Pastor Lucy Paynter
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Presence versus Presents

The best gift of this holiday season is to spend time with the one you love.  I know we all go an extra mile this season and use money to buy gifts but nothing beats spending quality time with those dear ones.

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My Love

My childhood memories of this holiday season entails more of the things we did together as a family not necessarily the gifts I got. The tradition or let me call it the family norm of Maina’s Family was to receive a new outfit every Christmas. There was no feigning surprise or checking under a tree, to see if Santa brought you something.  We knew the truth,  Mum and Dad went shopping on Christmas eve and got the six of us what would be our next Sunday best for a whole year. Considering,  the weight of matter, the choice was not easily made and so they would spend hours shopping.  Looking back at how precise and accurate they were, I feel greatly indebted to them. On Christmas morning we would all dress up and attend the Christmas service.  I  loved Christmas service because it was the only service in a year we got driven to church as a family.  All the other sundays we got up and walked to church for either Sunday school or those teens service and mum and Dad would drive to church later for second service with the baby. But Christmas Service was no separation it was a family service.

Now you know why at Glorious Power Church we do not hold sunday school or Tweens and Teens on Sundays but on Saturdays, so that no child will feel what we felt on Sundays. To me Sundays are family Days.

From the service things just got better,  mum and dad allowed us to participate in the cooking and Christmas was always the day we ate more than we needed. From the era of record player to cassette player music and dance always crowned the day.

To the Maina’s Family it was not about the gifts it was always about having time together as a family.  Last year I  shared with you a tradition that mum introduced later on when God continued to bless us.

https://pastorlucypaynter.com/2019/12/25/christmas-traditions/

We learn from our parents mostly through observation and just like the other tradition we borrowed, we can borrow this one too.

During my years of youth and Teens ministry, the words used as the title of this article have been said more times as a form of a complaint. As a parent I understand we may not be able to be there 24/7 for the children but just like my parents did we can create special memories where they have our undivided attention.

As we give gifts let’s add time to the receiver. The gift of time is not only wonderful to children but to all people, your spouse, your friends, relatives, neighbors.

Merry Christmas and Remember to give not only gifts but Time.

Merry Christmas
LAUGHTER DAY 5

1. Take Time to Laugh

For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven: a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance. —Ecclesiastes 3:1, 4, ESV

If you’ve been on this planet for more than a few years, you know life isn’t one big laugh. It’s filled with difficult trials. Even so, the Bible declares there is “a time to laugh.” Some ways to incorporate more laughter into your life: Talk to a friend with a good sense of humor, retell a funny story from the past or play a practical joke on a good friend or family member. Need another idea? Spending time around children or pets is typically a surefire way to ramp up the laughter.

2. Share Joy

A joyful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones. —Proverbs 17:22, ESV

Don’t keep joy to yourself. Share the “good medicine” of a joyful heart with others. Have you brought joy or laughter to someone today? If not, think of a way you can make one person laugh. It’ll bring joy to both of your hearts.

3. Lighten Your Load

Blessed are you who weep now, for you shall laugh. —Luke 6:21b, ESV

Have you ever been so sad that you thought you’d never laugh again? If you are a follower of Christ, you are blessed to be part of God’s kingdom. The God of the universe can bring you comfort and inner peace even as you struggle with a heavy heart.

Being “blessed” is about experiencing hope and joy regardless of circumstances. King David once wrote about it this way: “You have turned for me my mourning into dancing; you have loosed my sackcloth and girded me with gladness” (Psalm 30:11). Feeling burdened today? Ask God to lighten your load.

4. Savor Surprises—And Don’t Be Afraid to Laugh at Yourself

And Sarah said, “God has made laughter for me; everyone who hears will laugh over me.” And she said, “Who would have said to Abraham that Sarah would nurse children? Yet I have borne him a son in his old age.” —Genesis 21:6-7, ESV

Abraham’s wife, Sarah, waited 90 years to become a mother. Thinking there was no way she could provide a family heir herself, she was downright dumbfounded when told she would have a son. She had to laugh out of pure joy. Think of a time when you were pleasantly surprised by God’s timing.

5. Expect Great Things

Then our mouth was filled with laughter, and our tongue with shouts of joy; then they said among the nations, “The Lord has done great things for them.” —Psalm 126:2, ESV

When God led His people out of captivity and brought them back to their homeland, they were so relieved and thankful that they laughed and shouted for joy. After spending 70 years as captives, one of the first things they did was build an altar and worship God.

It can be easy to dwell on things that aren’t going your way, but remember the verse above—God does do great things. Keep an eye out this week for the great things He is doing in your life, then take a moment to thank Him for it.

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LAUGHTER DAY 4

III. The laughter of God,
Psalm 2:1-4;
Why are the nations so angry? Why do they waste their time with futile plans? The kings of the earth prepare for battle; the rulers plot together against the Lord and against his anointed one. “Let us break their chains,” they cry, “and free ourselves from slavery to God.” But the one who rules in heaven laughs. The Lord scoffs at them.
Psalms 2:1‭-‬4 NLT

They come out at night, snarling like vicious dogs as they prowl the streets. Listen to the filth that comes from their mouths; their words cut like swords. “After all, who can hear us?” they sneer. But Lord , you laugh at them. You scoff at all the hostile nations.
Psalms 59:6‭-‬8 NLT
The wicked plot against the godly; they snarl at them in defiance. But the Lord just laughs, for he sees their day of judgment coming.
Psalms 37:12‭-‬13 NLT

Proverbs 1:24-26.
“I called you so often, but you wouldn’t come. I reached out to you, but you paid no attention. You ignored my advice and rejected the correction I offered. So I will laugh when you are in trouble! I will mock you when disaster overtakes you—
Proverbs 1:24‭-‬26 NLT

This episode is sponsored by
· Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/pastor-lucy-paynter/message
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/pastor-lucy-paynter/support

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