Where do you fall short?
This week in the Dispatch:
Some little-known Christmas facts and trivia in Quick Hits
The Law of Innocence in books!
This week’s Awesome Marriage Podcast deals with parenting
What happens when we fall short in Insights!
Some challenges and a next step to better your relationship with God and your Spouse
This Week’s Quick Hits:
Little known Christmas facts:
The image of Santa Claus flying his sleigh was created in 1819 by Washington Irving, the same author who dreamt up the “Headless Horseman.”
The Montgomery Ward department store created Rudolph the Reindeer as a marketing gimmick to encourage children to buy their Christmas coloring books.
The Christmas wreath was originally hung as a symbol of Jesus. The holly represents his crown of thorns and the red berries the blood he shed.
Christmas Trivia
What is the most popular Christmas Tree topper?
Are Santa’s reindeer male or female?
How long does it take a natural Christmas tree to grow?
Answers are below Next Steps!
Book:
The Law of Innocence by Michael Connelly
Of all the books I read this year, only six have been fiction. So for December I am going to catch up on my favorite fiction authors who published new books in 2020.
From the first Lincoln Lawyer book published in 2005 to the newest, which came out in November, I’ve really enjoyed these books. In this latest “episode,” the tables are turned on attorney Mickey Haller as he becomes the defendant in a murder trial. The evidence against him is pretty cut and dry and Haller can see himself spending the rest of his life in prison or worse. The twists and turns are exciting and the book is hard to put down. If you are looking for a fun read, this is it!
Podcasts:
In this week’s Awesome Marriage Podcast, Christina and I discuss “Parenting Tips That Have Made My Life and My Marriage Easier.” Parenting can be a daunting task and at times it’s overwhelming. In this podcast, we will talk about ways to lighten that load and improve your marriage at the same time.
Insights
So many stories in the Old Testament fascinate me. Stories about God and man; about the people God favors and their inconsistency in following Him. In the first book of Samuel, we see the people in another mess of their own doing. They have demanded an earthly king to lead them, overriding God who was already their king. Yet, as happens over and over again, God is still there.
Samuel says these words to the people: “Don’t be fearful. It’s true that you have done something very wrong. All the same, don’t turn your back on God. Worship and serve him heart and soul! Don’t chase after ghost-gods. There’s nothing to them. They can’t help you. They’re nothing but ghost-gods! God, simply because of Who He is, is not going to walk off and leave his people. God took delight in making you into His very own people.” (1 Samuel 12:20-22 MSG)
We fall short at times. It could be as a parent, a spouse, a grandparent, in your work, or with a friend. The truth is that we all fall short in the relationships that we say are the most important to us. Then there is the big one! We fall short in our relationship with God. The two people I can fall the shortest with are God and Nancy. That has never made sense to me but I cannot avoid that truth.
What about you? Where and with whom do you fall short? Our tendency often is to withdraw in those situations. We withdraw from the source of forgiveness. Yet, in the passage above, God tells us to not fear. God is still here. He says to run back to Him and not seek a temporary escape, whatever that may look like for us, because that cannot help us. Then these powerful words, “Because of Who God is, He is not going to walk off and leave His people.” Those are amazing words that play out as truth every day.
Let’s take that into marriage. Your spouse is not God and neither are you. You will both fall short. You will both need each other’s forgiveness. No matter what happens though, God will have an answer that is good for both of you. He always does. So, run to each other and not away from each other and let God take delight in making you into His very own people. It is another part of having an Awesome Marriage!
Challenge:
Where do you fall short in your relationship with God?
Where do you fall short in your relationship with your spouse?
What does “do not turn your back” mean to you in these two relationships?
Next Step:
When we fall short, we often like to find an “escape.” We don’t like to let God or our spouse down and so when we think we have, we often turn to unhealthy behaviors. Take your answers from the challenge questions above and pray for God’s wisdom in handling these times in your life in ways that bring healing to both you and the relationship.
Christmas Trivia Answers:
Angel. Early Christians used them to scare off evil spirits from their homes.
Female. Male reindeer don’t have antlers during Christmas time.
6 - 15 years. From a seedling to an 8-foot tree.
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