The last day of 2015. Wow.
Thank You, Father, for Your amazing faithfulness and relentless grace to each of us over these past 365 days. Thank You for Your Word that spoke to us day after day after day. Thank You for Your Holy Spirit that guided, encouraged, strengthened, and helped us every hour of every day. Thank You for Your wondrous gifts of our family and friends that brought us so much joy and happiness this past year.
Thank You for the joyous moments--and the hardest moments--of this past year, for we know and trust that You are somehow, someway using every single one of them for Your greater glory and our ultimate and eternal good. Thank You for the new lives You brought into our world...and for those You took back home to Yourself. Oh how we thank You for dear friends and family who so faithfully ran their races all the way to the finish line and who are right this moment rejoicing with You in glory. And thank You for the absolutely certain hope and joy that, because of Jesus, we will see them again.
Thank You for every one of Your promises in Your Word--all of which are "Yes!" in Christ Jesus (2 Cor.1:20). Thank You that we can bank our entire lives and our eternal destinies on those never-failing, supernaturally powerful promises. Thank You, thank You, thank You for never treating us as our sins deserve, "for as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is His steadfast love toward those who fear Him." (Ps.103:10-11) And thank You for Jesus--our Savior, Redeemer, and Friend.
From this morning's reading for December 31st from the One Year Bible--
"And He who was seated on the throne said, 'Behold I am making all things new.' Also He said, 'Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.' And He said to me, 'It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give from the spring of the water of life without payment.'" (Rev.21:5-6)
Thank You, Lord, that Jesus is even now making all things new...including our lives, our loved ones, our world, and our hearts. And thank You that Jesus is the Alpha and Omega--He was at the inaugural moments of 2015; He is at the closing moments of this year; and He will be in every single moment of this new year that is upon us.
We need not fear...for You are already there. We will not fear...for You are in complete control. And we refuse to fear...for You are working all, all, all things out for good and for glory. If we ever doubt that, Father, turn our eyes to Your cross that we might see the worst that man could do...and the glorious, beautiful best that God did and does. Our sins for Your righteousness. Our death for Your eternal life. Our ugly failures and weaknesses for Your infinite perfection and power.
If You could do that with the absolute worst thing in the history of mankind, imagine what You can and will do with those hard, dark places in our lives?
Thank You, Lord, for this new year. Might we know You more and more clearly, love You more and more dearly, and follow You more and more fearlessly for however many days You choose to give us in 2016. In Jesus' wonderful, powerful, and beautiful Name. Amen
To God be the glory.
Thursday, December 31, 2015
Wednesday, December 30, 2015
What's your treasure?
"For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." (Lk 12:34)
"And going into the house they saw the child with Mary His mother, and they fell down and worshipped Him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered Him gifts, gold, frankincense and myrrh." (Mt.2:11)
What's your treasure?
The wise men brought their treasures of gold, frankincense, and myrrh to the baby King of Kings. Gold--the most valuable and beautiful of materials was destined for royalty...fit for a King. Frankincense--the most costly of all oils which was derived from dried sap was used as incense for worshipping Almighty God...fit for the Lord. Myrrh--the spice employed in embalming dead bodies...fit for a man.
Gold for Christ the King. Frankincense for the Lord. Myrrh for Jesus, the Man. What beautiful and perfect gifts for the Lord Jesus Christ--King, God, Man.
But here's the thing I keep coming back to--these wise men brought their most valuable treasures, yet they were coming to the ultimate Treasure. They bestowed treasures to The Treasure.
And I'm wondering, what's my treasure? What's your treasure? What's that ultimate thing without which our life would lose it's spark of joy? Because whatever you or I see as our treasure, well, that's where our hearts will inevitably follow. And any and every treasure other than the Lord Jesus Christ will ultimately, inevitably, and always disappoint.
Only in Christ will we find our heart's true treasure, lasting satisfaction, indefatigable joy, and continual feast. Not in material possessions. Not in accolades. Not in accomplishments. Not in pleasures. Not even in the glorious gifts of family and friends. Only in Jesus.
When we seek Him as our Treasure, all this world's smaller treasures take on their proper significance...and yet, remarkably, we discover those treasures then bring us greater enjoyment. Suddenly that stunning sunset...or delicious meal...or precious child...or magnificent music are enhanced, savored, and appreciated to an even greater degree when we see each and every one of those littler treasures as wondrous gifts from the hand of The most extravagantly glorious Gift and Treasure.
I don't know about you, but I sadly need constant reminding of this. Yes, I completely understand this to be true, but all too often, I live as if those minor league treasures are what will really bring me contentment and joy. Oh Lord, I believe...help Thou my unbelief! Remind me, help me to treasure You, Lord Jesus, as my greatest of all Treasures.
So "treasure" is my word for this year. Worshipping and treasuring Jesus as my ultimate and most glorious Treasure. Thanking Him for, and savoring, all the smaller treasures He's so graciously and generously placed in my life--most of all, family and friends. And daily choosing to treasure that which is important and eternal--Jesus, His Word, and the people He's given me.
To God--our greatest Treasure and our generous Giver of treasures--be all the glory.
"And going into the house they saw the child with Mary His mother, and they fell down and worshipped Him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered Him gifts, gold, frankincense and myrrh." (Mt.2:11)
What's your treasure?
The wise men brought their treasures of gold, frankincense, and myrrh to the baby King of Kings. Gold--the most valuable and beautiful of materials was destined for royalty...fit for a King. Frankincense--the most costly of all oils which was derived from dried sap was used as incense for worshipping Almighty God...fit for the Lord. Myrrh--the spice employed in embalming dead bodies...fit for a man.
Gold for Christ the King. Frankincense for the Lord. Myrrh for Jesus, the Man. What beautiful and perfect gifts for the Lord Jesus Christ--King, God, Man.
But here's the thing I keep coming back to--these wise men brought their most valuable treasures, yet they were coming to the ultimate Treasure. They bestowed treasures to The Treasure.
And I'm wondering, what's my treasure? What's your treasure? What's that ultimate thing without which our life would lose it's spark of joy? Because whatever you or I see as our treasure, well, that's where our hearts will inevitably follow. And any and every treasure other than the Lord Jesus Christ will ultimately, inevitably, and always disappoint.
Only in Christ will we find our heart's true treasure, lasting satisfaction, indefatigable joy, and continual feast. Not in material possessions. Not in accolades. Not in accomplishments. Not in pleasures. Not even in the glorious gifts of family and friends. Only in Jesus.
When we seek Him as our Treasure, all this world's smaller treasures take on their proper significance...and yet, remarkably, we discover those treasures then bring us greater enjoyment. Suddenly that stunning sunset...or delicious meal...or precious child...or magnificent music are enhanced, savored, and appreciated to an even greater degree when we see each and every one of those littler treasures as wondrous gifts from the hand of The most extravagantly glorious Gift and Treasure.
I don't know about you, but I sadly need constant reminding of this. Yes, I completely understand this to be true, but all too often, I live as if those minor league treasures are what will really bring me contentment and joy. Oh Lord, I believe...help Thou my unbelief! Remind me, help me to treasure You, Lord Jesus, as my greatest of all Treasures.
So "treasure" is my word for this year. Worshipping and treasuring Jesus as my ultimate and most glorious Treasure. Thanking Him for, and savoring, all the smaller treasures He's so graciously and generously placed in my life--most of all, family and friends. And daily choosing to treasure that which is important and eternal--Jesus, His Word, and the people He's given me.
To God--our greatest Treasure and our generous Giver of treasures--be all the glory.
Tuesday, December 29, 2015
Christmas isn't quite over yet!
Okay, so maybe you're packing up Christmas just like we are (hmmm, let me correct that to: "just like I am"--as so far yours truly is the only one who's been dealing with this dreaded task...not that I'm irritated or anything. Oh noooooo).
Can we all just agree that this is the not the most fun job in the world? I'm not saying it's terrible or anything. In some ways, it's a bit freeing to clean up the clutter, wipe down tables, and rediscover all those pictures you shoved into drawers to make room for nativity sets and nutcrackers. But goodness, it's still always sad to pack Mary, Joseph, and baby Jesus away for a whole year and to say goodbye to the twinkling lights and evergreen smells of Christmas. Oh how I looooove Christmas!
But sometimes you just have to give yourself a little pep talk and tackle that task you most dread and simply begin. Take the first step and get going. And, of course, the doing of that hard thing is never, ever even a smidgen as difficult as you imagined before you began (and that's a good reminder for all of life).
So, after a bit of moaning and groaning before diving in, here we are with the last few boxes waiting to be hauled upstairs. I think I can here the Elf on the Shelf happily snoring away in one of those boxes--after all, he's been on duty and at full alert for a good month. Only our tree remains standing to sing silent testimony to the wondrous celebration of Jesus' birthday--
But before we close up the Christmas shop, let's don't forget the wise men. This is, after all, the season of Epiphany, because, people, Christmas is not over until January 5th! We tend to forget this and ignore Epiphany in our mad rush to move on the next thing...partly because we've been seeing evidence of Christmas in Target and the shopping malls since about July 4th. But it's still Christmas. The wisemen are still journeying and following that star. And we are still remembering and celebrating the greatest Gift ever given.
Today, I've been thinking about--and thankful for--those persevering wisemen and their long, arduous journey to find the King...all so they could worship Him. We know these were men of tremendous learning and wisdom. And commentators tell us that they came from a great distance away, and their journey took the better part of a year. All our beautiful manger scenes with the wisemen joining the shepherds and angels to worship and adore the baby Jesus in the manger? Well, I love 'em...but those wisemen probably missed the stable, the sheep, and the shepherds by a good year or so.
But that only makes their story better. Why? Because look at the gigantic effort, the huge time commitment, the enormous financial stake they made in traveling all those many miles to find and worship this King of Kings. Think of the inconvenience of putting their lives on hold for a year or two while they traveled to who-knows-where to follow the star and find the Savior. I wonder if their friends, family or acquaintances thought they were crazy to take this risk (after all, the "roads" in those days were dangerous places) and to simply up and leave everything in their based upon some bright shining star and their research. What if they were wrong? What if they couldn't find Him? What if something happened to them along the way? What if....?
Yet despite all the inconveniences, the doubts, the questions, the difficulties, the sacrifices...they determinedly followed that star and journeyed to find the King of Kings so they could worship and adore Him.
What about us? We're on the cusp of a new year. What sacrifices will we make to spend time every day loving and worshipping the Lord of Lords? What's my excuse for failing to seek Him daily? What's preventing us from daily thanking and worshipping Him? The wise men traveled hundreds and hundreds of miles...are we not willing to get out of bed earlier and spend time with the One who made us, loves us, and died to save us?
"When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy. And going into the house they saw the child with Mary His mother, and they fell down and worshiped Him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered Him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh." (Mt.2:10-11)
Wise men--and women--still seek Him. Might we, like the wise men, daily worship and adore our King. In Him we will find our heart's treasure and joy. To God be the glory.
Can we all just agree that this is the not the most fun job in the world? I'm not saying it's terrible or anything. In some ways, it's a bit freeing to clean up the clutter, wipe down tables, and rediscover all those pictures you shoved into drawers to make room for nativity sets and nutcrackers. But goodness, it's still always sad to pack Mary, Joseph, and baby Jesus away for a whole year and to say goodbye to the twinkling lights and evergreen smells of Christmas. Oh how I looooove Christmas!
But sometimes you just have to give yourself a little pep talk and tackle that task you most dread and simply begin. Take the first step and get going. And, of course, the doing of that hard thing is never, ever even a smidgen as difficult as you imagined before you began (and that's a good reminder for all of life).
So, after a bit of moaning and groaning before diving in, here we are with the last few boxes waiting to be hauled upstairs. I think I can here the Elf on the Shelf happily snoring away in one of those boxes--after all, he's been on duty and at full alert for a good month. Only our tree remains standing to sing silent testimony to the wondrous celebration of Jesus' birthday--
Today, I've been thinking about--and thankful for--those persevering wisemen and their long, arduous journey to find the King...all so they could worship Him. We know these were men of tremendous learning and wisdom. And commentators tell us that they came from a great distance away, and their journey took the better part of a year. All our beautiful manger scenes with the wisemen joining the shepherds and angels to worship and adore the baby Jesus in the manger? Well, I love 'em...but those wisemen probably missed the stable, the sheep, and the shepherds by a good year or so.
But that only makes their story better. Why? Because look at the gigantic effort, the huge time commitment, the enormous financial stake they made in traveling all those many miles to find and worship this King of Kings. Think of the inconvenience of putting their lives on hold for a year or two while they traveled to who-knows-where to follow the star and find the Savior. I wonder if their friends, family or acquaintances thought they were crazy to take this risk (after all, the "roads" in those days were dangerous places) and to simply up and leave everything in their based upon some bright shining star and their research. What if they were wrong? What if they couldn't find Him? What if something happened to them along the way? What if....?
Yet despite all the inconveniences, the doubts, the questions, the difficulties, the sacrifices...they determinedly followed that star and journeyed to find the King of Kings so they could worship and adore Him.
What about us? We're on the cusp of a new year. What sacrifices will we make to spend time every day loving and worshipping the Lord of Lords? What's my excuse for failing to seek Him daily? What's preventing us from daily thanking and worshipping Him? The wise men traveled hundreds and hundreds of miles...are we not willing to get out of bed earlier and spend time with the One who made us, loves us, and died to save us?
"When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy. And going into the house they saw the child with Mary His mother, and they fell down and worshiped Him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered Him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh." (Mt.2:10-11)
Wise men--and women--still seek Him. Might we, like the wise men, daily worship and adore our King. In Him we will find our heart's treasure and joy. To God be the glory.
Saturday, December 26, 2015
For the-day-after-Christmas blues
Don't know about you, but I'm feeling the day-after-the-big-day blues.
All the build up, all the excitement of celebrating the birth of the King of Kings, all the decorating, all the cooking of favorite foods, all the fun and familiar traditions, all the happy anticipation of children returning home and gathering with beloved friends and family...and all too suddenly, it's over.
How I love Advent...but oh how I dread post-Advent cleaning up, putting up, straightening up, and sending off (of children). Makes me sad just thinking about it. Not to mention enduring a shockingly quiet, nearly empty house and a counter sadly missing all those triple chocolate peppermint cookies, cheese straws, and chocolate fudge that we've been devouring over the past few weeks. Sigh. How I'll miss the glorious songs of Christmas, the smells of Christmas, the lights of Christmas, and most of all, the joy of celebrating and being together at Christmas. I don't want to say goodbye to the baby in the manger and the sense of wonder permeating the world for a few brief weeks in December.
So in case you're like me and need a little post-Christmas reminder, I loved these simple but wonderfully true words from David Jeremiah that I read just this morning--
"Here’s the great thing. The incarnation of Christ—the truth of His entering the world for us—is a reality we never leave behind. His abiding presence is a constant reality. We never say goodbye to Him. We’re never separated from Him, not today, not ever. The Bible says, 'Neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord' (Romans 8:38-39). Take a parting glance at Christmas and then press onward into a new year with Christ!"
He's given us another Christmas to rejoice in His coming, and He's also graciously given us another day to love Him and to live to His glory. We have no earthly idea what challenges tomorrow will hold...but we know, know, know Who holds tomorrow. And if our Savior's there (and He is and forever will be!), well then, we'll be more than okay. We carry the Baby-Savior-King, the Light of the World, the Bread of Life, the Living Water, the Prince of Peace, the Wonderful Counselor with us wherever we go and whatever we face...or maybe I should say, He carries us. So no matter the date on the calendar...or the mess in our homes...or the ache of saying goodbye, it's always and forever Christmas. We can rejoice no matter what, for Jesus is here.
"Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to present you faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy, to God our Savior, who alone is wise, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and forever. Amen." (Jude 24-25)
To God be the glory.
All the build up, all the excitement of celebrating the birth of the King of Kings, all the decorating, all the cooking of favorite foods, all the fun and familiar traditions, all the happy anticipation of children returning home and gathering with beloved friends and family...and all too suddenly, it's over.
How I love Advent...but oh how I dread post-Advent cleaning up, putting up, straightening up, and sending off (of children). Makes me sad just thinking about it. Not to mention enduring a shockingly quiet, nearly empty house and a counter sadly missing all those triple chocolate peppermint cookies, cheese straws, and chocolate fudge that we've been devouring over the past few weeks. Sigh. How I'll miss the glorious songs of Christmas, the smells of Christmas, the lights of Christmas, and most of all, the joy of celebrating and being together at Christmas. I don't want to say goodbye to the baby in the manger and the sense of wonder permeating the world for a few brief weeks in December.
So in case you're like me and need a little post-Christmas reminder, I loved these simple but wonderfully true words from David Jeremiah that I read just this morning--
"Here’s the great thing. The incarnation of Christ—the truth of His entering the world for us—is a reality we never leave behind. His abiding presence is a constant reality. We never say goodbye to Him. We’re never separated from Him, not today, not ever. The Bible says, 'Neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord' (Romans 8:38-39). Take a parting glance at Christmas and then press onward into a new year with Christ!"
He's given us another Christmas to rejoice in His coming, and He's also graciously given us another day to love Him and to live to His glory. We have no earthly idea what challenges tomorrow will hold...but we know, know, know Who holds tomorrow. And if our Savior's there (and He is and forever will be!), well then, we'll be more than okay. We carry the Baby-Savior-King, the Light of the World, the Bread of Life, the Living Water, the Prince of Peace, the Wonderful Counselor with us wherever we go and whatever we face...or maybe I should say, He carries us. So no matter the date on the calendar...or the mess in our homes...or the ache of saying goodbye, it's always and forever Christmas. We can rejoice no matter what, for Jesus is here.
"Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to present you faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy, to God our Savior, who alone is wise, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and forever. Amen." (Jude 24-25)
To God be the glory.
Wednesday, December 23, 2015
Alleluia from head to foot!
"The Christian should be an alleluia from head to foot!" Augustine of Hippo
Whew. I needed that reminder.
Too much rushing, shopping, wrapping, mailing, cleaning, delivering...and desperately trying to get it all done before the big day. It's December 23rd, and for the first time in days, I'm sitting down quietly in front of the Christmas tree to pause, to reflect, and to praise.
Don't get me wrong--I love the hustle and bustle of Christmas. I love the joy of busily preparing for our children to come home. I love cooking some of old favorite foods. I love running errands with Christmas carols blasting in my car. I love running in and out of stores brightly decorated with glowing red and green lights in celebration of the Savior (even if the store doesn't understand or acknowledge it). I love the continual remembrance of Jesus' birth that's like a delicious fragrance bringing joy and wonder in it's wake. I love Advent--rejoicing that Jesus came and remembering that He's coming again.
But, oh my goodness, all too often those happy preparations can begin to consume us, can't they? One moment we're humming a Christmas carol...and the next we're hammering our horn at the slow car in front of us. Lord Jesus, forgive me for working so hard to celebrate Your birthday that I fail to celebrate You. For putting so much effort in demonstrating my love for my family and friends that I miss the joy of simply savoring and loving them right now in the present moment.
Yes, there's much to do...but there's so much more to delight in. Yes, we all have much to accomplish...but how much more important to shout alleluia! Immanuel is with us and for us. Almighty God has come and moved into our neighborhood. He loves us with an infinite, incomprehensible love that will never weaken or waiver. A love so great that He came in order to go to the cross. As Paul David Tripp puts it: "Look into the manger and see the One who came to die. Hear the angels' song and remember that death would be the only way that peace would be given. Look at your tree and remember another tree--one not decorated with shining ornaments, but stained with the blood of the Son of God. As you celebrate, remember that the pathway to your celebration was the death of the One you celebrate, and be thankful."
Thank You, thank You, thank You, Lord Jesus. Thank You for coming. Thank You for going to the cross. Thank You for coming down to our earthly home so that one glorious day we could go up to Your heavenly home. As we prepare to celebrate Your birthday and begin a new year, might our lives be one giant alleluia for who You are and what You've done! Alleluia, Lord, from head to foot!
To God be the glory.
Whew. I needed that reminder.
Too much rushing, shopping, wrapping, mailing, cleaning, delivering...and desperately trying to get it all done before the big day. It's December 23rd, and for the first time in days, I'm sitting down quietly in front of the Christmas tree to pause, to reflect, and to praise.
Don't get me wrong--I love the hustle and bustle of Christmas. I love the joy of busily preparing for our children to come home. I love cooking some of old favorite foods. I love running errands with Christmas carols blasting in my car. I love running in and out of stores brightly decorated with glowing red and green lights in celebration of the Savior (even if the store doesn't understand or acknowledge it). I love the continual remembrance of Jesus' birth that's like a delicious fragrance bringing joy and wonder in it's wake. I love Advent--rejoicing that Jesus came and remembering that He's coming again.
But, oh my goodness, all too often those happy preparations can begin to consume us, can't they? One moment we're humming a Christmas carol...and the next we're hammering our horn at the slow car in front of us. Lord Jesus, forgive me for working so hard to celebrate Your birthday that I fail to celebrate You. For putting so much effort in demonstrating my love for my family and friends that I miss the joy of simply savoring and loving them right now in the present moment.
Yes, there's much to do...but there's so much more to delight in. Yes, we all have much to accomplish...but how much more important to shout alleluia! Immanuel is with us and for us. Almighty God has come and moved into our neighborhood. He loves us with an infinite, incomprehensible love that will never weaken or waiver. A love so great that He came in order to go to the cross. As Paul David Tripp puts it: "Look into the manger and see the One who came to die. Hear the angels' song and remember that death would be the only way that peace would be given. Look at your tree and remember another tree--one not decorated with shining ornaments, but stained with the blood of the Son of God. As you celebrate, remember that the pathway to your celebration was the death of the One you celebrate, and be thankful."
Thank You, thank You, thank You, Lord Jesus. Thank You for coming. Thank You for going to the cross. Thank You for coming down to our earthly home so that one glorious day we could go up to Your heavenly home. As we prepare to celebrate Your birthday and begin a new year, might our lives be one giant alleluia for who You are and what You've done! Alleluia, Lord, from head to foot!
To God be the glory.
Saturday, December 19, 2015
Your redemption is drawing near!
A little food for weekend Advent thought--
"Now when these things begin to take place, stand up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near." (Lk 21:28)
Bonhoeffer declared, in an Advent sermon given in London in December, 1933--
"'Look up and raise your heads' (Lk 21:28 RsV). Advent creates people, new people. We too are supposed to become new people in Advent. Look up, you whose gaze is fixed on the earth, who are spellbound by the little events and changes on the face of the earth. Look up to these words, you who have turned away from heaven disappointed. Look up, you whose eyes are heavy with tears...Look up, you who, burdened with guilt, cannot lift your eyes. Look up, your redemption is drawing near...
You know what a mine disaster is...The moment even the most courageous miner has dreaded his whole life long is here. It is no use running into the walls; the silence all around him remains...The way out for him is blocked. He knows the people up there are working feverishly to reach the miners who are buried alive. Perhaps someone will be rescued, but here in the las shaft? An agonizing period of waiting and dying is all that remains.
But suddenly a noise that sounds like tapping and breaking in the rock can be heard. Unexpectedly, voices cry out, 'Where are you, help is on the way!' Then the disheartened miner picks himself up, his heart leaps, he shouts, 'Here I am, come on through and help me! I'll hold out until you come! Just come soon!' A final, desperate hammer blow to his ear, now the rescue is near, just one more step and he is free.
We have spoken of Advent itself. That is how it is with the coming of Christ: 'Look up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.'"
How thankful I am that Christ came...and that He is coming again. Advent is a reminder and a celebration both of His first coming and of His second coming. Only when He comes again, it will not be as a helpless infant or a humble, suffering servant giving His life as a ransom for many. No, it will be as the conquering King of Glory, the mighty Lion of Judah come to claim His own, destroy the powers of darkness, and establish His everlasting kingdom of righteousness and peace.
Sometimes, in the midst of a world so topsy turvy, we need to stop and remember to "Look up and raise our heads" for He has come...and He is coming again. Death, destruction, despair, disappointment do not, not, not have the final word!
Advent reminds us: don't lose heart. He has come; He is coming again; and your redemption and rescue is drawing ever nearer. Rejoice! To God be the glory.
"Now when these things begin to take place, stand up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near." (Lk 21:28)
Bonhoeffer declared, in an Advent sermon given in London in December, 1933--
"'Look up and raise your heads' (Lk 21:28 RsV). Advent creates people, new people. We too are supposed to become new people in Advent. Look up, you whose gaze is fixed on the earth, who are spellbound by the little events and changes on the face of the earth. Look up to these words, you who have turned away from heaven disappointed. Look up, you whose eyes are heavy with tears...Look up, you who, burdened with guilt, cannot lift your eyes. Look up, your redemption is drawing near...
You know what a mine disaster is...The moment even the most courageous miner has dreaded his whole life long is here. It is no use running into the walls; the silence all around him remains...The way out for him is blocked. He knows the people up there are working feverishly to reach the miners who are buried alive. Perhaps someone will be rescued, but here in the las shaft? An agonizing period of waiting and dying is all that remains.
But suddenly a noise that sounds like tapping and breaking in the rock can be heard. Unexpectedly, voices cry out, 'Where are you, help is on the way!' Then the disheartened miner picks himself up, his heart leaps, he shouts, 'Here I am, come on through and help me! I'll hold out until you come! Just come soon!' A final, desperate hammer blow to his ear, now the rescue is near, just one more step and he is free.
We have spoken of Advent itself. That is how it is with the coming of Christ: 'Look up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.'"
How thankful I am that Christ came...and that He is coming again. Advent is a reminder and a celebration both of His first coming and of His second coming. Only when He comes again, it will not be as a helpless infant or a humble, suffering servant giving His life as a ransom for many. No, it will be as the conquering King of Glory, the mighty Lion of Judah come to claim His own, destroy the powers of darkness, and establish His everlasting kingdom of righteousness and peace.
Sometimes, in the midst of a world so topsy turvy, we need to stop and remember to "Look up and raise our heads" for He has come...and He is coming again. Death, destruction, despair, disappointment do not, not, not have the final word!
Advent reminds us: don't lose heart. He has come; He is coming again; and your redemption and rescue is drawing ever nearer. Rejoice! To God be the glory.
Wednesday, December 16, 2015
Glaring...or gazing
So here's how life's going down around here lately--
The other day, I had the joy of eating lunch with my wonderful sister, Mary Norris, and our dear friend, Ellen, for Mary Norris' birthday. Now keep in mind that though I'm a terribly challenged organizer and plan-aheader, I had (semi-miraculously) managed to purchase, wrap, and load all their Christmas and birthday presents (including the ones for my other wonderful sister, Jane and my equally fabulous niece) into our car the night before. Please notice I had done it a day ahead of time. I'd even baked a home-made birthday cake...Martha Stewart's got nothing on yours truly. I might even had begun feeling a bit smug and self-righteous that I'd been so on task and prepared. Hmm. I seem to recall a verse about "pride goeth before a fall."
Yeah, well, like I said, the three of us had a ball at lunch, and afterward, we exchanged presents. Wait. Let me rephrase that. My sister "exchanged" Christmas presents.
Ms. Organization here took out the cake to put it in my sister's car...and left it sitting on top of a newspaper stand outside the restaurant. And all those presents in my backseat? In the mad rush to get things in our cars in the midst of a heavy rain, I left every blessed gift still sitting in my backseat. A minor fact which I discovered when I arrived back into Raleigh. So much for planning ahead.
We (sort of) laughed about it later...well, at least they laughed. I wanted to scream. Though to my sister's ever-loving credit, she did go back to the little strip center and found my cake still sitting there on the newspaper stand some 30 minutes later, so all was not lost.
But seriously, what a picture of this stressed-out, crazy busy time of year when we're all overloaded and desperately trying to do, do, do from dawn to dusk...often resulting in mess-ups and blow-ups.
By the way, I learned an incredibly valuable bit of information the other day. Did you know that the word "stressed" is actually "desserts" spelled backward? So there's your antidote for Christmas craziness. Consider this your permission to stop reading this instant and go eat a cookie or a large slice of cake.
Other than massive quantities of chocolate, what's the solution?
Stop fixating on all the presents and start to focus on the The Present.
Pause long enough to look to Jesus and worship...rather than rushing and fussing and worrying. Because if we don't stop and come apart from the world and look to the Savior, well, we truly will come apart at the seams. I'm ample proof of that.
But here's the remarkable, wondrous thing: His grace truly is sufficient. His grace is always available. His grace is abundant. And His grace is oh-so glorious. Because though we mess up time and again, when we simply come to the end of our silly selves and turn to Him, He forgives. He refreshes. He restores. He reveals. And He loves.
Oh, how He loves.
And so finally, finally, I stopped and listened. Here I sit in our living room, drinking the Living Water and finding that thirst I didn't even know I had, completely satisfied and filled to overflowing. Worship can happen right here, right now.
Yep, I still have about a zillion things to do. And yep, I'm still pretty much a disorganized mess with a serious memory problem. And yep, I've failed even just this very day in more ways than I can count...but I have a Savior who loves me so much that He relinquished the infinite joys and glories of heaven to come down--so, so far down--to this broken, dark world. He came as a helpless infant to be born, to live, to die, to defeat sin and death, and to rise again to resurrection life. Even for the likes of me. And you. And, by the way, for that annoying friend...or difficult family member...or selfish co-worker.
Oh might we never, ever tire of hearing the beautiful words of His coming! "Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David, a Savior, who is Christ the Lord."(Lk 2:10-11)
The Light has come into the darkness. The Son has come to bring life. The Savior has come that you might experience faith instead of fear, joy instead of sorrow, peace instead of restlessness, hope instead of despair, and strength instead of weakness.
Or, as He explained so succinctly, "I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full." (John 10:10)
Can we just remind each other--stop listening to those lying voices of "Hurry!" "Worry!" "What if?" "What now?" Instead, let's listen to Him. Let's listen to Truth. Let's listen to the Word made flesh. He came to give you life--abundant, full, whole, joyful, restful, real life.
Stop glaring at your to-do list or your worries, and gaze at Him. Today. Now. And find Life.
To God be the glory.
The other day, I had the joy of eating lunch with my wonderful sister, Mary Norris, and our dear friend, Ellen, for Mary Norris' birthday. Now keep in mind that though I'm a terribly challenged organizer and plan-aheader, I had (semi-miraculously) managed to purchase, wrap, and load all their Christmas and birthday presents (including the ones for my other wonderful sister, Jane and my equally fabulous niece) into our car the night before. Please notice I had done it a day ahead of time. I'd even baked a home-made birthday cake...Martha Stewart's got nothing on yours truly. I might even had begun feeling a bit smug and self-righteous that I'd been so on task and prepared. Hmm. I seem to recall a verse about "pride goeth before a fall."
Yeah, well, like I said, the three of us had a ball at lunch, and afterward, we exchanged presents. Wait. Let me rephrase that. My sister "exchanged" Christmas presents.
Ms. Organization here took out the cake to put it in my sister's car...and left it sitting on top of a newspaper stand outside the restaurant. And all those presents in my backseat? In the mad rush to get things in our cars in the midst of a heavy rain, I left every blessed gift still sitting in my backseat. A minor fact which I discovered when I arrived back into Raleigh. So much for planning ahead.
We (sort of) laughed about it later...well, at least they laughed. I wanted to scream. Though to my sister's ever-loving credit, she did go back to the little strip center and found my cake still sitting there on the newspaper stand some 30 minutes later, so all was not lost.
But seriously, what a picture of this stressed-out, crazy busy time of year when we're all overloaded and desperately trying to do, do, do from dawn to dusk...often resulting in mess-ups and blow-ups.
By the way, I learned an incredibly valuable bit of information the other day. Did you know that the word "stressed" is actually "desserts" spelled backward? So there's your antidote for Christmas craziness. Consider this your permission to stop reading this instant and go eat a cookie or a large slice of cake.
Other than massive quantities of chocolate, what's the solution?
Stop fixating on all the presents and start to focus on the The Present.
Pause long enough to look to Jesus and worship...rather than rushing and fussing and worrying. Because if we don't stop and come apart from the world and look to the Savior, well, we truly will come apart at the seams. I'm ample proof of that.
But here's the remarkable, wondrous thing: His grace truly is sufficient. His grace is always available. His grace is abundant. And His grace is oh-so glorious. Because though we mess up time and again, when we simply come to the end of our silly selves and turn to Him, He forgives. He refreshes. He restores. He reveals. And He loves.
Oh, how He loves.
And so finally, finally, I stopped and listened. Here I sit in our living room, drinking the Living Water and finding that thirst I didn't even know I had, completely satisfied and filled to overflowing. Worship can happen right here, right now.
Oh might we never, ever tire of hearing the beautiful words of His coming! "Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David, a Savior, who is Christ the Lord."(Lk 2:10-11)
The Light has come into the darkness. The Son has come to bring life. The Savior has come that you might experience faith instead of fear, joy instead of sorrow, peace instead of restlessness, hope instead of despair, and strength instead of weakness.
Or, as He explained so succinctly, "I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full." (John 10:10)
Can we just remind each other--stop listening to those lying voices of "Hurry!" "Worry!" "What if?" "What now?" Instead, let's listen to Him. Let's listen to Truth. Let's listen to the Word made flesh. He came to give you life--abundant, full, whole, joyful, restful, real life.
Stop glaring at your to-do list or your worries, and gaze at Him. Today. Now. And find Life.
To God be the glory.
Thursday, December 10, 2015
George's CD and the familiar, yet wondrous!
Right now Peter and I are listening to the music that accompanies the George C. Scott version of "A Christmas Carol." This time of year, we have Christmas music playing pretty much continually...and, oh my, we never tire of it! We've collected a fairly vast collection of Christmas CD's, ranging from classical to jazz to contemporary Christian to you-name-it. So every day, we pull out four or five CD's and start enjoying this most joyous of music. How thankful I am for the gift of singing and music, for as Martin Luther once declared, "As long as we live, there is never enough singing." Amen!
But of all our CD's the one playing right now might be our favorite--in fact, Peter specifically requested it to "help" him study for exams. And why this particular CD? Well, for one thing it's homemade--created by one of Richard's closest friends, George DeLoache. You see George adores and appreciates Christmas as much as anyone you'll ever meet...which means he loves the lovely carols and songs from this most wonderful of seasons. George knows how much we love this music (more on that in a moment), so he personally contacted the composer--since these particular pieces are not available on any kind of CD--to get permission to record them. Now that's a true friend--way to go, George!
And we love this music that accompanies "A Christmas Carol" (only the George C. Scott version, mind you), because our family cherishes the tradition of watching it every Christmas Eve night. Same routine every year--we attend our church's wonderful Christmas Eve service, eat dinner, and, of course, sing Happy Birthday to Jesus before eating a big slice of birthday cake. And then, late on Christmas Eve, we watch old Scrooge once again rediscover the wonder and joy of Christmas.
So as I sit here listening to George's CD, I'm transported to one of the sweetest times of my whole year--those happy minutes on Christmas Even of sitting in front of a warm fire and savoring every single moment of being with the people dearest to me in the whole world while watching, yet again, Charles Dickens beautiful tale of reclamation and redemption. Just remembering and anticipating it brings such joy and gratitude!
I also need to add that George's fabulous CD also includes selections from the good old Charlie Brown Christmas special (again--makes you smile with delight! We love you, Charlie Brown, and thank you, Linus, for sharing directly from the Gospels, the real story of Jesus' birth), the Christmas episode from Andy Griffin (which will make you cry), and "Home Alone, " among others. Did I mention this is one fine, fine CD?
So how about you? Have you thanked the Lord lately for the simple, but oh so meaningful, traditions of Christmas? Yes, above all else, we celebrate anew the birth of our Savior. That's why we're here! But don't forget to rejoice in some of the other gifts of the season--the music, the food, the smells, the memories, the beloved ornaments, the old family nativity sets...all those familiar--yet never mundane or routine--wonders and blessings all around us. Familiar...yet wondrous. Familiar...yet joyous. Familiar...yet supernatural.
Happy Advent! Happy Birthday! Thank You for coming, Lord Jesus!
To God be the glory.
But of all our CD's the one playing right now might be our favorite--in fact, Peter specifically requested it to "help" him study for exams. And why this particular CD? Well, for one thing it's homemade--created by one of Richard's closest friends, George DeLoache. You see George adores and appreciates Christmas as much as anyone you'll ever meet...which means he loves the lovely carols and songs from this most wonderful of seasons. George knows how much we love this music (more on that in a moment), so he personally contacted the composer--since these particular pieces are not available on any kind of CD--to get permission to record them. Now that's a true friend--way to go, George!
And we love this music that accompanies "A Christmas Carol" (only the George C. Scott version, mind you), because our family cherishes the tradition of watching it every Christmas Eve night. Same routine every year--we attend our church's wonderful Christmas Eve service, eat dinner, and, of course, sing Happy Birthday to Jesus before eating a big slice of birthday cake. And then, late on Christmas Eve, we watch old Scrooge once again rediscover the wonder and joy of Christmas.
So as I sit here listening to George's CD, I'm transported to one of the sweetest times of my whole year--those happy minutes on Christmas Even of sitting in front of a warm fire and savoring every single moment of being with the people dearest to me in the whole world while watching, yet again, Charles Dickens beautiful tale of reclamation and redemption. Just remembering and anticipating it brings such joy and gratitude!
I also need to add that George's fabulous CD also includes selections from the good old Charlie Brown Christmas special (again--makes you smile with delight! We love you, Charlie Brown, and thank you, Linus, for sharing directly from the Gospels, the real story of Jesus' birth), the Christmas episode from Andy Griffin (which will make you cry), and "Home Alone, " among others. Did I mention this is one fine, fine CD?
So how about you? Have you thanked the Lord lately for the simple, but oh so meaningful, traditions of Christmas? Yes, above all else, we celebrate anew the birth of our Savior. That's why we're here! But don't forget to rejoice in some of the other gifts of the season--the music, the food, the smells, the memories, the beloved ornaments, the old family nativity sets...all those familiar--yet never mundane or routine--wonders and blessings all around us. Familiar...yet wondrous. Familiar...yet joyous. Familiar...yet supernatural.
Happy Advent! Happy Birthday! Thank You for coming, Lord Jesus!
To God be the glory.
Sunday, December 6, 2015
A tiny shoot
A little food for an Advent weekend thought--
"There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse, and a branch from His roots shall bear fruit. And the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon Him, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord." (Isa.11:1-2)
The second Sunday of Advent, and I sit in our quiet living room surrounded by twinkling lights on the tree, bright stockings of those I love hanging on the fireplace mantle, and the weathered, beautiful old nativity from my dear aunt Janie resting on the table. Well, and truth be told, there's also a bit of the ever-present clutter from the piles of books on the desk and on the chair. All reminders of God's perfect and utterly undeserved faithfulness in my life, in our world.
Peace and thankfulness overwhelms me. Peace that God is with me, even me. Thankfulness for family, for friends, and most of all for my Heavenly Father and His wondrous gift of Jesus. Peace and thankfulness for these small, still moments in life when we sit back for a few moments and, like Mary, ponder the things of God, treasuring them in our hearts.
I loved these words from Henri Nouwen that I read just this morning on those verses from Isaiah:
"These words from last night's liturgy [from Isaiah--"There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse"] have stayed with me during the day. Our salvation comes from something small, tender, and vulnerable, something hardly noticeable. God, who is the Creator of the Universe, comes to us in smallness, weakness, and hiddenness. I find this a hopeful message. Somehow, I keep expecting loud and impressive events to convince me and others of God's saving power; but over and over again I am reminded that spectacles, power plays, and big events are the ways of the world. Our temptation is to be distracted by them and made blind to the "shoot that shall sprout from the stump."
When I have no eyes for the small signs of God's presence - the smile of a baby, the carefree play of children, the words of encouragement and gestures of love offered by friends - I will always remain tempted to despair. The small child of Bethlehem, the unknown young man of Nazareth, the rejected preacher, the naked man on the cross, he asks for my full attention. The work of our salvation takes place in the midst of a world that continues to shout, scream, and overwhelm us with its claims and promises. But the promise is hidden in the shoot that sprouts from the stump, a shoot that hardly anyone notices."
Thank You, Jesus, for coming in the small, the hidden, as Dietrich Bonhoeffer puts it, "in the poverty of the manger." Thank You for coming as a tiny, helpless baby to remind us that though You are the Almighty Lord of the heavens and the earth, You were willing to be made small, weak, and vulnerable out of Your amazing grace and love for those You came to save. Give us eyes to see You in the small moments of our day and to share Your love and light with those who are feeling weak and hidden to the world...but not to You.
Thank You for the gift of this day, this one, small, fleeting day, to love You and others...by Your grace, to Your glory. To God--our tiny shoot, our wondrous Savior--be the glory.
"There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse, and a branch from His roots shall bear fruit. And the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon Him, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord." (Isa.11:1-2)
The second Sunday of Advent, and I sit in our quiet living room surrounded by twinkling lights on the tree, bright stockings of those I love hanging on the fireplace mantle, and the weathered, beautiful old nativity from my dear aunt Janie resting on the table. Well, and truth be told, there's also a bit of the ever-present clutter from the piles of books on the desk and on the chair. All reminders of God's perfect and utterly undeserved faithfulness in my life, in our world.
Peace and thankfulness overwhelms me. Peace that God is with me, even me. Thankfulness for family, for friends, and most of all for my Heavenly Father and His wondrous gift of Jesus. Peace and thankfulness for these small, still moments in life when we sit back for a few moments and, like Mary, ponder the things of God, treasuring them in our hearts.
I loved these words from Henri Nouwen that I read just this morning on those verses from Isaiah:
"These words from last night's liturgy [from Isaiah--"There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse"] have stayed with me during the day. Our salvation comes from something small, tender, and vulnerable, something hardly noticeable. God, who is the Creator of the Universe, comes to us in smallness, weakness, and hiddenness. I find this a hopeful message. Somehow, I keep expecting loud and impressive events to convince me and others of God's saving power; but over and over again I am reminded that spectacles, power plays, and big events are the ways of the world. Our temptation is to be distracted by them and made blind to the "shoot that shall sprout from the stump."
When I have no eyes for the small signs of God's presence - the smile of a baby, the carefree play of children, the words of encouragement and gestures of love offered by friends - I will always remain tempted to despair. The small child of Bethlehem, the unknown young man of Nazareth, the rejected preacher, the naked man on the cross, he asks for my full attention. The work of our salvation takes place in the midst of a world that continues to shout, scream, and overwhelm us with its claims and promises. But the promise is hidden in the shoot that sprouts from the stump, a shoot that hardly anyone notices."
Thank You, Jesus, for coming in the small, the hidden, as Dietrich Bonhoeffer puts it, "in the poverty of the manger." Thank You for coming as a tiny, helpless baby to remind us that though You are the Almighty Lord of the heavens and the earth, You were willing to be made small, weak, and vulnerable out of Your amazing grace and love for those You came to save. Give us eyes to see You in the small moments of our day and to share Your love and light with those who are feeling weak and hidden to the world...but not to You.
Thank You for the gift of this day, this one, small, fleeting day, to love You and others...by Your grace, to Your glory. To God--our tiny shoot, our wondrous Savior--be the glory.
Wednesday, December 2, 2015
An early Advent morning
My favorite time of day...the wee early morning hours. The house is still (well, except for Bingley roaming around and eventually settling down at my feet). The darkness outside a peaceful prelude to a busy day. Quiet, so blessedly quiet. We forget the lovely, calming sound of true silence in our ever noisy world. In the silence, you can feel your soul breathe deeply and fill with the Spirit's fullness. Our Christmas tree stands proudly in the corner--unadorned as we just got it last night, but beautiful, deep green, and smelling of childhood Christmases and joy. And I must say, I'm loving the simplicity of the pure evergreen. After all, Jesus' birth was in a simple, unadorned stable.
The warmth and light of the fireplace beside me remind me of the true Light of the World whose birth we prepare to celebrate anew this Advent. I keep coming back to John's remarkable words: "In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it....And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen His glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father full of grace and truth." (John 1:4-5,14)
The Word became flesh, and as one translation puts it, "moved into our neighborhood." Don't you love that? The Almighty, eternal, glorious Lord became flesh and blood and moved right into our neighborhood--yours and mine.
And He is the Light. He is our Light...His Light obliterates the darkness. The darkness of our fears, our addictions, our sorrows, our failures. When light comes, darkness flees. If even one tiny, weak candle can dispel the dark around you, can you imagine what the omnipotent Light of the World can do?
And here's the thing--He is with me right this moment. As I sit here typing, the Light of the World sits beside me, shining and spilling out His grace, His love, His powerful yet peaceful presence all over me. As you are reading these words, He is right there with you. The Light of the World, the Savior, the Mighty God, the Wonderful Counselor, Emmanuel is with you, right this moment. How incredible is that? How dare we take we take that lightly!
Oh Lord Jesus, forgive us for all too often forgetting who is with us. Who is in us. Who is for us. Who fights for us. Who empowers us. Who forgives us. Who loves us. And Whose coming we now prepare to celebrate in this season of Advent.
Don't know what you might have going on right now--what losses you grieve, what challenges you face, what happinesses you celebrate, what chores you dread, what worries you carry--but can I remind you Who is with you right now? His Light will overcome all darkness. His love will conquer all fear. His grace will overwhelm all weakness. His joy will overpower all sorrow.
He has come. He is here. He is able. And He is with you.
Thank You, thank You, thank You, Lord Jesus. Fill us afresh this day. Fill us to overflowing that we might spill over into a lost and lonely world, shining Your Light into the darkness.
To God--who came, who moved into our neighborhood and who promises to never, ever leave us--be all the glory.
The warmth and light of the fireplace beside me remind me of the true Light of the World whose birth we prepare to celebrate anew this Advent. I keep coming back to John's remarkable words: "In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it....And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen His glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father full of grace and truth." (John 1:4-5,14)
The Word became flesh, and as one translation puts it, "moved into our neighborhood." Don't you love that? The Almighty, eternal, glorious Lord became flesh and blood and moved right into our neighborhood--yours and mine.
And He is the Light. He is our Light...His Light obliterates the darkness. The darkness of our fears, our addictions, our sorrows, our failures. When light comes, darkness flees. If even one tiny, weak candle can dispel the dark around you, can you imagine what the omnipotent Light of the World can do?
And here's the thing--He is with me right this moment. As I sit here typing, the Light of the World sits beside me, shining and spilling out His grace, His love, His powerful yet peaceful presence all over me. As you are reading these words, He is right there with you. The Light of the World, the Savior, the Mighty God, the Wonderful Counselor, Emmanuel is with you, right this moment. How incredible is that? How dare we take we take that lightly!
Oh Lord Jesus, forgive us for all too often forgetting who is with us. Who is in us. Who is for us. Who fights for us. Who empowers us. Who forgives us. Who loves us. And Whose coming we now prepare to celebrate in this season of Advent.
Don't know what you might have going on right now--what losses you grieve, what challenges you face, what happinesses you celebrate, what chores you dread, what worries you carry--but can I remind you Who is with you right now? His Light will overcome all darkness. His love will conquer all fear. His grace will overwhelm all weakness. His joy will overpower all sorrow.
He has come. He is here. He is able. And He is with you.
Thank You, thank You, thank You, Lord Jesus. Fill us afresh this day. Fill us to overflowing that we might spill over into a lost and lonely world, shining Your Light into the darkness.
To God--who came, who moved into our neighborhood and who promises to never, ever leave us--be all the glory.
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