It is Christmas Eve IN AUGUST…. peace to those on whom his favor rests.

Well watching old TV on Netflix – I saw something unexpected and kind of cool… I’ve been watching mindless TV ‘just because’ these late summer days, after a long day at work, at night time I’m down to mindlessness – well only for half an hour because I then fall asleep on the couch… So, what woke me a little – was within this silly show I was watching came baby Jesus as a cake pop…  YEAH! Since when do you hear about Jesus on a show???  Cool – granted this is Netflix and they are different than the classic stations – but wow!!!!

The “Nailed It” show is silly –  where they use totally inexperienced bakers with fun personalities to just have disastrous cakes and laugh about it – really it is quite funny but I watch it in 1.25 playback to get it done and over quicker. I was looking for the real British bake off show but stumbled upon this and the host Nicole Byer is interesting – either funny or annoying depending on how you look at it – it is classic spoof of other reality shows but she breaks up laughing knowing she is spoofing…  This is a temporary end of summer evening binge of fluff – really buttercream and rice krispy treat fluff.

BUT JESUS MENTIONED??????!!!!!!!!!!!! SWEET BABY JESUS!!! (an exclamation, not swear here)….

“NAILED IT” is the catch line – like they really got it exactly decorated which never happens – but interesting to me watching Jesus as a cake pop is that they really could do a nailed Jesus segment – granted I am sure they won’t – but Jesus NAILED IT – being His own fulfillment of scripture nailed to the cross. Sorry, I digress….

The baker contestants were challenged to make miniature figurines of the nativity set – the family of Jesus Mary and Joseph, or the Three Kings, or the animals.  Cool – cute…  There was a similar Hanukkah show with menorahs and dreidels, in this series and there was later a Santa going down the chimney challenge too – but yeah this was cool that Jesus (even on a cake pop) was talked about…   On this episode, amazing too, a pastor (who was also a barber) was one of the bakers and they all attempted modeling chocolate and fondant sculpting. In total, true to the show it was a HOLY MESS in all the results. “NAILED IT!”

Yes there are some shows and some networks that will now mention faith stories – I mean we used to watch the old movies of St Bernadette and the Lady at Fatima – Sunday afternoon TV fare at Easter time. Moses of course…  What I had heard was that regular TV shows don’t mention Jesus by rule of thumb – mention Him in either way as reverently or allow a swearing moment. BLEEP. I also know that there is an unofficial official lack of mention in the workplace – and yet holidays are revered as time off. I once did have a conversation with an advocate for open discussion of separate issues and mentioned that no one advocates open discussion of religion, interesting, and what I believe and heard was that the name of Jesus is SO POWERFUL that people are nervous to mention… Our world is such a HOLY MESS that even mentioning the savior of us – and forbid we mention end times – these are things that make folks nervous. Hmmmmm, NAILED IT! Jesus is THAT POWERFUL!!! Every knee will bow!!!!

I am not about to speculate how every person feels – and Lord forgive me even for this flippant devotion – but for now – these cake pops piqued my interest – and how often we see nativity scenes in regular stores and how often people talk about angels…  Really – we all need to talk about Jesus in a more day to day sense – how He helps us and how He is real and right here… Start putting Him into our vocabulary – I know I do!!!! We need to not just put our Jesus and our nativity scenes stuck on a cakepop stick but into our walking sticks of walking with the Lord in the world.

The Nativity scenes DO start us into real talk – because not just the cuteness and the cool way the Lord came into the world – but because Jesus entered most powerful in the most vulnerable way. JESUS TRUSTED THE PLAN. We should too.  If Jesus trusts the whole everything into God’s Hands and Plan – being God Himself – we too should trust that our words and world and works and whatever’s can be placed into His Hands. It is not us molding a cake pop of Jesus – it is the Lord molding us – from stardust to sprinkling dusts of joy into our lives – decorated to be us…

Jesus Joy – enjoy HIM in real life – not just stuck on a display stick.

Amen and Merry Christmas in August (remember that Christmas is only 4 months away so GET TO THE BEACH BEFORE THE GOOD WEATHER IS GONE!!!!!)  AMEN AMEN…

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Luke 2:8-20

And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”

Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”

When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”  So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger.  When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them.  But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart.  The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.