Enter Here

If someone actually pointed out the way for you to find entrance to something you didn't even know you were looking for, would you go there? There are a whole lot of individuals who don't know they are looking for Jesus in their lives, but when they find someone pointing the way for them to find him, they are amazed at what they discover when the 'enter in'. We all need to be 'pointers' to the one who can answer every question, settle every dispute, open every mind, heal every heart, and bring peace to every troubled emotion. 

Yes, I am the gate. Those who come in through me will be saved. They will come and go freely and will find good pastures. The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life. (John 10:9-10)

Come in through him - no other way will matter, nor will it bring the same reward. We try a whole lot of 'ways' to get peace, settle our emotions and sort out our troubled minds, but there is but ONE way - discover that 'entrance point' and you will discover more than you ever knew you needed! The moment we say "yes" to Jesus is the moment we discover hope. The 'thief' of our peace, joy, and stability has many ways to disturb those things - lots of entry points, so to speak. The ONE entry point into truth is through Christ alone.

A rich and satisfying life is the gift offered to you today. Will you accept it? You may have been looking all over the place to find that 'one thing' that would bring you deep and lasting satisfaction, but it is futile to look elsewhere. There is only 'one thing' that we all need - Christ. The enemy of our souls will try to convince us that we don't need Christ in our lives - that 'religion' is silly or kind of lame. 'Religion' isn't what Christ offers. He offers eternal life, freedom from our hurts and hangups, and even a deep and lasting peace that surpasses all of our understanding.

We can enjoy this life with him - not because we find the entry point, but because he prepares that entry point, readying our hearts, and opening our minds. Then, when we say 'yes' to him, he enters into our lives, sets things in order that where once kind of a mess, and begins the work of transforming our lives into lives of purpose, with a truly rich and satisfying end in mind. Just sayin!

No greater gift

So Christ has now become the High Priest over all the good things that have come. He has entered that greater, more perfect Tabernacle in heaven, which was not made by human hands and is not part of this created world. With his own blood—not the blood of goats and calves—he entered the Most Holy Place once for all time and secured our redemption forever. Under the old system, the blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer could cleanse people’s bodies from ceremonial impurity. Just think how much more the blood of Christ will purify our consciences from sinful deeds so that we can worship the living God. For by the power of the eternal Spirit, Christ offered himself to God as a perfect sacrifice for our sins. (Hebrews 9:11-14)

With his own blood - we are bought with a price we could not pay; given a gift we could not earn; and brought into a position we could never possess apart from Christ. One sacrifice - one time - for all time. We are secure because of his gift - the gift we received so many Christmas morns long ago. The old passed away and the new has come. What the 'old systems' of worship and good deeds could never do was done in one moment in time, but it lasts an eternity.

What all our good deeds (good works) and acts of 'contrition' could never do for us has been done through the blood of Christ - our consciences are made pure. If you have ever dealt with a sense of guilt because of your past deeds, something you have said or done that just didn't 'sit well' in your conscience, you know the extreme joy and peace that comes when you finally bring that thing into the light and get rid of it once and for all. The conscience has a way of holding onto the 'bad' we do, but it also reminds us of the 'bad' we are!

The purity of conscience Christ offers is not just a one-time deal. It is a lifetime of us feeling 'guilt' for misguided actions and poorly spoken words, bringing those things to him in full repentance, and feeling that 'load of guilt' lifted. Peace settles in around our souls and we feel 'at one' again with Christ. There is no greater gift we could 'open' this Christmas - for that gift has been given already. We just need to open up our hearts to receive the gift. Just those wrapped gifts under the tree this season, this gift is received when we accept it as ours. Just sayin!

Just a candle...

The earth has grown old with its burden of care, but at Christmas it always is young, the heart of the jewel burns lustrous and fair, and its soul full of music breaks the air, when the song of angels is sung. (Phillips Brooks)

Most of us have all sung some form of Christmas carol at one time or another. It doesn't matter that it was or wasn't in tune, we sang out. Why? There was something about that time of year that made your heart burst into song. Jingle Bells, Noel, or O Come All Ye Faithful - the songs burst forth. We hear them on all the overhead PA systems in malls, grocery stores, and on the radio while we travel here and there. Did you know that singing praises is an expression of joy? It is the expression of the heart to God. With that in mind, let those songs rip!

But let all who take refuge in you rejoice; let them sing joyful praises forever. Spread your protection over them, that all who love your name may be filled with joy. For you bless the godly, O Lord; you surround them with your shield of love. (Psalm 5:11-12)

When we have taken refuge in Christ, the natural outcome is to give praise. Don't stifle it - let it out! As God spreads his protection over us, our soul begins to feel a song rising within. There is something about feeling 'well and protected' that brings a sense of contentment and peace over our lives. Do you know what contentment and a sense of wellness does? It makes us want to express gratitude - psalms and songs of praise are nothing more than an expression of the heart revealing the immense gratitude we have within.

During this season of Christmas, let us not stifle God's praises. Worship him in spirit and in truth. Let your inner man loose - let those hymns, songs, and psalms rise. Carol on! Have you ever really listened to some of the words of those carols? I came across one the other day that touched my heart. So, as we end today, I will include the lyrics for you to consider. A candle - God's perfect light - know the riches you have this season! Enjoy!

A Candle in The Window: https://tinyurl.com/lrwsqfh

There's a road that I remember leading to a special place
Where the door was always open to a smiling face
There's a picture on the mantle of a boy that looks like me
It's always the same, there's a stocking with my name
And a candle in the window, a flame against the night
There's a candle in the window, it's like God's perfect light
It don't take a lot of money to know what riches are
Just a candle in the window

Maybe it's just wishful thinking I can hear the sleigh bells ring
Almost taste the pie she's baking, it's Christmas Eve

And there's a candle in the window, a flame against the night
The candle in the window, it's like God's perfect light
It don't take a lot of money to know what riches are
Just a candle in the window and Christmas in your heart

Wherever the years may take me no matter how far I go
There's going to be a candle burning, it's always nice to know
It don't take a lot of money to know what riches are
Just a candle in the window and Christmas in your heart

It isn't gift wrapped, but it is a good gift!

"Christmas is the spirit of giving without a thought of getting. It is happiness because we see joy in people. It is forgetting self and finding time for others. It is discarding the meaningless and stressing the true values." (Thomas S. Monson) What stress are you under right now just because of 'holiday prep'? So many times, we spend far more time 'prepping' for the meals, gift-giving, and decorating that we forget to spend a little more time with each other just enjoying the time. The true value of Christmas is not in the 'prepping', but in the 'spending' - spending time with those we love.

When the people cry to the Lord for help against those who oppress them, he will send them a savior who will rescue them. (Isaiah 19:20)

Some may even feel as though Christmas is not a very big deal. It is a time for good food, some entertainment, and a load of gift-wrapping being undone in an instant. They miss the meaning of the moment. The gift given all those many years ago isn't appreciated as the 'greatest gift' of all. Jesus hasn't even been invited to their table for the holiday feast. Sadly, many will go through the motions of Christmas and not experience the real purpose of Christmas - the gift of a Savior for all mankind.

This kind of 'celebration' is memorable, for sure, but it is just a bit 'emptier' than God desires. All stand in need of a Savior - even those who don't realize their need quite yet. Let this be the season of gift-giving in your homes - share the gift of Jesus with someone who might not even know to 'cry out' for a Savior yet. Share more than the wrapped packages - share yourself. Let them see Jesus in you in acts of service and kindness. Share yourself with others this season and in so doing, you are likely to be sharing just a bit more of Jesus than you realize. Just sayin!

Bless and keep on blessing

Blessed are those who give without remembering and take without forgetting. 

(Elizabeth Bibesco)

The one who blesses others is abundantly blessed; those who help others are helped. (Proverbs 11:25)

How many of us have been beating the paths at the local department stores in search of those 'perfect gifts' for our loved ones this Christmas season? We shop till we about drop, wrap till our fingers ache, and decorate till our homes are all aglow. Yet, I wonder how many of us have taken a breather long enough to remember the blessings we have received in Christ Jesus? Christmas isn't about the presents - it is about his PRESENCE with us. It isn't about what we might receive - it is about what we must give.

Christmas is going to come and go, just like other days each calendar year, but we put so much work into that one day, don't we? I would like to put a little challenge out there this morning. Would you possibly consider how you can keep Christmas alive all year through? How is it you could give of yourself, in even the tiniest of ways, that would allow others to see just a bit of Christ's presence in your life? It could just be the greatest 'gift-giving' you do is when you let God's presence shine through you in the simplest and kindest of acts all year long.

How can you become a blessing? Do you have a 'simple talent' you could use to bless others? Too many times we discount what we have been blessed with in the way of 'simple talents', believing they really aren't much of a blessing. Do you enjoy shopping at the grocery store, finding good bargains, and redeeming coupons galore? Perhaps you could become a blessing to a shut-in who needs to have their fridge filled and panty stocked. Do you enjoy washing and ironing clothes? Maybe there is a young man just starting out his career who could use a little hand with keeping his wardrobe in top notch condition.

You might think your ability to 'bless another' is really limited, but I want to challenge you today to consider the 'simple talents' God has given you. They aren't just for your pleasure - they are meant to become a conduit of his blessing through you. Can you drive a person to church on Sunday who otherwise wouldn't be able to get there? Be a blessing. Could you watch a young couple's newborn so they could get a bite to eat and enjoy a little time together? Be a blessing. Christmas isn't a one day happening - it is a lifetime blessing. Just sayin!

But how...

Tolkien reminded us, "Courage is found in unlikely places." For some of us, the holidays require a bit of 'mustered courage' on our parts. They are not something we look forward to - perhaps because of loneliness, family discord, or even a lack of hope things will ever change in this world. As much as we are frightened by the load we bear right now, I wonder if we could look at the 'load' Mary bore all those years ago and take note of her tremendous courage to do what no other has been called to do. She was called to bear the Christ child - to bring into this world the Son of God in earthly form - an unwed mother, conceiving by 'miraculous means', in a time when 'being with child' outside of wedlock would have meant immediate rejection and disgrace. I don't doubt Mary had some significant moments of fear as she faced the Angel Gabriel that day - alone, visited by a heavenly presence, told she had been chosen. In fact, scripture tells us Gabriel almost immediately responded to her fear with the words, “Mary, you have nothing to fear. God has a surprise for you: You will become pregnant and give birth to a son and call his name Jesus. He will be great, be called ‘Son of the Highest.’ The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David; He will rule Jacob’s house forever—no end, ever, to his kingdom.” (Luke 1:29-33) I think I might have shot back with, "That's easy for YOU to say!" She responded with words that suggested she might have wanted to understand more: "But how..." The most amazing thing about us standing right smack in the middle of our doubt is that God isn't afraid of our 'but how' moments. In fact, he knows it is our way of coming to terms with what it is he is asking us to do!

As the story goes on, we are told Mary 'wasted no time' in accepting what God was doing in her life - in spite of all the fear of her being rejected and shamed for her condition of 'being found to be with child'. Courage is indeed found in unlikely places. In the moment of asking the 'but how' question, Mary was coming to terms with this calling on her life. She was presented with the impossible then reminded immediately that nothing is impossible with God. There are times when we want to understand and still don't, no matter how many times we ask the 'but how' question. "But how will my family ever heal from this loss?" "But how will we ever mend this riff in the relationship?" "But how will I put one foot in front of the other when I feel so much darkness around me?" As we ask those questions, even when we repeat them because we don't think God has answered us or given us enough information, he is urging us to embrace his courage in place of our fears, doubts, and deep emotional regrets. It may indeed be tough to face the holidays, but God's plan is for us to embrace his grace - allowing that grace to bolster our courage until we stand strong in the midst of what otherwise would cause us great distress. God isn't 'put off' by us asking 'but how' - in fact, he realizes this is a natural response to things we don't understand. We may not get the visitation of a mighty angel like Gabriel, but we have much more - we have the very presence of God within us. The 'but how' is already within us! Just sayin!

A season for giving or receiving?

God never gives someone a gift they are not capable of receiving. If he gives us the gift of Christmas, it is because we all have the ability to understand and receive it. (Pope Francis)

Pondering Christmas a bit this morning - why? So many times we think of Christmas as a 'season' rather than a gift and God meant it as a gift, not merely a season! 

“This is how much God loved the world: He gave his Son, his one and only Son. And this is why: so that no one need be destroyed; by believing in him, anyone can have a whole and lasting life. God didn’t go to all the trouble of sending his Son merely to point an accusing finger, telling the world how bad it was. He came to help, to put the world right again. Anyone who trusts in him is acquitted; anyone who refuses to trust him has long since been under the death sentence without knowing it. And why? Because of that person’s failure to believe in the one-of-a-kind Son of God when introduced to him." (John 3:16-18)

A gift given is of little worth if it is never received - right? I have a great delight in the ease of ordering things online and then receiving them pretty much effortlessly to my home. I expect to receive them. I order these things, but they are not all for me. There are times when those things I receive are intended as 'gifts' for another - to be received by them - cherished by them. God gave his Son - we are to receive this gift - to cherish it with our whole heart. To observe a gift extended to us and then turn away from the giver is actually saying we don't value or desire the gift, but it also says we don't honor or respect the GIVER!

Christmas is indeed a 'season' as our world sees it - starting sometime right after the Halloween candy is put out! I jest, but it is so true. As soon as the candy is out, the stores start to gear up for the 'holiday rush'. Let's not get so consumed by the 'busy-ness' of buying the perfect gift that we forget all about the 'perfect gift' offered to us in Christ Jesus. We might do well to stop to ponder Christ FIRST in this 'season'. It might just help us to not get so caught up in the 'rush'. Understanding Christ's gift might just change the way we see Christmas. Just sayin!

The gift

How much is a fair day's wage? I sometimes watch these shows depicting how life was in the earlier days, when men and women plowed fields, laid up stores from their gardens, and raise livestock to support their families. Some were laborers in the fields, others worked at 'trades' such as carpentry, stone mason, or storekeeper. Yet, one common theme seemed to emerge - the day's wage. It wasn't much, but it usually helped with the bare necessities - such as new shoes when the soles of the present ones had worn thin. The day's wage was well-earned by the sweat of one's brow and heavy lifting of one's back. The worker did a good job and he earned his wages - he deserved his pay. It wasn't a gift to him - it was hard-earned. There is one thing we can never earn - that which is given as a gift. A gift is something given from a heart that knows the specific need and desire of another.

If you’re a hard worker and do a good job, you deserve your pay; we don’t call your wages a gift. But if you see that the job is too big for you, that it’s something only God can do, and you trust him to do it—you could never do it for yourself no matter how hard and long you worked—well, that trusting-him-to-do-it is what gets you set right with God, by God. Sheer gift. (Romans 4:4-5 MSG)

There are just some jobs too big for me to do anymore. I don't do well with lots of heavy labor any longer - although I sometimes forget this fact! I have found I must hire these tasks out to others - not because I couldn't do them, but because I am not as young or as strong as I used to be! There is one task too big for any of us - that of making our hearts right with God. This is only done via a gift - the gift of the cross. This is the season of gift-giving. Many will take great care to listen to what others share about what they would like, how they have yearned for a particular thing, and then they will ensure that object of one's yearning is wrapped carefully and put under the tree for Christmas morn. One such gift is available - but it doesn't need to be unwrapped one day of the year! It is available to use year round!

We could never find this gift in a store, nor could we fashion it with out own hands. It is impossible for us to make right our own hearts - we do not possess the right stuff to 'put right again' the gap between us and our heavenly Father. There is but one way to be made right - and it is sheer benevolence that makes us right. The benevolence of our heavenly Father makes the gift possible - the obedience and love of his Son 'paid' for the gift. No 'cost' too great where it concerns our hearts! The love of our heavenly Father overrides all human reasoning. His love embraces those who refused to embrace him. His grace-filled love 'paid' the price to purchase for us what we could never earn by even our best of toiling!

We shall celebrate with friends and family all over the world this Christmas season with gifts of all kinds. Let us never forget the gift that need not wait until Christmas morn to fill our hearts and settle our minds. Let us open it up, try it on, and see just how well it 'fits' our soul! The gift we could never earn is a most well-fitting gift indeed! Just sayin!

Before and After

Before anything else existed, there was Christ, with God. He has always been alive and is himself God. And Christ became a human being and lived here on earth among us and was full of loving forgiveness and truth. And some of us have seen his glory—the glory of the only Son of the heavenly Father! (John 1:1-2, 14 TLB)

Before is a powerful word. Before today there was yesterday - now only a memory and unable to be altered in anyway. Before light there was darkness - now the shadows of dark are no longer and the brilliance of light makes all once hidden plain to see. Before means there was something and now there is something different. One thing was 'before' everything else, but has never changed or ceased to exist - Christ! The 'before' might not have had human form, but the 'after' does - yet he never stopped being divine!

In our everyday lives, there are lots and lots of "before" moments. The "after" moments we hope will all be 'good' and 'worthwhile', but there is no guarantee, right? The moment we take any step forward, we are establishing the "before point" on that journey. I once heard a story of a man who waited to take his journey until he could see nothing but green lights before him. While I know it might make the journey easier and a little less frustrating, green lights only suggest the way may be open to us - it doesn't mean it will be pain-free! If we waited for all the lights to be green in this lifetime, we'd never grow in our faith, nor would we get very far on our journey!

There is always some "condition" to 'before'. In terms of Christ taking on human form, it says "in the fullness of time". It never said that all things were perfect and that he'd be welcomed with open arms. It just said it was time for his coming. It was the moment we can mark out in history as a 'before point'. Christ left heaven, took on human form, lived among us, and showed us the way to restored relationship with the divine. Without that 'before point', there would be no 'after point' for any of us except the judgment for our sin! Just sayin!

Be there

2 Come before him with thankful hearts. Let us sing him psalms of praise. 3 For the Lord is a great God, the great King of all gods. 4 He controls the formation of the depths of the earth and the mightiest mountains; all are his. 5 He made the sea and formed the land; they too are his. 6 Come, kneel before the Lord our Maker, 7 for he is our God. We are his sheep, and he is our Shepherd. Oh, that you would hear him calling you today and come to him! (Psalm 95:2-7 TLB)

After over half a century on this earth, I have learned a thing or two - but I haven't learned everything I need to learn! One thing I have come to realize - not everyone will celebrate Christmas with joy, nor will all welcome it as a season to be "merry and bright". There is a heaviness of heart that engulfs some and the "season" is just not all that enjoyable. Sure enough, on the outside they give a good appearance of "getting into the spirit" of Christmas, but somewhere deep down inside, the "spirit" of Christmas just isn't moving.

While not everyone is going to celebrate Christmas with the same "gusto" or excitement, the door remains open for all to do so! God's hand will be outstretched, his heart open, and his grace overflowing - we only need to have an open heart to what he desires to do in us today. The truth of the matter is that God loves us with an intensity that goes beyond our "desire" to know him - even so far as to provide the only means by which we could come into fellowship with him. For this, we should all be thankful. For this, we should all be singing praises!

The lack of "gusto" doesn't mean someone isn't a a believer, or that they aren't solidly connected in their relationship with Christ. It may be they are under a burden they are not meant to carry alone - but they just aren't sure how to ask anyone else to help them carry it! This Christmas season, please remain open to God's leading - someone may be counting on you to recognize they aren't really "into" the spirit of the season. Someone may be waiting specifically for you to notice they need help with that burden they are bearing up under.

There is no greater service we can engage in this Christmas season than to be aware of those God puts in our path. They are there for a purpose - it is never accidental. Some will be happy - others will be downright miserable. Some will be open to sharing - others will just need you to be there as a friend. Some will realize all their wishes are coming true - still others will experience the continued disappointment of wishes not realized as of yet.

Regardless of where we are at today, there is someone just waiting for us to "be" the spirit of Christmas in their lives. It isn't about the gift we purchase - it is about the "Spirit" we bring into the relationship! Just sayin!

Considering Christmas

As Christmas is soon upon us, I just wanted to take a little time to reflect on some of the memories I have had of Christmas mornings over the years. I can remember one particular Christmas morning when the tree contained everything I wanted - kind of tom-boy toys, but nonetheless, they were all I wanted and there they were! A set of six-shooters in buckle on holsters, a little cowboy outfit in brown and yellow complete with cowboy boots! That particular year I wanted to be a cowboy. The next I wanted to be a soldier, so the tree was surrounded by green plastic army helmet, plastic canteen, and the like. It was around my fifth or sixth Christmas that the "theme" of my wishes changed to a Barbie and Ken doll, and even a Chatty-Cathy doll. Oh, I wasn't done being a tom-boy, I just found out girls asked for dolls! I grew up with a neighborhood full of boys, so I had asked for boyish toys as a result. I think I was blessed by parents that allowed me to just be me - they didn't try to convince me that cowboy outfits and combat gear was not "right" for a girl and allowed me to have what would help me connect with the friends I had in the neighborhood. They knew that connection was very important for me at that age. My neighborhood would change later on in life, as would my circle of friends, bringing new interests along the way. What mattered was that I was growing up feeling very loved!

So I give you a new command: Love each other deeply and fully. Remember the ways that I have loved you, and demonstrate your love for others in those same ways. Everyone will know you as My followers if you demonstrate your love to others. (John 13:34-35 VOICE)

I can remember car rides into the late hours of the evening after Dad finished up a good day's work, all bundled up and secure in the family car, just exploring the streets of Phoenix for those homes where lights festooned the entryways and adorned the trees. In those days, the "decorating" was pretty traditional, with those big colorful bulbs. Every now and again you came across a home of someone with some creative talent in woodworking who had created cut-outs of various things like nativity scenes and even Santa and his reindeer. These would be lit up in colorful display, sometimes across rooftops while others were nestled in under the sprawling trees of the front yard. The lights and displays were memories I will long carry into my old age, but most important was those hours in the car with Dad and Mom, carols playing softly from the dashboard speakers and us singing along sometimes in perfect pitch and at others, kind of off-key!

There was always Christmas Eve mass. Mom and Dad would make sure I went down for a nap just after supper, then they'd awaken me about eleven o'clock, help me dress in whatever pretty outfit mom had picked for the occasion, and off we'd go. It was all pomp and circumstance, with all manner of incense and flowing robes, altar boys adorned in crisply starched black and white robes. The church would be packed and the anticipation of Christmas morn was palpable for every kid in the place. What made it even more amazingly cool was that I got to open one present when we got home! I'd have scoped out the tree and had made the tough decision about which one would be the package to get that particular honor. Yet, there were always one or two more packages each Christmas morn that weren't there before we made our way to bed to cover up our heads. That made the moments of Christmas morn all that more exciting as a child - knowing Santa still had to visit!

Christmas day was filled with all manner of terrific foodstuffs and lots of sweet delights. Mom and grandma would enjoy their fruitcake and tea. Dad would dunk Christmas cookies in his coffee cup. My favorite were those round white ones all covered in powdered sugar. Mom made them special each year for me - even when I was older and a full-grown woman. She cannot bake any longer and I guess that tradition has been passed on to me now. I don't do justice to them, though - not like she did. She just had a way of making Christmas special. Even that one year we ventured into the fudge making fiasco that yielded about 24 jars of fudge sauce for our ice cream! The stuff never set up, but we laughed and laughed about having all that white, rich goodness for months to come.

We might not appreciate all the love of the season we have experienced until we take time to look back over those years gone by, but as we near this Christmastime, let's just take a moment to pause to consider the love of family, friends, and Christ. Just stoppin!

Live like you are loved

See, a young maiden will conceive. She will give birth to a son and name Him Immanuel, that is, “God with us.” (Isaiah :14 VOICE)

When you are lost, what are you hoping for? You want to be found - you want direction. When you are confused, what are you hoping for? You want answers - you want peace. When you are afraid or anxious, what are you hoping for? You want strength - you want settled assurance. When you are faced with nothing but failure, what are you hoping for? You want something - anything to work out. We are creature of hope - we look for something to be different from the unsettled, difficult, or challenging circumstances we are faced with as life gets tough or the outcomes disappoint us, don't we? To hope is to imagine something different from what it presently is.
At Christmastime, children everywhere gaze in wonder at the brightly wrapped packages under the tree, shaking them when no one is watching, hoping to get some inkling that the thing they most hope for is there. Some gaze at an empty room, no tree with twinkling lights and bright ornaments. Their hope is probably quite different - they fear they have been forgotten - that there will be no Christmas for them this year. I would like to take just a few moments to encourage us to do something this week to meet someone's hope - in some unexpected way, but in a way which will speak deeply into their hearts.

Maybe you could go door to door in a neighborhood where you know very few of your neighbors, asking for just one can of food, an outgrown or unused piece of clothing, or an extra blanket. Then you could take those down to your local shelter to help those who have no home this Christmas, whose tummies are hungering to be filled, who have a job for the first time in quite a long time, but no suitable clothing for the position. 

I saw a post recently of people tying warm winter scarves around trees and light poles all over the city with a tiny note indicating these were not "forgotten scarves", but meant for the finder who might need to be warm on a cold winter's night. You could probably find one somewhere in your stash, write that simple note, and start that movement in your own city. It takes one spark to set a forest ablaze - be that spark.

As always, those Christmas Angel trees in shopping centers will be left with lots of unclaimed tags this week - take one or two. The gift doesn't have to be big, nor does it have to be name brand - just make it a gift from your heart. The child's life you change by that one gesture could mean the difference between an empty tree and a day filled with cheer.

Maybe you pay for the person's groceries in line behind or in front of you, purchase a meal for a cop on the beat today, or buy a flower bouquet at your supermarket and then present it to your cashier. That very simple act may be the only thing truly beautiful and selfless they experience this week.

What I am proposing is that we begin to live like we are loved and that we walk in a manner that shows the tremendous freedom we have been given in Christ Jesus. After all, he is the meaning of this season. It isn't the hype of the season we hear the most, but it is the truth of the season nonetheless. Christ is honored in our simple actions of the heart - not in the volume of the gifts, but in the action of the heart behind each one we are able to render. The moment will come this week for you - be ready! Be an instrument of hope to someone - their very life could be changed by your one simple act of love. Just sayin!

Psalm 23: A Christmas Psalm?

As we take a rest from our busy holiday season mad rush to get all the presents purchased, brightly colored boxes placed under the trees, and ugly sweaters ready for all the parties, it is good to just focus again on the true meaning of the season. It isn't often considered a "holiday season" Psalm, but I think the Twenty-Third Psalm really tells us a story of God's grace and goodness - something we need to recognize in this time of holiday "prep".  The Eternal is my shepherd - you probably know it as "The Lord is my shepherd".  Probably one of the most clearly taught parts of Christmas is this eternal desire of God to have those who will enter into relationship with him down through the ages.  His whole work of creation was centered on preparing a place for us to dwell and a people with which he might have deep, personal, and ongoing relationship with down through the ages.  The first part of the Christmas message is that of relationship - God so loved the world.  The second part is that of provision - that he gave his only begotten Son!  It seems only right then that the next words of our psalm are "He cares for me always".  First, he calls us into relationship, making the way for us to actually enter - then he tends to our every need in the way the one who knows us best can only do.

The Eternal is my shepherd, He cares for me always.  He provides me rest in rich, green fields beside streams of refreshing water. He soothes my fears; He makes me whole again, steering me off worn, hard paths to roads where truth and righteousness echo His name. Even in the unending shadows of death’s darkness, I am not overcome by fear. Because You are with me in those dark moments, near with our protection and guidance, I am comforted. You spread out a table before me, provisions in the midst of attack from my enemies; You care for all my needs, anointing my head with soothing, fragrant oil, filling my cup again and again with Your grace. Certainly Your faithful protection and loving provision will pursue me where I go, always, everywhere.  I will always be with the Eternal, in Your house forever. (Psalm 23 VOICE)

He provides me rest in rich, green fields beside streams of refreshing water.  One of the seldom recognized gifts of the Christmas season is that of rest.  We are so busy with all the "stuff" we have on our list to accomplish, from baking to buying, decorating to displaying, preparing to participating - we get caught up in the frenzy of the season.  In this moment of time, God hopes for nothing more than we take time to just rest in his presence and enjoy his presence with glee!  He soothes my fears and makes us whole again - something we don't really recognize until we take time to slow down, enter into his rest, and just breathe a little.  Why do fears come? Isn't it because of the unknown being just a little more "in our face" than we'd like it to be?  When we begin to snuggle in close to the presence of Jesus, the fears kind of melt away because the "unknown" cannot remain hidden in the glorious majesty of the light he brings into our lives.  The place of rest doesn't have to be the place of darkness, for some of the greatest rest I have ever known is when I fully enter into his light!

He steers me off worn, hard paths to roads where truth and righteousness echo his name.  The hardness of the path is caused by how frequently we (and others with us) travel it. Often the path we take the most frequently to get to what we believe to be the destination we will want to reach is not always the most rewarding or refreshing of destinations!  The hard path is made hard by the frequency it is traveled.  Some of the most awe-inspiring, breath-taking moments in my life have been because I allowed him to steer me down paths freshly trod by his feet and his alone!  The ones I travel the most frequently "get the job done" in life, but this Christmas season, maybe it is about time we do more than "accomplish the work" of Christmas, but follow a path which will allow us to really enter into the awe of the season!

Even in the unending shadows of death’s darkness, I am not overcome by fear. Because You are with me in those dark moments, near with our protection and guidance, I am comforted.  Christmas doesn't seem like it could be overshadowed with "dark moments", but for some, it will be one of the hardest of seasons to endure - for the grip of lost relationships, loneliness, and even longing of heart will take them down paths where they just don't enter into the joy of the season.  It is to these our psalmist speaks these words - because He is with us, even in those dark moments of loss and grief, we will have his protection, guidance, and comfort. 

In the midst of holiday celebrations, spread will all manner of carefully prepared dishes and delightful desserts galore, we find a reminder of the goodness of God.  It is God who spreads out a table before us, making provisions in the midst of attack from our enemies.  He is the one who cares for all our daily needs, anointing our heads with soothing, fragrant oil, filling our cup again and again with his grace.  Christmas is about God making provision in a way we were incapable of ever making it.  It is about his anointing of our lives with the richness of his ever-flowing grace, sweeping down over our lives in streams of mercy and deep rivers of love.  Christmas is the time when we can sit back, taking those moments just to recall the goodness of God - caring for each daily need, filling our lives over and over again with the greatness of his grace.  We would be remiss not to recognize his grace and the continual provision he makes!

Christmas songs abound, but one of the most recognized is that of the Twelve Days of Christmas.  As some would celebrate the season, there is a time of preparation before the actually "day of Christmas", in which they exchange meaningful gifts. It is those times of recognizing others outside of ourselves which make the season most enjoyable and rewarding. I wonder if God would be honored if we just stopped for a while to consider his faithful protection and loving provision that pursues us wherever we go, always, everywhere?  God does more than provide a gift twelve days a year - he provides the gift which keeps on giving - all our lifetime through!  I will always be with the Eternal, in Your house forever.  No gift could provide more!  Just sayin!

One last gift....

Christmas day...

Packages will be opened, paper strewn all over the front room, ribbons left in a pile.  Kids will discard the undies brightly wrapped in favor of building with those brightly colored Lego blocks.  Moms will rush to try out the new counter-top mixer or cookware sets all festive in their holiday attire.  Dads will head to the garages and yards to put on display their newest of tools and gadgets galore.  Grandparents will soak in the memories of family glee and holiday festivities.  It is a magical day indeed.  Yet, I would remiss in not sharing how it is I celebrate this holiday with the greatest of joy and the fullest of hearts.  You see, it is because I have Christ living in me that I celebrate with all fullness and joy!  I chose a passage we could explore today because it was a perfect illustration of what Christ has done in me - and what he would delight to do in all those who would choose to put their faith and trust in him as their Savior this Christmas Day!

Once I was bitter and brokenhearted. I was stupid and ignorant, and I treated you as a wild animal would. But I never really left you, and you hold my right hand. Your advice has been my guide, and later you will welcome me in glory. In heaven I have only you, and on this earth you are all I want. My body and mind may fail, but you are my strength and my choice forever. Powerful Lord God, all who stay far from you will be lost, and you will destroy those who are unfaithful.  It is good for me to be near you.  I choose you as my protector, and I will tell about your wonderful deeds.  (Psalm 73:21-28 CEV)

My general state of heart and condition of mind was adequately summed up in the words of this passage - bitter, brokenhearted, stupid, and ignorant.  You may want to say that this is not true of your present condition of mind or heart, but please hear me out before you decide to dismiss this general synopsis of our hearts and minds apart from Christ.

- Bitter:  Having a harsh, disagreeable taste; hard to bear; causing pain; hard to admit or accept.  Now that I define the "state" of bitterness which can be revealed in either our heart or head actions, you might just see how this term takes on a meaning which could describe all of us at one point or another.  Have we ever been disagreeable, leaving kind of a "bitter" taste behind because of our actions or words?  Have we ever been a little "hard to bear" because of our particular behavior at one time or another?  Have we ever been kind of hard to accept in our circle of influence just because we said or did something which really set others on edge?  If we can answer yes to any or all of these, then our heart or mind conditions are not all that dissimilar my friend!  

- Brokenhearted:  Burdened with great sorrow, grief, or disappointment.  If we might not fit on the first picture, we probably can on this one.  It is not uncommon to mankind to fall into periods of great sorrow - either because of a direct loss to one's own state or condition, or because we are influenced by the loss through the lives of someone else close to us.  Grief and disappointment are just part of trying and sometimes not succeeding.  All failure has the possibility of ending in some type of grief, if not sheer disappointment.  

- Stupid:  Dull, foolish, senseless; annoying and irritating.  I guess we might not equate this word with dullness of spirit, but we would be quick to say it referred to the condition of mind we might call "slow" or "dim-witted".  Although I wasn't a "slow" child, I was kind of "slow" on the uptake when it came to recognizing how my behavior was impacting others around me.  In choosing my own way over the values I was taught, I brought much irritation to those around me.  In deciding my needs were greater than the needs of anyone else in my life and that life hadn't treated me fairly, I became a kind of "annoyance" to those around me who I wanted so badly to be accepted and liked by.  Our dullness of mind and heart can often lead us to do things which produce an outcome contrary to the desired effect!

- Ignorant:  Lacking in knowledge or training; unaware.  All of us have the ability to learn stuff, but few of us actually put what we learn into action.  We amass knowledge and use only a small portion of what we have stacked up in the recesses of our minds.  What is not used is of no benefit - we have knowledge, but we are unaware of how to use it.  In this case, all of us would be ignorant in one way or another, right?

So, I have pretty much described the state of heart and mind of most of us apart from Christ dwelling within.  Apart from Christ, we are indeed producing outcomes which leave a bitter taste in both our own lives and those we touch.  Apart from Christ, we are left burdened with stuff we were never intended to bear up under.  Apart from Christ, we have no real sense of how "slow" we are, but our actions reveal our foolishness.  Apart from Christ, we live life unaware of what we are "missing".  It isn't until we can truthfully admit the words of our psalmist as our own that we come to the place where the bitter, broken, slow, and lacking parts of our lives begin to change.  In essence, it is when we acknowledge the words of our psalmist which say, "It is good for me to be near you.  I choose you as my protector, and I will tell about your wonderful deeds..." that we come into a place of laying down our state of heart and mind which keeps us so tangled in emotional unrest and a lack of true joy in celebration of this season of Christmas.  

My gift to you this Christmas season is this one thing:  Christ and Christ alone!  Nothing can quite fulfill our "wish list" in quite the same manner.  No one can take away our pain or sense of "void" quite like he can.  One last gift this holiday season!  Won't you open up yourself to Christ today?  He desires nothing more than a surrendered life.  He will not disappoint!  Of this I am certain!  Just sayin!

The greatest gift under your tree this year...

One of the most overlooked parts of the Christmas celebration is this idea of forgiveness. Without the birth and life of Christ on this earth, the offering for our sins would not have been possible.  The burden of sin would still weigh heavy upon our shoulders and keep us out of fellowship with God our Father.  Through his birth - forgiveness became possible. Through his death - forgiveness was assured.  No greater gift was provided on any Christmas since his birth!  No greater gift could ever be sought!  His life for ours - what a gift!

Our God, you bless everyone whose sins you forgive and wipe away. You bless them by saying, “You told me your sins, without trying to hide them, and now I forgive you.” (Psalm 32:1-2 CEV)

Forgiveness is a much overlooked gift of this holiday season.  Why?  We have become so "familiar" and "comfortable" in the misery of our sin that we no longer seek a way out!  Sad as this may be, it is evident in relationships everywhere that remain in shambles, despite years of opportunities for the two to reconcile.  One slight brought years of misery - one sin is all it takes to separate two - especially when the two are God and humanity!  

David's record of his confession of sin stands as a reminder to us of how damaging sin can be when left unconfessed and how freeing it can be to come under the blessing of God's grace.  See his words and take them to heart, my friends:

- Before I confessed my sins, my bones felt limp, and I groaned all day long. Night and day your hand weighed heavily on me, and my strength was gone as in the summer heat.  So I confessed my sins and told them all to you.  I said, “I’ll tell the Lord each one of my sins.” Then you forgave me and took away my guilt.  (vs. 3-5 CEV)  Guilt is a natural outcome of unconfessed sin - sin eats away at the core of our being until we are numb to it.  Then it drives a stake into the ground of our failure, chaining us to that failure until we feel there is no escape from that painful ground of guilt.  Yet, when we confess our sin, God forgives not one, but all - taking away any hold we have with the ground of sin and guilt which had us bound.

- We worship you, Lord, and we should always pray whenever we find out that we have sinned. Then we won’t be swept away by a raging flood. You are my hiding place! You protect me from trouble, and you put songs in my heart because you have saved me. (vs. 6-7 CEV)  David's recommendations come through quite clear - we WILL sin - it is inevitable. Yet, there is a way of escape - a chance to avoid the raging flood of sin's misery and guilt. It comes in entering into the hiding place God has prepared for his kids - in the shelter of his wings.  We don't need to be carried away by sin and guilt - we just need to nestle into his caring arms and confess our sin.  He is the one who will save us from sin's tormenting flood of guilt.

- You said to me, “I will point out the road that you should follow. I will be your teacher and watch over you. Don’t be stupid like horses and mules that must be led with ropes to make them obey.” All kinds of troubles will strike the wicked, but your kindness shields those who trust you, Lord. And so your good people should celebrate and shout.  (vs. 8-11 CEV)  Celebration is a result of being led down the paths of right-living.  We may not "naturally" find these paths on our own merit or by our own strengths, but we can be guided down them by a faithful and trusting guide.  We don't need to dwell any longer in the land of unforgiven sin - we have a way out - through the grace of God provided by the birth, life, and death of his Son, Jesus.  He is the road we should follow - the path we should desire above all others.  This path was opened to us by the life of his Son - a thing we celebrate for sure!

It may be Christmas time around the world, but I would be remiss in not reminding us of the tremendous gift we received by this birth so many years ago.  A way was opened to us that just would not have been possible by any other means.  In the fullness of time, in the love which guides all of God's actions, he made a way for us to be free of our sin's hold and the separation which sin brings.  There is no "anchor" holding us in the past, my friends.  There is only a shelter from sin's hold beckoning us "inside" - it is this small voice we should heed this holiday season.  Just sayin!

Not exactly angelic, but divinely provided!

Back in the day when Christ was born, there were several announcements to herald his birth. One such announcement started outside of his home, in the home of Mary's relative Elizabeth.  Elizabeth and Zechariah had been waiting for a child for a long time.  They receive this visitation from an angel when it is Zechariah's time to be tending to the altar in the Temple.  The angel announces the "fore-runner" of Jesus - John the Baptist.  To this aging couple would come a child - one who would point the way to the Christ child.  He would be a Nazarite, live in the desert, and announce the coming of the Messiah.  Imagine the pleasure to have waited so long for a child, almost past your childbearing years, and then receive a grand message such as this.  What an honor to be the parents of the one who would prepare a way for the earthly ministry of Jesus!  Angels came to Mary to announce the birth of Christ.  Angels set Joseph's heart at ease that Mary hadn't "snuck around" on Joseph while they were engaged, getting herself "knocked-up" by some other man.  Angels announce his arrival and angels continued to "care for" him in the early days of his birth - watching over this Christ child and announcing to prepared hearts his arrival had finally come.  In essence the angels did more than announce - they also gave a warning of what was about to come.  Not every message heard was the easiest to take.  Some were instructional, others were warnings to avoid a certain path or direction.  Most of what God provides in life is one or the other - instruction to guide us or warnings to keep us safe.

By your teachings, Lord, I am warned; by obeying them, I am greatly rewarded. None of us know our faults. Forgive me when I sin without knowing it. Don’t let me do wrong on purpose, Lord, or let sin have control over my life. Then I will be innocent, and not guilty of some terrible fault. (Psalm 19:11-13 CEV)

I think this is what David might have been saying when he penned these words for us.  It is by God's teachings (his written word) that we are warned.  By our obedience to these warnings, we find great and lasting reward.  Just as was the case with each of the angelic visitations surrounding Christ's birth and early life, the one receiving the message had two choices - dismiss it as superstitious mumbo-jumbo, or embrace it as God-given direction for their lives.  The Word of God is not superstitious mumbo-jumbo, my friends.  It contains warnings for our safety, direction for our navigation of life's challenges, and encouragement for life's disappointments.  In keeping the instruction, we enjoy great reward.  In turning often to the  instruction contained within the pages of scripture, we are opening ourselves to find great treasures and continued "course-corrections" as necessary.

Look at what David is saying:

- It is by God's teachings we are warned.  A warning is a notice given to tell of some impending danger or possible harm.  Without a notice of this nature, we'd head into things with the absence of awareness and be caught up before we have a moment to even process what has happened to us.  I think this is one of the most valuable parts of how scripture helps us in life - giving us an awareness of our actions so we aren't just walking around "unaware" of issues which might come our way.  God's plan has always been to give "early warning" to those who have ears to hear and a heart to listen.  What set Mary, Elizabeth, the shepherds, or even the Magi apart from others may have been this willingness to listen to what they received in a message from God.  All God wants of his kids is their attentive consideration of the warnings he gives.

- By obeying them we are greatly rewarded.  I guess this is where the rubber meets the road for most of us.  We hear a whole lot, and it even tickles our fancies when we hear it, but making the words we hear become the actions we take is a different matter.  Mary had to believe God when he told her she'd conceive, not in the ordinary manner of man laying with woman, but supernaturally through the Spirit of God.  Joseph had to believe God had been the one touching Mary's life in this manner, not some man in the neighborhood.  Elizabeth had to accept the truth she wasn't past the age of childbearing, even though outward signs signaled otherwise.  In obedience, we are greatly rewarded.  What does God provide through his scripture to us today?  When we ponder it fully, is our response one of disbelief, rejecting it?  Or is our response one of trust, stepping fully into what he directs, no matter how unrealistic it seems?  Obedience makes the difference!

- None of us knows our faults.  Maybe this is where scripture really takes on a specific purpose in our lives.  We don't know our own faults - why?  It is simply because we have blinders to what we do, but plainly see clearly (and can point out with pinpoint accuracy) what another does or doesn't do.  We see the actions of others long before we see those in ourselves.  Maybe this is why scripture contains so many "stories" of the lives of others - to help us see where it is we have the same "faults" in life!  In so doing, we take what we see "in another" and begin to examine ourselves.  In essence, we use the life failure of another to show us where the same tendencies exist within us - simply because we don't see these faults in us naturally.  We need the supernatural to unveil our eyes!

- We can do wrong on purpose; sin can gain control if we let it.  There is some truth to the fact that we "fall" into sin without even knowing it - those are the faults we are unaware of. Then there are times when we just plunge deep into sin's mire with full knowledge and what should have been adequate warning to avoid it!  Why?  Sin pushes to gain control - righteousness pulls to regain control.  It is a battle of sorts - one pushing us further into our own mired circumstances while the other is pulling us upward and out of the pit we have been digging for ourselves.  When we are willing to turn to the warnings in scripture, taking them seriously, we find the pull of sin is less each time we obey the warnings!

We may not receive the angelic visitations of old - but we have been given some basic instruction which is just as practical, insightful, and helpful.  All we need to do is turn to the instruction we have been given - not as a mythical book of phrases, but as a "playbook" of sorts which is designed to give us the best offensive and defensive stance as we walk through this life.  Just sayin!

Some "mulling spices" for you

We all  have those moments in time when our dreams seem to be far away and sleep seems to be a little elusive to us.  We toss and turn a little, drifting in and out of restless slumber, only to come awake again, mind thinking on things we should have shut off long ago.  In those times where slumber seems to evade us, we often think about stuff which we have been mulling over previously.  I think this is why God asks us to learn the "skill" of meditating upon his Word and upon him.  When those sleepless nights creep up on us, we will have some better "fodder" for our mulling than if we just ruminate on the worries of the day!  We can "mull over" his grace, think a little bit about his goodness, and contemplate his blessings in our lives - all because we have filled places in our minds and hearts with the right "fuel" for "mulling"!  As I was in the Big Lots last week, I came across a display of "mulling spices" and had to ask my mom what they were.  At this stage in the game, it is a crap-shoot if she will remember stuff like this, but I gave it a try.  She couldn't exactly remember, so I looked them up and found out they are things like cloves, cinnamon, and nutmeg - ingredients added to hot beverages on cold nights to warm the body.

I am innocent, Lord, and I will see your face! When I awake, all I want is to see you as you are. (Psalm 17:15 CEV)  

Now, we are not a family who lives in the colder climates, so this is probably why I didn't know much about mulling spices, but in considering their origin and purpose, I was instantly "hooked".  I may not make much hot cider, but I think I understand apple cider is made the "richer" by the spices which are added and "cooked into" it over the flame of the hot stove.  It is the "essence" of the spices which are released into the warming juices which will become the hallmark of the warmed drink.  These "essences" are often wrapped in a bit of cheesecloth and then boiled into the drink over the hot flames.  As they are soaking up the juices, they are releasing their rich flavors and fragrances, bringing an awakening to one's sense of smell and taste.

The idea of "essence" being released is what caught my attention about this Christmas tradition.  You see, if we have the right "ingredients" in the "bag", the essence of what is released when we allow it to begin to "seep into" the areas of our lives where we are ruminating, we will soon begin to realize the beauty of what Christ wants to release "into" our lives in those wee hours of the night!  The worries will begin to vanish and the "beauty" of his presence (the fragrance of his grace, love, kindness, etc) will begin to be released, overtaking the thoughts we are "stewing on"!

The idea of having something of "fragrance" or "essence" added into our lives is not a new concept - it is frequently taught in scripture.  Grace has a "fragrance" all its own.  You might recognize it as "release", "peace", or "freedom".  The goodness of God has an "essence" which leaves indelible signs of having touched our lives in things like "restored health", "renewed relationships", and "regenerated purpose".  The "essence" of God's presence is palpable, friends.  It is apparent in not only the daytime hours of study in his Word, but in the nighttime hours of ruminating thoughts and fatigued bodies!

In case you weren't aware, the "essence" of something is more than the fragrance it gives off. It is also the "lifeblood" of the object or person.  When we are touched by the Spirit of God, there is something of a "life-exchange" which occurs.  His "essence" leaves us different than we were before.  Apart from his essence, we are merely "fruit juice" - with his added essence, we are "robust and warming" life!  Cinnamon once it is soaked for a while in the fruit juices no longer really has much essence left - it has given the essence to the mixture.  The same is true of the allspice, nutmeg, and cloves.  The distinctive essence is infused into the whole. This is the way it is when Christ's Spirit invades the thoughts of our wee hour musings.  The essence of his presence begins to give a new "flavor" to the things we think upon.  

May all your musings be filled with Holy Spirit infused "mulling spices"!  Just wishin!

Not another "mystery" gift under the tree!

But when the time was right...  

This is a phrase which should bring such awe to our hearts, for it is the phrase expressing God's heart for all of humanity.  He purposed to provide for our needs - in the right manner. He purposed to provide for our deliverance - with the right means.  He purposed to provide for our short-comings - through the right sacrifice.  All when the "time was right".  This is something we struggle with - timing.  We all have a tendency once in a while to be a little too early or too late - our timing just not being perfect on all accounts.  We are subject to our own whims and fancies - something which will mess with our timing whenever it has a chance.  Yet, God's timing is perfect - and his ability to endure until exactly the right time is awe-inspiring.  If you remember back to when you were a kid, you would count off the days until Christmas.  You'd have advent calendars or the like to help you know just how many days till the time you could tear into those brightly colored packages beginning to take form under the tree.  Others would wonder what else would show up on Christmas morn - when the time was right - like those "mystery" gifts which appeared with the greetings, "Merry Christmas From Santa".  Those never appeared before the "timing was right", did they? There is just something of suspense in waiting which makes us all a little anxious and curious to boot.  We want to know now - God's plan may be next week.  Aye!  We must learn the importance of "when the time is right" - huh?

Children who are under age are no better off than slaves, even though everything their parents own will someday be theirs. This is because children are placed in the care of guardians and teachers until the time their parents have set. That is how it was with us. We were like children ruled by the powers of this world. But when the time was right, God sent his Son, and a woman gave birth to him. His Son obeyed the Law, so he could set us free from the Law, and we could become God’s children. Now that we are his children, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts. And his Spirit tells us that God is our Father. You are no longer slaves. You are God’s children, and you will be given what he has promised. (Galations 4:1-7 CEV)

I remember one Christmas with my kids.  We were pretty limited in funds for Christmas gifts, so I did a lot of garage sale shopping and even some thrift store jaunts to try to find some toys for the kids.  My daughter was just at that age when she had an interest in Barbie dolls.  I had saved my Barbie and Ken dolls from when I was a kid, so I dug those out, ironed the clothes which had been wadded up over the years and stored in a shoe box, but one day I came across the thing I knew would just make her heart jump for joy.  We were garage sale shopping early one morning and I came across an old three story, plastic white and pink Barbie doll house.  No furnishings - just the house.  The family sold it to me dirt cheap and I stashed it away in the little shed off the carport.  Each night after the kids were in bed, I'd sneak out there, wash it down, polish it up a little, then begin the task of creating furnishings for each and every room.  I saved tin cans which I painted and covered with fabric pieces and batting to create stools and chairs.  I crafted bed from small boxes, foam rubber, and scraps of old sheets.  In time, the little garage sale find became a well-adorned home for her Barbie dolls.  As they went off to bed on Christmas Eve, I took it inside, set it up around the tree, complete with the dolls posed eating a meal at the kitchen table.  As she awoke the next morning, she squealed in delight!  Music to a mommy's ears, my friends!

The gift was purchased for some time before it actually was given.  Why wasn't it given right away?  The time wasn't right!  It was envisioned as a Christmas gift - not an everyday, run of the mill, gift - but one which needed a whole lot of love invested into it to make it super-special for my little girl.  I don't think my heavenly Father is much different!  In fact, he often withholds some things which are just not right according to the timing he has for my life (and yours).  It isn't because he loves us less than others, but because he knows the supreme beauty of us receiving those things in the "right timing".  We wouldn't be ready to receive them in the same manner, nor would we be as "appreciative" of those gifts if we received them ahead of that timing.  Many years later, when she was a grown woman, I heard my daughter recall this gift as she shared Christmas memories with my daughter-in-law.  I had no idea the impact that labor of love made on her life.  No idea at all.  The day she explained about the gift, I knew she had done more than squeal in delight - she had connected with my heart.  She saw the labor of love - she appreciated it - and it impacted her life.  I know this is how God wants us to view all of his gifts, as well.  Not as quickly prepared, or quickly dispensed, but as painstakingly prepared and perfectly orchestrated!

But when the time was right....God sent his Son.  This is our season of Christmas - the memory of God sending his Son.  Our personal memories of this Christmas need not be devoid of this most awesome gift, my friends.  In fact, the greatest gift of all has been given for each and every one of us.  Not so we can squeal in delight and then move on to something bigger or better, but so we can savor his gift with awe and intense love.  Let us not lose sight of the perfection of God's timing - this is his season - delight in him!  This is his time when he delighted in each of us - now it is our time to fully and completely delight in this gift he has provided "in the fullness of time".  The gift - grace.  The gift-giver - God.  The gift recipient - you and I.  Just sayin!

Settling in for a long winter's night

Quite some time ago, I learned the light-hearted song, "All I want for Christmas..."  You know the one I mean - the little jingle about wanting my "two front teeth" for Christmas.  I think we all want something for Christmas - some of us will be quick to announce what our wish list includes, while others will be more reserved and not really be able to make any grand gestures toward letting the world know what it is we are wishing for.  Many a child will be making their lists and checking them twice, then sealing them in an envelope addressed to the Jolly Ole St. Nick care of the North Pole.  It is kind of what Christmas has come to these days - a lot of hustle and bustle to get the right gift and to ensure everyone has something special they will want.  As the grand-boys have been growing up, I have asked for their "lists" because it makes it easier for me to actually get things which fit their current interests.  Imagine my surprise this year when I found out the wish list did not come in the usual handwritten fashion, but was an Amazon Wish List!  Tee hee!  They are definitely not little boys any longer!  My greatest hope for everyone this Christmas season is for Christ to be at the top of your list!

You, Lord, are all I want!  You are my choice, and you keep me safe.  You make my life pleasant, and my future is bright. (Psalm 16:5-6 CEV)

We have probably all heard the little quips here and there about men and holiday shopping - like they can buy gifts for 25 relatives in the last 25 minutes of shopping time just before Christmas!  As silly as this may be, we enjoy poking a little fun at people who think fruit cake is a great gag gift, or who procrastinate till the last minute to scurry around in a mad frenzy on the 24th of December on a mad flight of gift buying.  One of my favorite quotes about Christmas came from Dale Evans.  She said, "Christmas, my child, is love in action.  Every time we love, every time we give, it's Christmas!"  Now, think on that one a little and you will see she was saying Christmas goes way beyond December 25.  It is a lifetime of giving of one's talents, time, and treasures for the blessing of another.  This is the true meaning of gift giving - not that we have our every wish or that the list is all checked off!

As our psalmist so aptly states, "You, Lord, are all I want!"  I wonder what state of mind and spirit we have to get to in order to actually mean those words?  I think we say them kind of freely, but when push comes to shove, we don't demonstrate them in action in our lives.  Our challenge this holiday season is to remain faithful to this one action - making Christ central in all our gatherings, all our gift giving, and in all our preparations.  If we want to remain true to the season, we cannot forget that Christ was "central" to the entirety of the Christmas story!  His birth was prophesied - his tiny life was celebrated - and his home was made the richer because he was in it.  May our homes be the richer because Christ is central in them, as well!

As we consider our passage again, the key to Christ being all we want is a matter of choosing the right focus in the madness of the season.  When we make Christ our choice, we are choosing to have our lives made whole in him.  We are choosing to have our lives become demonstrations of his light and grace.  As we explored yesterday, all kindness and grace is evident in the living of his life in us.  One thing I recognize as a tendency in my own life is to get caught up in the hustle and bustle of the season.  This year has almost forced a different vantage point for me.  I had the knee revised on the 8th, so I am on crutches, moving past the pain once again, and attempting to rehab this knee so I can return to work after the first of the year.  I had to prepare for the holidays before I could go into the hospital for the surgery.  In all my years, I have never been more at peace with Christmas!  It was all done the week before my surgery and now I can just enjoy the peace of the season!  I highly recommend settling down with a good book, enjoying family, and taking in the joy of the season!  It is awesome!

May God's grace be always evident in your lives.  May his peace always fill your hearts with joy.  And may his love fill you with all the glee of the season!  Just sayin!

What did obedience cost Mary and Joseph?

As we have looked at the birth of Christ, we have considered the fact he was born of a virgin, with an earthly father so willing to honor God with his life that he married a woman who was already pregnant.  In that day and time, a very taboo thing.  We also saw how the mother of Christ was chosen by God and given the dramatic news that she would carry the Son of God.  Imagine her awe, but also see her tremendous amount of fear as she would have received this announcement, knowing all she knew about the time in which she lived about how a woman out of wedlock showing up pregnant would be treated.  We also explored the lowly birth of Jesus in a stable of sorts, surrounded by animals, visited by shepherds, and then honored by magi from afar.  The announcement of his birth was by angels - start to finish.  Mary heard from an angel (a messenger from God), while Joseph was set at ease by a messenger from God on another occasion - assuring him the thing he was about to do in marrying Mary was going to be okay.  Angels announced his coming to the shepherds in the fields and the Magi heard plainly in a dream of their need to not return to Herod with the news of the locale of the Christ child.  All this "visiting" from heaven's hosts and God's Spirit had such an impact on the events surrounding the birth of Christ, but the story of heaven's "announcements" surrounding his birth were not finished.  On two more occasions, Joseph receives word from heaven, one time from an angel and another in a dream.  Multiple interventions to set hearts at ease, give oversight into the plans God had in using a common man and woman to set things in motion on earth for the arrival of his Son, and the continual protection of the Christ child from those who would have sought to take his life at a very young age.  God still speaks today, my friends.  If not in angels who appear with heralding messages, in the dreams of our hearts and in the quiet of our meditation before him.  We are beckoned to draw near and to listen with hearts open to respond in the same level of obedience as we saw in these examples given for our reference in scripture.

After the wise men had gone, an angel from the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, “Get up! Hurry and take the child and his mother to Egypt! Stay there until I tell you to return, because Herod is looking for the child and wants to kill him.” That night, Joseph got up and took his wife and the child to Egypt, where they stayed until Herod died. So the Lord’s promise came true, just as the prophet had said, “I called my son out of Egypt.” (Matthew 2:13-14 CEV)

Imagine your wife being very close to the time of her delivery and needing to make a journey on donkey and by foot, all the way from your home town to the place of the taking of the census.  Today, we have census takers who come to us - but not so in the time of Jesus' birth. The "accounting" was done in a central location, based on one's heritage (lineage).  The travel would have been grueling for any mother that close to term.  The worry this must have caused Joseph as he ushered her along toward the central town of his family line probably was significant.  Yet, he obeys.  If not because God told him to, then because he was a man under authority, who submitted willingly to the authorities in his life.  We could take a lesson here, my friends.  Too many times today, we consider "if" the voice of authority is "worth" listening to and then base our obedience on our "opinion" of that authority's worth. What we neglect to do is remember God has appointed all authority and when the rubber meets the road, we take all that an authority asks us to do and consider it in light of scripture. If it lines up, we do it.  If it does not, we obey God!  This is the example we have with Joseph's actions - he chose to obey the authority God had placed over his life - so he packed up and took his wife on the journey of a lifetime!

Now, the newborn life is in his hands, and he receives a warning to get up, take his wife and child to Egypt - the country his ancestors had fled - to avoid the harmful intent of King Herod.  Jesus was at least 8 days old, but even at this wee age, he was at risk on this journey. It was not a hop-skip-and-jump for the family.  In fact, it was likely about a ten day journey on foot/donkey.  Just thinking about taking a tiny infant, a mother who is only a week or two away from delivery, and probably a little bit of a sleep deprived father on this journey is kind of mind-numbing.  Yet, we see tremendous obedience once again on Joseph's part - he "immediately" got up, packed up the family, and went on the journey.  In fact, he left family and livelihood to do this, for he would have had to make a totally new existence in Egypt. It is highly unlikely that he packed up all the tools of his trade before he headed to Bethlehem for the census taking, so he would have had to start all over in Egypt - a costly venture, to say the least.  In following what God wants of us, there are times when it will cost us dearly - not because God wants to do us in "financially" or in a "material" sense, but because he wants us to trust him with the end result of such obedience.  To Joseph, the material would take care of itself - his concern was for the welfare of his wife and child.  This is often an overwhelming concern of many a new father, is it not?  

It is likely they lived in Egypt for about 4 years, until Herod died.  So, for all this time, Joseph was away from family, as was Mary.  A good deal of time would have been missed with grandparents, aunts and uncles.  Mary and Joseph would not have had the support system most new parents would be afforded in the closeness of family life in New Testament times.  So, this step of obedience was indeed another "huge" step for both Joseph and Mary. It started with trusting God with the revelation of the Son of God coming into their wee family, continued with the need to flee a jealous and fearful King, and continued in exile in a land where they likely knew no one.  Obedience is costly, indeed.  But...the blessings of obedience outweigh the cost any day!  Just sayin!