This morning my daughter was watching the Disney TV show, The Suite Life of Zack and Cody. In case you haven’t seen this show, I’ll briefly give a description. It is about two twin boys, Zack and Cody, who live in a hotel in Boston called The Tipton. It’s a very posh, upscale hotel in which their mom has gotten a job singing in the lounge of the hotel. In exchange for working there, she and the boys get to live in one of the rooms of the hotel. Needless to say, they are full of mischief and are constantly causing trouble, particularly for the maitre’d, Mr. Moseby…And, that’s pretty much it.

This morning’s episode was from when the boys and their mom first got to the hotel. Mr. Moseby confronts their mother with a bill of charges for all kinds of services the boys have been charging to their room ranging from room service to movies to even having their underwear drycleaned. Their mom said to them, “We may be living in a palace, but we are not royalty.”

For some reason, I was really struck by that statement, and it really stayed with me during the course of the day. As I thought more about it, I realized that my situation was just the opposite.

I do not live in a palace, but I AM royalty. Why? Because I am a daughter of the King. Psalm 24:10: “Who is He, this King of glory? The LORD Almighty–He is the King of glory.” And Ephesians 1:5 says, “he predestined us to be adopted as His sons through Jesus Christ in accordance with His pleasure and will–” The last two words of verse 4 preceding that verse are “in love.”

In love. I’m so glad He loves me! Aren’t you? I am not wealthy by the world’s standards, but I have so much more than can be measured by material possessions. I have the love of my Father, who sent His Son, Jesus, to die on a cross so that I would not have to. I have been adopted into His family through His Son, and I AM royalty!

Oh how I love Jesus!

Sing it with me!

Oh how I love Jesus,
Oh how I love Jesus,
Oh how I love Jesus,
Because He first loved me.

Amen and Amen!

Sweet Blessing My Friends,

Yesterday after school, I sat and watched as my daughter did something I thought a little strange. She had torn off a piece of a paper towel and went and laid it across the Baby Jesus in the creche that adorns our sofa table.

At first, I was about to be all choked up with motherly tenderness because I thought she was placing a blanket over Jesus. However, before I could get too far into these sentiments, she informed me that she was doing this because a friend of hers at school had said that she puts a paper towel over Jesus until Christmas Day at which time she then removes it because it is the day of His birth. So, my daughter had decided to do likewise.

I thought about this for a moment and then said to my daughter, “Well, honey, you know we are celebrating Jesus’ birth, that is true, but He has already been born, just as you have. We don’t place a paper towel over you all year, and then on your birthday say, ‘Look, Rachel is here.’ It is an annual celebration of the day you were already born just as Christmas is a celebration of when Jesus was born.” I then suggested that maybe we could use the paper towel as a blanket for Baby Jesus instead. She seemed fine with that, and He now lies in our creche draped in Viva.

Now, lest you think I’m a total spoil sport here, I did have a reason for saying this to her. I started thinking about the implications of covering Him up. Jesus is alive! He was born, He lived here on the earth, He was crucified, and praise His Holy Name, He arose on the third day. He now reigns on high with His and our Heavenly Father.

But Jesus is also still here on Earth. He lives in the hearts of those who have asked Him to do so. He said in John 8:12, “I am the light of the world.” Luke 8:16 says, “No one lights a lamp and hides it in a jar or puts it under a bed. Instead, he puts it on a stand, so that those who come in can see the light.” (NIV)

We are to let our light shine, not cover it up. I didn’t want a paper towel over the Baby Jesus in my creche. I didn’t want Him covered up.

It is my fervent prayer that during this Christmas season and always that I will not hide His light in my life to those around me who are lost. Oh how I pray they will come out of the darkness and share in His glorious light.

May your light shine as well.

Sweet Blessings,

Wishing you and your family a blessed and joyous Thanksgiving.