All That is Christmas

Weeks ago I stripped the house of all that was not Christmas.  I cleared my china cabinet of dishes that were not Christmas, my curio cabinet became a place for snowmen and Christmas pictures replaced regular ones.  Furniture was moved so that Christmas trees could go in their place, then  as these things disappear I replaced them with Christmas!  All that had been there before now pales in contrast to the festiveness that Christmas brings!

So many times I need to clear my mind and soul of the things that can clutter my thinking about Christ!  I need to shut off the media that declares that all things about Christ is offensive.  I need to rid myself of all that does not glorify Him.  I need to prioritize my life, sometimes trading good things for the better things of God.  I need to clear myself of all that is not Christ!  I need a new infilling of the Holy Spirit!

In a few short days I will begin the task of getting back to "normal"  but as the Christmas dishes go back into boxes and Christmas trees find a place on the shelf in my basement I pray the Babe of Christmas never leaves my heart.  May I not box him up with Christmas ornaments, festive figurines, or beautiful nativity sets.  Just as I fill my house with the everyday things I pray "Christmas" never leaves my soul.  Bring my mind back often to the Son of God who chose to come to earth as an innocent baby and die on the cross to save us from our sins.  May the wonder of Christmas permeate my being so much that Christ and only Christ can be seen in me all year round!

Blessed are the Invited!

Blessed Are the Invited

I can't sleep, so I just finished a glass of milk with crackers.  I have loved this combo since I was a kid at my grandma's house as a bedtime snack.  She didn't have fancy snacks like we do today, but anything at her house tasted good to me because of the love I felt there. 

I love to feed people and setting a nice table when I have someone over to eat a meal.  I like to use my best china, a creative center piece and cloth napkins.  I long to hear the ooh and ahs as I bring out my, specialty, lemon meringue pie and it makes my day  when someone complains of eating too much.  Hopefully, they can also feel the love I put into it.  

The King James Version of Revelations 3:29 captivates my heart as I imagine eating or dining with the Lord and there is just something about opening the door so that I can "sup" with Him, that thrills my soul.  

“Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.”

‭‭Revelation‬ ‭3:20‬ ‭KJV‬‬

Because I opened the door to Him when he knocked, I am invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb where there will a beautiful table set for me.  I'm sure there will be exquisite china, a breathtaking centerpiece, and, of course cloth napkins but what will matter most is the love flowing from the Host as He feeds my hungry soul.

“Then the angel said to me, “Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb!” And he added, “These are the true words of God.””

‭‭Revelation‬ ‭19:9‬ ‭NIV‬‬

One day I will enjoy milk and crackers with my grandma in heaven but until then I will ponder the love she had for me and the difference it made in my life.  Even more so, I will think about the love my Heavenly Father has for me and the wedding supper of the Lamb.  Blessed are those who are invited!

His Strokes

His Strokes

We have lived in this house for fifteen years and most every year we have painted the front and back porch.   Each year that passes this chore gets harder on these old bones of mine.  As I sit to do the railings, my legs go to sleep, the strain that it puts on my back causes pain and my hand aches from hours of holding the brush.   At times as I paint the railings it seems I will never be done with them and in my mine I have a hard time imagining the whole thing being done.  To say this is not my favorite job is an understatement, but when it is finished, it is worth it!  Sorta!

I thought of my painting experience when I read about Michelangelo today.  Some say he laid on his back on scaffolding as he painted the Sistine Chapel, while others say he stood on scaffolding with his neck crooked for four years.  Either way sounds painful to me.  Much of the time he worked with no one around him to help pass the time.  How many days did his paint brush concentrate on one tiny portion of the painting, or one color?  Did he have trouble, at times, seeing the whole picture?

Many times, as we live our lives with our paint brush dipped in the worries of our day, we cannot see the whole picture.  The world seems to be painted with the dark colors of sin and chaos.  Dear God, help me to see with your eyes the world with your beautiful strokes of unfailing love.  May I trust you as you in your infinite wisdom paint this world as you look at the whole picture and not just one part.  As a song writer once wrote, "When you don't understand.  When you don't see his plan.  When you can't trace his hand.  Trust his heart."  He sees the master plan!

Praise your Holy Name!

“The eyes of the LORD search the whole earth in order to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him."

‭‭2 Chronicles‬ ‭16:9‬a NLT‬‬

“So humble yourselves under the mighty power of God, and at the right time he will lift you up in honor. Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you.”

‭‭1 Peter‬ ‭5:6-7‬ ‭NLT‬‬

My Foundation

My Foundation

“For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ.”
1 Corinthians 3:11 NIV

I heard a cute story yesterday told by a grandma about her grandson.  One day the little fellow was watching Grandma put on her makeup when he asked, "What are you putting on your face?" To which Grandma replied, "That's my foundation."  Perplexed, he exclaimed, "Jesus is my foundation!".

Out of the mouths of babes!  Jesus is my foundation too!

I am reminded of the familiar story in the bible that Jesus told about the man who built his house on the rock and the foolish man who built his house on sand.

24 “Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25 And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. 26 And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand.27 And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it.”  Matthew 7:24-27

Anytime we build our lives on anything other that our Savior, Jesus Christ they are subject to the storms of life that can come without warning.  Careers, money or other people can be washed away with changing times but Jesus is that Rock, that firm Foundation that can never be washed away.  Build your house on a firm Foundation!

Sea Of Forgetfulness

My mind can still feel the sheer humiliation when I remember that day.  It was over forty years ago, when many people, as I, owned a wig that we would don when we wanted a new hairdo for the day.  On this particular day I was getting ready for a family wedding and deciding to wear my new wig, I  began to pin my own hair flat to my head so my my new flock of hair would lay down nicely.  This was a necessary thing though far from attractive.

The wedding took place in a small church where the reception was in the church basement.  As I maneuvered down the squeaky stairs to the small reception room I noticed that the door was so low that you needed stoop down as to not to hit your head.  Doing that, I had not noticed the nail sticking out of the door frame.  The obnoxious little thing caught my wig and ripped it right off my head, revealing what was underneath.  At that point I felt the blood drain to my feet as I retrieved my curly locks.  If I could ever forget this horrific incident, my husband is sure to remember and tell it once again even including the man who exclaimed with great joviality that "someone just got scalped down there"!  This I will never live down or forget as long as I live!  Most of us have things we have done that will live in our memories forever some humorous and some not so much.

Unfortunately we often remember our past failures and sins in the same way.  We find ourselves reliving our sins even if Jesus has forgiven them.  The pain we bare because we cannot release them sometimes suck the joy right from our very soul.  I'm reminded of a verses in the bible that tells of the forgetfulness of our God.

““This is the new covenant I will make with my people on that day, says the LORD: I will put my laws in their hearts, and I will write them on their minds.” Then he says, “I will never again remember their sins and lawless deeds.””

‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭10:16-17‬ ‭NLT‬‬

“Once again you will have compassion on us. You will trample our sins under your feet and throw them into the depths of the ocean!”

‭‭Micah‬ ‭7:19‬ ‭NLT‬‬

There is a beautiful song that tells of God's forgetfulness, called, "What Sin", here are the lyrics.  I hope you enjoy and apply Hebrews 19:16-17 to your life and soak up His unfailing love.

What Sin

It happened so long ago

And I cried out for mercy back then I plead the blood of Jesus 

Begging him to forgive my sin

But still I can't forget 

It just won't go away

So I wept again, "Lord wash my sin,"

But this is all He'd say

Chorus 

What sin, what sin?

Well that's as far away

as the east is from the west

What sin, what sin?

It was gone the very minute you confessed

Buried in the sea of forgetfulness 

The heaviest thing you'll carry

Is a load of guilt and shame

You were never meant to bear them

So let them go in Jesus name

Our God is slow to anger

Quick to forgive our sin

So let him put them under the blood

Don't bring them up again

Cause He'll just say

Chorus 

Lord, please deliver me 

From my accusing memory

Nothing makes me weak this way,

Then when I hear you say

Chorus 

They Spread The News

Today I started the long process of putting my Christmas decorations away.  I put up way too much so, of course, it is quite a job to pack it all up for another's year.  In November I placed each character of my nativity set in its proper place, thinking about each one and there place in the Christmas story.  Now as I reverse the process, I think, again, about the beautiful figurines.  I place Mary, Joseph, the precious baby and the flashy wise men in the cardboard box but as I place the shepherds in their place, I think of these men who were the first ones to hear the good news of the Messiah.  As the last character is placed in the box I remembered what the shepherds did after leaving the Messiah.  The bible says they told everyone they met about what they had been told concerning the child.

When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them.”  ‭‭Luke‬ ‭2:17-18‬ ‭NIV‬‬

I wondered if they had kept Jesus to themselves or like some, put the Savior in a box for another year, would the world know about Him now.  Sometimes we are tempted to leave our Savior in the manger and store Him away after Christmas when He longs to be a part of our everyday life.  He desires for us to know and love Him and spread the Word concerning His birth and His life, as the shepherds did that first Christmas night.  

My hearts desire is to tell others about God and our Lord, Jesus in this New Year.  

“Grace and peace be yours in abundance through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.”  2 Peter‬ ‭1:2‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Just Peachy

As he clung to the side of his cage, I could see that he needed more room to fly around.  My little love bird had long out grown his old “starter cage” and was ready for one he could move around in more.  So this year I asked for a new cage for “Peachy” as a Christmas gift and I got a nice roomy one for my not so excited feathered friend.  It was big enough for him to move around and not just cling to the side.  It had two perches and nice feeder bowls that hung from the “easy access” doors.  But this bewildered little bird fought me all the way, flapping his wings and biting “the hand that feeds him” until I thought I would cry.

Peachy was given a new start and a new way of life but unfortunately, Peachy was so used to the old ways that even after he got his new “life”, he clung to his old ways and spent his days hanging from the sides of his new cage.  

Sometimes I think I am much like my sweet Peachy!  God offers me peace, power and love but I cling to the old memories, old hurts and old worries!  What must our God think, when he offers us so much but we settle for so little?  

This New Year I want to be all He wants me to be and accept all He has for me.  The bible says God had our life planned even before we were born.  Have I hung on ferociously to old things instead of grasping my new freedom in Christ?  

Just an update on Peachy, he is now sitting on his new perches and spends less time on the sides of his new cage.  Lord, may I loosen my grasp on the past and enjoy what you have for me today and in this next year!