December 9th by: Linda Nudd

All right, I will admit it, I am old. I just don't understand the text messaging craze, it seems like talking to each other would be so much easier. I have seen people messaging the person they are sitting next to--what is that all about? Plus the short cut "code" gets really annoying. Some of them are easy to figure out such as:

BFF Best Friends Forever

LOL Laugh Out Loud

WTG Way To Go

GJ Good Job

SWAK ( I remember this one) Sealed with a Kiss

Some are a little harder such as:

GRATZ Congratulations

FTBOMH From the bottom of my heart

DKDC Don't know , Don't care

Some are almost impossible without help such as:

SHID Slapping head in disgust

SMHID Scratching my head in DIsbelief

LSHMBH Laugh so hard my belly hurts

And my new favorite: SNERT Snot nosed egotistical rude teenager

I have tried to text message but I am so slow. I have to have everything spelled correctly and have proper punctuation and grammar. Meanwhile the SNERT I am messaging keeps coming back with W RU? Or ADN any day now!

The whole point of text messaging is to save time. So, what is time? Webster defines it as; the measured or measurable period during which an action, process or condition exists or continues. Why would an infinite God give us the gift of time? God knew our minds could not fathom the thought of eternity so he gave us a lifetime so that we could bracket this process of learning about God and making our own choice to believe. We are limited to our life span and like they say, life is short.


What does all this have to do with Advent? As we make preparations for Christmas we need to keep our thoughts focused on the birth of the Christ child not the preparations themselves. We need to remember to keep our relationship with God healthy too. I am studying the Bible with the help of Chuck Colson's book, ‘The Faith’ in it Colson asks, “Do you know what you believe and why you believe and does it matter”?

I do; and I also believe we are here to show others how to have the same faith. In fact, I believe it is my responsibility to share it with others. Salvation is a gift, but you have to choose to accept it.

The Bible says:

1. Romans 3:23 For ALL have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.

2. Romans 6:23 The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

3. John 3: 16 For God so loved the world He gave His one and only son that whosoever believes on Jesus should not perish but have everlasting life.

4. John 14:6 Jesus said, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life...no one comes to the God the Father except through me."

5. Romans 10:9 If you confess with your mouth Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.

Does that include you? If not, do you want to accept the gift of eternal life?

The reason for the season is just the simple fact that humans can't reach God, so God had to come down to man. The babe in the manger, Jesus, Is GOD. Now U R RDY!

In closing, RYB (read your Bible), ask yourself WWJD (what would Jesus do) and MGB (may God Bless) you. Merry Christmas!


YSIC (Your sister in Christ),
Linda Nudd