Merry Christmas from Russia!

On this Christmas morning, Carrie and I hopped aboard the van, a Scooby Doo-like mystery machine, and headed toward the orphanage. On the 2 hour journey to the orphanage, our driver blasted Nirvana over the radio, but I was able to pray, meditate on some of the Christmas story in Luke’s gospel, and read a Christmas sermon from Charles Spurgeon. Today, I’m reminded of the first Christmas day and the greatest Christmas gift of all—our Heavenly Father sending us the Savior!

Though the ride was bumpy, we arrived safely at the orphanage at about 10 AM. This was our second visit with our baby. Both visits went great, and as we finished our visit today, we signed a paper saying that we agree to adopt this little boy.

As we jumped back in the “mystery machine,” I praised God all the way home. God has granted me the gift of salvation through His Son. That gift alone is enough. Yet, because of His amazing grace, He also has given me a godly wife and the hope of adopting a little baby boy. Well, I don’t think that I can my Heavenly Father enough on this Christmas day.

Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night!

Adoption News!!!

Looks like we're going to Russia instead of Washington D.C. for our Christmas vacation. If you read yesterday's post, you know that we planned to start our vacation today. Well, we were almost to Knoxville, and we received wonderful news from our adoption agency. They have a baby boy for us!!!! So we turned around and came back home. We will find out more tomorrow about when we go to Russia, but it may be as early as next week! Isn't God good?!?!! He answers prayer!

You can read more about the news we received today on my wife's blog:
http://oneal-itsasmallworld.blogspot.com/

Please continue to pray for us. We've got a long way to go, but today was a HUGE step in the right direction. And we'll continue to trust God's perfect timing!

Christmas Vacation!!!!!

In 2002, there was a 30 year-old Japanese man who died because he worked too much. I'm not kidding. You can read about it here. In fact, just last week, the Toyota Motor Corporation agreed to pay compensation to his young bride. Apparently, the man was working 80 hours of overtime a month, and he worked 114 hours of overtime the month he died!

What a sad story. But it happens far too often. Maybe the person doesn't die from overwork, but maybe his or her health suffers. Or maybe he loses his family because he's spending too much time at work. Or maybe she misses out on quality time with her husband and children because she's working too much.

Carrie (my wife) and I, at times, are guilty of working too hard at our jobs that we miss out on life with each other. That's why we LOVE to go on vacation. We just don't love it, we NEED it. So tomorrow morning, we leave for Williamsburg, VA. After a few warm days in Williamsburg (supposed to be 70 degrees all week), we will then head to Washington D.C. We've even scheduled a White House tour for next Tuesday! We will also celebrate our anniversary next Sunday!

So let me encourage you workaholics out there: Work hard, but don't work so hard that you miss out on what matters most. Don't work so hard that you miss out on your relationship with your spouse and kids. If you're a Christ-follower, don't work so hard that you neglect your relationship with Christ. Work is not your life. The Lord is your life (Deuteronomy 30:20).
And one more challenge: Go on vacation once or twice a year!

I plan on posting some pictures of our Christmas Vacation this week, so stay tuned!

Merry Christmas!

"A Christmas Carol" and a Jew

Next to the real Christmas story in the Bible, Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol is probably my favorite Christmas classic. Ebenezer Scrooge was a miserable man who lived a life that revolved around money and material wealth. The ghosts of Christmas come knocking, however, and help him realize his selfishnesses. By the end of the story, Scrooge wakes up and is a radically changed man.

Whenever I think about the story of Scrooge, I think about how Jesus Christ has radically changed millions of lives around the world, including mine. He rescued me from my sin and selfishness and made me a new person.

I was reminded again of this truth in a conversation with a stranger today. I talked to a 63 year-old lady today who was raised Jewish, but now works for a Christian organization. She began to tell me about how she became a Christian. I found her story so fascinating that I asked her to email me her story. In her words, she spent her first 26 years as an "angry Jew." She writes:

"I was angry, hurt and alone, always. I went to university, did my Jr. year abroad, and graduated. I became a hippy, a drug addict, and generally checked out of life. I tried pleasing the flesh and the mind with drugs, philosophies, and self indulgence. I was busted for drugs and growing pot in my backyard in Ft. Lauderdale, FL. I basically did not want to go to prison so I left the country and went to live in Amsterdam. One night I just did not want to live anymore."

Soon, she began to see her need for a Savior. A few weeks later, all alone in a Holland field, she cried out: "I don't know who or what you are , but whoever you are, help me." Right then and there, Jesus Christ changed her life in radical fashion. Here's how she summarizes that Summer of 1970:

"I KNEW JESUS WAS THE SON OF GOD. I KNEW I WAS FORGIVEN...I FELT CLEAN FOR THE VERY FIRST TIME....I knew something the summer of 1970 that has never changed--Jesus, the Son of God, died for my sins. It was supernatural, like every single salvation that has and will take place."

What a great reminder to me today: Jesus Christ radically changes lives! I needed to hear these words from this stranger I met today. My question to you--Have you been radically changed? As you ponder that question, ponder this Bible verse:

Those who become Christians become new persons. They are not the same anymore, for the old life is gone. A new life has begun! (2 Corinthians 5:17, NLT)