{"id":1771551,"date":"2022-12-11T06:30:21","date_gmt":"2022-12-11T11:30:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=1771551"},"modified":"2022-12-11T10:18:26","modified_gmt":"2022-12-11T15:18:26","slug":"terry-paulson-the-reason-for-the-season","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/terry-paulson-the-reason-for-the-season\/","title":{"rendered":"Terry Paulson: The Reason for the Season"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">14<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fterry-paulson-the-reason-for-the-season%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=1771551&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><div><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/media.townhall.com\/cdn\/hodl\/2021\/5\/5080df44-6836-4ca4-9d35-370174ad4182.jpg\" class=\"ff-og-image-inserted\" alt=\"image\"     style=\"display:none\"><\/div>\n<p id=\"isPasted\"><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Every Christmas, it\u2019s easy to complain about how commercialized the season\u00a0<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">has become. Santa seems to reign supreme with fewer and fewer nativity\u00a0<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">scenes gracing the lawns of neighbors. The news gives us all the bad news we\u00a0<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">need to feed our discontent. But we don\u2019t always hear of the blessings of\u00a0<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">the season and the thousands of stories of people finding ways to bless others\u00a0<\/span>in their midst.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Pastor Andy Stanley, of Northpoint Community Church in Atlanta, has a\u00a0<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">a ministry that extends far beyond the churches that stream his weekly\u00a0<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">sermons. Many thousands look forward to his messages online. This year, in\u00a0<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">his first of three Christmas messages on \u201cThe Reasons for the Season,\u201d he\u00a0<\/span>shared an observation that hit home.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">He reminded listeners of a bumper sticker from the past that tried to bring\u00a0<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Christ back into Christmas&#8211;\u201cJesus is the reason for the season.\u201d Every\u00a0<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">saying captures a time but tends to run its course. You don\u2019t see many of\u00a0<\/span>those bumper stickers today, but the sentiment remains.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">In his sermon, Andy questioned the validity of the statement. Jesus isn\u2019t\u00a0<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">the reason for the season. Jesus didn\u2019t come to be honored or adored at\u00a0<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Christmas. The real reason for the season, the reason God sent his Son, is\u00a0<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">for YOU and ME. He came to be a blessing that by believing in Him we might\u00a0<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">have a personal relationship with God. But it came with a mission\u2014through\u00a0<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">faith, we are called and empowered by the Holy Spirit to be a blessing to\u00a0<\/span>others.<\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Isn\u2019t that what Christmas is supposed to be about for believers? We\u00a0<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">take time to remember the greatest Christmas gift of all\u2014God sent his Son to\u00a0<\/span>be in our midst and call us to a life of faith and service.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Whenever I get discouraged watching the news, I remind myself that every\u00a0<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">day the media must search to find new material to grab our attention. Some\u00a0<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">days, it\u2019s easy to find catchy headlines to stir our anger and despair.\u00a0<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Some days it is thankfully harder. For in reality there\u2019s a lot more\u00a0<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">goodness and love out there than there is hatred and crime. But the good too\u00a0<\/span>often goes underreported.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">In this Christmas season, maybe it is time for us to put more focus on some\u00a0<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">of the blessings that we so easily take for granted. For twenty-one\u00a0<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Christmas seasons from 1994 to 2015, I sent out a Christmas ezine \u201cThe 12\u00a0<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Days of Christmas.\u201d Starting 12 days before Christmas, I would send an email\u00a0<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">every day helping to keep Christ in Christmas. I would include a\u00a0<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">thought-provoking quotation, a mirthful moment of Christmas humor, and a\u00a0<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">story that captured a Christmas blessing. People not only treasured and\u00a0<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">shared the email messages, but they also sent their own stories and content for me to\u00a0<\/span>include.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Looking back at the hundreds of past messages, I was touched again by the\u00a0<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">stories of people blessing others during the Christmas season. I\u2019ve decided\u00a0<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">that for the next two weeks we could do a daily story to remind us to\u00a0<\/span>do the same.<\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Starting today on Facebook (take this out when posting unless\u00a0<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\"><a class=\"editor-rtfLink\" href=\"https:\/\/townhall.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">townhall.com<\/a>\u00a0<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">decides to let me post the 12 daily messages on their website), I will be\u00a0<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">posting a Christmas story designed to remind us how we too, with our words\u00a0<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">and actions can help transform this Christmas season into memories to be\u00a0<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">treasured. You can follow me on Facebook and like or share my posts. You may\u00a0<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">even want to take time to share your favorite memories of people who\u00a0<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">lived out the Christmas spirit in reply. Let\u2019s let our blessings be a bit\u00a0<\/span>more contagious by spreading them around.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">To start this daily dose of Christmas cheer, let me share a family\u00a0<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">tradition that you may want to consider using in your family. With inflation\u00a0<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">hitting our pocketbooks and our minds struggling to find that perfect gift,\u00a0<\/span>here is a gift that finds a way to capture the love that often goes unsaid.<\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Years ago, Angela shared a treasured Christmas family tradition you may\u00a0<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">want to try: &#8220;I am the fourth oldest of nineteen children. We grew up on a\u00a0<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">farm and didn&#8217;t have much money to celebrate a traditional Christmas. Each\u00a0<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">year we wrapped old shoe boxes in holiday paper and put them under our tree.\u00a0<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Each box had a child&#8217;s name on it and a slit at the top of the box. During\u00a0<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">the entire month of December, we would take time out each night to write\u00a0<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">letters to the other siblings. Sometimes we would write poems or funny\u00a0<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">stories about that person and then place them in their box. On Christmas\u00a0<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">morning the family would gather. We would read out of the Bible, sing\u00a0<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">carols, and then open our boxes and read our letters. Now that we are no\u00a0<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">longer children, and we have lives of our own, it is still the highlight of\u00a0<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">the season to wake up Christmas morning to find the &#8216;box from home with all\u00a0<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">of the letters inside. It&#8217;s not the material gifts that we look for, it is\u00a0<\/span>the gifts from the heart.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">What are the gifts from the heart that you treasure this year? What\u00a0<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">personal stories from Christmases past could you share to remind others what\u00a0<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Christmas truly is about. This Christmas, remember that you are blessed, but\u00a0<\/span>even more important, find ways to be a blessing every day.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Terry Paulson is a Ph.D. psychologist, author, professional speaker and a\u00a0<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Christian. If you have a short story about a Christian blessing you\u2019d like to\u00a0<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">have my share in the future, and email your story to me at\u00a0<\/span><a class=\"editor-rtfLink\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">terry@terrypaulson.com<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Every Christmas, it\u2019s easy to complain about how commercialized the season\u00a0has become. Santa seems to reign supreme with fewer and fewer nativity\u00a0scenes gracing the lawns of neighbors.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1896395,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[547],"tags":[5458,5881,5982,3819,5793,7824],"class_list":["post-1771551","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-bongino-report","tag-bongino","tag-paulson","tag-reason","tag-report","tag-season","tag-terry"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1771551","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1771551"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1771551\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1896395"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1771551"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1771551"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1771551"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}