Christmas is always an interesting interruption in the usual way things go throughout the rest of the year. Still, I think it is a good change (for most people) and even a needed one. I always find myself in odd seasonally inspired moods, sometimes very pensive and then suddenly remarkably blissful with Christmas cheer. Plus there’s just a lot going on with me right now; what with figuring how to balance between multiple families, homes, and friend groups. It tends to cause conflicts, mostly internal ones, but not always. With all that, I’m very thankful to be able to spend time with my many family members and friends, feeling grateful to even have family and friends, knowing there are some people who have neither. I know that I am loved by them, and it is a nourishing thing to know.

Christmas often brings with it memories of the past, experiences I’d long forgot about and even some I hadn’t remembered at all (either because I was too young or I just have a poor memory). Whilst recollecting on days of yore and viewing old family videos, I was struck by this thought my sister recently shared with me, “it’s all like looking back on a dream of a different life that someone else lived.” A lot of times it feels that way. Was that really me? Did all that really happen? Living, it’s such a strange thing. I’m still getting used to it for the most part.

It’s odd that during this Christmas I’ve probably learned more about my family in just a few days than I have at any given period of time. There’s a lot of sadness in my family history. But when I look at how things are today, there is hope. Sometimes I still wish things had been different, but I’m at a place of acceptance, knowing the past cannot be changed. It is obvious to me that God is still invading our lives and working in remarkable ways, just as He did long ago when He came down to Earth as a human baby. For all these things, I rejoice.

If, while cooking, you follow directions in the completely wrong order, there’s a good chance you’ll end up with a disaster that no one wants to eat. Life’s kinda like that. When we see someone whose life is a mess, we’ll often say they have the wrong priorities. They are placing too much significance on the incorrect thing and it throws everything else out of order. For a Christian, it’s necessary to approach faith with order and purpose, doing the most needful things first. I came up with a list outlining what I see as the proper steps towards Godly obedience. The items on this list are in order of importance, where each step follows another in a natural progression:

-Personal time with God in prayer and worship

-The Study of God’s word in order to better understand Him, ourselves, and the world around us

-Placing oneself under solid Biblical teaching and the instruction of a spiritual mentor

-Fellowship with other believers, unity of the body in praise and worship

-Doing the acts/work of God (reaching the lost, aiding the needy, ministering to fellow saints, serving one’s family, being a faithful worker for Christ, etc.)

Every part is important, but I believe there is a necessary order of operations to be followed. Let me know what you think, whether I’m missing or need to change something and why.