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Lie To Me* is Fox’s brand new hit drama, now in it’s second season. The show is centered around Dr. Cal Lightman, a world-reknown face-reading expert. His expertise is reading “microexpressions,” the near instantaneous, involuntary expressions or gestures shown by a human when they are trying to conceal an emotion. They are the slight changes in the face that reflect in a split instant, what people are truly feeling inside. Microexpressions are the same whether you are in America, Africa, Germany, or Iraq. It is a universal truth test. The entire premise of the show is built around the idea that absolute truth is most accurately revealed from the inside out.
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In the movie, Transformers, there is a part toward the beginning of the movie when Sam Witwicky is trying to get Michaela Banes into the car to join him on the adventure that would begin as they discovered the deepness of what they were about to be involved in. Bumble Bee had just defeated Barricade to protect Sam and Michaela, and now was ready to take them to meet the rest of the Autobots. Michaela is really not into what had just happened, and is ready to run away, when Sam asks her these words:

“Fifty years from now, when you’re looking back at your life, don’t you want to be able to say you had the guts to get in the car?”

I love that. When you look back on your life, don’t you want to be able to say you had the guts to be a part of something bigger than yourself? Don’t you want your life to mean something?
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God has been doing some amazing things in our youth ministry since the first of the year. In January, we began talking about friendships and how they can influence our lives. Many students talked about how that was the best stuff they have ever heard on friendships and the importance of those you let in your inner circle.

That avenue continued as we talked about launching small groups to be the friendliest place in the city. In a recent survey of things most looked for in a youth ministry, over 70% said that the number one thing they want is a friendly atmosphere where they can be themselves. We have worked very hard to create that environment at Adrenaline.
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This week was a huge milestone in my life, as well as a wish-come-true for many friends of mine. This week was Malia’s birthday. And my birthday present to her was an engagement ring! She had been asking for some time when we were going to get engaged, and I kept assuring her that it was coming. But she did not expect me to ask her on her birthday.
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My incredible soon-to-be fiance wrote this, and I thought it was worth sharing.

Human beings have such an ugly tendency to be selfish. It’s not news. We all know that selfishness winds an invisible thread throughout the essence of every person. The holiday season broadcasts the selfish weakness of God’s creation with a resonance of a boom microphone with messages like, “What do you want for Christmas?” And “you deserve_________”.

I believe what was once intended to help celebrate the glory of God’s most definitive act of mercy has become a tool to skew our line between need and want, desire and necessity. Commercialism has taken the name of Christmas, the representation of the purpose of Christmas, and fluffed up the most significant moment in human history. Somewhere lost in the glitter of our tinsel, garland, little lights, massive inflatable snow globes and amazing food, lays the message of God’s love for His creation. The message is hidden, but it’s a message of giving. It seems as though we’ve become caught up in giving with the purpose of receiving something in return. In reality, God gave the first Christmas gift: a life. He only longed for relationship from us. Not a watch, expensive perfume or cashmere, etc. rather; He desired us. He so longed for communion with us that He gave.

How often do we give, just for the sake of giving? It doesn’t have to be monetary; it doesn’t have to be expensive. But, how about just a note letting someone know we care? Or baking an extra 12 cookies for someone? Giving doesn’t have to be expensive. Giving just has to be sincere.

My prayer this year is that with all of the economic turmoil, that we would re-focus the purpose of giving. That my own giving would be consistent and that I would remember the faces of people who have nothing. I pray that God will burn the image of a person on each of our hearts, so that we can offer up a prayer and perhaps, a meal or warm blanket. I pray we won’t lose our purpose in the frenzy of commercialism. I pray that Christians will begin to act instead of gossip, pray instead of scowl and hug instead of turn away.

Christmas can [still] change the world. This year, Give Presence.
- Taken from Advent Conspiracy