I’m sitting in a church sanctuary turned auditorium on Friday night watching a Christmas musical practice that will be presented to the congregation on Sunday evening. The children and young people are doing a great job and seem to be giving the performance their best shot. It’s so good to see adolescents and kids investing in a production that highlights and celebrates the true meaning of Christmas, one that is meant to bring honor to the Lord and draw people to him. Interestingly, this musical was written and first performed twenty-five years ago, but with a refresh of the script, the music and message are amazingly contemporary. It is an incredible privilege to be here, and I am overwhelmed that something God inspired me to write and produce a quarter-century ago still speaks today. But that is nothing compared to the realization that the Christmas story is timeless, amazing because the Savior’s entrance into the world was over two thousand years ago. No matter how many more years the Lord allows us to remain on earth, it will always be fresh, always up-to-date, and always meaningful to God’s followers and to those who are listening and learning to eventually become part of his family.
His story, the story of his entrance into the world, is one of the greatest historical events to ever take place, paving the way for his ultimate sacrifice and victorious resurrection. But it doesn’t live in past history. Most especially at this time of year, the story is renewed in receptive hearts, and it brings the same hope and wonder to all who take the time to pay attention and participate in the celebration as it did to the shepherds long ago.
But it does require paying attention and taking the time to focus on the origin of why we observe this occasion in the first place. There are an awful lot of nice trappings that accompany the holiday – decorating homes, offices, and other gathering spaces, visits with family and friends, sumptuous meals, gift exchanges, generous giving to those who have a need, and even special church services that commemorate Jesus’ birth. Each has its place and importance, particularly as they relate to serving and worshiping the Lord. But if the emphasis in this season is not directed toward the Son of God who gave up his heavenly home to put on flesh to relate to us and bring salvation to those who receive his gift, then we are missing the timeless message of his coming. Remember, angels left heaven and gathered together in the sky to proclaim the good news of his birth, shepherds left their fields and made haste to see this tiny reminder of God’s love and salvation, the righteous Simeon and the prophetess Anna left their everyday routines to marvel at him and worship and adore him, and eventually the wisemen left their home in the east to diligently search for him and to present him lavish gifts and worship. When one truly focuses on an important matter, it does necessitate leaving out other things that may distract, and giving full attention to the object of focus. How much more does this once-for-all-time event, the birth of our Savior, deserve our full attentiveness and devotion?
This year, plan to make your Christmas season a reflection of your love and appreciation for the One who gave up so much to enter this world for you. Thank him for his timeless story that remains fresh and relevant to all who open their hearts to him. Bring Scripture and prayer into the center of your family’s festivities, and celebrate the true meaning of Christmas with abundant joy. May it be the merriest of holidays for you and yours!
“For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified”
(Hebrews 10:14, ESV).
“To the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen” (Jude 1:25, ESV).
Traveling around as much as we do, we have the opportunity to experience different places, cultures, food, and entertainment. We are very blessed to be able to afford a decent place to sleep and some pleasantries that create special memories in each of our destinations. To keep the costs reasonable, we are prone to cart around a 12-volt cooler and an ample basket, each filled with easy and often healthier food options than many fast-food restaurants offer. Most of the hotels where we stay have a microwave to allow us to quickly fix the foods that need heating. As grateful as I am to have that convenience, it is amazing to me how varied are the buttons, dials, gizmos, and screens to use almost any microwave one can encounter.
One would think that there would be a standard procedure to run an average microwave, but even models that exist only to heat certain foods all seem to operate differently. It is common for it to take me much longer to figure out the steps to start the “magic box” than it will eventually take to do the heating. It makes me wonder if there isn’t some mischievous thinktank somewhere that tries to come up with the most diverse way to run the latest, greatest microwave oven on the market. I suppose it is one of those things that keeps us thinking, but I’m pretty sure that even some sort of degree in technology does not guarantee an easy approach to quickly prepare a nice hot meal or snack. The function of a microwave is certainly complex, but so is the often-elusive procedure to get it to work. After a while, the much easier option is to just make a cold sandwich.
I’d like to contrast that process to the simplicity of salvation. It doesn’t take a number of complicated steps to be able to receive God’s most precious gift to us. He has done all the work, and our part is just to believe in who he is and accept his forgiveness and the grace that brings redemption. He offers this gift to anyone of any status, children and adults alike. In fact, Jesus said, “‘Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven’” (Matthew 18:3, ESV). Why? Because children depend on others around them for their well-being. They need protection and display trust in those who care for them. Jesus offers a caring, loving relationship to those who exhibit that same kind of trust in him, and he promises it beyond a lifetime into eternity. The Bible often refers to salvation as a mystery; it is a complex matter that required Jesus’ giving his life for us to retain ours. Salvation is a work of the Holy Spirit. “But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life” (Titus 3:4–7, ESV). But there are no difficult or elusive instructions for us to be assured that he is our God and he has blessed us with abundant life forever. One of the interesting things about receiving his gift is that God does not micromanage our choice—he gives that freely to us so that we will do it out of love and in faith, and choosing him will be a decision we make on our own.
Many of you who are reading this newsletter likely have made a confession of faith in the Lord Jesus, and like me you are tremendously grateful for the sacrifice Jesus made and how simply he has supplied his gift to us. But, if that is not something that you have been able to believe and receive thus far, I would encourage you to read God’s Word, specifically in the Gospels, pray, and ask his Holy Spirit to reveal truth to you. If as a believer in Jesus you know someone who is not in relationship with the Lord, ask God to give you the opportunity and the words to present a clear and simple avenue for that person to receive Christ. Remember that it will be the work of the Holy Spirit to seal the deal, but we can be the bearer of the Good News that will plant seeds of hope into another’s life.
Meanwhile, I will trek on and continue to accept the challenge of running the next microwave I encounter. It is almost a guarantee that it will not be an easy task. If all else fails, please pass the peanut butter and jelly!
Kris & his daughter Kori above the PacificHe was doing very well. In fact, by the looks of it, he was the epitome of a healthy middle-aged man. He used portion-control for his meals, stopped eating beef ages ago, and kept treats and sweets to a minimum. He walked almost daily; he even worked out at the gym periodically with his son. He liked to hike by the ocean, enjoying the serenity and peace he found with the undulating waves and the endless horizon on the Pacific. He was gainfully employed, and though as a pastor he carried burdens and had some situations that would produce stress, he turned these things over to the Lord. His family relationships were intact and brought him joy. Things were in a good place, until they weren’t.
My son, Kris, experienced his first chest pains after allowing himself the indulgence of eating bacon, an occasional delight. Thinking it might have been GI related, he didn’t consider it to be a problem, and he ignored it. But then, he began having those chest pains when taking a not-too-significant incline on one of his walks, and when it happened several times and began to be accompanied by a pain in the jaw, he knew he needed to be seen by a physician. A stress test determined that there indeed was a problem, and an angiogram was scheduled for about ten days later. When Kris started to experience the overwhelming pain and pressure while walking on level ground, he was immediately admitted to the hospital. In the first couple days he had several episodes of pain, and they decided to do the heart procedure within a day or two. Slowing his heart rate and monitoring him carefully kept him pain-free and stable. But the angiogram revealed the problem: Kris had a 95% blockage in one of his main arteries. The procedure included immediate insertion of a stent to undo the blockage. Fortunately, the heart itself did not suffer an attack, and while he will be on some medications likely for a lifetime and has to continue cardiologist visits periodically, he has been feeling fairly well, and the postoperative fatigue is subsiding. Praise the Lord for his love and care over Kris!
According to the American Heart Association, cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death for both men and women in the US, killing over 700,000 Americans each year.* It is highly likely that having a grandmother and a great uncle with the same problem, Kris’ artery trouble is hereditary. While not everyone will encounter a physical heart ailment in his lifetime, there is another condition, also hereditary, with which every human being struggles. It is the propensity for a spiritually sick heart. The Bible has hundreds of references to the heart, but very few of them refer to the ticking organ inside our chests. The dictionary definition of the heart referred to in the Bible is in part, “The center of the total personality, especially with reference to intuition, feeling, or emotion.”* It is the inner being, and the place from where good and evil originate. According to the ESV Student Study Bible commentary, “In early Hebrew, ‘heart’ included what today is called the ‘mind.’” And, in relation to the terms used in the book of Proverbs, “Heart in Proverbs refers to the center of one’s inner life. It is from this place that a person does all thinking, feeling, and choosing.” Commentary on Jeremiah 17:9 states, “heart. The human will and emotions.”*
God, as the great physician, evaluates the condition of our hearts. “The crucible is for silver, and the furnace is for gold, and the LORD tests hearts” (Proverbs 17:3, ESV). “Every way of a man is right in his own eyes, but the LORD weighs the heart” (Proverbs 21:2, ESV). From the beginning, he has performed a spiritual stress test and angiogram, and the results are very concerning. “The LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually” (Genesis 6:5, ESV). “‘The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?’” (Jeremiah 17:9, ESV). In the Gospels, Jesus weighs in on the problem. He quotes from the Book of Isaiah: “‘For this people’s heart has grown dull, and with their ears they can barely hear, and their eyes they have closed, lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears and understand with their heart and turn, and I would heal them’” (Matthew 13:15, ESV). “‘For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness. All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person’” (Mark 7:21-23, ESV).
Yes, our hearts are desperately sick, evil, and far from God. So, what is the remedy? Our compassionate and caring Great Physician has not left us without a cure. The first step for our spiritual heart health is having a relationship with God through his Son; “Because, 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. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved” (Romans 10:9-10, ESV). If you have never taken this step to spiritual heart health, then do it today! To keep your heart in optimum condition, there are steps that our Physician would want us to take. Praying to him and asking for his help to make our hearts pure and wholesome is key. “Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting! (Psalm 139:23-24, ESV). Reading and taking in his Word is highly important. “I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you” (Psalm 119:11, ESV). Staying in close relationship with him and with others is vital. “And [Jesus] answered, ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself’” (Luke 10:27, ESV). Following his prescription for a healthy heart will keep us strong and in line with him. Praise the Lord for his love and care over us!
References:
*1) Online American Heart Association Statistics, AI Overview, 2024 Report.
The old adage “Curiosity killed the cat,” seems to have come from various places in various forms. But no matter its origins, the curiosity part seems to hold true when it comes to felines. Example: having just stayed in a home with two beautiful ragdoll breed kitties, they fully demonstrated how nosy cats can be. Doing certain exercises in their space (all areas in their vicinity are their space) had them literally joining in (see the cat in the corner) or staring with what seemed to be incredible interest in what I was doing. Entering a room and closing the door was cause for paws under said door to try to knab something that they thought might be of interest or use to them. Finding a crevice or a compromised niche was an apt place for exploration and investigation. However, with nine lives, cats seem to avoid the results of their inquisitiveness. In fact, as per another saying, no matter how chaotic or crazy things become, cats do tend to land on their feet.
Watching cats be cats has me thinking about our curiosity. Oh, not about random things, but about God’s Word and matters of faith. It has caused me to self-assess how interested and probing I have become as a believer. Just where does my curiosity lie when it comes to God’s character, his principles, his thoughts about various world and cultural circumstances, and his attitude toward me as his child and disciple? Do I bother to go past a superficial reading of his Word to delve into the true meaning of what its pages can reveal through the working of his Spirit? Am I interested enough to spend time before him to listen for his voice and enjoy a deeper relationship with him? Is conversation with him a top priority among my daily routines and tasks? In all honesty, I know that I fall short way too often when it comes to my side of the relationship. I do want to acknowledge the fact that in one’s life there are seasons when one becomes busier and time is at a premium, but it is still important to maintain a healthy dose of curiosity for the things of God. To marvel at his wonderful works, and praise and thank him for his goodness and grace should be a regular part of a believer’s life.
In Acts Chapter 8 is found an interesting story about an interested individual. A man who was a royal official in the court of the queen of Ethiopia was in a chariot reading the prophet Isaiah. Philip, one of Jesus’s disciples, was prompted by the Holy Spirit to join this man, and as he sat with him, the man shared what he was reading from Isaiah 53. Curious, the man asked Philip if the prophet was speaking about himself or someone else. “Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning with this Scripture [Isaiah 53:7] he told him the good news about Jesus. And as they were going along the road they came to some water, and the eunuch said, ‘See, here is water! What prevents me from being baptized?’” (Acts 8:35-36, ESV). As is the story for many people of faith, curiosity led this man to come into a relationship with Jesus. But curiosity should never stop there; it should remain all throughout our lives. Investigation regarding the Lord and the things of God must continue on until we are with him face to face, and then we will “know fully, even as [we] have been fully known” (1 Corinthians 13:12d, ESV).
Curiosity is not just for cats, though they may have cornered the market. It is for those of us who seriously desire an intimate relationship with our God. It is necessary to truly know him and to be able to follow him faithfully. It is our avenue to the greatest understanding of his principles and ways. The more curious we are about him, the better. And in times of chaos and challenge, we will be able to confidently trust him to help us land on our feet.
It is a treat to spend time in warmer places during the winter months when harsher weather and colder temperatures are a staple farther north. We are not snowbirds as many people are from late fall until sometime in the spring, but trips planned here and there to sunnier climes provide a break from biting temps and frozen precipitation. A great benefit of such a trip is to be able to enjoy outdoor activities, and in my case, that means being able to take walks in the fresh air for exercise versus pounding a treadmill indoors with a stationary view.
Staying with family in Southern California, I was ready to go on one of those said walks, and looking at the sad face of the furry grandchild occupying space in that home, I thought it would be altruistic of me to take him along. After all, as a fairly large dog in a very modest home complete with a postage stamp yard, I assumed he would be more than enthused to join me. I got him ready with harness and leash, and we headed out the door and down the complex walkway to the main sidewalk adjacent to the street. My dear doggie companion was apparently not in the same headspace as I, and as I began to walk, it felt as if I were dragging a one-hundred-pound bag of cement behind me! Cash was on his feet, but his feet stayed as planted as they could be, only lifting and moving as my increasingly sore arm muscles could make them budge. This was fairly much the case for about a half hour of walking, which basically only took place along their street. In all fairness, Cash did pick up the pace as we neared their house again. So much for the health benefits of walking. At least my arms got quite the workout!
This experience caused me to wonder how many times I must look like Cash in relation to staying in step with God. I may start out trotting on the beginning walkway only to drag or come to a stop on God’s main sidewalk. This can happen in various areas in which we, as God’s children, should be involved. Our resistance can diminish true worship, hamper fellowship with others, deter speaking out for Jesus, or hinder our service to others in the church or the community. I know God is all-powerful and has a “mighty hand and an outstretched arm” according to numerous Scripture references in the Bible, but it is easy to jokingly think that some of his muscle comes from the strain I put on his extremities.
As much as our hesitation or cooperation can definitely affect others, it also impacts us personally. There are two Bible stories that come to mind, one in the Old Testament and one in the New. Though in 2 Peter 2:7, he is referred to as “righteous Lot,” he may have wound up being remembered as lingering Lot for his hesitancy to leave the wicked city of Sodom when God was poised to destroy it. “As morning dawned, the angels urged Lot, saying, ‘Up! Take your wife and your two daughters who are here, lest you be swept away in the punishment of the city.’ But he lingered. So the men seized him and his wife and his two daughters by the hand, the LORD being merciful to him, and they brought him out and set him outside the city” (Genesis 19:15-16, ESV). There is much more to the story that does not bode well for Lot and his family, but his life was spared because of God’s love and compassion that caused the angels to drag him out of the city. Otherwise, his account would have ended in Sodom.
Speaking of Peter, there is a passage in the Book of Acts that recounts his experience in prison in Jerusalem. Peter, having been put in prison for his faith by King Herod, had the blessing of the church praying for him. cell. He struck Peter on the side and woke him, saying, ‘Get up quickly.’ And the chains fell off his hands” (Acts 12:7, ESV). The angel gave further instructions, and Peter followed him to his rescue. At times he didn’t even know if the scene was real or a dream, but suffice it to say, he was able to continue his earthly journey with God because he stayed in step with the plan God had for him.
While our stories may or may not include visible heavenly beings prodding us to follow the Lord, we are still urged to stay in step with him. But we do have the Holy Spirit to help us in this endeavor: “If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit” (Galatians 5:25, ESV). He can keep us on track in our journey with the Lord. Let’s stop dragging and pulling back as he is leading. Let’s stay in step with him.
Pet Peeves; we all have them. They can perturb in the home: my husband is particularly annoyed that I do not squeeze the toothpaste tube starting at the bottom. And how about the proverbial seat up/seat down challenge in regard to the bathroom throne? They can agitate while driving a car: Perhaps you have been tempted to slam on the brakes to alert the avid tailgater that you’ve seen enough of his face in your rear-view mirror. Don’t you just love the driver who feels entitled to pole position as he weaves and dodges lane to lane in heavy traffic? And how about in the grocery store: Perhaps you’ve made your way to the express lane only to find a shopper behind a cart laden with goods who feigns innocence as to the number of items that are really allowed in said lane. Have I pushed any buttons yet?
I, like possibly many of you, try to be patient and refrain from holding a grudge in regard to any habit, practice, or behavior that might be particularly irritating. But there is something that is often committed by those in retail that is especially maddening when the item being sold is more than likely meant to be a gift for another or something that is intended for display. It is definitely my pet peeve. I’m talking about the sticky price tags that somehow become hermetically sealed to the object, whatever it may be. I’ve had the eternally adhered labels stuck to the glass front of a picture frame, to candle jars, to mugs, to the covers of books, to cellophane wrapping on gift boxes of candies and bouquets of flowers, and even on some articles of clothing. It is a pet peeve that I hold onto like the tacky offenders cling to things themselves.
While shopping during this past Christmas season I happened to find bookmarks that I thought would be very special for some teacher friends. They had lamination on the front to protect the adage, the Scripture, and the appropriate picture. The back had places marked out on which to write the name of the recipient as well as the giver. I chose two and took them home only to find that the price label on the paper backing of each was as stuck and stubborn as any I had ever encountered. I tried pulling, scraping, lightly rubbing with a sparsely damp cloth, all to no avail. When I did remove some of the top area that held the pricing information, it still left the tacky residue behind on the bookmark, and that looked pretty unsightly! Eventually I had to use a plain white label to cover the messy back and hope that the front was attractive enough to keep the attention there.
In dealing with this sticky situation, the Lord reminded me of a Scripture and a principle of his that has literally stuck with me over these past couple months. I am so grateful to him that the sins we commit are not something that remain glued to us forever! God’s Word assures us that our sins are fully removed as we confess them to him. “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9, ESV). In the Old Testament we find these encouraging words: “The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. He will not always chide, nor will he keep his anger forever. He does not deal with us according to our sins, nor repay us according to our iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us” (Psalm 103:8-12, ESV). We don’t have to pull, scrub, or scrape at the mess that grips inside from the offenses we so often commit. We pray and ask his forgiveness, and he forgives, and we are clean. We can also ask him to give us the courage to ask forgiveness of others and make amends when we’ve hurt someone through our actions or inactions, as the case may be. And note, being that we are in the month that emphasizes love, it is because of his great love for us that he grants us such a great forgiveness.
Pet peeves; we all have them. Sin; we all fall short of God’s glory and commit transgressions that are an affront to God and others. But, unlike the pet peeve I shared, those sins can be confessed and forgiven so that the Lord “’will remember their sin no more’” (Jeremiah 31:34e, ESV). They will not stick to us like an ugly, gummy price tag. We can be clean and free from all residue as we confess our sins to the Lord. As such, we are lovely and presentable just like a special gift or a precious item for display.
It has been an ultra-busy fall season, the details of which would take up at least a blessings blog amount of space to recount. Basically, my schedule was packed day-to-day and just about minute-to minute from the get-go in September, right through and actually beyond the end of October. I’m not sure that I had really counted the cost of two months of an agenda that afforded no wiggle room, but as my sister-in-law so aptly says, “It is what it is!” and I took a big breath and went with the flow.
The final endeavor of this two-month travel and activity merry-go-round was a trip to my daughter’s home in Texas to watch her three little ones (girl-6 and boys-4 and 2) while she went on a ministry retreat. I am more than happy to spend times like these with my wonderful grandkids, particularly because our time with them is more often than not separated by months at the least, and it is dear to me. I did not take this on wearing rose-colored glasses, however. I did have time with all the littles (7 of them) earlier in October, and I’m certainly not naïve to the energy and effort just a few hours with even one family can take.
And so, I came with a plan: I had some good ideas about where food and drinks would be consumed, how toys that continued littering the floors would find themselves in a trash bag (temporarily – honest!), and that on days when we did have to do things outside the home, we would prepare the night before with clothing and lunches at the ready. I also often do my own routines at night rather than in the morning when I’m with young grandchildren so that I’m adequately prepared for the following day. It actually was all going really well, not perfect, but manageable. That is, until Saturday! It wasn’t long after the morning dawned that things seemed to go south pretty quickly. The four-year-old, Caden, was manifesting symptoms of a fairly bad virus, and his nose was not afraid to show it. It needed constant wiping and attention. At breakfast, Mr. Two used his water bottle to flood his food tray, the floor, and himself. At least that mishap led to a cleaner area when addressed. There were fights over favorite blocks, a tussle over a Santa hat (yes, Santa hat on the first weekend of November), and clashes over other toys that all needed intervention and a level-headed perspective. Big sister engaged baby brother in a game of what I call “pedal-pusher;” each child pushes on the feet of the other in pedal fashion while holding hands. This managed to leave a bloody bottom lip on the little guy with the ensuing care needed for such an incident. We had a potty accident followed immediately by a dirty diaper, each requiring major clean-up, in more ways than one. By this time, it was way past noon. The shower I had hoped to take to allow for me to wash my hair was a pipedream, and as I considered the way things had gone so far that day, this phrase swirled in my mind, “my grandkids present a never-ending circle of need!” When we finally got to making lunch and I dropped the jelly jar on the kitchen tile sending glass fragments and jelly all throughout the floor, I realized that I had entered that circle of need myself.
Now, I can hear you saying, “Move over, Grandma! This is my story daily, and it doesn’t take until afternoon to get there.” Believe me, I am aware. I was a mom before the grand was attached. But there is some great news that we can all hold onto and that we especially think about at this time of year. When God sent his Son into the world not “to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him” (John 3:17b, ESV), Jesus entered right into our circle of need! In fact, he came as he did so that he could relate to the needs of all humankind. As an infant, he didn’t arrive with a self-changing diapering mechanism, a continuous feeding tube, and a recurring hygiene system. No! He came with the need to have nurturing care provided by his mother and protection and provision afforded by his dad, both his earthly parent and his heavenly Father. We are left to imagine what most of his life must have been like as a boy, but considering that day and time, he was vulnerable to the same difficulties and challenges of any other child. Picture fleeing to Egypt and then the trek back; the yearly pilgrimage to Jerusalem for the Passover traveling over rough and rugged terrain; the trials of living as a poor family in the sometimes-hostile environment of first century Israel. And then, even as a man, in spite of constant contact with his heavenly Father, he still had the need for companionship, the need for sustenance, and the need for shelter and clothing. There was nothing about Jesus’ life that was above what we face. However, he had the ability to face it in full harmony with God and with continued strength and confidence that God the Father would meet his every need. Do you believe the same?
Jesus empathizes with our needs, and he is there to meet them. This Christmas, invite him into your circle of need through prayer, taking in his Word, and spending time before him, even if you have just a few precious minutes in the day. He will enter in and bring his peace that passes all understanding along with his answers for your everyday needs as well as the bigger challenges you face.
“Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need” (Hebrews 4:14-16, ESV).
Before the summer season winds down and the anticipation of beautiful colored leaves, crisp apples and the resultant apple edibles, and a cooler weather pattern come into being, a quintessential American activity begins. By August, many people engage in supporting their favorite teams that compete in the rough and tumble sport of football. Expectations are high as fans from cities and areas all over the country believe that it will be their team that will make it to the ultimate competition, The Super Bowl.
The pre-season is designed for coaches to assemble their teams from prior players and new draftees to compete for the final fifty-three-man roster. Something that really caught my attention this year is how the coaches play their tried-and-true players compared to those with whom they are not yet familiar. It is quite common for the veteran players to sit on the sidelines while the newbies take the field for the majority of these pre-season games. Along with evaluating the capabilities of the unfamiliar lot, keeping the vets off the field prevents a known valuable team member from risking injury in a game that will not count toward the team’s season record. In the regular season, the stars take the field often to ensure wins when they really count.
God’s team strategy can be a bit different. In God’s Word we find that many times it was the unknown draftee that God put in for a big win. Gideon comes to mind. While he threshed his wheat in a winepress to hide it from Israel’s oppressors, the Midianites, God had his angel greet him as if he were a prized warrior. “And the angel of the LORD appeared to him and said to him, ‘The LORD is with you, O mighty man of valor.’” (Judges 6:12, ESV). Gideon questioned why Israel was enduring such hardship if God’s presence was with them, but the angel of the LORD continued. “‘Go in this might of yours and save Israel from the hand of Midian; do not I send you?’” (Judges 6:14b, ESV). Though Gideon still couldn’t believe the call God had placed on him, and he requested a sign to confirm the words spoken to him, Gideon did follow through with God’s plan, and victory was afforded Israel in a miraculous way, Gideon leading the charge with a very small number of men.
Another example is young David. After Saul proved to be a regrettable choice as king because of his disobedience to the LORD’s commands, Samuel, God’s prophet, was sent to Jesse the Bethlehemite to anoint Israel’s next king. All of Jesse’s sons came before Samuel beginning with the eldest, and they looked strong, handsome, and capable of excellent leadership. But God told Samuel his method of choosing members of his team. As Samuel looked on Jesse’s first son, Eliab, he thought that he must be God’s choice. “But the LORD said to Samuel, ‘Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the LORD sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the LORD looks on the heart.’” (1 Samuel 16:7, ESV). It wasn’t until David, the youngest son, was brought from the fields where he was tending sheep that God said to Samuel, “‘Arise, anoint him, for this is he.’” (1 Samuel 16:12d, ESV).
And God does not spare his MVPs from injury and hardship. When God had a conversation with his disciple Ananias of Damascus regarding the Apostle Paul’s conversion to Christianity, Ananias was hesitant to include him in the rank and file of God’s chosen due to his ardent persecution of those in the Body. While the Lord assured Ananias that he was choosing Paul to be his witness to both Israel and to the Gentile nations, interestingly he included this statement: “‘For I will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name.’” (Acts 9:16, ESV). Ananias obeyed God, laid hands on him, and prayed to expel the blindness Paul experienced in his encounter with Jesus, and Paul started his active participation on God’s team to become who some consider God’s greatest apostle. Indeed, he did suffer for the cause of Christ, and through his letters found in the New Testament, he has remained influential in the lives of believers throughout the ages.
Essentially, those of us who have a relationship with Jesus are on his team to do his will and further his kingdom. Whether our call is to be on the field for every big play, or we are put in for what seems like minor movement, “Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men” (Colossians 3:23, ESV). Even our small contribution can be much in his hands, and we can propel God’s team to victory in his Name!
Once we hit July, this year’s summer schedule was fairly open for us, and as such we decided to go camping. True diehards that participate in this activity would be sure to say that we actually went glamping, being that we use our truck to pull a Fifth Wheel in which we sleep, cook, and even engage in electronic entertainment in the evenings. OK – you’ve got us. But we still did book ourselves into a somewhat rustic campground for a week in southwest Colorado to take in the sights, connect with nature, and relax and enjoy the creative and varied world God has given us.
One of the things we did on the first morning of our arrival was to hike around the lake adjacent to the campground. Lest you are led to believe it was a huge effort, this lake was really just a large pond, but it still leant us thirty minutes plus of exercise and interesting flora surrounding the lake to examine. As we got to the path, I noticed the beautiful puffy white clouds overhead. I was enjoying the billowy shapes, in particular one towering directly in front of me. In the next moment, I observed something right in front of the cloud. I had to adjust my focus to discern exactly what it was, but I realized it was a bit of some kind of white fluff floating lazily by. I looked around to see if there were any plants that were growing something of that nature that would have blown into the air, but saw nothing else like it. I immediately had a crazy thought: “That’s a wannabe!” At least that’s what it looked like to me, that little old fluff competing with the grandeur of the huge puff in the sky.
It got me thinking about how we can be like that small fuzz drifting in the air. We strive to imitate something we view as impressive and put our effort and energy into possibly something we’re never meant to be. It may be that God has a different goal in mind for us, but we’re too busy looking way off into the clouds, and we miss the opportunities he is placing right before us.
It is important to recognize that there is nothing wrong with dreaming big dreams and reaching for what may be lofty goals. But, so often our eyes are on the wrong prize. If we truly search within and find that we are driven by the desire for a loaded pocketbook, recognition, some sort of power, or another worldly or temporal ambition, we will likely realize that we are definitely not on the path that the Lord would desire for us to follow. To put it in the words of The Preacher, the writer of the book of Ecclesiastes, “I have seen everything that is done under the sun, and behold, all is vanity and a striving after wind” (Ecclesiastes 1:14, ESV).
A good biblical example to consider is found in the Book of Acts. Philip, a man chosen as one of seven who helped the apostles in ministry, was serving in Samaria. A man who practiced magic arts named Simon, had fooled many people with his enchantments, and they acclaimed him as great. As these same people witnessed the genuine power and godly work that Philip was doing there, they believed in Jesus, received his good news, and were baptized. Simon took note of the miraculous works, and the Bible says, “Even Simon himself believed, and after being baptized he continued with Philip. And seeing signs and great miracles performed, he was amazed” (Acts 8:13, ESV).
The apostles Peter and John were sent to Samaria from Jerusalem upon hearing about the new believers there. The Holy Spirit had not yet come to these recent converts, so Peter and John laid hands on them, and they did receive the Holy Spirit. It is at this point that Simon displayed the heart of a wannabe. He actually had such a desire to perform this same miraculous work that he offered to pay the apostles to be granted the same gift. This repugnant longing was quickly rebuked by Peter who said, “‘May your silver perish with you, because you thought you could obtain the gift of God with money! You have neither part nor lot in this matter, for your heart is not right before God. Repent, therefore, of this wickedness of yours, and pray to the Lord that, if possible, the intent of your heart may be forgiven you” (Acts 8:20b-22, ESV).
Simon did request prayer, but it is not clear if he had a sincere change of heart that led him to trade his covetous attitude and his longing to be someone great in the eyes of the people for a true heart of a servant. While we may not have a Peter figure in our lives to tell us when we are puffing up beyond God’s call, it is my hope that each of us can take a good look inside and ask for the Lord’s position on the state of our ambitions. Whether they appear great or small, may they be in line with what God is desiring for each of us. Steer clear of being a wannabe, and glide on the wind of the Holy Spirit for his good purpose and glory.
It can be so easy to think solely in the here and now and remain focused on only what is in front of us. After all, in our own families with young children, mom’s name must be uttered at least three hundred times a day, and multiplied needs are ever-present. “Where’s my shoe?” (not both, but one). “When are we going to the park?” “Can Tommy come over to play?” “Is lunch ready yet?” “My library book has paint all over it ‘cause Emma needed a cover on the table for her art project!” “Can I have… fill in the blank?” Or in more mannerly households, “May I have… still fill in the blank?” And so, it goes. And even if Mom and/or Dad don’t fulfill all the requests, the words still swim around relentlessly in the brain like sharks looking for a tasty meal. Then even as kids age, a whole new set of needs will inevitably take over – ball games, music lessons, assignment help, dentist and orthodontic appointments, etc. Add in parents’ own schedules with work, meetings, necessary car repairs and the like, and local church and ministry commitments, planning time to breathe seems to be the only necessary addition to an already overflowing family schedule.
The Lord absolutely knows our situation and the demands that are already in place, particularly in young families. But he also does ask us to look outside of ourselves and consider the needs and plight of others, even elsewhere in the world. Most of us are familiar with this passage of commissioning, spoken to Jesus’ disciples, but applicable to all believers: “’All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, (emphasis mine) baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you’” (Matthew 28:18b-20a, ESV). It can be tough to think about that “one more thing” that should occupy our time and require our attention, but this responsibility is set before us as a priority that deserves consideration.
Obviously not every person or family is called to become full-time missionaries who sell much of their belongings, pack up what’s left, and head to a far-away place to devote their lives to full-time service. Perhaps you have or you will come to realize this is your calling – may God’s blessings and care be abundant if that is so. But there are so many ways to make an impact for Christ on the lives of people that live elsewhere on the earth. I have recently become aware that our songs from the Sing God’s Word CD Series are being listened to around the world. Places as diverse as the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy, Mexico, Hongkong, Iceland, Australia, Latvia, Malaysia, Uruguay, and more have taken advantage of various streaming platforms to listen to the Scripture songs we share. It is so humbling to realize that God has taken imperfect vessels to impact people globally with what he has inspired us to create. Amazing! I have two family members, a son and a son-in-law, who within the last couple months have taken short-term mission trips to two very different countries, the United Arab Emirates in the Middle East, and Brazil in South America. Each left, but even more so left with blessings, having willingly giving his time, talent, and attention to others from a foreign land filled with people who need Jesus. Likely you are aware of, and perhaps have participated in giving to, organizations such as Samaritan’s Purse who sponsor the yearly collection of gift boxes to give to impoverished children in various parts of the world. There really are so many ways to follow this command that Jesus has given us. We are all very different, and the way we answer will be unique and personal for each person and family, taking into account what God has given each of us and put on our hearts.
Pray and ask the Lord to reveal to you how you can be a part of his great commission. Prayer alone for a missionary or a people group that is unreached or barely reached for God is in itself an effective way to be used by the Lord to further his kingdom and is a great family endeavor. Seek God’s will in regard to this all-important task. Remember that he could put something on your heart for the future, but it is essential to find something now that you can do to fulfill his commission. Whatever his answer for you will be, remember that the Scripture in Matthew 28 ends on this encouraging note: “’And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age’” (Matthew 28:20b, ESV).
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I’m sitting in a church sanctuary turned auditorium on Friday night watching a Christmas musical practice that will be presented to the congregation on Sunday evening. The children and young people are doing a great job and seem to be giving the performance their best shot. It’s so good to see adolescents and kids investing in a production that highlights and celebrates the true meaning of Christmas, one that is meant to bring honor to the Lord and draw people to him. Interestingly, this musical was written and first performed twenty-five years ago, but with a refresh of the script, the music and message are amazingly contemporary. It is an incredible privilege to be here, and I am overwhelmed that something God inspired me to write and produce a quarter-century ago still speaks today. But that is nothing compared to the realization that the Christmas story is timeless, amazing because the Savior’s entrance into the world was over two thousand years ago. No matter how many more years the Lord allows us to remain on earth, it will always be fresh, always up-to-date, and always meaningful to God’s followers and to those who are listening and learning to eventually become part of his family.
My son, Kris, experienced his first chest pains after allowing himself the indulgence of eating bacon, an occasional delight. Thinking it might have been GI related, he didn’t consider it to be a problem, and he ignored it. But then, he began having those chest pains when taking a not-too-significant incline on one of his walks, and when it happened several times and began to be accompanied by a pain in the jaw, he knew he needed to be seen by a physician. A stress test determined that there indeed was a problem, and an angiogram was scheduled for about ten days later. When Kris started to experience the overwhelming pain and pressure while walking on level ground, he was immediately admitted to the hospital. In the first couple days he had several episodes of pain, and they decided to do the heart procedure within a day or two. Slowing his heart rate and monitoring him carefully kept him pain-free and stable. But the angiogram revealed the problem: Kris had a 95% blockage in one of his main arteries. The procedure included immediate insertion of a stent to undo the blockage. Fortunately, the heart itself did not suffer an attack, and while he will be on some medications likely for a lifetime and has to continue cardiologist visits periodically, he has been feeling fairly well, and the postoperative fatigue is subsiding. Praise the Lord for his love and care over Kris!
The old adage “Curiosity killed the cat,” seems to have come from various places in various forms. But no matter its origins, the curiosity part seems to hold true when it comes to felines. Example: having just stayed in a home with two beautiful ragdoll breed kitties, they fully demonstrated how nosy cats can be. Doing certain exercises in their space (all areas in their vicinity are their space) 
had them literally joining in (see the cat in the corner) or staring with what seemed to be incredible interest in what I was doing. Entering a room and closing the door was cause for paws under said door to try to knab something that they thought might be of interest or use to them. Finding a crevice or a compromised niche was an apt place for exploration and investigation. However, with nine lives, cats seem to avoid the results of their inquisitiveness. In fact, as per another saying, no matter how chaotic or crazy things become, cats do tend to land on their feet.
Curiosity is not just for cats, though they may have cornered the market. It is for those of us who seriously desire an intimate relationship with our God. It is necessary to truly know him and to be able to follow him faithfully. It is our avenue to the greatest understanding of his principles and ways. The more curious we are about him, the better. And in times of chaos and challenge, we will be able to confidently trust him to help us land on our feet.
It is a treat to spend time in warmer places during the winter months when harsher weather and colder temperatures are a staple farther north. We are not snowbirds as many people are from late fall until sometime in the spring, but trips planned here and there to sunnier climes provide a break from biting temps and frozen precipitation. A great benefit of such a trip is to be able to enjoy outdoor activities, and in my case, that means being able to take walks in the fresh air for exercise versus pounding a treadmill indoors with a stationary view.
Pet Peeves; we all have them. They can perturb in the home: my husband is particularly annoyed that I do not squeeze the toothpaste tube starting at the bottom. And how about the proverbial seat up/seat down challenge in regard to the bathroom throne? They can agitate while driving a car: Perhaps you have been tempted to slam on the brakes to alert the avid tailgater that you’ve seen enough of his face in your rear-view mirror. Don’t you just love the driver who feels entitled to pole position as he weaves and dodges lane to lane in heavy traffic? And how about in the grocery store: Perhaps you’ve made your way to the express lane only to find a shopper behind a cart laden with goods who feigns innocence as to the number of items that are really allowed in said lane. Have I pushed any buttons yet?
It has been an ultra-busy fall season, the details of which would take up at least a blessings blog amount of space to recount. Basically, my schedule was packed day-to-day and just about minute-to minute from the get-go in September, right through and actually beyond the end of October. I’m not sure that I had really counted the cost of two months of an agenda that afforded no wiggle room, but as my sister-in-law so aptly says, “It is what it is!” and I took a big breath and went with the flow.
Before the summer season winds down and the anticipation of beautiful colored leaves, crisp apples and the resultant apple edibles, and a cooler weather pattern come into being, a quintessential American activity begins. By August, many people engage in supporting their favorite teams that compete in the rough and tumble sport of football. Expectations are high as fans from cities and areas all over the country believe that it will be their team that will make it to the ultimate competition, The Super Bowl.
Once we hit July, this year’s summer schedule was fairly open for us, and as such we decided to go camping. True diehards that participate in this activity would be sure to say that we actually went glamping, being that we use our truck to pull a Fifth Wheel in which we sleep, cook, and even engage in electronic entertainment in the evenings. OK – you’ve got us. But we still did book ourselves into a somewhat rustic campground for a week in southwest Colorado to take in the sights, connect with nature, and relax and enjoy the creative and varied world God has given us.
Simon did request prayer, but it is not clear if he had a sincere change of heart that led him to trade his covetous attitude and his longing to be someone great in the eyes of the people for a true heart of a servant. While we may not have a Peter figure in our lives to tell us when we are puffing up beyond God’s call, it is my hope that each of us can take a good look inside and ask for the Lord’s position on the state of our ambitions. Whether they appear great or small, may they be in line with what God is desiring for each of us. Steer clear of being a wannabe, and glide on the wind of the Holy Spirit for his good purpose and glory.
It can be so easy to think solely in the here and now and remain focused on only what is in front of us. After all, in our own families with young children, mom’s name must be uttered at least three hundred times a day, and multiplied needs are ever-present. “Where’s my shoe?” (not both, but one). “When are we going to the park?” “Can Tommy come over to play?” “Is lunch ready yet?” “My library book has paint all over it ‘cause Emma needed a cover on the table for her art project!” “Can I have… fill in the blank?” Or in more mannerly households, “May I have… still fill in the blank?” And so, it goes. And even if Mom and/or Dad don’t fulfill all the requests, the words still swim around relentlessly in the brain like sharks looking for a tasty meal. Then even as kids age, a whole new set of needs will inevitably take over – ball games, music lessons, assignment help, dentist and orthodontic appointments, etc. Add in parents’ own schedules with work, meetings, necessary car repairs and the like, and local church and ministry commitments, planning time to breathe seems to be the only necessary addition to an already overflowing family schedule.
Pray and ask the Lord to reveal to you how you can be a part of his great commission. Prayer alone for a missionary or a people group that is unreached or barely reached for God is in itself an effective way to be used by the Lord to further his kingdom and is a great family endeavor. Seek God’s will in regard to this all-important task. Remember that he could put something on your heart for the future, but it is essential to find something now that you can do to fulfill his commission. Whatever his answer for you will be, remember that the Scripture in Matthew 28 ends on this encouraging note: “’And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age’” (Matthew 28:20b, ESV).
Traveling around as much as we do, we have the opportunity to experience different places, cultures, food, and entertainment. We are very blessed to be able to afford a decent place to sleep and some pleasantries that create special memories in each of our destinations. To keep the costs reasonable, we are prone to cart around a 12-volt cooler and an ample basket, each filled with easy and often healthier food options than many fast-food restaurants offer. Most of the hotels where we stay have a microwave to allow us to quickly fix the foods that need heating. As grateful as I am to have that convenience, it is amazing to me how varied are the buttons, dials, gizmos, and screens to use almost any microwave one can encounter.
One would think that there would be a standard procedure to run an average microwave, but even models that exist only to heat certain foods all seem to operate differently. It is common for it to take me much longer to figure out the steps to start the “magic box” than it will eventually take to do the heating. It makes me wonder if there isn’t some mischievous thinktank somewhere that tries to come up with the most diverse way to run the latest, greatest microwave oven on the market. I suppose it is one of those things that keeps us thinking, but I’m pretty sure that even some sort of degree in technology does not guarantee an easy approach to quickly prepare a nice hot meal or snack. The function of a microwave is certainly complex, but so is the often-elusive procedure to get it to work. After a while, the much easier option is to just make a cold sandwich.
I’d like to contrast that process to the simplicity of salvation. It doesn’t take a number of complicated steps to be able to receive God’s most precious gift to us. He has done all the work, and our part is just to believe in who he is and accept his forgiveness and the grace that brings redemption. He offers this gift to anyone of any status, children and adults alike. In fact, Jesus said, “‘Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven’” (Matthew 18:3, ESV). Why? Because children depend on others around them for their well-being. They need protection and display trust in those who care for them. Jesus offers a caring, loving relationship to those who exhibit that same kind of trust in him, and he promises it beyond a lifetime into eternity. The Bible often refers to salvation as a mystery; it is a complex matter that required Jesus’ giving his life for us to retain ours. Salvation is a work of the Holy Spirit. “But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life” (Titus 3:4–7, ESV). But there are no difficult or elusive instructions for us to be assured that he is our God and he has blessed us with abundant life forever. One of the interesting things about receiving his gift is that God does not micromanage our choice—he gives that freely to us so that we will do it out of love and in faith, and choosing him will be a decision we make on our own.
Many of you who are reading this newsletter likely have made a confession of faith in the Lord Jesus, and like me you are tremendously grateful for the sacrifice Jesus made and how simply he has supplied his gift to us. But, if that is not something that you have been able to believe and receive thus far, I would encourage you to read God’s Word, specifically in the Gospels, pray, and ask his Holy Spirit to reveal truth to you. If as a believer in Jesus you know someone who is not in relationship with the Lord, ask God to give you the opportunity and the words to present a clear and simple avenue for that person to receive Christ. Remember that it will be the work of the Holy Spirit to seal the deal, but we can be the bearer of the Good News that will plant seeds of hope into another’s life.
