If I were to describe the last six months in the Busick family, in one word, I would have to say, “horizo,” pronounced, “hor-id’-zo.” Horizo is the Greek word in the New Testament that translates into English words or phrases, such as: to mark out definitely, declare, or determine. It is where we derive the English word, horizon. Horizo also refers to God’s power in ordination of people, visions, direction, and purposes. In Romans 1:4, Jesus was “declared (horizo) with power to be the Son of God by his resurrection from the dead…”

This year marked a new horizon for our family as we relocate to Arizona and join the FCC team. It has been a year of events that have brought about a determined direction. This transitional period, though it may not be noticeable to some, may be something that, as we look back in years to come, will be recognized as being an epic adventure full of risk, disappointments, discovery and development; the makings of a great road trip.

Think about your favorite landscape picture of a horizon. What do you think of? A beach sunset? The first glance at the mountains in the distant? I think of our drive from Kansas to the Phoenix valley to visit my in-laws. This must be the best drive in the United States. I can see why Route 66 is such a nostalgic part of American history. The time traveling flies by, primarily because the scenery between Eastern New Mexico and Phoenix is constantly changing with each new horizon; the glimpse of lonely mountains around Tucumcari; the valley of Albuquerque lights peeking around the mountains; the black volcanic rock against the red rolling cliffs of western New Mexico; the forest of petrified trees and dinosaur statues of Holbrook; and the crescendo of bushes and Alpines that lead to a sudden burst of mountains and valleys that envelop Pine and Payson. Can you hear an Aaron Copeland composition in the background? And then there’s “The Valley,” and all of its Saguaro giants. Wouldn’t it be pointless to see all of that at once? It’s too much to take in. So the drive becomes a slow, marked-out discovery; an adventure. I can’t see the Saguaros while driving in Santa Rosa, NM. I lose sight of the Yellowhorse Trading Post after turning the bend towards Winslow, AZ. That’s an amazing characteristic of our Creator; namely His sovereign ability of putting limits on what we see what we experience and when we move in life. I’m so glad the Spirit marks those limits. Horizons make the journey worth it.

That’s where faith and trust come in. Though often faith in Christ is seen as something for the week and broken (and rightfully so), it also acts as a tool of action for the bold and courageous. Those who choose to rise to the challenge of following Christ in His life and mission find themselves on an epic adventure full of risk, disappointments, discovery and development: the makings of a great spiritual journey. Faith is just packing the car and leaving the driveway. Horizons make the journy worth it.

Becoming what the world so despirately needs…

Although I often try to buck the trend and not write about what everyone else is, I find that God has laid on my heart to write about the same thing as everyone else… The holidays. Certainly all of us who have been to a church in the past couple weeks have heard a phrase or slogan along the lines of “Keep Christ in Christmas,” or “He is the reason for the season.”

I want to throw a quick reminder of what Christmas is out there. Christmas is the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ (God’s one and only son). It is the celebration of Jesus coming to the Earth so that 33 years later we would have the opportunity to be totally and completely forgiven and found blameless of sin in God’s eyes.

Often, people remember the reason for the season being giving. I am not taking anything away from this viewpoint, because God gave Jesus to us, and the Wise men came to Jesus bearing gifts. Where do we draw this line of giving though?

There is no question that as a nation, we are in an economic crisis. So when we think about the reason of Christmas being giving, are we really looking for it to be related to financial burden? I overheard a landlord talking today about one of their tenants who failed to pay their rent because they felt the need to spend hundreds and hundreds of dollars on Christmas presents. I am amazed and appalled at this thought at the same time. I am amazed that someone would have totally missed the point of Christmas, and appalled that their priorities would be that out of line.

As we move closer to December 25th, I want to encourage you to re-evaluate what Christmas is. Is it really about getting someone the biggest, best, most expensive gift? Or is it going humbly before someone you love with whatever you can give. Is it about buying stuff, or is it about celebrating the birth of our Savior? I pray that you would consider your financial burden of present and future as you finish your Christmas shopping, and that you would remember that Christmas is about Christ, not presents.

Praying you have a wonderful Christmas and a safe Holidays!!!

Tis the season for cliche after cliche about how Jesus is the reason and no Christmas without Christ. Don’t get me wrong, I do agree with most every saying and word phrase or pun that we have come up with about Christmas, but the more common a thing becomes to us, the more it loses the impact of its truth.

Today I don’t want to bring you all of the cool things to say or coined phrases but I want to challenge all of us in a few areas for this Christmas season:

1. Its up to you to bring Christ in.

Whether it is the new age or post modern movements, government or political correctness, we all know that everywhere we turn, someone is trying to take Christ out of Christmas. While we might not be able to change the world by ourselves, there is a simple solution to this problem; don’t let them. Read the birth of Christ story in Luke 2 this year, pray over dinner, sing Happy Birthday to Jesus, start or continue a holiday tradition that involves Christ in the festivities.

2. Use this time as a catalyst to appreciate Christ more.

As you read the Christmas story, you can’t help but have the thought that Christ knew what he would go through before he came. The amazing thing about that is…He still came! Use this thought and the many other spiritual truths of this time of celebration and remembrance, as a catalyst to living a deeper life of appreciation for Christ Himself. He deserves our thoughts and attention not just on Christmas day, but everyday of the year.

3. Take a time to reflect on where God has brought you this year.

As 2008 winds down to a close, we must take time to think on all of the wonderful and not so wonderful things that have gone on over this year. What were some victories this year? What were some learning opportunities? How have you changed over the last year? Where has God been evident? Where might He have been working behind the scenes? To learn and understand more about God and our relationship with Him, it helps to reflect on all of the things that He has done for you.

4. Take time to set some goals for the year to come.

As we have recently learned, no man is promised tomorrow, but if you were blessed by God enough to live for another year what would you like to accomplish? Spiritually? Personally? Financially? At work? At church? With your family? Perhaps you might even write some of these things down and at put them away until this time next year and use them as the beginning to this process next year. Honor God over these holidays and spend your time valuing what is truly important to you.

Of course…Labor Day is over, Halloween has come and gone, Thanksgiving has left it’s excess in your fridge, Christmas is around the corner, and before you know it, we will all be writing 2009 on our checks (if you still use these out dated pieces of numbers). But whatever happened to the “Y2K” freak out? How about “the artist formerly known as Prince” and his 1999 party? Ever sit back and realize how fast time is really moving?

I remeber as a kid thinking that 3 months over the summer was like an enternity. Now 3 months isn’t even enough time to paint my bathroom. We just get so busy some times that the amount of time we spend on the insignificant really should challenge us more than it does. Do you find yourself wishing you had more time off? more time for family? more time for yourself? more time to vacation? to hike? Why do we so easily put off til tomorrow the things we should have time for today?

I remeber a poem in the bathroom of my wife’s home growing up that went like this (don’t ask me why I remeber the whole thing, weird I know):

Cleaning and scrubbing can wait til tomorrow
For when babies grow up
They will learn to our sorrow
So quiet down cobwebs
Dust go to sleep
I’m rockin’ my baby
and babies don’t keep

Such a simple little country saying that has more spiritual truth than the dirty house it is referring to. We often times over value the wrong things and neglect the things or people that really matter.

Over the next month we are going to be spending some time considering our lives as if we only had 30 days to live. What we do differently? Who would we make sure we spend time with? What would our relationship with God look like? How much would we make sure our loved ones knew we loved them? Would you worry about work as much? Would you focus on material things? Would time be more valuable?

The truth is that though none of us can ever know when our number will be called, but we need to begin to live as if it was coming up sooner than we expect it to. None of us are guaranteed tomorrow. None of us are promised another year, but we are all promised an enternal destiny that guarantees us endless tomorrows. The question is when is your 30 days?

Spend some time over the holidays this year and make sure you are doing your best to prioritze your time and your the things and people you value. Commit to never lose sight of the true meaning of the HOLIDAYS!

Anticipating the Holidays,

Mike Clack