THE WORD OF GOD

 Merry Christmas!

I pray all is going well with you this morning –

I know some of you are well into December 25^th at this point

When my sons spoke to their dad yesterday, he was already enjoying Christmas morning

In fact, he was out doing his morning exercises

I think it is admirable that he does not break routine even on Christmas Day

Yet – there was One who broke routine on the very first Christmas so long ago

Jesus came to break our routine

His birth separated time – his actions reflected in His name ‘Emmanuel’

 

The Word Became Flesh and Dwelt Among Us

The beginning of that section of scripture notes:

‘In the beginning as the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through Him all things were made; without Him nothing was made that has been made. In Him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it’ John 1:1-5

 

THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD HAD COME

Jesus – the light of the world – had come for us all

AND HE STILL SHINES!

 

Everything He was, He still is and shall be forever –

Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, today and forevermore [Hebrews 13:8]

He is still Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, our Prince of Peace

What a tremendous blessing!

 

This morning –

Whether you are just starting your Christmas morning,

Or whether you are moving toward the end of your Christmas day;

May the blessings of the LORD abound in your heart and home, today and always

May the Blessing from the LORD – Jesus Christ – be the center of your focus

I pray you have a tremendously blessed day today

 

Merry Christmas!

 

‘Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the Author and Finisher our faith …’  Hebrews 12:2

EMMANUEL

I pray all is going well with you this morning –

We are one day closer to Christmas

I feel like a child sometimes with my anticipation

But, if I am honest, my feelings are somewhat conflicted

I am excited about the countdown and Christmas day

But, I am also sad because I know it marks the end of this beautiful season;

A season which celebrates the birth of Jesus – EMMANUEL, GOD WITH US

Yet I am still full of gratitude and recognize reasons for celebration

Though a season may end, His presence with us never does – GOD IS WITH US ALWAYS

Last night was enjoying the peaceful atmosphere in my home –

The lights, the smell of pine, the candles and relaxing music

I listening to my Christmas ‘playlist’ late into the evening

And on that list was an old song by an artist named Bebo Norman

The song is ‘Come and Worship’

I absolutely love that song and find myself listening to it every Christmas season

Generally speaking, I am drawn to the words of a song and not just the sound

Well, this song is no different –

After over ten years of listening to it, I am still in awe every time over one particular line:

‘God with man is now residing’

It is such a powerful statement and so succinctly captures the entire reason for this season

 

EMMANUEL – GOD WITH US

I am still amazed that Jesus would vacate heaven and agree to come as Child;

            Just so that He could save us, so He could save me

It is simply incredible!

 

Today’s post is not long

This post, along with this season, is a time for individual reflection

It is time to remember the gift that was given and that keeps on giving –

EMMANUEL – GOD WITH US

For all the hurting, grieving, lonely, hopeless and heartsick – God is with you

For all the joy-filled, cruising through life, having a good time – God is with you

For those who do not know Him, filled with questions and doubts – God is with you too

 

Psalm 139:7-10 notes:

Where can I go from Your Spirit?

Or where can I flee from Your presence?

If I ascend into heaven, You are there;

If I make my bed in hell, behold, You are there.

If I take the wings of the morning,

And dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea,

Even there Your hand shall lead me,

And Your right hand shall hold me.

 

That entire Psalm is so amazing!

If you have a moment you should read it – especially verses 1-18

 

The LORD GOD Almighty, the Creator of the universe – is with us

He has promised He will never leave or forsake His children

What a marvelous promise!

 

This morning – I am praying for you

I am praying that you would experience His presence is a tangible way –

            In an intimate and personal and credible way

He is with us always

May He open our eyes to see Him more clearly

I hope you are having a blessed Christmas Season …

 

Have a Blessed Day!

‘Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be afraid, for I am your God.

I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.’

 Isaiah 41:10

THE ULTIMATE GIFT

Good Morning

I pray all is going well with you this morning –

Happy Monday!

I had every intention of getting this post up first thing this morning

But then I got side-tracked …

I took care of a couple of chores and then decided to bake

            Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies for my guys … YUM!

This year has been particularly challenging – for my waistline

You see, I typically GIFT my baked goods

But I really do not feel like going through the hassle of packing and shipping

So, we have had a smorgasbord of treats –

Cookie assortments, bourbon balls, and cakes are up next (rum & red velvet for Christmas Eve)

It’s the most ‘calorie-filled’ time of the year!

But – treats are not the subject of our post today

GIFTS – and THE ULTIMATE GIFT in particular is the subject of our post today

I thought about this post as I was typing up one of the verses for yesterday’s post:

‘God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.’ John 3:16

 

I was typing the verse from memory but then went to look at the actual text:

I had typed, ‘that whosoever believes in Him would not perish’. Yet, when I looked at the NKJV and KJV of the Bible, it notes, ‘… that whoever believes in Him should not perish …’

It seems a simple exchange, ‘would’ instead of ‘should’

But as I thought about it more, I understood why it said ‘should’

 

So – what does this have to do with GIFTS?

‘God so love the world that He gave …’

What did He give?

He gave us all an incredible GIFT

What was that GIFT?

‘… He gave His only begotten Son’

 Why did He give us this PRECIOUS, MOST ULTIMATE GIFT?

‘… that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.’

 

‘God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.’

 Jesus is the Indescribable and Ultimate Gift –

And, He was given so that none of the LORD’s creation should perish;

That none should have to spend a life on earth or eternity thereafter – separated from Him

But the truth of the matter is that many can and still will

You see, a gift not given, is no gift at all – kind of like my treats this year

But the LORD already tackled the issue of giving – He gave the very best gift He could

that Gift being Jesus

And Jesus keeps the gift-giving going by blessing those who believe with the Gift of the Holy Spirit [discussion for another day]

But the gift-giving is only part of the solution to the problem

Gift receiving is the second and critical portion of the equation

A gift not given is no gift at all

But, a gift given and not received – it is a gift of no effect to the recipient

If I am blessed with the ultimate gift but choose not to receive it, I am still gift-less

 

THE ULTIMATE GIFT

Understand – when it comes to the subject of salvation

While none should perish … many will perish because they refuse to accept the GIFT

 

‘If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is LORD and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.’ Romans 10:9

 

‘For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through Him.’ John 3:17

 

‘There is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.’ Acts 4:12

 

‘For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God.’ Ephesians 2:8

 

JESUS CHRIST – the indescribable, amazing and ultimate GIFT

And you do not need to wait until Christmas Morning to receive, open and enjoy this GIFT! 

Have a Blessed Day!

‘But to all who did receive Him, who believed in His name,

He gave the right to become children of God’

 John 1:12

THANKSGIVING ... YES, THANKSGIVING!

I pray all is going well for you this morning –

It is five days until Christmas

It is actually hard to believe we are almost there

I was talking to my youngest son a couple of days ago and he said,

‘This has been the longest and shortest year ever’

I would have to agree with him

However, whatever has transpired, there are so many reasons for THANKSGIVING

 

It is a bit odd to title a message ‘THANKSGIVING’ at this time of year

However, the giving of thanks is not dictated by a day on the calendar

It is not relegated to a specific time of year

No, true gratitude is constant …

It can and should be expressed as often as the feelings of thankfulness arise

 

There are so many reasons and opportunities to give thanks –

Do you have peace in your home? Give Thanks …

Do you have a home? Give Thanks …

Did God breathe into your lungs all through the night? Give Thanks …

Did He wake you up this morning? It is reason for Thanksgiving …

We possess many blessings – if we will but take the time to notice them

 

This year has been challenging for many –

And you may say that it has been a year of great loss individually

I understand – it has been a challenging year for me as well, one with great loss

Yet I choose to thank the LORD for His goodness and His faithfulness.

Everyone has something to be thankful for

 

‘Rejoice in the LORD always. Again I say: Rejoice!’ Philippians 4:4

 

The reason for the season –

Over the years I have heard that phrase shared as a means to help people focus;

It is often spoken to remind others that Jesus is the reason for the Christmas season

But the truth is, Jesus is the reason for every season

‘God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.’ John 3:16

 

The only thing that sustains us from season to season …

            Is the love, grace and mercy of the LORD God Almighty

            Made possible because of the life, death & resurrection of Jesus

His birth would have been meaningless without his life, death & resurrection,

            without Him conquering the power of death, hell and the grave

And He did that for us!

That is certainly a cause for THANKSGIVING!

 

So, ‘Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.’ I Thessalonians 5:16-18

 

Today – my prayers are simple

I pray that your awareness would be heightened

I pray that you would recognize and appreciate all the ways the LORD is blessing you

I pray that you would take time to express your gratitude for His most precious blessing –

            JESUS CHRIST

 

‘For unto us a Child is born, to us a Son is given,

And the government will be on His shoulders and,

He will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.’ Isaiah 9:6

 

Have a Blessed Day!

‘Thus far the LORD has helped us … ’ I Samuel 7:12

JOY

Good Morning

It is a beautiful morning -

It is not nearly as cold as it was yesterday morning

Only fifteen days left until Christmas!

I know – it a little early to start counting down

However – I absolutely love this time of year!

 

This is a time of year where my family enjoys simple pleasures – decorating the house, baking cookies, time together, our annual gingerbread competition and, of course the Christmas cake I bake every Christmas Eve

 

When my sons were young, we started the tradition of baking a cake in honor of the birth of Jesus. Christmas day was the only day of the year where they could have cake for breakfast. And, although they are all grown, somehow the tradition has stuck

Little moments of JOY –

 

Joy is an interesting concept

I think it is difficult to truly define what it is

I mean, there are technical definitions of joy:

Joy \ ˈjȯi  \

Definition of joy

1a: the emotion evoked by well-being, success, or good fortune or by the prospect of possessing what one desires : DELIGHT

b: the expression or exhibition of such emotion : GAIETY

2: a state of happiness or felicity : BLISS 

3: a source or cause of delight

Yet, I am not certain that I agree with these definitions.

It can certainly include some of the notions and ideas noted above

However, I believe it encompasses so much more – something different than just ‘happiness’

I have heard it said that happiness is based upon ‘happenings’

But joy – true joy – emanates from a somewhere else

True joy can exist in spite of the ‘happenings’, despite whatever may be transpiring in your life at the moment

 

This is my first Christmas without my Mom

It was an extremely sad ‘happening’ which occurred this year

However, when I get too sad in the moments of missing her [and it usually strikes out of nowhere]

I am able to find joy when I remind myself that she is with Jesus

                And that she is certainly having a much better time than I am!

 

You see – I believe joy is linked to perspective and gratitude

I can grieve the challenges and focus on the sadness

Or, I can fix my eyes on the larger perspective and thank God that He is working through it all

 

Scripture tells us that, ‘for the joy set before Him, Christ endured the cross.’ Hebrews 12:2

He fixed His focus on something greater than His circumstances and the pain He had to endure

 

This year – 2020 – has been a challenging time for many

                Not just here in my country but around the globe

And, while nothing can erase the pain which has been inflicted [this is not denialism],

There are opportunities to find places and nuggets of joy – even in the face of great loss

 

My prayer for you this morning is that you will find and occupy the place of JOY

May the LORD comfort, strengthen and renew your heart & hope

May He surround you with His presence and grant you JOY INEXPRESSIBLE and UNENDING

 

I pray you are having a blessed holiday season –

Have a wonderful day and …

God Bless!

‘A joyful heart does good to the body and promotes healing …’ Proverbs 17:22

PEACE

Good Evening

It is the middle of the week -

Although it is nearing the end of the day, it is still Wednesday for many of my friends

The middle is such an interesting place to be …

You are not at the beginning but you are not close to the end either

I guess that is why Wednesdays are viewed as a sort of victory day;

If you can make it through, you are well on your way to the weekend –

                For rest, relaxation and PEACE

 PEACE is an amazing thing

I would take meager living and peace in a home over wealth and chaos any day

PEACE is a sustaining force when you are in the middle of a trial

PEACE is a stabilizing presences when it feels like all is shaking and unstable

PEACE is a guiding path when you are in the middle of a process

                It is a source of direction when you are traveling unfamiliar paths

 

I like the definition found in my concordance:

 

 PEACE, SAFETY, PROSPERITY, WELL-BEING, INTACTNESS, WHOLENESS –

 

That is pretty powerful … and all encompassing!

 

In fact, that word for peace is found in Judges 6:24

It is the basis for one of the names of God – Jehovah Shalom, the LORD our PEACE

The LORD our PEACE

The LORD our SAFETY

The LORD our PROSPERITY – not just the One who prospers us;

                The One who not only causes us to be blessed but Who is our great blessing

The LORD our WELL-BEING

The LORD of INTACTNESS – the state of being unimpaired, flawless, ultra-perfect, without defect

The LORD of WHOLENESS – complete, harmoniously whole, unbroken, undamaged

 

Those are qualities beneficial for the middle of the week or the middle of a trial –

and everywhere else around and in between

He is the LORD who has and does and IS everything we need

 

That must be why He tells us in Psalm 100:2 to lift up songs of joy –

                After all, He does inhabit the praises of His people [Psalm 22:3]

Wherever God is, so too are all of His attributes –

                Peace, Safety, Prosperity, Well-Being, Intactness, Wholeness

 

So – whether you still have a few hours left in the middle of your week;

Or whether you have already begun the trek toward the weekend,

Why not travel that road with the God of PEACE, Jehovah-Shalom

It will certainly make any journey more enjoyable and satisfying

 

I pray you are having a blessed holiday season –

Have a relaxing and PEACE-FILLED evening

  

God Bless!

‘… the LORD provides for those He loves, even while they sleep’ Psalms 127:2

Hope is rising ...

Day is breaking,

Birds are chirping,

And as I listen to the word of this song, I count my blessings:

“You’re the One;

There You go again,

Lifting my heart, lifting my head

Hope is rising, as I see You smiling”

My Redeemer … You Are …

SUNSET ... SUNRISE

Good Evening

I pray all is well with you this Thursday evening 

This has been the longest [and shortest] week in the world

That may not make sense but, trust me, it is entirely accurate

Saturday Morning May 16, 2020

I lost my best friend in the entire world

Tomorrow we will all remember her life and bid her farewell

Tomorrow will be a bittersweet day – a day of sorrow and celebration

It is sad for us, but it is a celebration for her

Therefore, I grapple between feelings of sadness and joy

The two can actually co-exist … contrary to popular belief

I have joy because I was able to see her Saturday morning

            Before and after her ascent into heaven

            The sun setting on earth and rising in glory

I have joy because I know where she is – and I know I will see her again

LOVING MOM — AWESOME NANA — MIGHTY WOMAN OF GOD

‘Well done good and faithful servant … Enter into the joy of your LORD’ Matthew 25:21

Truthfully –

This post is more for me than it is for anyone else who might read it,

And that is okay for today …

Have a Blessed Evening