A Living Christmas Tree Checklist!

This little checklist is more than a helpful hint for Christmas trees. It’s a check list for your approach and attitude toward Christ and Christmas.

Purchase a tree that will fit your home. They look a lot smaller in the outdoors. This point was driven home one year when we went to the wild, with the forest ranger’s permission, to chop down our own live tree. The perfect tree turned out to be nine feet tall and six feet wide. When I finished making it fit, it was a great looking Christmas bush. 

The size of the tree is not the only thing that needs to be checked.  Check your head size. Christmas isn't about you. It isn't about who has the biggest tree or the most decorative house. Christmas is about Christ.

There are no perfect live trees. Do not attempt to trim it to perfection. Another lesson taught from our nine foot tree. 

Despite what Hollywood portraits, there is no prefect Christmas.  The only thing perfect about Christmas is Christ.  The people you celebrate Christmas with are imperfect and you are too. Accept the fact that those that celebrate Christ birth are imperfect.  Don’t try to remake them and don’t be too hard on yourself. The dinner may not go perfect. Uncle Charlie might show up with a Rudolph nose or not show up all. The presents might not fit! 

Unless you are looking for the flaming tree effect, put live trees in a stand that allows you to water them often and water your tree. Your local fireman will thank you. 

During the holiday season and throughout the year, check your relationship with the Lord.  Water that relationship with prayer and daily time in His Word.  Many a fire of temptation can be prevented with proper watering.

Make sure the bulbs are properly fastened into the sockets before hanging lights.  Many a frustration meter has went off the chart because of a bad connection. Check the lights first and not last.

It is also wise to check your head and make sure it is screwed on straight.  People do many foolish things during the holidays. None is more foolish than spending more money than you have. The spirit of giving can be good. Don’t let it turn bad by over spending.

Hang only treasured ornaments on your tree. You are not out to impress the world with your tree. The kid’s painted ornaments are fine. Hang memories and not ornaments. 

During the Christmas season and throughout the year, do not try to impress others. The cost of impressing other is too high.  Love, respect, and acceptance are items that cannot be bought. They are given freely to those that give them freely.

Don’t let the tinsel hide the tree. It is amazing how much time and effort is given by Christmas shoppers to find the perfect Christmas tree; and then they hide it under a ton of tinsel. 

The meaning a purpose of Christmas can be lost in the tinsel of the holiday. Don’t allow Santa to overshadow the Babe in the Manger.  Allow Christ to be at the front of Christmas.

Crown you tree with a star or an angel. Both are symbols of hope. The star announced the birth of hope to the Magi. The angels proclaimed the hope of peace to be found in a babe born to a virgin. They are fitting symbols to top your tree.

Christ is our Prince of Peace. He is our hope. It stands to reason that He should be at the top of our life all year.

If you enjoy Pastor Jim's Wit and Wisdom, then you will love his book, For His Glory: A Kaleidoscope of Wisdom. Find out more and take a peek inside by Clicking Here. 

Check out these related articles: The Madness of Christmas and Is the Hassles of Life Dragging You Down?

Beware of the "More Deception"

We are a ministry of Net 153

Beware of the deception that more is better. Today’s Madison Avenue culture of more-and-more has crept into almost every area of our life. If the waiter brings a large helping of food, then it must be good food.  The bigger the house must mean better the home. The bigger the price tag the better the product. Of course all sensible people realize that this is not necessarily true. The big plate brought by the waiter can be bad food; and a bigger house does not make it a better home. Nevertheless, there remains this entrenched falsehood in our thought process and it has creep into the body of believers.

In the mist of the church failing to produce disciples and fewer people engaging in reproducing their faith, church leaders are looking to the “more” -- more services, longer worship, stronger preaching, more prayer, more super conferences, and more worship-entertainment centers for answers.

More services or more programs may not be the answer but better services and improved programs may be the answer. A twenty minute sermon that is packed full of useful material and delivered in the power of the spirit is better than any sixty minute lecture. Remember Peter preached for ten minutes and saw three thousand saved. Possibly what we need to seek is not more but better.

Perhaps our passion to “turn things around” needs to begin with an awaking to be better at the ministries we have. This can start with one simple principle found in Ephesians 5:1: “…be imitators of God, as beloved children.” The Apostle Paul made a great impact in a short period with little external help. Why? Because people saw Jesus in him! His life imitated his Lord’s life. It wasn’t more of Paul, or preaching, or programs.  It was Paul being like Jesus. The fire that needs to be kindled is “better” imitators of our Lord.  If we become better imitators of Christ, we might find that we have “more” imitators of Christ.

If you enjoy Pastor Jim's Wit and Wisdom, then you will love his book, For His Glory: A Kaleidoscope of Wisdom. Take a peek inside and find out more by CLICKING HERE.

Check out Wisdom Tidbits for snippets of biblical wisdom.

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