Preserving Eden

Its that time of year again! You know the one. When special music, decorations, and good food make you smile. When good deeds are done, and cheer is in the air. Christmas, the season of giving. This is a favorite time of year for most people. Many enjoy giving and especially getting presents. Gift giving makes it easy to buy too much and then a little more. There are plenty of sales in the stores and online. A good deal is hard to pass up. But it is time to check our habits. Some facts 1 : Americans trash 25% more waste during the holiday season (Thanksgiving to New Year) than any other time of year totaling 25 million tons of garbage. The 2.65 billion Christmas cards sold each year in the U.S. could fill a football field 10 stories high. If each family in America wrapped just 3 presents in re-used material it would safe enough paper to cover 45,000 football fields. Those are some baffling numbers. It is easy to get carried away in the decorating, gift giving, and card sending. Bu...

The holiday season is my favorite time of year. It’s all about family, friends, good food, lots of fun, and most importantly, faith. The abundant food and thankful spirit of Thanksgiving work to remind us of all the bountiful blessings that God gives us. The songs, stories and decorations of Christmas typically brings to the imagination the reason for our faith. Despite the emphasis placed on Jesus it is quite easy to miss the reason for the season. All too often we make the mistake of Martha and focus on what needs to be done instead of imitating Mary and spending our time at the feet of Jesus. It is also easy to get distracted by the material things. Unsurprisingly we often focus too much on the material things. Make this holiday season different. Set a goal for you and your family to put Jesus first in every aspect of what you do. One great way to do this is by how you spend your money. It is easy to ask Jesus to bless your meal, or to think about him during holiday programs at chur...