Jolly Ol' Soul

There is a very long line tonight at the mall. Screaming children dressed in their best waiting for a chance to wish on the lap of the Jolly fat man. He never really does look Jolly, does he?

The parents don't either.

Oh, I've done it...more than once. We tend to skip the line nowadays.

We still tell our children about Santa, but we focus more on the Birth of Jesus. I've heard from many people that we are taking away our little ones imagination. "They" have obviously never witnessed the murals on my walls made out of spaghetti sauce, or the things we find halfway flushed down the toilet. There is an abundance of imagination at the Swaringen house. Trust.me.folks.

What I hope you won't find in our home this year is an overabundance of stuff.

Why is it that tend to find "things" we NEED this time of the year?

The Lord has put it on my heart to live with less. I have found so much JOY freeing myself of things that I don't NEED.

Praying for our children to follow suite.

I am working on a short list of things that I feel I need. It's really not so short. I'm not sure I will ever learn.

You know, Paul only needed food and clothes. Look at the life of Paul.

I want to be more like Paul. Paul with an iphone (it's on my list) dont' judge!

Fulfilment doesn't come in a package. And friends, IT NEVER WILL.

We need to stop looking for it in a store because...

 There is no line for the cross. No waiting in with our ugly screaming lives that we dress up everyday.

There is room for everyone at the feet of Jesus.

Room and fulfillment.

And forgiveness.

May the thing you find you NEED this Christmas be only wrapped in swaddling cloth.

Love,
Erica
עִמָּנוּאֵל -Immanuel With Us God

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EdLwZCprtkI