CHRISTMAS/NEW YEARS GREETINGS, 2015

Little girl dreaming at Macy's window in 1949.

The Cruses would like to stick our heads in with our best wishes at these last 2015 hours.

We hope your Christmas celebration was rich with family and brought all that your heart desired.

As Mike and I look back over our shoulders at the last year, we think of the many graces that the Lord has shown us.  We KNOW we don't deserve them, so it swells our  gratitude and brings tears to our eyes to think of it.

THANKFUL.  We think of God's great gifts of marriage and family, for allowing us to birth kids and then for them to marry and have grandkids that make our lives sing.  The grandgirls in Little Rock and the grandboys up here in Fayetteville give us such unbridled and enthusiastic love.

May I offer just one short Will story from last week?  He and I were in the back seat one day with Papa and Beth up front.  Not being able to contain myself, I cut my eyes over and said "Will, if you're not careful I'm gonna come over there and smother you in kisses!".  His eyes lit up and with a big grin he said "I not careful, Mimi!"

Life is good with grands.

The littles have an affinity for one another.

There were no names on tags, just character qualities for the
year.  Nate shows great perseverance in his hard work.

Hanna shows creativity, leadership, and
consideration for others.

Caroline loves and gives generously.

Lily is patient and a great Kindergarten student.

Will loves his family and is kind to others.

After the unwrap, Papa asked each grandchild "Why do we give gifts?".  Then the rest of us got a big gift as we heard their hearts.

What is it, Mimi?

Tall and short people ran through the house like banshees in a Nerf war.

NEWSWORTHY.  I guess our biggest 2015 news is that our house sold and next fall we will be residents of a retirement community in Fayetteville called Butterfield Trail Village.  Perhaps you read the story, but if not, here's the LINK.  The bulldozer showed up on 12/30 to begin construction.  

Thirty-four years ago, a group of five churches considered how to live the James verse which charges Christians to care for widows.  That's how  Butterfield was born.  Today it has grown beyond expectation to include a staff of 200 who make life easier for 400 residents on 44 acres.  

The average move-in age @BTV is 75 and neither of us can believe Mike will be 74 next March.  He may be the only resident over there who routinely climbs trees and has slain 21 piggies this year.

As we sense this season of our lives changing, we appreciate our home which has made life very pleasant.  At the same time, we look forward to saying goodbye to maintenance outside and inside.  And we hope to give our kids a gift as we go through our "stuff" and downsize so they don't have to.  If it doesn't kill me, I'm gonna be so minimized by next Christmas. 

CONCERNS.  Scripture says a lot about not fearing, but instead to trust God.  Haven't we needed that reminder this year?  Our world is colored by the fear of terrorism, making this post less happy clappy than some.  Just an objective glance at the AP's "Top Ten" stories of 2015 shows half to be about ISIS or their evil deeds.  World history shows that this is not the first time radical Islam has risen as a bloodthirsty predator.  Still, who DREAMED we would see such raw evil unleashed on civilization?  And what is our role in all of it?

God is allowing the nations to prove the glories of His righteousness.  That means...by their deeds all people earn what is coming as the next kingdom is about to be ushered in.  Never before has that Joshua verse "choose ye this day who you will serve" been more appropriate.  

WHO SHALL WE SERVE?  
Will it be law or grace?  Grace is the message of the movie "Les Miserables".  Didn't you love to see the transformation when the Bishop put the silver candlesticks into Jean Valjean's hands and caused him to feel his worth?  The law may have targeted  Valjean, but it was grace which melted his hard heart.   

That's why Islam has no power except by the sword.  Islam offers no generosity through forgiveness, and none of grace's sweet relief.  It only offers duty with no guarantees.  Then when the supply of duty-energy to "religion" exhausts, you are back at square one to getting closer to God.  Not all roads lead to heaven.  

WHAT'S AHEAD.  The Lord's timetable is His alone; He certainly hasn't shared it with Mike and I...or with anyone else.  But He does give signs and signs are everywhere. No one can deny the hole we have dug for ourselves.  If we ever needed rescuing, it's NOW as civilization's outward attack competes with the attack from within.  

The Christ Child offers a way for people to come and go with Him, but He will not force anyone to be with Him.  Meanwhile, the world is also calling.  

CORRUPTION.  The world's fragrance is decadence, and crooked choices are everywhere.  In his new movie, Leonardo DiCaprio asks us to consider the power and draw of beastiality...Glamor magazine asks us to suspend common sense to honor a man as "Woman of the Year"...Americans put on hold rational thought and clear evidence in order to support Planned Parenthood's carnage and profit...and youth are drawn to a swashbuckling murder/rape kind of life with ISIS. 

THE TASK.  In the past, we may have curbed hostility from countries with foreign aid dollars.  But we can't buy off terrorists who come from countries all around the world.  We can't reason with their evil intent that is beaten into them from early years and permeates their culture.  So how do we preserve Western civilization?

We may shudder at the closeness of evil and especially for the world our grandchildren will inherit.  But the apostle Paul said we shouldn't be overcome by the darkness.  Instead, we are to overcome evil with good, one choice at a time.  First we respond to Jesus' call, and then with purposeful intent, live the gospel/share the gospel as the Holy Spirit leads.   

As we share the gospel, the Book says it should go to the Jew first.  After all, the Christ Child is the only baby who could pick His ancestors and He chose the sons of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.  (On that subject, we found this Christmas eve article very interesting.)  Would you consider how you could flesh out that calling in the New Year?

Jean Valjean found his worth and future in God and was a changed man.  May our world include MANY of his tribe in 2016.