hard way??)

"He that refuseth instruction despiseth his own soul: but he that heareth reproof getteth understanding. The fear of the Lord is the instruction of wisdom; and before honour is humility."

~ Proverbs 15:32-33 ~

Sundays through the Seasons

Happy April! With a new month comes a few new changes:

I've deleted my "Mondays for the Military" page. This is not to say that I will never have "Mondays for the Military" posts again - this is just an acknowledgement of the fact that this isn't (nor has it been for quite a while) a regular feature anymore. But if you ever want to read those posts from the past, just scroll down to the "Labels: From Days Gone By" section in the sidebar and click the "Mondays for the Military" link.

Speedbo 2012 - the month-of-March-long endeavor - is now officially over. You might be wondering how I did... Well, I can tell you that I didn't finish my current WIP. However, I did log 7,500 words! It may not seem like much, but it's progress nonetheless. After the first couple of weeks I got sidetracked by life and such, and I wasn't sure exactly where to go with my manuscript after writing a critical scene. But yesterday I found some Scripture verses that helped me organize my WIP and give me a general idea of where I might go from here - a blessing indeed! April won't bring much writing time. As my last month of classes, it's going to be papers, tests, and community service hours - oh my!! But summer's right around the corner, so hopefully you'll see some more green on that progress meter I'm keeping in the sidebar soon!

Also, some of you may recall my past "Sundays by the Sea" devotional posts. Today I'm launching a new devotional series: "Sundays through the Seasons." I'd like to do more devotional posts again, and I think this seasonal theme should go nicely with my blog's overall theme and leave plenty of topic ideas open. Hope these posts encourage you! The first devotional in this series is below:

"Love Makes Us Real"

What better movie to watch during spring break (or any time during the spring season) than one about a cute stuffed bunny who ends up becoming a real rabbit? Yes, my family and I watched The Velveteen Rabbit (two different versions, actually - an animated one and the one directed by Michael Landon Jr.) this last week.

Shared in sweet simplicity, this story about a boy and his toy is a beautiful story about the transforming power of love. Here is a stuffed bunny who's future stretches before him bleak and hop-less. He can't do anything on his own. He needs a young boy to imagine him to life - and he lives in fear of being abandoned and unloved one day.

Over time the boy comes to love the velveteen rabbit as he plays with him and takes the rabbit everywhere he goes. In the animated version, it is the boy's love that changes the stuffed rabbit into a real rabbit. In Michael Landon Jr.'s version, it is the rabbit's love for the boy (in addition to the boy's love) that finally changes him. Combined, the message declares that loving relationships are what make us truly "real." The Velveteen Rabbit is a helpful and heartwarming visual of the message of 1 Corinthians:

Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.

And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I can remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing.

And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing.

(Verses 1-3; emphasis mine)

The velveteen rabbit is burned (or supposed to be burned) along with the other items the boy touched during a case of small pox, in order to get rid of anything that might recontaminate the boy or others. But the bunny comforted the boy during his illness and showed him love, and so his trial through fire, so to speak, finds him transformed into a real rabbit - safe, with a new life.

But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away....

For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.

(1 Corinthians 13:10, 12)

The velveteen rabbit discovered just how amazing being loved and loving can be. He was once just a stuffed rabbit - but then, because of love, he became real.

This Easter (and in every season), the story of the velveteen rabbit serves as a great reminder of the love that sets us free and gives us new life - a real life in which we love others because we were first loved by God.

(Velveteen Rabbit movie cover image from MichaelLandonJr.com.)

Self-Worth: A Cautionary Tale

How do you define your self-worth?

The answer is a simple one for a Christian, in theory: God. He's the One whose love and grace gives us worth and our lives meaning.

And yet as we talked about self-worth and self-esteem in my Personality Theory class today, I realized that I don't always live that way. We read and discussed an article about the various contingencies of self-worth (i.e.: finding our value through different avenues). This includes everything from academics to our appearance. When we determine our value through those factors, then we tend to interpret our successes and our failures as adding to or detracting from our worth as a person.

This can also include writing. The article mentioned that if we find our self-worth through a certain avenue and then we are criticized in it, we shut down and do our best to avoid the criticism or make excuses. Why? Because when we find our self-worth in something besides God, then any perceived "failure" on our parts will make us feel like we have little value.

And I am guilty of acting in this way. I really strongly dislike criticism and do my best to avoid it or ignore it. But you want to know something? Authors are supposed to thrive on criticism and editing!

I react in revulsion. If I ask for a critique, what I'm really asking for is validation and a pat on the back. I just want others to tell me that I'm brilliant and I'm definitely heading in the right direction. It's sad, but true. And I'm the same way with academics - I often put a lot more emphasis on grades than on actual learning.

But if we really truly believe that our worth is found in God alone - in His unconditional love and His purpose for our lives - then criticism isn't something to fear. We don't have to be in competition with others or be the very best at something in order to have value.

Does that mean we simply don't try to succeed, though? Not at all! Yet success is redefined when we strive for an eternal perspective. And no matter whether we fail or succeed, God is at work, He should be glorified, and we should be at rest knowing that His love never changes. If He wants me to write a book, then I should weigh advice, give it my all, and forget comparing myself to others (in their writing speed, awards, publication, etc.).

And one more thing: the article addresses an "antidote" for all the issues surrounding the self-esteem issue. The antidote is to focus on others and to be a part of something bigger than yourself. And that's just what loving and serving God is - being a part of God's eternal plan as He calls us to love and serve others and to give Him the glory. Isn't it wondrous to know your worth is in the hands of a God who lovingly created you and has a purpose for your life?

From God's Word:

"But the Lord said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart."

~ I Samuel 16:7

"For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of yourself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith."
~ Romans 12:3

"And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him."
~ Colossians 3:17

"I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well."
~ Psalm 139:14

"Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man."
~ Ecclesiastes 12:13

“But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal:”
~Matthew 6:20

"And the kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchant man, seeking goodly pearls: who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had, and bought it."

~ Matthew 13:45-46

"What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's."

~I Corinthians 6:19-20

It Will Be All Right

Have you ever been so familiar with a story that even though you agonized over the trials the characters go through, you knew that things were going to turn out all right for them?

Recently I re-watched the Miramax version of Jane Austen's Emma - a darling and humorous movie which I love! But even though I've seen it several times, it still drove me crazy to see their frustrations and hurts and misunderstandings.

And then as I was watching Mr. Knightley and Emma battle their feelings near the end, I glimpsed the grand tree that serves as a background for one of the sweetest and most joyous scenes of the movie, and I was struck by a moment of profound happiness. For, you see, I knew that in just a few moments Emma and Mr. Knightley would find their bliss. Soon it would be all right!

With that realization came a grander realization - God knows our stories. He still goes through our journey with us, comforting us in our sorrows and hurting when He sees us in pain. But I believe He also rejoices in knowing all of our happy endings, and most especially our happily-ever-after as believers at home with Him in heaven!

There is much I don't understand about God and how He works, as He is far above me and His ways are not my ways (and I still have so much to learn!). But I can imagine, knowing that He is my dearest Friend and my heavenly Father, that in the moments when I'm in turmoil, unsure about what the future holds and anxious about how things can ever turn out OK, He says, "Don't worry. I know what's coming, and in the end it will be all right."

No matter where He guides us in life, if we are saved through His grace we know that He is working for our good in all things (Romans 8:28) and that in the end it will be all right.

(Picture of movie's soundtrack cover is from Amazon.com.)

Annabelle's Wish: A Journey of Love

Some stories are beautiful because of their complexity - all the thought-provoking details that come together to form a grand whole. (A great example would be The Polar Express, which we featured earlier this week.) But some stories are beautiful because of their sweet simplicity, and Annabelle's Wish is one of those stories.

The animation may not be stellar, but it's adorable. And the heartfelt message about selfless love - well, that is stellar!

This is yet another movie that my family was kind enough to watch with me again for "Christmas in July," enduring the tears that this movie inevitably causes pretty much every time we see it. ;) So now that this movie is fresh in my mind, I'd like to share with you how Annabelle's Wish portrays a journey of love:

A Journey of Love

"Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another."
~ I John 4:11

A little calf is born on Christmas Eve on a farm owned by a kind older man and his grandson - a boy who hasn't spoken since the day he almost died in a barn fire. When Santa comes and visits the animals as he does every year before leaving presents at the house, he gives the animals all the gift of being able to talk for one day. And from the moment the sweet calf Annabelle opens her mouth, she steals every heart with her enthusiasm and curiosity for life. Upon seeing Santa's reindeer and learning about their ability to fly, she is determined that one day she will fly, too.

Christmas day greets her with the possibility of a dear new friend in the young farm boy, Billy. They get along so well right from the start that Annabelle accidentally gives away the animals' secret about being able to talk. And that's when she learns that Billy can't talk. But as the narrator notes, they didn't need speech with the kind of friendship they had - the kind that's more precious than words.

Christmas is soon over, and Billy, Annabelle, and Emily (Billy's friend) all make wonderful memories over the next year. And during that time Annabelle tries her best to be good so that when Santa comes back, she can ask him for an extra special wish. But Annabelle's not the only one with a wish, and a heart for others...

Grandpa - Sacrificial Love

Billy's grandpa is a kind man who takes good care of the farm animals and loves his grandson. As he tells Billy's aunt when she tries to take Billy back to the city with her: "Billy and me - we're all each other's got."

So what is Grandpa's wish? Because he loves Billy, his wish is for Billy to have a good home, good friends, and a good life. When their neighbor, Mr. Holder, takes Annabelle away as payment for the fence Billy and Annabelle wrecked, Grandpa sells his dearest possession - his daughter's music box - in order to buy Annabelle back. To see Annabelle and Billy reunited... It's a moving and poignant scene, showing just how important their friendship is.

Grandpa's love led him to make a sacrifice for Billy. Our example of the ultimate sacrificial love comes from God - our Father who chose to send His Son to die for us so that we might be saved and live with Him forever. Sacrifices hurt, no matter how big or small, but the fulfilled wish in the life of someone else is the powerful reward of such love.

Emily - Understanding Love

Emily is Billy's best friend (along with Annabelle, of course!), and her loving heart is quite exemplary. She cares about Billy so much that she doesn't need to hear his voice to know what it is he wants. For example, after caroling on Christmas Eve, Emily starts to walk away, and it is evident Billy wants to say something to her - but he can't. At that moment Emily turns around and says, "Merry Christmas to you, too, Billy."

And after Christmas, when Emily brings over her new sled so that they can play, she suggests that Billy can be an elf. But almost instantly she changes her mind and says, "Actually, I've decided that I want to be an elf, so you're going to have to be Santa Clause. I hope that's alright with you." The look of joy and contentment in being understood is so sweet as it shines on Billy's face.

For Emily, her love shows in her understanding. Not only does she set aside her own wants, but she cares enough to really see who Billy is and desire his happiness above her own. It's no surprise that such close, selfless friends get married later on in life. Their friendship reminds me of a quote from the movie Little Women: "Your heart understood mine." What a wondrous foundation for romance! And we, too, can show understanding toward others when we realize that God truly understands us, and loves us unconditionally.

Mr. Holder - Humble Love

Mr. Holder is a proud man with a painful past. It is suggested that his wife died, and he has two boys to take care of. He believes that his boys are above all wrong, but when he discovers that this is not the case (ie: when the sheriff tells him his bullying boys were lying about the reason Annabelle "attacked" them), he is forced to swallow his pride.

He is told by the sheriff about the fact that Billy's grandpa sold his beloved daughter's music box in order to buy Annabelle. The sheriff also tells him, "You of all people should know what it's like to lose a loved one."

Yes, Mr. Holder understands. And that is why he buys the music box back and presents it to Billy's grandpa. His act of love is also one of humility. By giving Billy's grandpa the music box, he is showing that he was wrong. And sometimes we must show love to others by humbly admitting we were wrong. Love like that is difficult, but also healing and very meaningful. Knowing that God has forgiven us of so much, we can find the ability to be humble through His grace.

Annabelle's Wish

Earlier I alluded to a wish Annabelle wanted to ask of Santa. All year long she shows love to her friends and works hard to be good so that she can ask for this wish. When Santa returns the following Christmas, she approaches him and whispers her wish into his ear. In the background you can see the reindeer she longs to be like, and you can recall her dreams of flying just like them.

On Christmas morning, Annabelle is not a reindeer. But Billy has a very special package waiting for him in the Christmas tree: an empty one. Yet when he lifts it up and over his head to make sure it's empty, he clearly declares, "There's nothing in here." He can talk!

Annabelle gave up her special Christmas voice for the rest of her life so that Billy could have a voice. Billy exclaims to Annabelle, "But I thought your wish was to fly!"

Annabelle's mother replies, "To hear you talk - that was Annabelle's wish."

Such a powerful example of love! Annabelle's wish - her dream - was for her best friend, Billy. And through the years Billy never forgot her gift.

One Christmas Eve when she is old, Annabelle goes out into the snow, and Billy follows her, worried that she won't survive in the cold. But Santa finds Annabelle and tells her, "I believe someone has a wish for you." And with some Christmas magic Billy gets to see Annabelle transformed into a beautiful reindeer - with a voice and the ability to fly.

It's such a simple story of friendship, daily life, and Christmas cheer. But through its simplicity Annabelle's Wish shares a meaningful message of love that can inspire us to love others just as we have been loved.



(Note: Movie cover image is from IMDb.com, character pictures are from the Annabelle's Wish website, and the song clip is from YouTube.com.)

The Polar Express: A Journey of Faith

Some stories have a great message but don't weave it in well with the plot - simply adding it to the end like a caboose or forcing it upon the viewers like an out-of-control steam engine. Not so with The Polar Express!

One thing that has struck me every time I've seen the movie is how deep it is. The theme is complex, beautiful, and both obvious and mysterious. It's not a movie that lulls me into a cozy stupor. It's a thought-provoking movie that challenges me to make connections between all the little parts.

My family was kind enough to watch this movie with me last night in honor of "Christmas in July." ;) So now that the story is fresh in my mind, I'd like to share with you how I see The Polar Express as a journey of faith:

A Journey of Faith

"Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen."
~ Hebrews 11:1

Faith. It's what this boy longs for on Christmas Eve, and what he lacks as he waits in bed for the dreaded Christmas morning when all his doubts will be realized. Until a loud rumble announces the arrival of The Polar Express - an opportunity to put his faith to the test if he'll climb on board.

He almost doesn't, but something compels him to give this crazy ride a try. In his pocket appears a golden ticket - "a genuine ticket to ride," as the hobo later refers to these. (But I'm getting ahead of myself!) And the conductor, who is a bit obsessed with keeping to his schedule, punches the boy's ticket with a hole-puncher, forming the two letters "B" and "E" on opposite ends of the ticket.

The Train Ticket

For those of you who have already seen the movie, you'll remember that all of the children on the train have tickets. But at one point when a sweet young girl heads to the caboose to give some hot chocolate to a shy little boy, our hero finds the girl's ticket on her seat and decides to take it to her. And as he steps outside the train car, the ticket slips away into the wind.

Were you like me and curious as to why there was so much focus on the ticket? I mean, it was very cool to see the ticket's travels as it flew through a wolf pack, got snatched by an eagle, snowballed down a hill, and eventually wound up back on the train. But why show all that? Well, as with many things in this movie, I think it's an important symbol. That ticket was a gift: permission given to the girl by someone in authority to be on that train.

Isn't that, in one aspect, what salvation is? We're given a gift - permission to be on God's train, so to speak - that could only come from someone in authority, and it's something we can show to prove that we do indeed have a right to be on the train (through God's grace and calling).

So when the girl loses her ticket, it's disastrous. (That's not to say that this is an exact connection and she symbolically "lost her salvation" or anything like that; I just think the tickets are meaningful symbols.) The parallel came in earlier when the hero asked the girl, "Are you sure?" (Referring to bringing the hot chocolate to the caboose.) And she didn't answer. There was doubt, and she wasn't quite confident at that point in who she was.

The Hobo

Now we come to the hobo who hitches a ride on the top of the train. I have to admit that even though the hobo is a sort of "villain" in this movie, I really like his character. He adds a lot of mystery to the plot, because even though he encourages the boy to doubt Santa (and all that Christmas stands for), he also saves the boy and his friends on a couple of occasions. So who exactly is he? A ghost, as he himself suggests? An angel - or perhaps the devil?

I confess that I have a terrible time trying to define him. But when I stop trying to put him into a preconceived box, I realize that he is an important part of the journey. He is helpful in that he challenges the boy. He physically "saves" our hero a couple of times, paralleling the fact that he "saves" the boy from borrowing someone else's faith or having a false faith. He makes the boy question whether it is all a dream - whether this journey and its destination are real or not. He calls him a "scrooge" and a "doubter," and later on when the boy is trying to hear the sounds of the bell, he first hears the word "doubt" echoing instead.

Our own faith can't be something that we borrow from someone else, be it family, friend, teacher, or anyone else. And if it is to be a true and personal faith, it has to be something that lasts through trials and stands through doubts, questions, and worries.

Gifts

I love how timing plays a role throughout this movie. As mentioned earlier, the conductor is constantly worried about being late as he tries to keep the train running on schedule. But despite all of the obstacles (the roller coaster-type ride, slipping over the ice-covered tracks, etc.), they make it to the North Pole right on time (5 minutes to midnight). And when the hero, the girl, and the shy boy end up getting separated from the rest, it remains 5 minutes to midnight until they are returned. (Gotta love that North Pole clock!)

During that time of separation, our three friends end up crossing a sort of "bridge of faith" (more so for the hero, who can't hear the bells at that point and has to trust the girl's sense of direction) and find themselves in the gift department. That's when the shy boy (Billy) comes across a gift addressed to him.

But on that gift is a sticker that reads, "Do not open until Christmas." I'm sure many of us are familiar with that idea - you have to be patient and wait until Christmas day to open your gifts, even if they're beckoning to you from under the Christmas tree, within your reach.

Isn't it wonderful, though, when you finally get to open the gift surrounded by friends and family, listening to Christmas music and sitting by the lovely Christmas tree? That's when it's just right to open the gift.

Just like our Christmas gifts, God has so many good gifts for us. And how many of them have stickers on their wrapping telling us to wait until God's perfect timing to open them? I confess that this is something I have a very difficult time with - I'm not a patient person! Yet, God's timing is always perfect, and just like the elf tells Billy to trust him with Billy's gift, so we must trust that God will give us the gifts He has planned for us when the time is right. They are safe in His hands.

Believe

While I was hopeful that this was a Christian movie "in disguise," I know that isn't really the case, as evidenced by the words the conductor says near the end: "It doesn't matter where the train is going. What matters is that you choose to get on." (Not his exact phrasing, but you get the idea.) By saying that, there's the suggestion that the destination doesn't really matter, so long as you believe in something.

As a believer in the God of the Bible, I don't think that's true. I think that it really does matter where the train is going.

But despite that, I think this movie's message about belief is so eloquent. When our hero can't hear the bells, we as an audience are allowed to step into his shoes, as we can't hear the bells either. He's frustrated, hurting, aching. And when Santa finally appears, he can't even see him around the elves who are also trying to get a glimpse. He shouts, "I can't see him!"

It brings to mind the point earlier when the hobo told him, "Seeing is believing." And when the conductor later said, "Sometimes seeing is believing. And sometimes the most real things in the world are the things we can't see."

Now everything slows around him, and he watches as a bell breaks free from a harness on the sleigh and rolls towards him. He picks it up in the silence and tries to ring it, to no avail. All he hears is the echo of "doubt."

So he must make a choice. Does he believe? Does he believe that Santa is real - that Christmas with all of its joy and warmth and love is real and true? And does he believe it even when he can't see it?

In a breaking voice he finally admits, "OK. I believe. I believe. I believe." Repeating it over and over until Santa approaches him. Then he is chosen as the child who gets the first gift of Christmas. And he chooses the bell - the symbol of his faith.

When his ticket is punched again after this journey is complete, the missing letters are filled in to spell "BELIEVE." But when he gets on the train he realizes that he put the bell in the robe pocket with the hole in it. The bell fell out at some point. So now that his visible symbol of faith is gone, will he still believe?

Throughout the rest of Christmas Eve and onward, I think it is evident that he ultimately does. He eventually gets his bell back, but he knows that it is just a symbol. Its ringing reminds him that he still holds onto faith, even when he grows up.

And so our own faith is like that bell. Its sweet music of hope is our assurance, and our friendship with our Lord through faith is our evidence in the things we cannot yet see. Just like Santa tells Billy: "Friendship is the greatest gift."



(Note: Movie cover image is from IMDb.com, movie photos are from The Polar Express website, and the song clip is from YouTube.com.)