Man, I thought for sure I was going to escape illness this Christmas.

I usually get sick because I work too hard, don't take enough time off or stay up too late.  I thought I had passed through the holiday fire unscathed.  While I watched person after person get picked off with illness this fall, I stayed healthy.  Until now.  

This morning when I woke up, my voice was several thousand feet below its usual elevation, and when I finished the final service, I was ready to go to bed (sorry if I talked to you today and looked like I was paying zero attention.  I kind of wasn't. My brain resembled fried bananas.) 

I keep thinking I can beat the system.  Nope.  Natural law – don't get enough sleep and go too hard – pay for it.  I've been pretty good at staying in balance, but the last two months I've pushed the limits. 

So today I'm thinking of 2 Chronicles 36.20-21.  God had earlier told his people to rest…even to give the land rest.  They ignored him.  So he shut down their nation for 70 years.  One way or another, rest happened. 

God kind of gives us a choice.  You choose to do limit yourself voluntarily on the front end, or the limits will come involuntarily on the back end.

Lesson learned. Again.

Think I'll go to be early tonight.

Hey all.  Something powerful happened 2000 years ago.  Earthshaking.  History shattering.

Enjoy it, explore it, engage it.  Dig in.  Jesus is worth every ounce we can muster.

I'm going off line for a while, in part so I can divert more of my attention to this incredible season we're in.

Talk soon…and Merry Christmas.

I loved this verse I read this morning (from Zechariah of all places…yep, Zechariah is actually a biblical book):

The context was the building of the second temple, which by all accounts was less glorious than the first temple (which had been destroyed by invading armies).

What struck me was God's comment to not despise these small beginnings.  Our culture tells us that bigger is better, that there are short cuts, that real gratification can always be instant. 

But often things don't really work that way.  My guess is that over Christmas, you'll be on some journey that has a small beginning. 

• You are going to eat less than last Christmas. 
• You will not get engaged in the tension that usually happens when your brother-in-law shows up. 
• You bought a little less for yourself so you could give a little more to someone in need.
• You are going to have one drink less than you normally do.
• You are going to show more kindness to a friend who often doesn't show kindness to you.
• You are going to give 1% of your income away next year when this year you gave away .01%. 
• You are going to read your bible once a week rather than once a month or never.

I don't know what your small beginning is, but you'll be tempted to write it off as nothing.  No biggie.  God won't use it because it's not huge. I'm not totally transformed, therefore it wasn't worth it.

Wrong.  Obedience always starts with a single step in the right direction. 

Don't despise your small beginning.  Maybe God is rejoicing in it.