Entertaining Time Thieves—Part 2

In Part 1 of “Entertaining Time Thieves,” I (Dawn) focused on the massive amount of time we waste. While we need time to relax and be creative, we also need to be more intentional with our use of time during our regular workdays.

Part 2 focuses on two more ways we can stop entertaining time thieves in the new year.

Just as a reminder, the first two points were:

1. Live with an Eternal Perspective, and

2. Choose Activities with Purpose.

These last two points are just as practical and biblical.

3. Guard Time, because It Is Precious.

William Penn once said, "Time is what we want most, but what we use worst." Time is precious. If we do not guard it, time thieves will slip in to steal not just our time, but also our productivity and effectiveness for God and His good plans for our lives.

Guarding our time means we must first determine what matters to us and, more importantly, to God. We need to ask God for wisdom (James 1:5; Proverbs 2:6), and then obey what He says to do.

In our obedience to God, we may need to say "no" to others—or even ourselves.

Before COVID-19 and before my diagnosis, I loved to go shopping. I'm not talking about buying necessities; I'm referring to wasteful shopping. I'd meander up and down aisles, looking for sales, but more often than not, I bought things I didn't need. A jam-packed clothes closet testified to that. I only wore maybe 20% of the clothes in my closet.

A good dose of rational minimalism cured me of the shopping habit, and freed up my time (and money!) for better things.

In time, I found many other areas that stole my time.

Each of us likely needs to say "no" to unnecessary things so we can say "yes" to more things that fit our calling and biblical priorities, especially the priority of spending time with our Creator and with our key relationships (Matthew 6:33; Mark 12:30-31).

As we make our plans, we need to hold them loosely, allowing God to use, re-shape, or replace them according to His will. Truly, our "times"—whatever He allows to come into our lives—are in His hands (Psalm 31:15a). Guard your time. It is precious.

4. Strive for Excellence in All Things.

One key to not wasting time is focusing on a life of excellence. This is not the same as achieving perfection, which we won't accomplish until heaven (and even then, it's all God's doing, not ours).

Excellence is a mindset and approach to life that says we want to improve and do our very best. We don't want to be slackers!

Paul encourages Christ-followers in this regard.

Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men. . . whatever you do, do all to the glory of God . . . . For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen (Colossians 3:23; 1 Corinthians 10:31b; Romans 11:36, ESV).

That sounds like a Christian life lived with excellence to me!

There are many contrasts between people who are time wasters and those who strive for excellence. Here are just three contrasts.

(1) Time wasters are content to get by with less than their best so they'll have more time for endless, worthless pursuits.

Those who strive for excellence desire to discover and do all the things God has planned for them to do (Ephesians 2:10).

(2) Time wasters forget they are accountable to God for how they use time—whether it is used with excellence or with mediocrity.

Those who strive for excellence become more and more conscious that focused use of time matters, especially as we move toward the Lord's return (Ecclesiastes 3:1-8; Mark 13:33).

(3) Time wasters forget they only have a little while to obey God.

Those who strive for excellence know they must work for "the night is coming" when we will no longer serve God on earth (John 9:4). So they are more and more driven to share the gospel, build His Kingdom, and cooperate with the Holy Spirit in becoming more like Jesus.

Is it foolish to focus on wise use of time? Not at all.

The Bible tells us we will receive rewards or "crowns" for our lives of service and sacrifice for Christ. One crown in particular stood out to me as I meditated on the subject of time.

The Crown of Righteousness (2 Timothy 4:8) is for those who long for heaven—for Jesus' return. If we long for heaven, we will want to use our time wisely to please God, because we know we'll see Him soon!

The apostle Paul understood this. He rightly admonishes us in Ephesians 5:15-17 to redeem time:

Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity ... do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord's will is.

Does this focus on time feel like a huge GUILT TRIP to you? Remember, there is no condemnation in Christ (Romans 8:1).

But God wants us to grow in our understanding of how to wisely use our time.

(I said in Part 1 that I recognize I'm failing in this area. I've confessed it as sin. I am going to do better as God helps me. A good place to start is a forward-looking strategy for social media use.)

In this new year, my point is this: We ALL can pray for discernment and make better use of our time.

Are you guarding your time and striving for excellence? If not, how can you reclaim your time and invest it for the Lord and His glory? What changes could you make this week to "redeem the time"?

Dawn Wilson, founder and President of Heart Choices Today, is a speaker and author, and the creator the blog, Upgrade with Dawn. She is a contracted researcher/reviewer for women's teacher and revivalist, Nancy DeMoss Wolgemuth at Revive Our Hearts, and is a regular columnist at Crosswalk.com. She and her husband Bob live in sunny Southern California, and Dawn has traveled with Him in Pacesetter Global Outreach. They have two grown, married sons, three granddaughters and a rascally maltipoo, Roscoe.

 Graphics adapted, courtesy of PhotoMix-Company and Foto-Retusz at Pixabay.

Entertaining Time Thieves—Part 1

Happy New Year! So many make New Year's resolutions. I (Dawn) really do not. And yet, do I?

I've become aware that I have allowed "time thieves" to steal precious hours. One of my goals this year is to "redeem" (buy up) more time that I can use for the Kingdom of God. Hopefully, that is your desire as well.

In this Time Management UPGRADE (which has two parts), I want to help us focus on how we're spending our time. It's a huge topic and a little intimidating, but an important one in light of eternity.

Are you entertaining "time thieves"? What are they stealing, besides your time?

I recently spent two hours "scrolling." It went by so quickly, and I'll never get those two hours back.

I've noticed lately how much time I've spent on frivolous things, or on things that don't matter much in terms of eternity.

For example, as of May 2023, I have loaded 5,359 pins onto Pinterest into 127 categories. I have only once accessed these pins to actually USE any one of the entries!

Why on earth do I continue to load Pinterest pins that I will likely never use?

Yes, it's enjoyable. Yes, I appreciate a place to store things I see that I "like." And yes, I will probably store special recipes. But I've spent far too much time storing recipes I'll never use. It's like shopping for things we don't need.

Waste of time.

Another example. I spend hours on my iPhone scrolling through cute videos, informative videos, funny videos, shocking videos, tear-jerker videos, etc.

It's so easy to do. It's easy to vegetate with my iPhone rather than doing something productive.

Massive waste of time!

Yes, we need time to relax.

Yes, we need time to allow creative juices to form.

But we also need to BE CAREFUL not to waste vast amounts of time. 

Perhaps we might justify scrolling on our iPhone at an airport, waiting for a flight. Or at a doctor's office. But think about that. We have time to scroll, but not to read scripture on a scripture app, or memorize scripture on a memorization app?

God help us to stop justifying our "lack of time." God help me!

We rationalize that we don't have time for a special project—to clean out files, to draft an email, to clean our garage, to write a book or article, to write an encouraging note, etc.—but we had time to pin and scroll.

Unfortunately, many of us don't have a wise strategy for social media use. We so often want the easy-and-not-challenging thing, not the harder-but-more productive thing.

Why is this so important?

We think we have more time to do what's valuable and productive. But the Bible says, don't be so sure! James, Solomon, and Job said we can't be assured of what will happen tomorrow.

... you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. ... You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes (James 4:14 NIV)

Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring (Proverbs 27:1 NIV).

My days come and go swifter than the click of knitting needles, and then the yarn runs our—an unfinished life! (Job 7:6 MSG)

One would think I would remember this, having gone through years of struggle for life after my Multiple Myeloma diagnosis.

How soon we forget about the brevity of life!

In light of our short lifespan, Paul encourages us to make "the best use" of our time.

How do we do that? How do we stop entertaining time thieves and make the very best use of our time?

1. Live with an Eternal Perspective.

As noted above, our life is a "mist," a vapor that quickly shows up and then vanishes, like steam rising from a teapot. We make great plans for our future on earth, but they may be cut short. We need to make every "today" count.

Realizing our time is short should help us stop spinning our wheels spiritually and make better choices. We'll want to be more conscious of what we spend time accumulating. We'll also want to consider what we will leave to those who follow us, and the example of time stewardship we are leaving them now.

Also important—living in light of eternity isn't simply a matter of not doing some things; we also won't want to miss any opportunities to go good.

2. Choose Activities with Purpose.

In order to use time wisely, we have to be purposeful. And in order to be purposeful, we need to ask ourselves some questions. Questions like: Why am I doing this? What value does this have for today? What value does this have for eternity? Is this developing my spiritual maturity or hindering it?

It's crucial to plan time purposefully rather than letting it slip through our fingers.

• Plan times of work (Colossians 3:23-24) with purpose. That plan includes doing our best for our earthly boss, remembering that we ultimately serve our heavenly Master. (If we work "for ourselves," that's good to remember too.)
• Plan times of rest (Mark 6:31; Psalm 127:2) with purpose. Plan to re-energize, nap, or "chill out." Plan regular vacations.
• Plan times to be creative with purpose, allowing creativity to bloom into beautiful and functional things to the glory of God (Proverbs 22:29).
• Plan times to shop with purpose—not spending indiscriminately but investing in worthy things, knowing our "wealth" comes from Him (1 Chronicles 29:12-14; 1 Timothy 6:17; Matthew 6:19-21).
• Plan time for growth—invest in personal spiritual growth (Colossians 1:9-10; 2:6-7; 2 Peter 1:5-8; 2 Peter 3:18) and in the lives of others (1 Thessalonians 5:11; Hebrews 10:24).
• Plan time to meditate on the use of time, and consider what matters most to God and how we can spend more time on those things. Our time is His, a God-given resource, and He can help us use it best (Proverbs 16:9).

I'm sure you can think of other things to plan for.

The things we plan for will become our priorities, so we must live with intentionality. 

In Part 2, we'll consider two more ways to stop time thieves and make the most of our time.

Are you living with an eternal perspective and making wise choices for good time maneagement? If not, what changes can you make to live with intentionality?

Dawn Wilson, founder of Heart Choices Today, is the creator of Upgrade with Dawn. She works for Revive Our Hearts revival ministry and is a regular columnist at Crosswalk.com. She and her husband Bob live in sunny Southern California, and Dawn has traveled with Him in Pacesetter Global Outreach. They have two grown, married sons, three granddaughters, and a rascally maltipoo, Roscoe.

Graphics adapted, courtesy of PhotoMix-Company and Foto-Retusz at Pixabay.

Christmas — A Time to Receive and Release

Christmas is almost here! Can you "feel it in the air"? The holiday season is special for so many reasons, most of which involve the coming of the Savior and time together with family and friends. In this Christmas UPGRADE, I want to help us focus on two things: Christmas is a time to receive and a time to release.

Christmas Is a Time to RECEIVE.

All throughout the Christmas season we receive gifts—not just on Christmas day.

1. We receive the gifts of Christmas cards.

Yes, they are gifts, reminding us of those we love.

The first Christmas card, according to Smithsonian Magazine, was sent out by a British educator, Sir Henry Cole, who had 1,000 copies of a card printed. The card had an artist's design of a holiday table with family members and smaller images of people helping the poor. It said simply: A Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year To You." Unfortunately, the card included young children enjoying what looked to be glasses of wine, and some thought Cole was encouraging underage drinking!

In a time when people were used to writing very long letters at Christmas—which were hard for busy people to find time to read—the innovative "Christmas Card" was considered a time-saver choice.

Cards evolve in the late 1800s, spurred on, in part, by card publishers' contests for new designs. Then Christmas cards became valued collector items. The modern Christmas card industry began in 1915 when three brothers published their card at The Hall Brothers Company, which would change to Hallmark ten years later. (You can read more about the history of Christmas cards here.)

2. We receive gifts from our neighbors.

There are many ways we might interact with neighbors at Christmas. Our neighbors tell us they love the gift of our Christmas display—a large, lighted nativity scene—as they drive up the hill toward our house. I know what they mean. After a tough day, seeing that cheerful display as I come home feels like a gift.

It's been our habit to give Christmas treats to our neighbors every year. It's so fun to see the happy expressions as they receive our gift. But, to our delight, we have received goodies from them as well.

Over the years, the neighborhood Goodies Exchange has cultivated friendships far sweeter than the simple treats we share.

3. We receive the gift of kindness.

(Setting aside the nasty shoving and rudeness of some Christmas shopping experiences), the Christmas season—which begins informally right after Thanksgiving—is typically a time for compassion and kindness.

Once we have received the kindness of God through Jesus (Ephesians 2:7), the grateful overflow of that miraculous gift is giving to others. We give generously and cheerfully because we have received so much from God, and Paul said our kind generosity will again overflow—in "many thanksgivings to God" (2 Corinthians 9:11-12).

There are many creative ways to use our spiritual gifts to offer kindness at Christmas. Our Christmas kindness might manifest itself in serving or helping others, like volunteering at a soup kitchen or homeless shelter.  Or taking time to visit an elderly shut-in, and take them a meal. Or writing to encourage a prisoner who recently received Christ.

It might also show up as we take out our checkbook. Ministries often experience a significant rise in funds from financial gifts during the holidays—and it's not only because of tax-deductions. At Christmas, we remember and support the ministries that we feel are doing God's work in God's ways. And we all have our favorites.

4. We receive the gift of music.

We love the Christmas carolers who stroll through our neighborhood, singing "Angels We Have Heart of High" and "Noel." We can attend church Christmas concerts. And the music channel on our television plays Christmas music 24/7. As I'm wearily typing this late at night, I hear "Jingle Bells" in the background and the peppy tune is a gift that energizes me.

But there's nothing like Christmas hymns. My favorite ends with "O Come let us adore Him, Christ the Lord." Let's be sure in this Christmas season we are offering worship that our Father can receive with joy.

5. We receive the gifts under the tree.

This is, of course, is a given in most homes—even if the number of packages has decreased in a tight economy. You no doubt have memories of your Christmas Eve or Christmas Day time of "unwrapping" gifts (after mom spent hours wrapping them).

The seasons of life may change how our material gift-giving looks, but it's always a joy to think about the recipients and try to find an appropriate gift for each one. Planning time together, creating new memories, is part of this Christmas gift.

6. We receive and remember the most precious gift of Christmas.

We must never forget that Christmas is a celebration of the coming of the Savior—sent as a gift to us (1 John 4:14; John 3:16). He was not simply a babe in a manger. He was God the Son, come to us for a specific purpose and it was Good News! Jesus would die for our sins—taking upon Himself the punishment we deserve—to redeem us from sin, guilt, and death.

The Bible says of Jesus,

He himself bore our sins" in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness (1 Peter 2:24).

That is the most important gift we can receive—a gift that determines our eternal destiny.

Have you heard and received the Good News of God's gift to us? If not, you can read more scriptures about that here.

Christmas Is a Time to RELEASE.

We certainly have many things to receive at Christmas—and you may be able to think of other gifts I've left out. But I also think there are some things we should release.

1. Release the stress that has built up.

I don't know about you, but from mid-Thanksgiving on, my stress level amps up considerably. Scary news on the TV, the crowd-crazed shopping, holiday preparations and decorating, baking . . . you get the idea.

I have to spend extra time with Father God to help me release that stress. The verse I embrace at this time of year is part of Psalm 46:10 that says "Be still and know that I am God.

The Message version sounds like exactly what I (and maybe you?) need:

Step out of the traffic! Take a long, loving look at me, your High God, above politics, above everything.

Take some deep breaths, do some simple body stretches—especially your neck and shoulders where stress can take up residence—and release your stress to the Lord, grateful that He can carry every  burden and give peace and stability in the midst of every struggle.

2. Release any ideas of a "perfect" Christmas.

We all desire a Norman Rockwell Christmas, embodied in the happy smiles of his "Merry Christmas, Grandma . . . We Came in Our New Plymouth" painting (1951).

You know what I'm saying, right? Those homey paintings of people celebrating a perfect Christmas without a care in the world are wonderful, but do they match up with our reality?

The only perfection we'll ever know is the Lord (and maybe a family hug). So give up the "perfect Christmas" drama.

While it's true that at Christmas we have many opportunities to create beautiful things and memories, life also goes on—with babies that spit-up on your holiday sweater right before a party, car parts that suddenly break down, a fall that puts you in a healing "boot," a batch of expensive-ingredient cookies that burn in the oven. . . just crazy stuff. Bad stuff.

Not-at-all-perfect stuff.

And that's OK. Life itself is a beautiful thing. Life is to be savored and appreciated every day.

If you don't believe that, ask someone with a newly-diagnosed terminal disease. They would probably tell you something like: "I'm going to cherish every day I have left!" or "Every day above ground is beautiful and blessed."

Take a moment to look around you at your Christmas decorations. Look at photos of loved ones. Think about a Christmas activity you'll be part of this year—even if it's online. Express your profound gratitude to God for all your blessings.

In that moment, Christmas might even FEEL perfect.

Just remember that it's not;

and if you try to create perfection, you might come close,

but as the Amish say, "Only God makes perfect things."

3. Release the memories that haunt you.

We all have memories. Most are good. But the bad ones, the uncomfortable ones—we need to let those go. Christmas is as good a time as any to release memories that haunt and hinder us, and we can do it as we focus on the Savior and what He did for us.

Every shred of guilt and shame needs to be released; and the Bible teaches that we can let them go when we have God's forgiveness in Christ. His sacrifice on the cross completely covers every sin (Matthew 26:28; Ephesians 1:7) and removes our guilt and shame (Romans 8:1).

Logically, we don't need to "forgive ourselves" either, because He has already forgiven us (Ephesians 1:6-8; Psalm 103:12). We simply need to believe and rest in that truth.

Then, though we are positionally forgiven, we need to agree with God about our daily sins (1 John 1:9) and live in that freedom of restored fellowship with Him.

• If sins have piled up, unconfessed to God, it's hard to walk in complete peace.
• Unconfessed sin creates NEW BAD MEMORIES!"
• So keep short "sin accounts" with God, confessing sins as the Holy Spirit brings them to mind.

Maybe we need to release some anger or bitterness by forgiving others (Colossians 3:13). Lounging in the memories of past sins or offenses—by you or against you—will never do you any favors.

A word about our enemy. Satan loves to torture our thoughts about past sins (even though the Christian has been freed from his grasp). My counsel is:

When Satan comes knocking to remind you of sins and pile on guilt, ask Father God to remind him where he's going!

Then rest in the truth that God sees and knows, He forgives with great mercy, and He will make all things right when we see Jesus and live forever with Him.

Another way to release past memories that haunt us is to gratefully use them as teachable moments. Ask God what you can learn from them. Extract the teaching and leave the rest behind.

4. Release the dreams of the past.

This might seem like a strange one. Did you have some big dreams that never panned out? Maybe circumstances kept you from fulfilling your dreams. Or maybe God had bigger things in store for you, but you couldn't see that at the time, so you were disappointed and discouraged.

Maybe it's time to release some old dreams and allow God to create new ones for you.

Some dreams are still worth pursuing, even if they require great persistence. Other dreams may have crumbled or not come to fruition for any number of reasons.

I had many dreams before my diagnosis with multiple myeloma, and I thought I had plenty of time to achieve them. The weakness, infections, and side effects from drugs changed all that.

But I can dream new dreams tailored to my current circumstances—receiving those dreams from God because He knows what I can handle and that I can achieve them with His help.

It's important for believers to have God at the center of our imaginings for new projects and ministry because our lives are His and He desires to work in and through us. As it says in Ephesians 3:20 (NLT):

Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think.

The purpose of Christians is to glorify Father God and enjoy Him now and forever. We set goals that help us do that with wisdom and humility, knowing that "the plans of the diligent lead surely to abundance" (Proverbs 21:5 MSG).

So this Christmas, release old, stale dreams and allow God to give you vibrant new dreams for your growth, other's good, and His glory.

Christmas truly is a good time to RECEIVE the blessings that come our way, but also to RELEASE those things that hinder and stunt our growth or our ability to glorify God in the present.

Christmas Blessings, Friends!

Is there something you need to receive with gratitude? Is there something you need to release—again, with gratitude?

Dawn Wilson, founder and President of Heart Choices Today, is a speaker and author, and the creator the blog, Upgrade with Dawn. She is a regular columnist at Crosswalk.com. She and her husband Bob live in sunny Southern California, and Dawn has traveled with Him in Pacesetter Global Outreach. They have two grown, married sons, three granddaughters and a rascally maltipoo, Roscoe.

Graphic of Christmas gift, courtesy of StockSnap at Pixabay.

Graphic of the first Christmas Card from Smithsonian Magazine, article, "The History of the Christmas Card," Dec. 9, 2015.

Graphic of Norman Rockwell's "Merry Christmas, Grandma," in an article at Laura Jaen Art, "Top 15 Christmas Artworks from Throughout History,"

Are You Ready for Some ... Christmas?

In this Christmas UPGRADE, I want to help us focus on two frustrations about the Christmas season. 

In spite of the photo below, this article isn't about football, which should make my husband smile. (I actually like it that my husband can relax and watch his favorite teams. Although "relax" might not be the best word when the game isn't going as he'd like.)

So why the photo? While contemplating how to both streamline Christmas and make it more meaningful, I suddenly heard this football tag line in my head: "Are you ready for some football?"

I laughed!

A little history. The opening theme song for Monday Night Football was made famous in the early 1990s, originally performed by country rocker Hank Williams Jr.

A reworked verson of his song, "All My Rowdy Friends Are Coming Over Tonight" was titled "All My Rowdy Friends Are Here on Monday Night." The song's catchy words and tune stuck in football fans' minds for more than two decades until ESPN booted Williams and his emmy-winning song in 2011 after he made a controversial comment.

Still, the catchy line, "Are you ready for some football?," secured its place in history. Over the years, I've caught myself adapting it.

• Are you ready for some . . . turkey?
  
• Are you ready for some . . . shopping?
  
• Are you ready for some . . . Hallmark Christmas movies? (My husband's expression indicated a firm "no" to that one.)

We each have only so much time in our days, and we want to spend it well. So as December neared and I perused our calendar, I found myself asking, "Am I even READY for Christmas this year?" (Is anyone? Ever?)

I want to share two questions that are helping me get "ready" for Christmas. Maybe they will help you too.

1. How Can I Streamline Christmas?

As I've been simplifying and streamlining my home by removing many of the things I've "stored" there unnecessarily over the years, I've asked three questions: Do I love it? Do I use it? Would I buy it again?

I decided to do the same thing with Christmas.

The questions I'm asking to streamline Christmas this year are:

• Does this Christmas-related activity bring me or my family true JOY? (Or am I only imagining or hoping that they even like it?)
• Is this Christmas-related activity worth my or my family's time NOW? (Was this activity useful in a past season of life, but now it's just a hassle that no one really appreciates or even wants?)
• What does this Christmas-related activity ACCOMPLISH for me or my family? (Does it support our family goals or the legacy we want to create?)

Please understand that I am not doing this perfectly. Also, know that some of this is necessary in my life with the limited energy I have. But I do think those questions might be beneficial for all of us.

Streamlining Christmas is helpful, even as we pack in what is important—and that's where the second question comes in.

2. How Can I Focus on the True Meaning of Christmas?

I noted earlier that Christmas has typically become a secular holiday for many families. As a Christian, I think that's just terribly sad.

After leaving church on Sunday morning in late November, we saw house after house with giant blow-up Santas and snowman.

One small lawn was packed from front door to sidewalk and up to the neighbor's fences with "Christmas stuff." No theme, just a hodgepodge of glass, plastic, and metal. I couldn't help wondering if it was all simply accumulated over a lifetime of Christmases by people who had no Christmas "filter." (Perhaps that sounds judgmental. I don't know the homeowner's story. But to me, the cluttery look was far from celebratory . . . more junkyard than heartwarming.)

Nearing my home, I even saw a monstrously-tall Halloween skeleton left up after Oct. 31—and now sporting an ugly Christmas sweater! (I didn't know whether to laugh or cry!)

Secular decorations can be "cute" and—although this is controversial in some circles—I believe certain secular decor can have a place in holiday celebrations. Yet, as we turned the last corner toward home that Sunday, my eyes rested on a simple nativity scene.

I sighed with a Christmas-y smile of peace, contentment, and joy.

"THAT is what Christmas is all about," I thought. 

Then and there, I decided to spend at least 15 minutes each day leading up to Christmas to focus on the true meaning of what we celebrate—and this is beyond church services and special Christmas services. I didn't want the hustle and bustle to overshadow what is best.

How I spent the time might vary, but taking the time would need to be consistent for the greatest impact.

Brainstorming, I thought I might spend those 15 minutes:

• meditating in a Christmas devotional book—some suggestions are here and here and here and here and here;
• looking through a book with famous paintings about Christmas;
• reading a biblically-accurate Christmas book to a small child—here is one idea);
• creating a Christmas craft that focuses on Jesus—and this can be done with children, such as with this or this;
• praying about the people on your Christmas card list, or for family members who need Jesus;
• serving someone with a special need at Christmas;
• listing what positive changes knowing the Savior has brought into your life;
• singing or listening to Christmas hymns or songs that praise God—many are here, and here's a  history of some Christmas hymns, or you may have your own Christmas playlist; and
• planning how you might give special gifts to those not on your typical Christmas list—such as World Help and Samaritan's Purse—but also consider worthy local Christian charities in your city).
• You may have other ideas. Get creative!

Knowing how distracted I get, I made a simple check-off sheet to keep by my Bible and devotional bood to be sure I spend time focusing on the true meaning of Christmas. (Other people might choose to set a phone alarm to remember.)

A FINAL NOTE

By far, the most important reason we should streamline Christmas and focus on what matters during the season is to glorify God—to "give weight to" who He is, to adore and honor Him. We were created for His glory, and scripture instructs us to do everything for His glory (Isaiah 43:7; 1 Corinthians 10:31).

We really shouldn't need a reminder, but honoring God should always be at the center our Christmas-season activities.

What will you do to streamline your Christmas and focus on its true meaning this year?

Dawn Wilson, founder and President of Heart Choices Today, is a speaker and author, and the creator the blog, Upgrade with Dawn. She is a contracted researcher/reviewer for women's teacher and revivalist, Nancy DeMoss Wolgemuth at Revive Our Hearts, and is a regular columnist at Crosswalk.com. She and her husband Bob live in sunny Southern California, and Dawn has traveled with Him in Pacesetter Global Outreach. They have two grown, married sons, three granddaughters and a rascally maltipoo, Roscoe.

Graphic adapted, courtesy of Wallace Chuck at Pexels.

Thankful for More than One Kind of Blessing

In this Thanksgiving UPGRADE, I want to remind my readers that even while we might express gratitude for many blessings on Thanksgiving Day, we may forget others that are out of this world!I want to acknowledge that my thoughts today are not entirely original, but rather, triggered by a gifted writer, Rebecca Barlow Jordan. In her book, Day-votions® with Your Faithful Father*, she wrote in a prayer from the reader to God:

"Along with the tangible gifts of home, friends, family—and so much more—You have redeemed me, restored me, and forgiven me completely. You have blessed me with inexpressible joy, a deep settled peace, a sense of belonging, a purpose for living, and eternal security found only in You through Christ."

When I read those words, I sighed a deep, grateful "Amen!"

Just thinking about all the kinds of blessings I've received—especially this past year—makes me laugh with joy!

I am thankful for all the "people blessings" and tangible and intangible blessings God has provided for me through the years—simply because He loves me; but I'm also grateful in a fresh way this year for the spiritual blessings.

Let me share some with you.

1. 'People Blessings'

My faithful God has blessed me with a wonderful and patient husband to shepherd our home, precious children and grandchildren, loving extended family, unforgettable friends, kind employers, godly pastors, motivating ministry and church leaders, skilled doctors and nurses, and so many others who are part of the tapestry of my life.

Who are YOUR "people blessings"?

2. Tangible blessings

God has also blessed me with a warm and cozy home, plentiful food, a running car, a lovely back yard, a sweet furboy, my Bible and a library of Christian books . . . I could go on and on.

What tangible blessings can YOU list today?

3. Intangible blessings

This is more difficult to define. Intangible things do not have a physical presence—they can't be touched or grasped. But they are real, nonetheless.

God has given me joy in the midst of trials, peace that the world can't understand, encouragement on so many levels, opportunities to pursue my passion for writing, etc.

What intangible blessings add meaning and value to YOUR life?

4. Spiritual blessings

These are the blessings many Christians tend to forget as they gather around their Thanksgiving tables. I say they are blessings that are "out of this world" because some blessings prepare us for heaven, and we receive others when we arrive there!

Rebecca's devotional piece reminded me that this is not my home, and my life is about more than this short existence on earth. I am created for God's glory—and to serve Him and tell others about Him.

God, in love, has chosen to bless me with spiritual blessings now and in heaven because I am hidden in Christ. The truth is, our Father is more than ready to give wonderful spiritual gifts to us, if we would just ask. (So often we are only interested in asking for tangible things.)

What spiritual blessings would you list that YOU have "in Christ"?

Here are just a few of my spiritual blessings.

• My Father has given me a future inheritance, set aside for me in heaven.
• I have relationships with Father God, His Son, and the Holy Spirit that continue to grow as I spend time learning about them.
• I have eternal security because I have placed my faith in Jesus and what He accomplished on the cross.
• I have the fruit of the Holy Spirit developing now in my life as God purposes to make me more like His Son and as the Spirit teaches and guides me.
• And I'll have future blessings—more than I can even imagine—once I arrive at the home that Jesus is building for us.

My FAVORITE spiritual blessing is the Holy Spirit nudging me to fill my mind with thoughts about God, and to think BIG thoughts about Him. (I don't think I would do that without the Holy Spirit's nudging. Would anyone?) I'm grateful that thinking big thoughts about God is an adventure that will never end.

It's a wonderful thing to have God fill all our thoughts, even for a moment!

One of the ways we think big thoughts is to express gratitude for God's countless gifts.

So I'm taking time this Thanksgiving to count all my KINDS of blessings—to be grateful for all I have and will have—because each blessing is a precious, undeserved gift from God. I hope that you will do the same.

At the beginning of her devotional, Rebecca shared a scripture from a version of the Bible that I do not typically use; but—while I love my ESV and Amplified Bibles—these words from The Passion Translation (TPT) reached in and grabbed my heart:

"Every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realm has already been lavished upon us as a love gift from our wonderful heavenly Father, the Father of our Lord Jesus—all because he sees us wrapped into Christ. This is why we celebrate him with all our hearts!" (Ephesians 1:3)

It's not just our blessings we should celebrate; it's God Himself.

As you list your "people blessings" and tangible and intangible blessings this year, spend some extra time considering the spiritual blessings God gives to each of His children in Christ—and celebrate Him!

Which blessings mean the most to you this Thanksgiving? How can you make time to celebrate God?

Dawn Wilson, founder and President of Heart Choices Today, is a speaker and author, and the creator the blog, Upgrade with Dawn. She is a contracted researcher/reviewer for women's teacher and revivalist, Nancy DeMoss Wolgemuth at Revive Our Hearts, and is a regular columnist at Crosswalk.com. She and her husband Bob live in sunny Southern California, and Dawn has traveled with Him in Pacesetter Global Outreach. They have two grown, married sons, three granddaughters and a rascally maltipoo, Roscoe.

Graphic adapted, courtesy of Ben White at Unsplash.

* Rebecca Barlow Jordan, Day-votions® with Your Faithful Father: 90 Days with the One Who Wants to Meet All Your Needs (Self-published, January 26, 2022). Referenced Day 38, pp. 132-134. Contact: www.day-votions.com.