10 Shopping Days Left

To quote Dr Seuss, "How did it get so late so soon? It's night before it's afternoon. December is here before it's June. My goodness how the time has flewn. How did it get so late so soon?"
As I sit here typing this on December 14th, I'm not only reminded that we have 10 shopping days left till Christmas, but I stop to think "where did the time go?" It certainly doesn't seem like a year has past since last Christmas. It feels like only a few weeks since the beginning of summer. If the old adage "time flies when you're having fun" is true, I must be having a blast!
This is also a reminder of how precious time is with family and friends. The girls in my youth group will graduate from high school in June. My nephew Tyler, who is already taller than I, will take driver's education next year. I could go on and on, but you get the idea. Life moves  quickly, and we have to adapt with it or we will find ourselves left behind. 
In relation to faith, Reggie Joiner said it best, "You can't put new wine in old wineskins. If you want to pass on a legacy to the next generation, it has to be transferred relationally. Any time you pass down rules, practices or truths outside the context of a genuine, compelling love, you establish an empty religion." 
Reggie's quote inspires an idea to challenge each of us, not only during the Christmas season, but all year long. Reach out to people at their level. Don't wait for them to come to you. If that means stepping out of your comfort zone, then try it; you may be surprised at how comfortable it becomes. Jesus shared his life with people that others often shunned. (See John 4 and 5.) Should we be any different?

Luke 2

New Living Translation (NLT)

The Birth of Jesus

2 At that time the Roman emperor, Augustus, decreed that a census should be taken throughout the Roman Empire. ² (This was the first census taken when Quirinius was governor of Syria.) ³ All returned to their own ancestral towns to register for this census. ⁴ And because Joseph was a descendant of King David, he had to go to Bethlehem in Judea, David’s ancient home. He traveled there from the village of Nazareth in Galilee. ⁵ He took with him Mary, his fiancée, who was now obviously pregnant.

⁶ And while they were there, the time came for her baby to be born. ⁷ She gave birth to her first child, a son. She wrapped him snugly in strips of cloth and laid him in a manger, because there was no lodging available for them.

The Shepherds and Angels

⁸ That night there were shepherds staying in the fields nearby, guarding their flocks of sheep. ⁹ Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the radiance of the Lord’s glory surrounded them. They were terrified.