Growing Through Challenges and Setbacks

Another year is all but finished.  It’s amazing how time passes when we aren’t paying attention!  We are busy trying to keep our finances above a swirling tug of upward prices while what we have to spend seems smaller.  Additionally the stress of conflicting theories on what to eat, or what not to, along with all the toxins and chemicals that permeate whatever why buy at the store, creates anxiety over our health.  It’s enough to make a person crazy!

EMOTIONAL AND SPIRITUAL HEALTH

Our emotions also take a hit when all this is put together on one plate, as we deal with losses, relationships which seem to change daily, family dynamics, and a changing arena, even in our elementary schools.

I ran into a man, probably in his 60’s in the store today who said simply, “Our world is changing.”  He looked up and continued, “Lord come quickly.”  Along with all the challenges already mentioned, another that needs to be addressed is our spiritual challenges. 

SATAN IS BEING BUSY!

Satan seems to be gaining ground through the political segment of the population, those who seem to tread heavily on —and against —-anything that is good and right that has anything to do with Christ.  We are asked to keep quiet about what we believe while others seem to have the right to share their opinions wholeheartedly, negatively, and absolutely aggressively!

HOW DO WE DEAL?

How are we, as believers, supposed to deal with this on a daily basis?  It’s frustrating, discouraging, and frightening when we see our youth caving to the pressure; causing us to wonder if we’re going to make it through.  Further we find ourselves us asking… ‘why?’ …Why do these things happen?

Honestly the ‘why’ can easily be answered since Jesus said that the world hated him and we certainly, as his followers, should expect no less.  He never promised that we would not have difficulties.  But he did promise to be with us and get us through, when we trust and believe in him.

GOD IS STILL PRESENT

As I’ve dealt with my own grief this last year, I know that God has been with me.  There are times when I crumple beneath all the weight of loss, family dynamics, my own failures in fulfilling expectations, and more.  Yet I find myself drawn closer to my Creator.

GROWTH HAPPENS

It is said that growth often happens unseen—and often uncomfortably!  It causes us to adjust and sometimes shift our traditional thinking, perspective or  emotional ties to understand.  But that does not mean we are supposed to accept those things we believe are wrong?

BEING TESTED?

This may be God’s way of testing us, to show us just what it is we believe.  Are we giving ‘on the fence’ lip service, to an idea or circumstance we clearly don’t agree with, and careful not to share our thoughts. Jesus shared his--even when people disagreed.  

We are called to be faithful.  Are we being faithful when we don’t let our peers know we can’t agree with them and then tell them why…Biblically?  Are we willing to speak up?  When we don’t make it clear where we stand, are we being faithful to who we say we are, or are we suggesting by our silence that we might be swayed to another way of thinking over time?

WALKING THE TALK?

Challenges face us everyday.  People are taking notice of what we do…what we say.. and how we react to what goes on around us.  It’s like that old expression ‘Do we walk the talk, or are we just talking the talk’?  

Satan jumps with glee when we keep silent.  It’s not about beating someone over the head with the Bible, but it is about growing and then being able to present a purpose and faithfulness about what we believe, especially when we face challenges and setbacks.  It’s in these settings, we not only prove who we are to our peers, but to ourselves, and certainly to our Lord.

Photo Credit: Walking The Walk 

The Gift That Found Us First

  I love watching children at Christmas.  They get so excited they can hardly stand it!  Everything about the holiday excites them; decorating, the lights, gifts all beautifully wrapped, the tree, cookies and other snacks made just for this season, and even the music.  Some years ago, one of my little granddaughters had the opportunity to be near the Christmas lights as they were plugged in to see if they worked.  When they came on, her look of pure delight was priceless.

EXCITEMENT IN DREAMING

Kids will dream of what they might get, what they want, and make lists. As the day draws nearer, sleeping can even be a challenge.  Their excitement level is sky high!

As adults, we aren’t much different, although our perspective is on another level.  Ours is more focused on ‘getting things done’.  Sometimes we find ourselves a bit overwhelmed with just a touch of cynicism, as we are overcome with the consumerism and noise that seems to penetrate everything Holy.  Others just get frustrated and say ‘bah humbug’ to the whole affair.

FINDING A DEEPER CONNECTION

Regardless of the distractions seeming to encircling us all around, when we stop for a moment and consider the Gift that came down from Heaven, we can find a joy that is irresistible and irreplaceable by anything this world has to offer.  So how can we rekindle that deeper connection with God we want?  How can we honor God who has given so much to us?

We know when Jesus was born the Wise Men brought gifts to honor him.  How can we experience what must have been an incredible moment when those Wise Men laid their eyes on the small child.  I can’t even imagine what that must have been like.  

        That reminds of the song “Mary Did You Know.”  My favorite line in that song is ‘Mary did you know when you kiss your tiny baby, you’re kissing the face of God.'  Imagine that!  When I really do think on it… invariably I cry.  

HE CAME TO SAVE US

What can I give him?  It’s true, it’s been over 2000 years since he was a tiny babe in that manger in Bethlehem.  He came because God loved us so much, he gave his Son, so we can have eternal life.  He came to take away my sins, so one day I can enter the portal of heaven.  I can’t bring him anything tangible like the Wise Men gave him, but I do have a gift to offer.

GIVE HIM OUR HEARTS

Christmas invites us not only to receive the gift of Christ but to respond by giving Him our hearts and lives.  We can give him the gifts of our worship, our obedience, and total surrender.  We can offer our time, generosity and faith; and the use of the talents he’s blessed us with!  

CELEBRATE THE GIFTS

As we celebrate with a heart of love and joy, God will again bless.  What we offer God in love, He can multiply and bless not only us, but those around us, as well.  Our offerings to Him will generate a sense of peace, joy and love that is indescribable and so tangible people can see His Light shining through us!  

What a great way to celebrate the Christ Child, the Messiah!  We are giving back to Christ the gift that ‘found us first’ in a God who has loved us from the beginning of time.   

Photo Credit: Nativity 

Photo Credit: Surrender To Christ 

Photo Credit: Peace, Love, Joy 

Love That Meets Us Where We Are

  Christmas is such an amazing season.  There’s so much love, warmth, goodwill and happiness all around.  Adding to this are the bright lights, decorated Christmas trees and yards, with people looking festive and wonderful!  

NOT EVERYONE IS MERRY

As I reflect on this, there’s another side to the story.  Some people find this time of year particularly depressing.  It’s not that they don’t appreciate the festivities, but somewhere in their life, they likely experienced a profound loss and it left them jaded, not only about the holiday itself, but their wound leaves them wondering if Christ is even real. 

They feel lost and struggle to believe God honestly loves them.  They feel emotionally distant from God, betrayed and left alone. So instead of enjoying this time, they bury themselves in work or another activity that will provide a hiding place that will separate and distract them from what they subconsciously, still know is truth; that Christmas is a reason for celebration: Jesus is the reason for the season.

GOD IS STILL GOD

It isn’t God that abandoned them;  it’s they who now doubt His sincerity and even His power.  They may even harbor guilt because once they did believe in the Christ, and long for that tender, personal relationship, and belief they once had.

Christmas is the perfect time to rekindle a relationship with Jesus.  While initiating a quiet conversation with God may not seem like much to you, it means so very much to Him.  He chose you, and loves you right here, right where you are, right now!

His love does not depend on how you are feeling, your performance, or how far away you feel at this very moment.  God just wants you to come to him.  His love is not fragile; it’s a never ending, eternal love.

THE ARRIVAL OF THE CHRIST CHILD

       It’s the perfect time to remember how he even came to our earth.  His coming had been waited on for many, many years.  And missing His arrival were the very ones who had been waiting!  Their expectations were not seeing a tiny baby in a manger.  They wanted a fiery, strong, warrior to free them from the Romans.

But God doesn’t work that way.  He works in the hearts of people, just like yours and mine.  He came for those who don’t seem to have it all together, who don’t seem to have all the right answers, who can’t seem to take another step forward.  He came for the broken, the forgotten, the sick and betrayed. 

YOU WERE WORTH COMING FOR

His manger says ‘You’re worth coming for,”  He came down from heaven to show you just how much he loves you!  His love meets you exactly where you are.  He wants you to come to Him just as you are, and is seeking a relationship that is profoundly unique.  His gifts of peace, hope and love can’t be replaced with anything this world offers.          

ACCEPT HIS GIFTS; EMBRACE CHRISTMAS

        Accepting these gifts, allows you to experience the joy of Christmas as you understand the blessings of our Savior’s birth; even if your world doesn’t seem ‘all perfect and right.’  If you know Jesus as your Savior, you will receive strength to walk through anything this world can throw at you.

As you embrace Christmas, may His Light shine on you with a new view at the world around you.  Our world is, in some ways, upside down and inside out!  But we, as Believers, can know a God who loves us and meets us right where we are!  

Merry Christmas!

Photo Credit: Christmas 

Photo Credit: Christian Christmas 

Photo Credit: Christian Christmas 

The Gift of Presence---God's Gift To Us

Worship means different things to different people.  In a church service when we read God’s Word correctly, it tells us that each segment of the service is a form of worship. In addition to this, I recall a speaker recently that included the thought of literally stopping and sitting at Jesus’ feet.  That’s Worship! 

HEAVEN

Many of us try to imagine what Heaven must be like.  We talk of the streets of gold, all the angels, the magnificence of all our mansions and so much more, our human minds can’t even imagine.  All of this sounds amazing, but what I want most is to sit at the feet of Jesus! The very thought of this can make me weep!

THY KINGDOM COME

In Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount discourse is the line ‘Thy Kingdom Come’… and for the most part I’ve always thought that was about His return, and that indeed is part of it.  But it also includes allowing God’s Kingdom to live within us; to live within our human bodies, in our spirit, in every part of our lives, right now.

WHAT ARE WE WORKING TOWARD?

I wonder, do we really allow God to actively ‘live within’ us?  Or do we sometimes get so caught up in ‘doing it on our own’ we shut the door to His presence?  Do we strive so much for perfection that we miss His peace?   Or even, have we worked so hard to get everything done, we’re so exhausted we can’t even think, much less be still and let him be God?

OVERWHELMING TO-DO LIST

These, for me, sometimes are hard questions.  With the holiday season on us,
there is so much to do!  Thanksgiving has just passed and now it’s time to dive into all the ‘to-do’s required of Christmas and it can be totally exhausting!  

        There are Christmas cards to ready, gifts to purchase and wrap, decorations to take care of, and get-togethers to plan; foods and desserts to make; and this is only a tiny part of the list!

We want to get ‘it’ right, what ever ‘it’ is.  We all have a life to live, and the newest draw on our time, Christmas, requires a lot of time.  We don’t want to disappoint our community because we haven’t done our part of decorating, or our co-workers who are excited about the Christmas party, and family who have huge expectations with gifts, dinner and more; so we push harder.  

GOD WANTS OUR PRESENCE

But getting ‘it’ right, isn’t what God wants from us. God isn’t interested in our ‘performance’.  He wants our presence.  He isn’t asking us to be flawless and follow a long list of things to do that may or may not include him, even with our best intentions.  

Even when our to-do’s are scripturally sound, and they should be, He still wants our presence; not someone who’s given everything they have to everyone else around us, but have forgotten that the ‘event’ isn’t about every body else or even himself…It’s about Jesus!  Is God even thought about in all the busy-ness we’ve involved ourselves in?

ARE OUR HEARTS ALIGNED WITH HIS?

Our thought processes may be spot on, but is our heart aligned with His?  Are we focusing on what we believe we have to do to keep up with the trends and our friends, while we covet theirs and others approval?  Or are we stopping…. and sitting at the feet of Jesus?

JESUS’ GIFT TO US

Jesus’ gift to us was, and is, his presence, for our eternal salvation, and for our lives right now!  He will meet us right where we are, if we are ready to sit down and ‘be still and know that He is God’.  Even his name…Emmanuel means God with us! Being present with God, is worship in the truest sense.

THIS IS CHRISTMAS

Are you taking time to just sit and be quiet with God, listening to His still, small voice, accepting his peace and allowing your heart to fill to the brim and overflow with the love he is offering?  This is worship!  This is Christmas!   

Photo Credit: Christmas church

Photo Credit:To Do List 

Photo Credit: Decorating

Photo Credit: God Wants Presence 

Photo Credit: God's Gift To Us  

Photo Credit: This Is Christmas

Gratitude Through Worship And Service

  There was a prayer request early this morning for one of my Christian Sister’s in Christ because she was in the ER with chest pains.  I immediately prayed that God would help the doctors as they worked with her, and asked that she would have peace and ultimately be healed.

It struck me as I prayed, how much as believers, we trust in God’s healing power.  He’s not a magician, but he is God, our Healer, and so much more.  I have a bookmark which lists many of His attributes, which actually describe who he is.  When we pray, and consider any (or each) of these, we can be reminded of his greatness.

He is Jesus, Immanuel, God with us. He came as a human child and was all human and all God!  He is Savior of the World.  He came as an infant to give his life so that all our sins are covered when we believe.  He was the ultimate sacrifice.  He is the Messiah the world was waiting for.  So many missed it because their expectations were totally errant!  In this way he is The Way!  It is only through him, that we can have eternal life in heaven.

He is Truth!  His words are never false.  Often our world will take words or scripture from the Bible and skew them to mean something completely different than what they mean.  That usually happens because they are taken out of context (and we can all relate to that in our very political world) and using snippets of information try to make the opposing point they want to make.

He is Comforter and Counselor.  I know over the last year, I would have been totally lost without the comfort only God can give.  He’s brought me through grief and pain of the loss of a loved one (for those who don’t know, my husband of 51 years).  It’s been hard, but God has sustained me, and I am so grateful.  In this sense, he’s also Sustainer! 

He is the Light of the World.  As believers, we are to carry that light even as we serve! Our lives should reflect this!  It’s not easy.  We are human, and can’t possibly come close to being ‘masters’ at presenting the qualities of God.  But we can present God’s light through what we say and do, and how we present ourselves and live our lives.  This is part of our ‘testimony’.

I say all this to say that we have much to be grateful for.  God’s love and mercy surrounds us each day, even on the bad ones.  When we are weakest, God is strong and there to lift us up and carry us through.  There are so many blessings we receive every day, if we open our eyes to see with our hearts and minds.  

Worship through service, and believing in all God is, is reason to give Thanks! I pray that this holiday season is filled with family, friends, and lots of good things to eat and moments of joy to share.  

Not everyone has these, so I encourage you to give aid to someone in need, if at all possible, in whatever form that comes.  You may be able to share a meal; a bag of groceries; lightly used, or some new clothes; a warm coat or pair of shoes.  It's possible none of these appeal to you.  But find a way to give of yourself, even if it’s just spending time with someone.

You’ll likely be surprised at how much your kindness is appreciated; and what’s more, how wonderful your heart and spirit are going to feel, after you’ve given!

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone! 

Photo Credit: Happy Thanksgiving