I come from a place where on Christmas Eve people are battling extreme heat, Santa Claus wears thin silk pajamas, and Christmas day arrives with fireworks on the beach. Sounds like 4th of July in Florida, doesn’t it? Well, now that I’m thinking about it, it’s pretty much like that but with Thanksgiving meal thrown in for good measure. Today I’m in Nashville where we’re expecting a white Christmas and the days are short and cold. But growing up in the Southern Hemisphere in tropical Brazil, I enjoyed Christmas mostly outdoors. Pool parties and trips to the beach marked the beginning of Summer on December 21.  Brazilians eat a later dinner, 11 p.m. on Christmas Eve called “ceia”–interestingly, Christmas Eve is one of the only days Brazilians exchange their beloved beef for turkey and  Ham. After the big meal, Brazilians still find stamina to go out from house to house…

It’s Christmas-party time and guys are always wondering what to wear to our favorite holiday celebrations. Here’s a quick guide on looking your best this Christmas. Sweaters are back. But think twice before getting your old Christmas Sweater out. Well, do everyone a favor and go ahead and donate it to GoodWill. How do you dress for your Christmas/holiday parties?

Christmas Eve is a great opportunity to reach those outside the church that often goes unused. I’m usually arguing with several pastors during this time of the year. Seems like every year I have to convince a Senior Pastor that Christmas Eve is a powerful and great opportunity for outreach. Catholic churches have known this for centuries. Evangelicals are just now waking up to it. Here are the top 5 mistakes churches can make when planning their Christmas services. Give the staff Christmas Eve off. That’s a critical mistake that a lot of churches make. Christmas Eve is a great opportunity to reach out to people who want to connect with God and their families and who are looking for an opportunity to do so. Done well, your Christmas Eve service could be one of the best attended service of the entire year. If you are in ministry, working on…

Yesterday was my first white Christmas ever. It was a beautiful, quiet day at home with my family. I decided to put together a quick video of our Tennessee White Christmas. I hope you enjoy it. Here’s another format if you have trouble with seeing the YouTube video on your mobile device How was your Christmas?

I’m blessed. In the next few days my home will be filled with family, friends, cats and dogs coming together to celebrate Christmas. For some that many people in a house is a recipe for a fight waiting to break out, but for me it’s a true blessing. But I remember in years’ past not being able to be with family for the holidays. What kept me from being completely depressed was the love of friends who opened their home and took me in as one of their own. While we are all running around looking for those last-minute gifts, baking goodies, and preparing for the big Christmas dinner, we can easily bypass those who might be near us without a place to be on Christmas day. I can barely keep up with my own family, their children and pets much less think about someone off my radar. But that’s…

Creativity finds inspiration in the most unlikely of places. A few months ago, two young men decided to set the somewhat humorous news interview with Antoine Dodson, brother to a woman who had been assaulted in her apartment by a rapist, to music creating an instant Youtube sensation. Mr. Dodson has moved away from the projects with the proceeds he’s made from the “song.” He also performed live at the BET awards last month. The “bedroom intruder song” has now made its way into the Christmas repertoire of the Liberty University singers. Below is the evolution of the original newscast, the song and finally the Christmas version. What’s your take on the “Bedroom Intruder” phenomenon?

I remembering seeing an episode of the Celebrity Apprentice where Sharon Ousborne was thrilled she was able to secure a 15 thousand dollar gift from a wealthy donor. She was ‘shocked’ because according to her, she had never seen anyone give that much money away before. Well, I was shocked but for a different reason. First, her reaction told me a lot about Mrs. Ousborne generosity quotient or lack thereof and then it reminded me how many truly giving people I have met over the years. People who have given a lot more with a lot less money. So during this giving season, what does it mean to be generous? Here’s a few thoughts about generosity: It’s not an amount. a 15 thousand dollar gift might not be as generous as a 15 dollar one.  Remember the story of the widow’s mite? It’s not about money. Sometimes your most generous…

Guest post by Dr. Tim Elmore Love. We probably talk about this concept more today than ever before, but actually practice it less than ever. At least in the way God intended us to do so. We find love in movies, romance novels, in Hallmark cards, on YouTube, and on bumper stickers. At Christmas time, especially, love is promoted by stores to push sales, and by cinemas to sell tickets. We all love the idea of love! But how do we practice it on the people we are closest to — like — in our home? Sometimes, the hardest people to love are not the strangers we meet out shopping, but our own family members. Try this simple idea. Sit down at dinner one night and talk about “love languages.” You may be familiar with the concept. Author, Dr. Gary Chapman, introduced it to us in his 1992 book: The…

Christmas growing up in Brazil was a hot, humid affair with long sunny days often interrupted by a passing thunderstorm during the heat of the day. We spent most of the Christmas holidays at the pool, and since I was fortunate to have one at my house, my friends would come over and hang out at my house for hours. But whether I am in the South American heat or in the cold, short days of the northern hemisphere, Christmas has always been a time to thank God for the birth of His son and to celebrate life with family and friends. I find myself thankful to be able to share another year with my family, co-workers, and friends. After all, there is no illusive destination besides heaven, but the joy of life well lived with people whom you love and walk together for a season. While I’m still putting…

Yesterday we had The A Group annual Christmas Event. I call it an event because it’s way more than just a party. First we closed shop by noon Friday and the entire team then made its way to our Brentwood Costco for lunch. [ Before you call me cheap, read on.] As we dined on the exquisite chicken bake and pepperoni pizza everyone drew a name in secret. Then I performed one of my favorite Christmas tradition: pulling out a bunch of $100 bills and giving one to each of our team members. The rules are simple: Buy a total of $100 worth of gifts for your secret Santa during the next hour, take it home, wrap the gift(s) and come back that evening for our dinner party. Since no one knows who you’re buying for, it’s always fun looking at what people are buying and trying to guess whom…