Risen & Rooted

I had a tiny little lightbulb go off today as I was eagerly replacing my welcome porch sign from the “Hello Fall” message to the “Merry Christmas” sign.

As I was swapping the signs, I had a rush of thoughts:

“It doesn’t feel like Christmas. I’m still wearing a short sleeve shirt.”

“Why hasn’t the weather changed yet?”

“When will it start to feel like Christmas?

Should I wait until it gets cold to put this out?”

Then it occurred to me…Christmas is a GUARANTEED season. A time that comes every year, rain or shine, every December…Whether or not it’s cold or hot, rainy or sunny. It’s coming. The calendar does not change to postpone the celebration based on the weather. Christmas is happening. This season of celebration will never cease to arrive. It will be there, on that calendar. EVERY. SINGLE. YEAR.

There was a lesson in there somewhere, as always…

Feelings are like weather – especially Texas weather. They change from day to day. Hot one day & cold the next. Rain today, sunny tomorrow. Unstable, ever shifting, never settled…..But the facts of the God-given blessings of life are clear & constant. I believe that if the enemy cannot get access to us any other way, then he will try to do it through our feelings, by touching & tampering with the things around us, in an attempt to get us to be driven & tossed by the winds of our emotions. My mindset cannot & should not be dictated by any unstable source or anything that is ever changing. My mind must be rooted & based on something, or better yet, Someone, who is NEVER changing. That someone is JESUS. He said He is “the same yesterday, today & forever. (Hebrews 13:8) He also says “a double minded man is unstable in ALL his ways (James 1:8). God’s mercies are new to me every morning (Lamentations 3:23, Psalm 86:13) The season of God’s goodness is unending & will always be something to celebrate! That means, I can CHOOSE to rejoice in the beautiful blessings of my life & be thankful, no matter the weather or temperature of my feelings or circumstances. God is the Faithful & Unchanging One. I will choose to be moved by THE truth rather than feeling. I truly believe that if we obey THE truth, then our feelings will follow, with a heart of rejoicing & praise.

You know what else it means?

My Christmas sign & ALL the decor is going out on my porch, in a blazing & unapologetic display of my favorite season that is to sure come….& I might start in September.