The Threads Blog

We dread Christmas shopping. We grumble about how much we hate the mall at Christmastime. Wrapped up in our petty problems, we forget about the people on the other side of the counter, who have sacrificed time with their loved ones so they can work long hours while listening to all of us grumble and complain about the checkout lines, prices, and crowds.

Joseph was open to obeying God’s plans, even when that plan wasn’t predictable. So were the wise men. Hopefully you and I can be ready to obey God’s perfect, unpredictable plan for our lives as well.

It’s Theology Thursday! And today we’re going to spend a little time looking at the X in Xmas. Or the Christ in Christmas. Or both.

Our families are the most influential people in our lives. Depending on who shares your DNA, that can be a blessing or a curse. Most of the time, it’s a blessing. Perfect families don’t exist, but psychoanalyst Donald Winnicott claims that “good enough” families are more common than not. God wired us to be attached to other people. As we mature together, we manage to work out most of the relational kinks.

As you prepare for Sunday and the study on Mary and Joseph’s obedient responses to God’s plan for their lives, spend time reading and dwelling on this week’s Advent reading from Luke 1:57-80.

Here’s the link to the iMix for the songs from the Winter 2011-12 playlist. Enjoy!

You know the feeling when you’re reading something and a specific paragraph or idea jumps off the page and whacks you in the head? I had one of those moments several years ago when I was reading Eat This Book, by Eugene Peterson.

With Christmas quickly approaching and a long list of people to buy for, your budget could use some help. Enter regifting. It can be reprehensible (partially used gift cards) or truly useful recycling (perfumed lotion + your eczema = gift to roommate). Let’s celebrate the season of regifting with some reuseable tips.

This Sunday starts a new quarter of LifeMatters. We’re studying the Christmas story this month, but for most of us, the Christmas season has been in full swing for a while.

Boxing great Joe Frazier is considered one of the ten greatest boxers of all time by the International Boxing Research Organization. He died recently, and his famous feuds with Muhammad Ali have got me thinking about an important element of the Christian life: reconciliation.