Mary’s Song

Many thanks to Elise Daly Parker for today's post. Elise is a valued friend and gifted professional writer, and the author of Our Stories God's Glory.

And Mary said:

“My soul glorifies the Lord

and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,

for he has been mindful

of the humble state of his servant.

From now on all generations will call me blessed,

for the Mighty One has done great things for me—

holy is his name.

His mercy extends to those who fear him,

from generation to generation…”

Luke 1:46-50

I am embarrassed to say I did not really know what the Magnificat, or Mary’s Song, found in the Gospel of Luke, was until a few years ago. I’m sure I’d heard it through the many years of attending church, but it was Amy Grant’s version below that really struck a chord. I remember listening to this song, back in the early 90s, when the song first came out.

I was tired from raising two young children and a teenager…and it was Christmastime. I was making little hand-painted boxes that were to be my gifts that year, back in the days when I actually did arts and crafts. It was late and the girls were asleep. I was overwhelmed by my self-imposed desire to make Christmas magical…and we were still living in the wake of a serious accident that had left my husband brain injured, changed, and without a job.

What I was so struck by was Mary’s “Yes.” Though she was uncertain, frightened, pregnant out of wedlock, she said yes to the Lord’s call on her life. I guess I related (though one might think that awfully audacious of me). I remember crying as I listened to the words of weariness, the contemplation of being chosen, and her utter dependence on her Father, her need for His very real presence as she walked down a path of uncertainty. Mary seems at once scared and awed that God would choose her to bear God’s only son.

And that’s how I was feeling too, frightened, yet honored. I was concerned that I was in over my head with babies, a teenage stepdaughter, and a brain-injured husband…and what was beginning to feel like a call to ministry. Could it be? You have chosen me, Lord? I think you’ve got the wrong girl. I don’t think I can do this…I think you’ve made a mistake. You tell us you never give us more than we can bear. Yet here I am.

Be with ME. Hold ME together. Pour over ME your holiness. Be forever near ME, Breath of Heaven.

The Good news, the awesome news is we are all chosen by God to do things we cannot do without Him. But we, like Mary, can do all things through Christ who gives us strength and never leaves us nor forsakes us. Amen!

Mary’s Song

Lyrics by Amy Grant

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EdLwZCprtkI

I have traveled

Many moonless night

Cold and Weary

With a babe inside

And I wonder

What I've done

Holy Father

You have come

Chosen me now

To carry your son

I am waiting

in a silent prayer

I am frightened

by the load I bear

In a world as cold as stone

Must I walk this path alone

Be with me now

Be with me now

[chorus:]

-----------------------------------

Breath of Heaven

Hold me together

Be forever near me

Breath of Heaven

Breath of Heaven

Lighten my darkness

Pour over me, your holiness

For your holy Breath of Heaven

-----------------------------------

Do you wonder

As you watch my face

If a wiser one, should of had my place

But I offer-all I am

For the mercy-of your plan

Help me be strong

Help me be

Help me

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Blessed… or stressed?

It's officially Advent, a time of expectation.

What do you expect to be for the next 25 days until Christmas Eve?

Blessed… or stressed?

Too often, particularly at this time of year, there seems to be too much to do and not enough day to do it!

Years ago someone shared with me a quote by Allen Redpath,

“There are enough hours in the day to do what God wants you to do…

...and no more.”

So, if I’m too busy, the question that begs to be answered is,

“What am I doing that God doesn’t want me to do?”

It may be a good thing, even a very good thing, but not a God thing.

Not what He wants me to do, right here, right now.

Oswald Chambers said, “Good is the enemy of best.” How often am I busy doing a good thing and miss the best thing? How often am I distracted like Martha, rather than sitting at the feet of Jesus, like Mary? Martha of Bethany reminds me of Martha Stewart, who’s tag line was “It’s a good thing.” What Martha was doing was a good thing. Jesus and His crew needed to eat, didn’t they? They needed a place to rest, and Martha wanted them to be comfortable, didn’t she?

But Jesus said that Mary chose the better thing. It wasn’t that Mary never served. She did. But not when the better thing to do was sit and listen to her Guest. True hospitality makes the guest feel welcome and important, not impressed by the fashionable surroundings. And when your guest is Jesus, there is nothing more important than listening.

You might respond, “But I HAVE to ________________.” (fill in the blank)

Do you really?

• What would happen if you used lovely paper plates instead of china (like I did at Thanksgiving)?

• What if your children didn’t have to participate in all the sports/arts/music/scouts/etc. activities that are available to them?

• What if you purposely left a box of decorations in the attic this year?

• What if you bought fewer gifts this year?

• What if you used dollar store gift bags rather than wrapping each gift?

• What if you committed some time each day to be spent just listening to Jesus?

Ask yourself, “Is what I am spending my time on a good thing? or the best thing?”

Lord, help me sift through the many demands on my time and determine which is the best thing You want for me. Help me to not feel guilty or disappointed, but to enjoy the satisfaction of being in Your presence.

War and Peace

Please forgive me. I know this issue won’t be resolved today, but here’s my little contribution to the discussion.

This week, the following headline caught my eye:

In 'The War on Christmas,' Christmas is winning

For increasing number of retailers this year, no more 'Happy holidays'

The WAR on Christmas???

Who declared war on Christmas? According to the article, the American Family Association retaliated against the political correctness of retail advertising with Action Alerts calling for boycotts. It seems this pro-family, Christian organization has challenged retailers to use the word “Christmas” in their advertising as opposed to “holiday.” For example, for many retailers this year “holiday trees” are “Christmas trees” and “holiday shopping” is “Christmas shopping.” The article can be read in its entirety at http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/40260889/ns/business-consumer_news/ .

The article refers to this challenge as a “crusade” stating that many view the AFA’s tactics “as bullying, but Randy Sharp from the AFA rejects that. It’s not bullying, it’s consumer advocacy.”

Personally, I wonder about the wisdom of these tactics. While I grieve on behalf of my Savior whose Name has been cast aside in the interest of profits and political correctness, Christmas is about the Kingdom that Christ came to this earth to establish. And the hallmark of that Kingdom is love, not boycotts. Using earthly tactics for heavenly gain doesn’t honorably represent Christ who came as a servant though He is a King, who died a criminal’s death though He was the most innocent of any who ever lived, who taught us to turn the other cheek, walk the second mile, and love the unlovely. Maybe if instead of rising up in righteous anger, more time was spent on our knees, praying for those who don’t know the God we serve, we’d see a change in hearts which concerns Jesus much more than a change in advertising.

I feared boycotts and aggressive stances would cause a backlash to the backlash. And sure enough, today’s newspaper headline “War on Christmas” describes the atheists’ multimedia “strike against Christmas.”
http://www.northjersey.com/community/religion/Atheists_ad_blitz_calls_Christmas_a_myth.html

Using a giant billboard at the heavily trafficked entrance to the Lincoln Tunnel to NYC as their weapon, they declare “If the religious right wants a war on Christmas, this is what they’re going to get. If they want a war on Christmas, we’re going to make sure they know what one looks like.”

Well, I for one, don’t want a war.

In this season celebrating the Prince of Peace, about whom the angels declared, “Peace on earth, good will to men,” how is it that we are discussing war, the very thing that Jesus deplores? I do not believe we are to be doormats or ignorant. I believe that we are to be “wise as serpents and gentle as doves.” We should counter the culture with both righteousness and compassion.
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In Ephesians 6, Paul records the armor of God that we as His soldiers are to employ. There is only one offensive weapon - “the sword of the Spirit which is the word of God.” The word “sword” refers to a type of knife that is better translated as “scalpel,” a knife that is an instrument of healing, not of destruction or war. That is how the Bible is to be used, as an instrument of healing.
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Oh that we would be prayer warriors in this conflict, seeking salvation for the lost. That our hearts would be focused on the One who willingly left His throne to don flesh and bone that He might redeem us for His own. Let us remember that the war was already won at Calvary.



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Decorations

Today's message is from Clare Cartagena, a friend, a member and a mentor of my writing group, and a gifted, multipublished writer with her first novel in the works.

Proverb 14:13 “Even in laughter the heart may ache, and joy may end in grief.”

Every year my mother created Christmas in our house. Despite having things going wrong in her life, she transformed our unhappy, tension filled home into a winter wonderland. For those weeks, the scepter of fear was removed and the light of the Star put in its place. Angels appeared, music filled the air and special stuffed toys came out of hiding. Colored lights and silvery tinsel sparkled like magic on the tree. The decorations inspired joy where joy might not normally be.

I enjoy a happy home with my husband and children but I continue my mother’s tradition at least in the zeal with which I decorate. Christmas starts the Saturday after Thanksgiving. Boxes are pulled from the crawl space, numbered and labeled. The Christmas village gets put out first, then the garland, the lights and candles. The list goes on and on until nearly all of downstairs is covered in Christmas cheer. Sometimes however if I am not careful, circumstances can invade the holiday so that the cheer is only in the decorations and not in the heart.

It is strange that a time of joy can intensify our feelings of pain. Even as we put out cherished heirlooms, fill the house with the smell of evergreen and sing carols known since childhood, our hearts can be heavy. Maybe this season you are trying to keep a smile upon your face and cheeriness in your voice, while inside a hidden pain bleeds away your strength. Take heart friend, the Lord knows your struggle. He does not want you to carry this burden without Him. Matthew 11:28 says, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” Take your pain to Him in prayer. Go to the altar. Pour out your heart to Him. Let Him give you rest. Let Him give you a smile inside and out. It’s the best decoration to wear.

Clare Cartagena

Black Friday

The term “Black Friday” screams from the TV, newspapers, radio and online. The day after Thanksgiving begins the unofficial “holiday shopping season”, the time of year when retailers move from operating “in the red” (at a loss) to operating “in the black” (making a profit). Stores open at 4 or 5 or 6 a.m. offering crazy low prices to lure customers in, hoping that they will in turn spend tons of money for gifts.


I can’t help but think of another “Black Friday”, a day when the greatest price was paid for the greatest gift ever given. 2000 years ago, an innocent man gave His life so that others might live. Jesus, God the Son, left His heavenly home, to be born into an ordinary family and live an ordinary life in an ordinary town, until He began His extra-ordinary ministry on earth. For 3 years, He healed the hurting, taught those who would listen, and preached the truth to all. The conclusion of His time on earth was paying the price for the sins of the entire world, past, present and future, and providing the gift of eternal life to any who receive it.

Now that Thanksgiving Day is over, let’s continue to live with thanksgiving in our hearts.

Thank you Lord for paying the debt we owe. Thank you for rising from the dead in victory, giving us the opportunity to live in victory. May we keep you as our focus in the days and weeks to come, and be ever ready to share the real reason for the season.

It's Not Always Picture Perfect

The picture "Freedom From Want", by beloved painter Norman Rockwell, is a wonderful depiction of the All-American holiday, Thanksgiving Day. This poignant painting seems so simple, yet it is actually very complex. For example, it has over 100 different shades of the color white in it. Sometimes, looking at the big picture, we miss the details.

For many across the country, their day will be as perfect as this picture, a festive day filled with family, friends, football and food, food, food. But for some, Thanksgiving Day will be a sad reminder of loss, pain, absence, hurt.

Through the "magic" of Facebook, I heard from a young single mother who was seeking the ex-wife of her baby's father, a man who had abandoned her and their son. While I wasn't the person she was looking for, I prayed for her and kept in touch with her. This Thanksgiving Day will be difficult for her and her little boy, and for so many others like her. It will be difficult for families with soldiers overseas, for single people longing for a family unit, for those with health issues, haunting memories or too many bills and not enough income.

When we face difficult times, is it possible to offer thanksgiving to God? Yesterday, I shared that Jesus gave thanks when He broke the bread representing His body broken at the hands of His betrayer and His crucifiers. How was He able to do so? The writer of Hebrews tells us that He endured the cross for the joy set before Him. He fixed His eyes on the joy of what He was accomplishing - the reconciliation of His people to Himself - and we are told to fix our eyes on Him. (Hebrews 12:2)

He was able to offer thanks, because He was filled with thanks. It is out of the abundance of our hearts that our mouths speak (Luke 6:45) So if we are filled with thanks, we will offer thanksgiving. We can't give what we don't have. So to give thanks, we must be thankful.

We don't offer thanksgiving just because we are feeling thankful. We offer it because He deserves it. We offer it because we are His children with all the benefits that relationship provides. He is worthy of our praise and thanksgiving. Period. Circumstances change. We change. He never changes.

A pop-up ad for Oscar Mayer bacon streamed across my computer screen.

"Thanksgiving doesn't have to end Thursday night

....for the love of bacon."

Hmmm, I'd rather say it this way:

"Thanksgiving doesn't have to end Thursday night

....for the love of Jesus."

Lord, thank You for Your unfailing, unending love for us. May we all experience Your presence today. May we sense Your love and provision. And as we fill up with thankfulness, may we offer up thanksgiving as a testimony to You.

He Gave Thanks

The Lord Jesus, on the night He was betrayed, took bread, and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, "This is My body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of Me." 1 Cor. 11:23

Amazing! Jesus, knowing that He was betrayed, knowing that the bread represented His broken body, knowing what He was to suffer, gave thanks. So agonizing that He would later pray that His "cup" be taken from Him (Mt. 26:39), He still gave thanks to the Father.

And He set an example for us to follow (John 13:15).

Oh, but He was Jesus, God incarnate. We're not. Surely, we can't do what He can do... Can we?

Can we give thanks in the midst of suffering? Can we give thanks when there seems to be no hope?

James tells us to consider it joy whenever we face trials, not because of the trial itself, but because of what the trial produces: perseverance, maturity, completeness. (James 1:2-4) The New Living Translation puts it this way: Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing.

We are not asked to give thanks FOR the trial, but for the opportunity it presents to us. We are asked to give thanks in spite of the trial, to look past it and see that God is working in it and through it for our benefit.

Thanksgiving is a decision. It's a choice that the Pilgrims made, and a choice that we must make. I was taught in school that the Pilgrims were thankful to the Indians. That's false. The truth is that the Pilgrims were thankful to God. Not because of their hardships, but in spite of them. It is unlikely that any of us will ever face the hardships the Pilgrims faced. We have different ones in our generation, to be sure, but the fact that they were thankful to God despite their hardships provides hope that we can be too.

And He empowers us to do what He asks us to do.

You, however, are controlled ... by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you. ... The Spirit helps us in our weakness. (Romans 8:9, 26)

And not only does He give us His power, He provides benefits and blessings besides!

My friend shared a recent disappointment with me. During our discussion, she made a statement I will long remember:
"A grateful heart is rarely discontent."



Lord, help us to be grateful, to see the purpose in difficulties and disappointments, to allow You to work to bring us to maturity.

How to Survive Distractions

Back in ancient Turkey lived a young boy who loved to amble through the marketplace. Accompanying his wandering feet were his wandering eyes… and his wandering hands. His curiosity turned him into a thief. The sights, sounds and smells of the marketplace were a relentless temptation for him. One quick grab, two swift feet and the object of his desire would be his.


Until he was caught.


The penalty for thievery = the amputation of the thief’s hands at dawn.


Slowly, the sun’s rays peeked out over the horizon. Dawn was coming too quickly for the little thief. Brought in chains before the king, he waited for his sentence to be carried out. As the king viewed the prisoner, compassion filled his heart. He presented a shell filled to the brim with oil to the lad. “If you can carry this shell through the market from one end to the other without spilling a drop, you will not have your hands cut off.”

Tenderly, the boy took the shell and worked his way through the market. The vendors hawked their wares, screaming for attention. The smells wafted up the boy’s nostrils. Colorful banners, tents, merchandise crowded his passageway through the alleys of the marketplace. But the boy carefully wove his way through the crowd, past all the distractions that usually captivated him.
 When he arrived at the other end, there stood the king awaiting his arrival. The boy raised the shell and presented it to the king, filled with oil. Not a drop was spilled.


“How did you manage to get through the market without spilling a drop?” asked the king.

“I kept my eyes focused on the shell the whole time,” said the boy.


“That,” said the king, “is how you are to always move through the market. Keep your eyes focused where they belong, and you will not be tempted by the distractions along the way.”






I share this story because we will all be in markets of various kinds over the next few weeks. The mall, the supermarket, the boutiques. We will be shopping for gifts, for food, for our families, to bring to other’s homes. There will be vendors tempting us with their wares, salespeople who are inattentive or incompetent, fellow shoppers who are inconsiderate, traffic jams, lack of parking, should I go on? There will be all manner of situations designed by the enemy to rob our joy, to steal our peace, to hinder our witness, to distract us from the real meaning and purpose of Thanksgiving and Christmas.


The antidote?

Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. Heb. 12:2-3

Fix our eyes on Jesus.


Consider Him.


And you will not grow weary and lose heart.






Lord, help us to fix our eyes, our minds, our emotions on You. Help us to sense Your presence in the midst of the chaos. We love You.

Advent Conspiracy

Week #1 of our 40-day Focus is now complete! How are you doing keeping the Lord as the focus of your preparations, get-togethers, alone time? Today is a new day to start over if necessary. Invite Him to go shopping with you, to hang out in the kitchen with you, to spend time with your family.


Jesus prayed this for His disciples and for us, His future disciples.
My prayer is not that You take them out of the world but that You protect them from the evil one. They are not of the world, even as I am not of it. Sanctify them by the truth; Your word is truth. As You sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world. ... I have made You known to them, and will continue to make You known in order that the love You have for me may be in them and that I myself may be in them." (John 17:15-18, 26)


We are under His protection as we are sent out into the world. He is in us as we travel here and there. He's in us in the stores, in the traffic, in the family gatherings. We represent Him to the world. This time of year, we will have more opportunities to share Christ than at any other time of year. Let us make the most of every opportunity! Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. Colossians 4:5


He didn't promise it would be easy. He promised He would be with us.


Advent, the period of expectation and waiting for the arrival of Christmas, is quickly approaching.


Our family has decided that we will once again observe the Advent Conspiracy. We will not be buying gifts for each other this year. We will still do stocking stuffers (gotta open something on Christmas morning!), but our gifts to each other will be things like: support for missionaries in Uganda, wells for clean drinking water, etc. We will each research and individually decide which need we wish to meet with the money that we would otherwise have used for gifts. Last year, we bought my husband a fishing pond in Africa that will sustain a village. My gift was sewing machines for a vocational training center in Uganda (that my daughter visited in July). The kids bought fresh water and animals for impoverished people. We used catalogs from World Vision and Touch The World for our "shopping."


The Advent Conspiracy has a four point message:
- Spend Less
- Give More
- Love All
- Worship Fully


I encourage you to take a look at the website www.adventconspiracy.org and share this information with your friends and family.

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LkTyPzRzuwc

"The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.' "Matt. 25:40

Lord, as we approach the Advent season, help us to be ever more aware of Your presence. Help us daily to walk in expectation of Your coming.

Wish I Was There!

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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SXh7JR9oKVE

It's that time of year when Christmas carols are streaming from stores' P.A. speakers. What if every time we heard them, we imagined a "great cloud of witnesses" surrounding us singing praises to the Lord on high. Wouldn't that make that trip to the mall worthwhile?

Alleluia!

ps - This is my 300th post! Now that deserves a Hallelujah!  

The Thanksgiving Key

Today the morning news warned it’s a Gridlock Alert Day. For some that means - stay away from the city! But to me it means - everybody wants to go to NYC! Fun, fun, fun! Ok, maybe not for those who have to work, work, work.



Now to be honest, I have an aversion for crowds. Actually, aversion isn’t a strong enough word. Claustrophobia. Dread. Terror. For years, crowded places caused me actual panic attacks. Once after a concert in Central Park, the crowd was so dense that I was carried along to the exit without my feet touching the ground. I think that’s when the panic attacks started.

So you’d think hearing a Gridlock Alert warning would cause fear and trembling. Well, not any more! Can I hear an Amen!!

Perfect love casts out fear (1 Jn 4:18). That is my testimony. So I’d like to say that I never have fears anymore.


But that wouldn’t be true.

Certain triggers still cause my blood to drain to my feet, my chest to constrict, my heart to palpitate. A gridlock of emotions. That’s when Phil. 4:6 comes to life:

Do not be anxious about anything,
Well Paul that’s easy for you to say. Sure - just don’t be anxious. Got it. Yeah right.


but in every situation,
every? As in all, each, any, entire, without exception?


by prayer and petition,
do begging, pleading, beseeching count?

with thanksgiving,
Ooooo - there it is - the key. When the anxiety monster rears its ugly head, it is thanksgiving that opens the door to peace. Is there something you are thankful for? Start with one. Then start a list.


present your requests to God.
When I approach the Lord with anything other than a thankful heart, I miss out on the blessing of His presence.




Maybe it’s not crowds that trigger anxiety for you. Maybe it’s stress from relationships, work, health problems, yours or someone else’s. Whatever the situation, coupling prayer with thanksgiving is sure to produce Phil. 4:7 -
And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.


I love to host Thanksgiving each year. But why limit thanksgiving to one day? If giving thanks is a daily experience, peace will be too.

The Master Craftsman

Life is hard. But it is harder if you don't know the One who created us, and re-creates us day by day.

In his book, “Encourage Me”, Chuck Swindoll related the story of “The Hammer, The File and The Furnace”. Here is part of that story that has ministered to me greatly over the years.



The hammer is a useful and handy instrument. It is an essential and helpful tool, if nails are ever to be driven into place. Each blow forces them to bite deeper as the hammer’s head pounds and pounds. But if the nail had feelings and intelligence, it would give us another side of the story. To the nail, the hammer is a brutal, relentless master – an enemy who loves to beat it into submission. That is the nail’s view of the hammer. It is correct. Except for one thing. The nail tends to forget that both it and the hammer are held by the same workman. The workman decides whose “head” will be pounded out of sight…and which hammer will be used to do the job. This decision is the sovereign right of the carpenter. Let the nail but remember that it and the hammer are held by the same workman…and its resentments will fade as it yields to the carpenter without complaint.


The same analogy holds true for the metal that endures the rasp of the file and the blast of the furnace. If the metal forgets that it and the tolls are objects of the same craftsman’s care, it will build up hatred and resentment. The metal must keep in mind that the craftsman knows what he’s doing … and is doing what is best.


Heartaches and disappointments are like the hammer, the file and the furnace. … As difficult as it may be for you to believe this today, the Master knows what He’s doing. Your Savior knows your breaking point. That bruising and crushing and melting process is designed to reshape you, not ruin you. Your value is increasing the longer He lingers over you.

No Separation Anxiety

Today we say goodbye to our dear friend Pat who went home to Lord on Sunday morning. The loss we feel is palpable, a huge black hole, a separation. Yet the Scripture that I sense God speaking to me is:

Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? ... No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:35, 38-39


As a child, my daughter and some of her little classmates suffered from separation anxiety. Leaving their moms at the door to preschool became a test of patience and grace. The moms knew they weren't leaving their children, but the children's perspective was one of separation.


As God's children, we can be comforted to know that He will never leave us or forsake us. He has assured us of that repeatedly (Deut. 31:6, Deut. 31:8, Joshua 1:5, 1 Kings 8:57 and Hebrews 13:5). Nothing can separate us from His love (Rom. 8)


Jesus left His home in heaven to dwell among us. Did He experience separation anxiety? No, Jesus said that He and the Father are one. Though wrapped in flesh and living as a man, He was one with His Father. And He said that we are one with Him.

So if He feels distant, the question is: Who moved?


As far as we might feel from God sometimes, it is only ever one step back into experiencing His presence. Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord. Acts 3:19

Next week is Thanksgiving. We are given the opportunity to contemplate what we have to be thankful for. When we list our blessings, the fact that God desires to be in our presence should be at the top of our lists. Over these 40 days, may we rejoice in His presence.


You will show me the way of life, granting me the joy of Your presence and the pleasures of living with You forever. Psalm 16:11

Have a “Mary” Christmas

Many thanks to Clare Cartagena for today's post. Clare is a member and a mentor of my writing group and a gifted, multipublished writer with her first novel in the works.

Luke 10: 38-40 NIV “As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said. But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!”

We anticipate Christmas from a distance differently than as the time draws near. Nothing changes about what the celebration is except our frame of mind. Some would say we lose our minds.

What happens is the “Mary/Martha” syndrome. Martha invited Jesus into her home. What a special day! Everything had to be just right. Of course the meal should show honor befitting the guest. The plans she had, the pressure, the work, everything important, no detail could be overlooked. How quickly a joyous occasion became overwhelming until she not only missed the guest, she fought with her family! Sound familiar?

Mary on the other hand sat at Jesus’ feet drinking up His words, knowing that a meal of some kind would come together when everyone was hungry.

Right now, we can have “Mary” plans. The holiday season is just beginning. Christmas is still far enough away to waken dreams of colored lights, special gifts, baking cookies and spreading joy among friends and family. In not so many weeks, we may wake to a nightmarish Martha feeling that we don’t have enough time to do what absolutely must be done or some loved one will be disappointed. We will struggle with memories not so sweet of family and friends not always dear, of pounds added from too many cookies and wallets depleted from too many gifts.

Say is isn’t so! Can’t we stay at this moment and time; a week before Thanksgiving with its traditional menu, no thinking involved? Stress has not entered the picture yet but maybe, just maybe we can do something today that will guard our tomorrow.

Consider the calm that is upon you now. Hold onto the worship in your heart that compels you to make Christmas special.

Make a commitment to sit at Jesus’ feet to listen to His words. Be willing to let the perfect meal, the perfect table and the perfect gift pass you by. Choose to keep your focus on the One who will bless you and your household as you draw and stay near Him.

Clare Cartagena

Are you expecting?? (40 Day Focus - Day 3)

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Are you expecting?

Those words could be a thrill or they could strike fear in your heart.

It all depends upon what you are expecting.

2000 years ago, there was an expectation in the land of Israel that the Messiah would be coming (Luke 3:15). For 400 years (twice as long as the United States has existed!), there had been no spoken or written word from God. The prophecies pointed to this time in history as the time when their fulfillment would occur. The anticipation was palpable. How would the Messiah come? Who would He be? Would He meet their expectations?

Flash forward 2000 years. The church calendar recognizes the season before Christmas as Advent (from the Latin word, adventus, meaning "coming"). Traditionally, Advent commences on the fourth Sunday before Christmas Day. It is a season of expectant waiting and preparation for the celebration of the Nativity of Jesus.

As Advent approaches, what are you expecting?

If you were you expecting a season of stress, perhaps this will be the year that those expectations will not be met!

Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. Colossians 3:2

As a photographer adjusts the lens of her camera, adjust the lens of your expectations. When the circumstances of your life, the things that are so close - the earthly things - are in crisp focus, everything else is out of focus. But by adjusting our lens, we can bring into crisp focus the things of God - the things above. Then the things of earth are not so defined. We can still see them; we know they are there, but they no longer are our focus. When we seek Him, we will find Him. We can find Him in the midst of our circumstances. We can find Him outside of our circumstances. He is never hard to find. If we are looking in the right places.

In the morning, O LORD, you hear my voice;

in the morning I lay my requests before You

and wait in expectation. Psalm 5:3

Lord, we are expecting.... We are expecting to sense Your presence over these 40 days. We expect to see You exalted among Your people. We expect to be at peace as we keep our focus on You. Thank you, Jesus!

HOPE... 40 Day Focus 2010 - Day 2

Today a dear friend went home to be with our Lord. With amazing grace, Pat fought a lengthy battle against cancer and now stands in the presence of Jesus. He provided an example for us to follow in his strong faith and unfailing hope. And now he has finished the race and is experiencing the victory that we all hope to have one day.


When my friend lost her firefighter husband on 9/11, she received stacks of mail from NYC advising her on ways to cope. Ann searched the Scriptures to see what God said about coping, and she found nothing. What she did find was HOPE - the hope of eternal life, which God, who does not lie, promised before the beginning of time… Titus 1:2


We can have hope because God sent His Son to secure our eternity. He didn’t send a politician, a professor, or a preacher. He sent a baby, God incarnate. The angel declared, “I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people.” Fully God and fully man, the real good news is that Jesus came not to live, but to die. His sacrifice is the reason for the hope within us.

“This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, a hope both sure and steadfast and one which enters within the veil, where Jesus has entered as a forerunner for us.” Heb. 6:19

Would you pray for Pat’s wife and family and for our church family? I know that over during the holidays, it is especially difficult for those who have lost loved ones. May we keep our focus on the One who bore our griefs and our sorrows (Isaiah 53:4), the One who was born to die (Mk 10:45), the One who plans to give us hope and a future (Jer. 29:11).

 

40 Day Focus 2010 - Day One!

Last night, I saw my first Christmas-lit house of the season. Another time, another year, I would have grumbled “It’s not even Thanksgiving yet! Too early for twinkling lights.”

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Last year, I well remember the day I uttered “Only 40 more days until Christmas!” It was a joke before it came out of my mouth. It was my mission after.

Throughout history, from Noah to Moses to Jonah to Jesus, God has used 40-day periods to accomplish His purposes. Even in this century, Pastor Rick Warren influenced millions with his 40-day plan, The Purpose Driven Life.
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Well, 40 days from today is..... Christmas Day! How will your next 40 days be spent? Blessed..... or stressed?
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We are approaching a period of time that each year is often filled with anxiety rather than peace. This may be a deliberate attempt of the enemy of our souls to distract us from the glorious truth that God came from heaven to earth so that God and sinner could be reconciled.
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So, believing that God can do amazing things in your life over the next 40 days, I am sharing a challenge with you - that together we can each have a revival in our personal lives and can influence those around us to draw close to God as well.

My desire is not that you get into the Christmas spirit.....

but that you be filled with the Holy Spirit.

As you know, I don't usually post more than 2 times per week because I don't want to flood your inbox and because I don't want to drive my family or myself crazy to write more than that. However, as part of my 2nd annual “40 Day Focus,” I will be posting every day for the next 40 days! Why and how will I do this?
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Why?
I want to partner together with you in this challenge to use these next 40 days as a time for renewal, restoration and revival. I will share devotions as well as practical tips to redeem this time as preparation for our coming King.
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How?
Each day I will share either:
- Something old - a previous post of mine
- Something new - a newly written post
- Something borrowed - shared from another writer
- Nothing blue - all posts will be uplifting, motivating, encouraging, useful!
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So far, 14 fellow writers have joined me to share their wit and wisdom for the next 40 days. I know you'll be impacted by their gifted prose.
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Will you join me in the 40 day challenge?
Will you commit to redeeming this time?
Will you let me know so that I can pray for you during this time?
Will you share your insights with me and my readers by leaving a comment.
Will you encourage others to walk this 40 day journey with us?
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Lord, may those reading this today be encouraged to take this challenge with me and commit the next 40 days to draw closer to You, to not be influenced by the stresses in their world, to be blessed rather than stressed, to redeem this time, to glorify You with their words and their deeds.
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May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer. Psalm 19:14

Here's the update....

Dear friends,
Tomorrow, I will be posting every day for the 40 days leading up to Christmas. Before that series begins, I want to provide a little update and thank you all for your prayers on behalf of my family.

I had started a series of "people posts" based on some special people in my life who through their character or circumstances exemplify a particular God-given identity. Because of the whirlwind of events of the last month, that series is on a little hiatus. I have 10 more to be published, so look for that series to continue in the new year.

As for the family issues - after nearly 7 weeks of hospital-to-rehab-to-hospital-to-rehab, my dad got his green band on Tuesday, my stepmom's birthday. No present could have been better. With the green wristband, my dad was able to surprise her by joining her and their friends for a night out. Of course, the frantic call I received that night from the charge nurse saying that they couldn't find my dad was more than a little comical. And the best news is that he is able to go home on Monday. He stills needs physical therapy, but he's on the mend. His doctor thinks he has 9 lives!

My mom fell on the street in NYC, and is now in rehab for healing from 2 fractured pelvic bones. She's so active that this is a real setback for her. The last 2 weeks jumped from one nightmare to another. It's amazing how many additional complications arise from being immobile. But fortunately, on Thursday she began making exceptional progress. It's still a long road ahead, but there's light at the end of the tunnel now - and it's NOT an oncoming train!

My daughter is still a girl in search of a diagnosis. She's been pricked and prodded and been through more tests than most girls her age. We have another appointment on Tuesday. The good news is that diseases, parasites, bacteria have all been ruled out. For Lauren, it's the "not-knowing" that is a struggle. Fortunately, we have trust in an "all-knowing" God!

I thank you for your prayers, emails and calls. All I can say is a quote I heard many years ago -
"The will of God will never lead you where the grace of God cannot keep you."
Paul says, "His grace IS sufficient." That means it IS [present tense] enough. It grows to meet the need. It always is enough.

Blessings to you, my friends,
Susan

I Hate Chipmunks!

In September and October, you walk our front pathway at your peril. We have the most aggressive acorns you’ve ever seen, or felt. Honestly. The dents they render to a car’s hood or roof are nothing compared to the bumps they produce on your noggin.

Then in the spring, I tackle the unhappy chore of removing of hundreds of tiny oak trees sprouting in my garden. So this week, I decided to pre-empt those suckers and rid the garden of them before taking root. Not as easy as I thought. Like giant pistachios, they had already split and many a root sprouted, burrowed firmly in the soil.

Although there were hundreds, maybe thousands, most were on the surface, fairly easy to dig up, but here and there I uncovered clusters of acorns hidden in the stone wall, under the branches of low bushes, concealed among the stalks.



Then I found it - the Mother Lode, the Cave of Wonders, the Pirate’s Booty. No way was this pile the result of falling acorns. This was a secret stash, a stockpile surreptitiously buried in some clandestine plot. This was the resident chipmunks’ winter preparations.

The outward appearances of these adorable little furballs belie their true identity - hideously destructive varmints. They burrow holes in the soil, loosen the supporting rocks, and now hoard potentially damaging future oak trees.

I didn’t see any chipmunks as I was working. No, they save their activities for when no one is around to witness their detrimental deeds. But the evidence of their handiwork is apparent.


Of course this got me thinking….

These acorns are like the barbed comments that people fling our way. And they hurt, not a bruise on the head, but on the heart. Zingers that find our soft spot, and embed themselves. If we let them take root, they will grow and fester and bear bitter resentful fruit. The longer the root remains, the stronger it gets and the harder it is to remove. It is easy to narrow our eyes at the perpetrator, to retaliate, to judge. But Scripture tells us:


… make sure there is no root among you that produces such bitter poison. Deut. 29:18
See to it that no one misses the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many. Heb. 12:15

After wasting useless minutes fuming at these critters, I realized -
             they are just doing what chipmunks do.
All my anger isn’t going to make them more sensitive.


I can’t change them, but I can change my root structure:

So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in Him, rooted and built up in Him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness. Col. 2:6-7


Instead of hating the chipmunks, I have a choice.
And with those whose comments dent my soul, I have a choice.
I can let them fester, develop bitter roots, and ultimately poison me. Or I can respond as Jesus did. "Father, forgive them. Those chipmunks just don't know what they're doing." Well, a loose paraphrase, but you get the idea.

I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ,and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. Eph. 3:16-19