Dealing with the Weary Willy's in your life

A Devotional by Margot Cioccio 

Earlier this year I was asked to do a series of ornaments based on the old time radio show called the Cinnamon bear. The tradition was to listen six days a week excluding Sundays between Thanksgiving and Christmas.  I thought it might be fun to write a devotional to go with each episode which will mean I will be posting on some Saturday's to make this work.

I meant to start on this project and have it all ready to go and set to auto post. Alas I got busy with other things so my plan is to re listen to each episode and create a short devotional point that you could share with family members as you listen to the story together. If you are listening by yourself, I hope it will help you to re-gain a bit of childlike wonder and imagination. So I will include the radio show link so you can listen to it and I will post a photo of the ornament I created for each episode. I may include some product links to things featuring the ornament artwork. So join me as we unpack each delightful story between now and Christmas. 

"We're only as big as we think we are" Paddy O'Cinnamon. In our story today the children have to de-grow to be able to go with Paddy O'Cinnamon into Maybe Land. I am reminded of the verse in John 3 that says "³⁰ He must become greater; I must become less. 

"Do you wish to be great? Then begin by being. Do you desire to construct a vast and lofty fabric? Think first about the foundations of humility. The higher your structure is to be, the deeper must be its foundation." ~Augustine

I long to accomplish a great and noble task; but my chief duty is to accomplish small tasks as if they were great and noble - Helen Keller

I have learned that much of my spiritual progress does not come directly from God, but through my ability to humble myself and hear Him speak through imperfect people. --Francis Frangipane

But enough on Humility, what I wanted to talk about is how to deal with the Weary Willy's in our lives. You may have met some folks like Weary Willy, I call them energy vampires. Weary Willy was not a bad guy, he was just totally self absorbed.

He is totally unaware that by sucking all the soda pop fuel from the yellow airplane that he would leave our adventurers stranded. 

I don't want to give the story away and I hope you will take the time to listen to this episode. http://www.radiolovers.com/shows/C/CinnamonBear/CINNBEAR371130e0232-22-mono11m43sWearyWilly.mp3
My post will make more sense after hearing the story. 

"Some people bring unexpected lightness and comfort to your life. They crackle with energy, practically electrify you with their presence. And then there are those who leave you feeling stressed out. Or guilty. Or exhausted down to your very last molecule. I call them energy vampires, and obnoxious or meek, they come in all forms. The sob sister, for one, always considers herself the victim. The world is always against her, and she'll recount every horrible thing that has happened to her, wallowing in every perceived slight. The charmer is a constant talker or joke-teller who has to be the center of attention. The blamer, on the other hand, doles out endless servings of guilt. And then there's the drama queen, the co-worker who claims she almost died from a high fever or the neighbor who lives in extremes of emotion—life is unbelievably good or horrifically bad." By Judith Orloff, MD in an article called Energy Vampires

Willy is the intellectual charmer, the constant talker and joke-teller who has to be the center of attention. He's is much bigger than our little adventurers and is able to just take the soda pop, and is not even remotely concerned about how his actions effect those around him. So what do you do with those energy vampire sorts. 

I would call myself a professional extrovert because although I enjoy being around people, I am really at the core an introvert. I recharge through quiet alone time. I am very aware that I must keep a balance. Sometimes like the kids in our story I find myself burned out, exhausted and crashed. There are times when I have a bad case of compassion fatigue. 

Some things that I have come to realize. 

We choose the people who make up our inner circle. Even Jesus would withdraw to quiet places with just the 12. Back when I was selling Mary Kay we were taught that we are affected by the five people we spend the most time with. Are the people in your inner circle encouraging you to be all that God created you to be. Do they believe in you, and stand with you. Do you mutually give to one another, life or is your relationship terribly lopsided?  I have to set boundaries with some people, the ones that just take take take, or are generally negative  I want to be a guiding light not just a shooting star. We are called to show people the love of Jesus but we can't give if we are personally running on empty. 

Galatians 6:9

 (NIV) ⁹ Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. 

This verse does not mean that we must just keep giving and giving. It does not mean we must be a door mat for others to walk upon. We started out today talking about humility. I want to say that false humility sometimes puts us in a postion of thinking we need to be  a door mat. We think by allowing others to use us and walk on us that we are somehow being spiritual and humble. There are things that God created you to be exceptionally good at, and while your head does not need to swell it is ok to be talented, gifted, resourceful, and wise. It is ok to be who God created you to be. He wants you to be the very best you possible. He wants us to shine like stars in this dark world. Sometimes we are so falsely humble that we begin to discount the amazing things God is doing in our lives. I like this quote that I found at christianbiblereference.org in an article about Humility. "By humility we acknowledge that God created us for his purposes and not for our self-glorification. By humility we acknowledge the dignity of all God's people. By humility we cool the angry passions of others. By humility we can turn enemies into friends. A humble demeanor is not a denial of our worth as individuals. Rather, it is the tool that allows us, insofar as possible, to be on good terms with all persons."

There are times when the Lord does indeed ask us to lay down our lives and our desires for the sake of others. There should also be times when others lay down their lives for us.

Ecclesiastes 3:1 says  "To everything there is a season, A time for every purpose under heaven." It is important to be led by the Holy Spirit. There are times when we need to go, go go and go some more - and there are times when we need to rest. 

I have had to learn that if I don't take care of me, I won't be able to take care of others. 

I found the following in the IVP New Testament Commentary 

"Our public care for one another must be matched by integrity in our private walk before God. Note how corporate responsibilities and individual accountability are woven together in this section:

1. corporate: restore him gently

2. individual: watch yourself

3. corporate: carry each other's burdens

4. individual: each one should test his own actions . . . each one should carry his own load

5. corporate: share all good things with his instructor

6. individual: do not be deceived . . . a man reaps what he sows

7. corporate: do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers"

Isaiah 50 says “The Lord God has given Me The tongue of the learned,

That I should know how to speak A word in season to him who is weary.
He awakens Me morning by morning, He awakens My ear To hear as the learned.

If we do not abide in Jesus on a continual basis we become dead branches. We must be connected to the river of life that flows from His presence if we are to be wells of salvation from which the weary may drink. 

Prayer: Lord help us with the Weary Willy's in our life. Those who take and give no thought to how their actions are draining and damaging those around them. Give us the courage to stand up and say no - I have nothing more to give at this time. Lord help us to make a point to stay filled up by being found regularly in your presence. Fill us to overflowing. 

A Star Foretold

A Devotional by Margot Cioccio



If you get this in your e-mail you will want to click the blue title
to be taken to the actual page to see the video of one of my favorite Christmas songs. 

Numbers 24:17

7 “I see him, but not now;

   I behold him, but not near.

A star will come out of Jacob;

   a scepter will rise out of Israel.

He will crush the foreheads of Moab,

   the skulls of all the sons of Sheth.

There are some really amazing things about the Birth of Christ that we kind of gloss over. There are many, many prophecies concerning the birth and the coming of Christ. The likelyhood of them being fullfilled in one person is astounding. These prophecies were each written at very least 400 years prior to Jesus birth many being much older.  The one that is our verse today is one of the older ones it was  written between 1440 and 1400 B.C. Written by Moses who leads the people out of Egypt in route to the promised land. They get there and send in the 12 spies of which all but two, Caleb and Joshua have the faith to trust the Lord in a land filled with giants. The other 10 discourage the people from going in and they enter as a result a 40 year period of wandering in the desert. The unfaithful generation must die off before the people can go in led by Joshua. But thats another story - I want to talk about a star fortold.

So I was wondering about the wise men and how these smart guys from the east would know about a king being born to the Jews. That they would leave their home to go and worship a baby in an land far far away. So far that it would take them several years of traveling. I mean come on - they had to really think something special was happening to leave their home, families, jobs and go off following a star. What were they nuts - or really really smart or had someone clued them in on Gods plan?
Who were they and how did they know. Why were these non Jews expeciting something to happen in thier life when the people Jesus came to pretty much missed his coming.

I had been podering thiese thoughts about a week ago. I wondered if they might have been an off shoot line from Abraham. Kind of like how Moses finds Jethro when he flees Egypt. The priest of a people who worshiped the one God. How did they know about God. I think in that case they were an off shoot from Abraham. He did have another wife after Sarah and he gave gift to his other children before sending them away and leaving everything to Issac when he died.  Perahps one of them carried on the worship of the one God.  The more I thought about that...it just seemed too far in the past.  The wise men needed to be from someone a bit closer.

Next I thought about Daniel. He was carried to Babyalon along with all the other smart and tallented people when Jerusalem finally fell.  He becomes a pretty influential and respected guy even among the wise and learned men of that day.  So I was wondering if he might have clued them in. Turns out he had some very specific prophetic words.  My pastor who loves history took up this very topic in todays sermon. It turns out that I was right about Daniel. He however was able to explain some of the whys and the missing pieces of the puzzel that I had not totally solved on my own. So I thought I would give you the link so you can listen to the sermon for yourself.

Here's the link. http://www.fccspokane.org/2011/12/sunday-12-11-2011/
I'm going to make this one a short one and enjoy the evening with my family. 

Prayer:
Dear Lord,
I pray you will bless those who read this today and those who listen to the sermon from the link I posted. Lord your story is so amazing and when someone can help us connect the real history it is incredable. Help us all Lord find you. Help us make room in the inn of our heart even though the world around us is busling and full of holiday activities and festivities. I pray we would make room to spend time with you - to did in to the story more and seperate the myth from the real history of your story. I thank you Lord for people like my pastor who have a gift for helping us understand history. I pray my readers will be blessed as they listen.

Decorating - Prepare The Way for the Lord

A Devotional by Margot Cioccio

Through the tender mercy of our God; 

whereby the dayspring 

from on high hath visited us,  

To give light to them that sit in darkness 

and in the shadow of death, 

to guide our feet into the way of peace.   

 Luke 1:78-79




This morning I was doing a little decorating of this devotional blog site. I was also trying to fix some problems in the previous post. As a result those of you who get this sent to your e-mail may have recieved a couple of copies of the same post. My appoligies.

I was thinking about how busy we get during the holidays. Given there are only so many hours in a day, in order to make room for new things we must cut back on others. The other option is to run our selves ragged. I'd like to try not to do that this year. So I've been thinking about what is important to me. This season is supposedly to celebrate the birth of Christ. How do we glorify him by becoming so crazy busy that we have little or no time for Him seems odd to me.
How can you and I make Jesus the center, the focus, the reason for how we spend the next few weeks?

I can put up all the holiday decorations around my house and forget to decorate my heart for His coming. We leave Thanksgiving behind and all its reminders to be thankful and follow it with the next 24 days before Christmas day. How will we spend those days, what will we spend them on.

In church we celebrate the Sunday's of Advent. We light a candle each week and someone reads something, a prayer is prayed. Prepare our hearts for your coming. Advent for believers, is a reminder both of the original waiting of the Hebrew people for the birth of Messiah and for the waiting for Christ's return.

In those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the Desert of Judea ² and saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near.” ³ This is he who was spoken of through the prophet Isaiah:    “A voice of one calling in the desert, ‘Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him.’ The writer talking about John the Baptist quotes Isaiah 40:3

What was the message of John The Baptist. I think it gives us some insight in how we are to prepare our hearts for His coming.

First - Repent - To repent means to turn around to change your mind. To realize a choice or choices that you have made have not been in keeping with Gods will and desires for your life. Repenting is not like Back To The Future. This is not an exercise in time travel. We can't go back and un-do what has been done. The choices we make have consequences, they will effect us and they will effect others. Something profound happens however when we repent. Where we have shut God out by choosing to do life on our own terms, repenting invites Him back into the story.  When He is allowed to be part of our life He comes and begins to work for our good, his plans and purposes.

So the question is where have you shut God out? Where have you said "I've got this, I can handle this with out you Lord?" You may think it too trivial to bother the Lord with, or you may have become prideful. Either way you have shut God out of your life in that place. Its not always bad things that are sins. You can avoid all the popular vices only to become a workaholic and neglect the people in your life that God has called you to love. Work it self is a good thing, but it can become an idol of self-sufficiency. 

Why are we told to Repent? Because the Kingdom of heaven is near.
I have been profoundly challenged the lyrics of Rich Mullins song, Live Right. In it he says...

Live like you'll die tomorrow
Die knowing you'll live forever live right
Love like you'll leave tomorrow
Believing love lasts forever live right 

When we become believers we become part of an invisible Kingdom. In that Kingdom things don't work the same as they do in what we call the "real world."  Jesus spent a lot of time trying to help us understand what the Kingdom is like and how we are to function as citizens of His Kingdom. 

In the parables He tells, he is masterfully communicating the culture and defining for us how things work in His Kingdom.

John also tells us to "Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him." So in a mythic sense I think of how the people would prepare for the arrival of a great king or a dignitary. They clean things up, they decorate, they put out the best they have to offer, the most important thing happening is the King and his coming. We want him to be pleased, we want him to say "Well done". 

What would it look like if you took some time to repent, to do a little heart cleaning, to make the Kingdom and its King your priority during the next few weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas. 

"If any man will come after Me, let him deny himself [say no to SELF], 

 and take up his cross daily, and follow Me."
Luke 9:23

What are some of the selfish or self centered things that you might lay down to make more time to spend with Jesus and some ways you could be his ambassador to others around you. Small things done with great love change the world. You may think what you are doing or could do to be insignificant. We all have a mental image of a rock being thrown in a still pond.  None of us know how far the ripples will go and what ripples they will cause in the lives of others. The same is true of the small acts of kindness and the little blessings we bring into the lives of others. How far might a simple smile or a kind word go?

When Jesus arrived on the he came preaching the good news of God. God's kingdom is here, you can be part of it. Repent and believe the good news.  Mark 1:14-15 14 Now after John was arrested, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the good news of God, 15 and saying, "The time is fulfilled, and the Kingdom of God has drawn near; repent, and believe the good news."

Stop trying to make it through this life on your own. Admit you need help. Turn to Jesus and invite Him into those places where you have shut Him out.

I challenge you to resist the hustle and bustle, the obligations, the over spending, the stress. Take time now to invite Jesus to join you in all that you do during this holiday season.

Prayer:
Dear Jesus,
I invite you into the holiday season. You know those things you are calling me to be part of. You know the people who's lives you want me to touch. Help me to be your hands and feet of love, compassion, kindness and mercy to the lives of those around me.  Let me not be like the inn keeper who had no room for you in his inn. Help me to not relegate you to the barn or the garage or the fringes of my life during this season. Please come and be the center, the focus. I set my heart upon you - may your Kingdom come in my life this Christmas.