and we’ve all heard all the things that love is! But love is a determination of will; it isn’t a tingling feeling that just overcomes you and leaves you breathless and titillated. It is a lifestyle – one that will stand the test of time when the feelings are no where to be found. One that will overcome hurt and still not be selfish.
That’s God’s kind of love. He doesn’t think evil of us when we fail and He doesn’t keep count of the things we’ve done wrong but He looks to see what we’re doing right and always, always thinks the best of us.
One day, I heard the Lord speak so loudly in my heart that I thought others could probably hear it too. I was correcting one of the kids and in my frustration found myself bringing up a past infraction; one that they had already been disciplined for. As I did, I felt the Lord say – “I don’t bring up your past. I forget all your sins and shortcomings and I only think the best of you. Don’t bring that up again because they are my kids too.” With that I kindly answered “Yes Sir.” and then I had to apologize to my child. I went on to correct what they had done wrong without making them relive their past.
“This love of which I speak is slow to lose patience—it looks for a way of being constructive. It is not possessive: it is neither anxious to impress nor does it cherish inflated ideas of its own importance. 5-6 Love has good manners and does not pursue selfish advantage. It is not touchy. It does not keep account of evil or gloat over the wickedness of other people. On the contrary, it is glad with all good men when truth prevails. 7-8a Love knows no limit to its endurance, no end to its trust, no fading of its hope; it can outlast anything. It is, in fact, the one thing that still stands when all else has fallen.” I Corinthians 13:4-8
Thank you Father for Your Amazing love. Thank you for forgetting our past.
I don’t consider myself old however, I am more aged than some. I would rather say that I have experienced life, it’s joys and it’s sorrows. The thing I appreciate most about where I am on the numeric scale of years is my memory; the ability to recall situations, circumstances and events.
My earliest recollections are from a house we lived in on Avenue C in Yuma. It had a large date palm tree in the front yard. We had a small seven inch TV with foil on the rabbit ears to improve the reception. I remember the house always being filled with friends. Somewhere in there I became aware of nuclear threat. Must have been something on the news that invaded the conversation of the adults.
Anyway, I remember going outside and looking up at the sky and saying something like this “Dear Jesus, if the bomb comes I will come to heaven with you. Ok?”
I had such a sense of peace and security because I knew God was big enough to take care of things. All the Bible stories I had heard in Sunday School taught me that God loved me and He would take care of me. I know I didn’t understand the magnitude of God’s faithfulness but it was real to me all the same.
I don’t know why that memory came back to me this morning. I was thinking about God’s faithfulness; remembering times when He provided and protected in the past. I was praying for friends and family who need to see that God is faithfully involved in working out their tough situations.
I was also reading in Exodus where the Israelites were enslaved by the Egyptians and they cried out to God for deliverance. And then the words of the old hymn, Great Is Thy Faithfulness, began to flood my heart and my mind.
“When your people worshiped, you know I told them, “Our Lord always helps!” 10 When all your people met, I did not keep silent. I said, “Our Lord is kind. He is faithful and caring, and he saves us.” 11 You, Lord, never fail to have pity on me; your love and faithfulness always keep me secure.” Psalm 40:9-11 CEV
Your love and faithfulness always keep me secure!
I have no idea what you or I will face today but I do know that God’s faithfulness will keep us secure!
“It is because of the Lord’s loving-kindness that we are not destroyed for His loving-pity never ends. 23 It is new every morning. He is so very faithful. 24 “The Lord is my share.” says my soul, “so I have hope in Him.” Lamentations 3:22-24 NLV
New every morning – we can’t exhaust the faithfulness of God. His loving-kindness never ends. He is always faithful.
“I will sing forever about the Lord’s love. I will sing about his faithfulness forever and ever! 2 I will say, “Your faithful love will last forever. Your loyalty is like the sky—there is no end to it!” Psalm 89:1-2 ERV
So, join with me in singing this morning; on your way to the breakfast table, in the shower, on your way to work. Let’s sing because our God is always faithful!
“Great Is Thy Faithfulness”
Great is Thy faithfulness, O God my Father There is no shadow of turning with Thee Thou changest not, Thy compassions, they fail not As Thou hast been, Thou forever will be
Summer and winter and springtime and harvest Sun, moon and stars in their courses above Join with all nature in manifold witness To Thy great faithfulness, mercy and love
Great is Thy faithfulness Great is Thy faithfulness Morning by morning new mercies I see All I have needed Thy hand hath provided Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me
Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth Thine own dear presence to cheer and to guide Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow Blessings all mine, with ten thousand beside
It’s nice to let people know you are thinking of them. Just a note that says “thinking of you” will brighten anyone’s day. Today, I was asked to send this note along to you.
“For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. 12 Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you.” Jeremiah 29:11-12 NKJV
God, our Father, is thinking about you. He is planning good things to fill your day.
“O Lord my God, many are the great works You have done, and Your thoughts toward us. No one can compare with You! If I were to speak and tell of them, there would be too many to number.” Psalm 40:5 NLV
I woke up this morning singing a song that we sang Sunday in the worship service. (I wasn’t able to attend a regular service but did participate in worship through a service that was streamed live.)
Chorus: Hallelujah, praise the One who set me free Hallelujah, death has lost its grip on me You have broken every chain There’s salvation in Your name Jesus Christ, my living hope Hallelujah, praise the One who set me free Hallelujah, death has lost its grip on me You have broken every chain There’s salvation in Your name Jesus Christ, my living hope…
As those words kept going over and over in my mind I got more and more excited. God, Almighty God, has provided a way for me to be freed from sins penalty. Everything that had enslaved me in the past or would try to capture me in the future has had it’s power broken because of Jesus, my living hope!
Those promises aren’t for me because I’m special. No, they are for all of us. Everything that God provided and Jesus has accomplished is for anyone who will receive His provision. He’s been thinking about us for all eternity and He has made great plans for us.
“God has said that all men have broken His Law. But He will show loving-kindness on all of them. 33 God’s riches are so great! The things He knows and His wisdom are so deep! No one can understand His thoughts. No one can understand His ways.” Romans 11:32-33 NLV
When I get up each morning and open my Bible I read it like a letter. I read about the things that are important to God; things that He wants me to know. Things He has done and things He’s going to do. The Bible is my “thinking of you” letter each day. It says “I want to share My life with you, I want you to know that I love you and want to be a part of what you’re doing today. My thoughts are filled with ways to bless you in ways that you really don’t understand”.
I have a friend that I share emails with each morning. She tells me all about her day; where she went, who she saw, the trivial and the monumental. I love reading those emails because I love her. It makes me feel apart of her day although we live hundreds of miles apart. If we can have this kind of relationship on the human level think of how much greater it is with God.
“The Lord answered, “Could a mother forget a child who nurses at her breast? Could she fail to love an infant who came from her own body? Even if a mother could forget, I will never forget you. 16 A picture of your city is drawn on my hand. You are always in my thoughts!” Isaiah 49:15-16 CEV
I hope this gives you as much comfort as it gives me knowing that God is thinking about us today. His thoughts toward us are innumerable. We are always on His mind!
I got to thinking after I did yesterday’s post on pruning that some may think that God is mad at them. He’s not!
We all have things that need to be pruned away, removed from our lives, so that we can grow strong and healthy. But God never does any of that with an attitude of anger, He is always led by His compassion.
That was a wonderful part of the angels message “Peace on earth, goodwill toward men.” The sacrifice of Jesus ended the war between God and man. God judged our sin by placing it on Jesus and He paid the price. He was convicted, found guilty and punished with death for crimes (Sin) He didn’t do. Paid in Full.
“But I tell you that I am going to do what is best for you. That is why I am going away. The Holy Spirit cannot come to help [a you until I leave. But after I am gone, I will send the Spirit to you.
8 The Spirit will come and show the people of this world the truth about sin and God’s justice and the judgment. 9 The Spirit will show them that they are wrong about sin, because they didn’t have faith in me. 10 They are wrong about God’s justice, because I am going to the Father, and you won’t see me again. 11 And they are wrong about the judgment, because God has already judged the ruler of this world.” John 16:7-11 CEV
The Holy Spirit will reprove or correct men in their sin, but the sin is not believing that Jesus was and is God’s Son and He is the sacrifice for our sins. He will reprove of righteousness, showing us that through Christ we have been made righteous and that judgment belongs to satan and those that follow him.
The Apostle Paul put it this way in II Corinthians 5. “For if a man is in Christ he becomes a new person altogether—the past is finished and gone, everything has become fresh and new. All this is God’s doing, for he has reconciled us to himself through Jesus Christ; and he has made us agents of the reconciliation. God was in Christ personally reconciling the world to himself—not counting their sins against them—and has commissioned us with the message of reconciliation. We are now Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were appealing direct to you through us. As his personal representatives we say, “Make your peace with God.” For God caused Christ, who himself knew nothing of sin, actually to be sin for our sakes, so that in Christ we might be made good with the goodness of God.” II Corinthians 5:17-21
It is our
job, as ambassadors, to tell people that God has made a way of “peace”
for them through Christ. Reconciling us to Himself, God has made a way
for us to become righteous, complete new creatures.
Today I want to do my job as an ambassador of Christ and bring this good news to you. Now I ask you to share it too.
7 “For a short time I turned away from you, but with all my love I will welcome you again. 8 I was so angry that for a while I did not want to see you. But now I want to comfort you with kindness forever.” The LORD your Savior said this. 9 “Remember, in Noah’s time I punished the world with the flood. But I made a promise to Noah that I would never again destroy the world with water. In the same way, I promise that I will never again be angry with you and say bad things to you.” Isaiah 54:7-9
God isn’t mad at us – He is reaching out to us with arms of love!
This morning I’m sitting alone and enjoying the thoughts of Christmases past. Remembering times when the kids and grandkids were little. It’s a blessing of life to remember.
Very soon the tree and all the decorations will come down but the memories will remain. In the last few days we have visited with the kids and grandkids on the phone, learned of presents that were opened, traded texts and emails with those we love and then saw on social media the pictures that so many have shared.
With a heart filled with love, I began to think of Mary. Everyone of you mothers can remember what it was like to wake up the day after one of your children were born. Going over and over in your heart the emotions of the day, those that came to visit and once again holding that tiny child in your arms – counting every finger and toe.
What do you imagine must have been going through Mary’s heart that morning after Christ’s birth? She’s in a stable, with a man who has shown her unconditional love and she has a child in her arms who is God’s gift to mankind. How blessed – how in awe!
“And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger. 17And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child. 18And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds. 19But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart.” Luke 2:16-19
All through the night hours my thoughts have been filled with what Christ has done for me! I was unworthy of God’s love. I have done nothing to deserve His mercy and His grace. That’s what makes it so amazing!
Mary must have had these same thoughts. What did I do to deserve God’s favor; why was I chosen to birth the Messiah? It was all by God’s grace – giving to us the goodness of His love that we can’t earn and don’t deserve.
“But God is rich in mercy, and he loved us very much. 5 We
were spiritually dead because of all we had done against him. But he
gave us new life together with Christ. (You have been saved by God’s
grace.) 6 Yes,
it is because we are a part of Christ Jesus that God raised us from
death and seated us together with him in the heavenly places. 7 God
did this so that his kindness to us who belong to Christ Jesus would
clearly show for all time to come the amazing richness of his grace.
8 I mean that you have been saved by grace because you believed. You did not save yourselves; it was a gift from God. 9 You are not saved by the things you have done, so there is nothing to boast about. 10 God has made us what we are. In Christ Jesus, God made us new people so that we would spend our lives doing the good things he had already planned for us to do.” Ephesians 2:4-10 ERV
We are the recipients of a wonderful gift; the gift of God’s grace. That gift came to us in the form of a baby, Jesus Christ. God did this to show His kindness to all who are in the world. This gift is available to all.
My life, the blessings and all the good that is in it, is because of God’s love for me. It’s almost beyond words. I am overwhelmed by His goodness.
“When you became a Christian, you were set free from the sinful things of the world. This was not done by human hands. You were set free from the sins of your old self by what was done in Christ’s body. 12 When you were baptized, you were buried as Christ was buried. When you were raised up in baptism, you were raised as Christ was raised. You were raised to a new life by putting your trust in God. It was God Who raised Jesus from the dead. 13 When you were dead in your sins, you were not set free from the sinful things of the world. But God forgave your sins and gave you new life through Christ. 14 We had broken the Law many ways. Those sins were held against us by the Law. That Law had writings which said we were sinners. But now He has destroyed that writing by nailing it to the cross.” Colossians 2:11-14 NLV
These are the things that I dwell on each day. God’s goodness and love!
What will you “ponder” in your heart today? Is Christmas over and now it’s on with the daily routine or will you take time today to be thankful that Christmas has life-changing, glorious meaning for every day of the year?
Merry Christmas to all of you! I pray your day is filled with peace, joy and love.
As you celebrate the birth of Jesus, I hope you experience the same anticipation, excitement and wonder that the shepherds did over 2000 years ago. May you find joy as you celebrate with family and friends but take time for solitude and let the Lord speak directly to your heart.
I have no carol to share this morning. Instead I’m sharing with you a poem that I wrote over 30 years ago.
A Christmas Gift by Kristi Wilson
Christmas has a glory no other day can claim For it was on that special day, the blessed Savior came. The promise of His coming had been known for many years And now that day was really here, the answer to men’s prayers.
Now it seems so long ago, that angels spoke to men Proclaiming the good news of His birth to free them from their sins. Some have forgotten the very meaning of His humble birth And what those words really meant, “Peace to men on earth.”
It’s not the Santa in the store or snow upon the ground It’s not in pretty presents or carols sung world ’round. The true meaning that’s in Christmas is simple and unchanged; It’s the answer found in Jesus and the power of His name.
All the brightly wrapped presents, the world’s problem cannot hide The only thing that can heal man’s hurts is Jesus Christ inside. If He’d only come again, I’ve heard the people say That would solve the problems that we face each day.
But you see He’s never left, not since the day He came For He lives within my heart and for you He’ll do the same. God gave us such a special gift on Christmas long ago, He gave His Son, Jesus Christ, to let the whole world know
His great love so rich and free was brought to earth that day To save mankind from their sins and to answer when they pray. This gift was given to all the world, no one was left out To receive it, just believe it and do not ever doubt.
The Son of God died for your sins to bring you life brand new The greatest gift of all times has been given unto you. There’s no tree or tinsel or the chime of silver bells That can put the heart of man at peace or save his soul from hell.
Only Jesus Chist can answer the longing of each heart And give to man eternal life and a brand new start. There’s nothing wrong with Christmas, its tinsel, toys and trees; The carols have new meaning when from sin you have been freed.
I share with you a cherished gift of my Father’s love Jesus Christ, our Savior, sent from heaven above. Merry Christmas one and all, you’re loved that is true Rejoice, rejoice, it’s Christmas time and I offer this prayer for you.
“A child has been born for us. We have been given a son who will be our ruler. His names will be Wonderful Advisor and Mighty God, Eternal Father and Prince of Peace.” Isaiah 9:6 CEV
Merry Christmas! May God’s gift fill your hearts all year through.
Last night our home was filled with dear friends…some we’ve only known a few years and others for more than half our lifetime. How precious they each are to us!
.
I just wanted to take a quiet moment to tell you how much I love and appreciate you. Although, you weren’t in our home I am touched by your love. God has blessed me with wonderful friends. Some of you I know personally and have been able to hug, to touch, to share a cup of coffee with or a meal and we have shared times of laughter and tears.
Others of you I only know through social media and your comments here on the blog. I’ve seen pictures of your families, shared your joys and your prayer requests. True friends just the same. I really don’t think there is time or distance when the Lord joins hearts.
Whatever your plans are for these upcoming days of Christmas I want you to know that I feel truly blessed to call you friends.
“I pray that God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ will be kind to you and will bless you with peace! 3 Every time I think of you, I thank my God. 4 And whenever I mention you in my prayers, it makes me happy.” Philippians 1:2-4 CEV
But I also want you to know that our heavenly Father, the author of our friendship, has such a great love for you. He designed our meeting and crafted the bond that we have for one another.
His purpose – To show us His amazing love. Each time we reach out to love someone new, to develop a new relationship, His love is put into action. We can never truly love on our own. That deep and lasting commitment we experience for others comes from His heart. Friendship is a tangible example of His amazing love.
We are always in His heart and on His mind. His love is overwhelming, His peace reassuring and His comfort beyond comparing!
I can hear Him saying: “I love you with an everlasting love” Jeremiah 31:3 “My peace I give to you; peace, be still.” John 14:27 “I will send the Comforter that will abide with you forever” John 14:16 “Let my joy be your strength” Nehemiah 8:10 ” I know the thoughts I have for you; thoughts of peace”. Jeremiah 29:11-13
Yes, my world is quiet and my Father is speaking to me and He’s speaking to you as well. Enjoy your time with Him this morning and all through the day.
The song I want to share with you this morning isn’t a traditional Christmas Carol. However, if Jesus never brought heaven to earth as He did that day we wouldn’t be able to experience the blessed relationship we have with him.
O what a wonderful, wonderful day, day I will never forget; After I’d wandered in darkness away, Jesus my Savior I met. O what a tender, compassionate friend, He met the need of my heart; Shadows dispelling, with joy I am telling, He made all the darkness depart.
Chorus: Heaven came down and glory filled my soul, (filled my soul)
When at the cross the Savior made me whole; (made me whole)
My sins were washed away and my night was turned to day,
Heaven came down and glory filled my soul! (filled my soul)
Born of the Spirit with life from above into God’s family divine, Justified fully thru Calvary’s love, O what a standing is mine! And the transaction so quickly was made, when as a sinner I came, Took of the offer, of grace He did proffer, He saved me, O praise His dear name!
Chorus:
Now I’ve a hope that will surely endure after the passing of time; I have a future in heaven for sure there in those mansions sublime. And it’s because of that wonderful day, when at the cross I believed; Riches eternal and blessings supernal, from His precious hand I received.
Chorus: Heaven came down and glory filled my soul, (filled my soul) When at the cross the Savior made me whole; (made me whole) My sins were washed away and my night was turned to day, Heaven came down and glory filled my soul! (filled my soul)
Thank you Father for allowing all of us to experience heaven on earth through the gift of your Son!
I have had a number of occasions to overhear compliments on my children when people didn’t know who I was or even realize that I was standing close enough to hear. Those have been special times! It’s one thing when people come up to tell you something good about your kids and to thank you for “raising them right” but it’s entirely different when you overhear something complimentary in a conversation that you aren’t involved in.
Now put yourself in God, the Father’s, place. He knew the angels would come heralding the birth of His Son. He made sure it was announced properly. A light show filled the entire sky and the angelic chorus never sounded better as they sang His praises. Then those shepherds went to find His Son – they stood before the manger and oo-ed and awed when they saw Him for the first time.
“Everyone was surprised when they heard what the shepherds told them. 19
Mary continued to think about these things, trying to understand them.”
Luke 2:18-19 CEV
Then there were those wise men that traveled so far to find the child. All along the way, I’m sure folks asked where they were going and heard the story of how they had seen the star and now they had to find the child.
“Jesus was born in the town of Bethlehem in Judea during the time when Herod was king. After Jesus was born, some wise men from the east came to Jerusalem. 2 They asked people, “Where is the child who has been born to be the king of the Jews? We saw the star that shows he was born. We saw it rise in the sky in the east and have come to worship him.” Matthew 2:1-3 CEV
There’s one more testimony of Jesus I want us to look at this morning.
“41 Every year Jesus’ parents went to Jerusalem for the Passover festival. 42 When Jesus was twelve years old, they went to the festival as usual. 43 When the festival was over, they went home, but Jesus stayed in Jerusalem. His parents did not know about it…46 After three days they found him. Jesus was sitting in the Temple area with the religious teachers, listening and asking them questions. 47 Everyone who heard him was amazed at his understanding and wise answers. 48 When his parents saw him, they wondered how this was possible. And his mother said, “Son, why did you do this to us? Your father and I were very worried about you. We have been looking for you…”51 Jesus went with them to Nazareth and obeyed them. His mother was still thinking about all these things. 52 As Jesus grew taller, he continued to grow in wisdom. God was pleased with him and so were the people who knew him.” Luke 2:41-52 CEV
Can you imagine the religious leaders talking among
themselves? Who is this young boy, he has such amazing knowledge of God?
He talks like someone who knows God personally – how can this be?
The Father was pleased with His Son, Jesus! Jesus said that the whole reason He came was to please the Father! We can only assume how great the love between the Father and the Son is. But now think about this, the Father loves us with that same great love. “For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son…”
We didn’t hear it but for all eternity, Jesus and the Father had been talking about us in heaven. Talking about how much they loved and how much it hurt that they didn’t have the relationship with us they desired to have. They wanted us to be close in spirit – they wanted us to come home on holidays, to talk with us daily, to share their thoughts and their love with us the way they did with Adam in the garden.
So they came up with a plan… “ But Christ died for us while we were still sinners, and by this God showed how much he loves us. 9 We have been made right with God by the blood sacrifice of Christ. So through Christ we will surely be saved from God’s anger. 10 I mean that while we were God’s enemies, he made friends with us through his Son’s death. And the fact that we are now God’s friends makes it even more certain that he will save us through his Son’s life. 11 And not only will we be saved, but we also rejoice right now in what God has done for us through our Lord Jesus Christ. It is because of Jesus that we are now God’s friends.” Romans 5:8-11 CEV
We’re not just friends but we have been adopted by the Father and called His sons and joint heirs with Jesus!
Now let me ask a question. Have you ever bragged about a gift you’ve received? Maybe it came from your spouse, your kids, your grandkids or a dear friend. It’s a gift that is so special and you feel so loved that you just have to brag about it, even when you don’t think the one who gave it to you is listening!
Well, I hope that’s how you feel about this wonderful gift, the gift of the Son. We need to brag on what God the Father has given us! One of the most performed songs at Christmas praises God for His wonderful gift.
O holy night! The stars are brightly shining
It is the night of our dear Savior’s birth
Long lay the world in sin and error pining
‘Til He appears and the Spirit felt its worth
A thrill of hope the weary world rejoices
For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn
Fall on your knees; O hear the angel voices!
O night divine, O night when Christ was born
O night, O holy night, O night divine!
[Verse 2]
Led by the light of Faith serenely beaming
With glowing hearts by His cradle we stand
So led by light of a star sweetly gleaming
Here come the Wise Men from Orient land
The King of kings lay thus in lowly manger
In all our trials born to be our friend
He knows our need, to our weakness is no stranger
Behold your King; before Him lowly bend
Behold your King; before Him lowly bend
[Verse 3]
Truly He taught us to love one another;
His law is love and His gospel is peace
Chains shall He break, for the slave is our brother
And in His name all oppression shall cease
Sweet hymns of joy in grateful chorus raise we
Let all within us praise His holy name
Christ is the Lord; O praise His name forever!
His power and glory evermore proclaim
His power and glory evermore proclaim
We are in Yuma visiting with my Mom for a few days. Yesterday I asked her what Christmas traditions they had when she was a child. She’s 95 and so I wanted to know what Christmas was like in 1920- 1930’s on a farm in rural Iowa.
Mom doesn’t really remember a Christmas tree although she is sure that some years they had one. Gifts were useful items, mostly clothes, that her mother had made. She told me that they didn’t need toys; they made their own entertainment. There was always a tree to climb, a game of tag to play and even though she was scared of horses, she remembers that one year there was a new pony.
What is most prominent in her memory are the three days of Christmas.
Christmas Eve they would go to my grandmother’s parents home. The grandparents would have a small gift for the grandchildren but it was more about being together, celebrating the birth of Christ and sharing the day’s meals with those you love (aunts, uncles, cousins).
Christmas Day was spent at home with just the immediate family. My Mom’s grandparents would come occasionally if they didn’t have out-of-town guests. My grandmother fixed a Christmas dinner and my grandfather always prayed thanking God for the wonderful gift of His Son and the other blessings that they received throughout the year.
The third day of Christmas was December 26. They would go from their small town of Hardy to Eagle Grove, a distance of 17 miles, to spend the day with my grandfather’s father, the uncles and their families.
Mom said the thing she remember most about that day was the smell. She said you could smell the dinner as soon as you got out of the car.
Lutefisk.
A traditional Scandinavian meal. She admits that she never liked it. It didn’t have a fragrant aroma, quite the opposite, and the taste was questionable but it’s what Norwegian families ate. Lutefisk is dried white fish that has been soaked for days in a solution of water and lye, then rubbed with salt and steamed before eating. The other part of the meal was boiled sticky rice. She liked that. A big plate was covered with white rice leaving a crevice in the center which was filled with butter and sprinkled with cinnamon and sugar.
But the best part of the day was spending it with family. She loved her grandfather, a man who had been widowed since her father was young. A very loving, distinguished looking man. They got to play with their cousins who they didn’t see often enough throughout the year.
The three days of Christmas. Having family and friends close. Gifts weren’t important, love was! Christ was the focus of their celebration.
According to my Mom, Dave and I have been celebrating our own days of Christmas. Early in the month we spent time with Kim and Austin in their home; last week we were with Koy and Kym at their home in California; this past weekend we had Kaci, Stephen and little grandkids at our home. Now we are here with Mom, my sister and her family.
The days of Christmas – filled with love, family, good food, a few gifts and the celebration of Christ’s birth.
I know I used this verse yesterday but the depth of this one Scripture overwhelms me.
“For to us a Child will be born. To us a Son will be given. And the rule of the nations will be on His shoulders. His name will be called Wonderful, Teacher, Powerful God, Father Who Lives Forever, Prince of Peace. 7 There will be no end to His rule and His peace, upon the throne of David and over his nation. He will build it to last and keep it strong with what is right and fair and good from that time and forever. The work of the Lord of All will do this.” Isaiah 9:6-7 NLV
Everything we need, Jesus is! All things wonderful, all instruction and knowledge, all power, an all loving, protective, providing Father and constant peace are wrapped in one gift! There is no end to His rule. We have been given the gift of God’s dear Son! There is nothing greater.
It came upon a midnight clear, That glorious song of old, From angels bending near the earth, To touch their harps of gold: “Peace on the earth, goodwill to men, From heaven’s all-gracious King.” The world in solemn stillness lay, To hear the angels sing.
Still through the cloven skies they come, With peaceful wings unfurled, And still their heavenly music floats O’er all the weary world; Above its sad and lowly plains, They bend on hovering wing, And ever o’er its Babel sounds The blessèd angels sing.
Yet with the woes of sin and strife The world has suffered long; Beneath the angel-strain have rolled Two thousand years of wrong; And man, at war with man, hears not The love-song which they bring; O hush the noise, ye men of strife, And hear the angels sing.
And ye, beneath life’s crushing load, Whose forms are bending low, Who toil along the climbing way With painful steps and slow, Look now! for glad and golden hours come swiftly on the wing. O rest beside the weary road, And hear the angels sing!
Enjoy your days of Christmas, they may be many or few. Keep your heart focused on the angels song of peace and rest in the gift of God’s love.
I got up earlier than normal this morning. I checked on the grandkids; gave hugs and kisses, said another round of prayers and restarted the “white noise” station on Pandora.
Everyone was cuddled in and I came to the living room to read and have my prayer time. The house was, and still is, silent. I love this time when the world, my home, is blanketed with stillness…
I had thoughts of laying down on the couch and going back to sleep. It was so peaceful but all I could think of was God – how great is His love, how vast is His goodness, how personal are His thoughts toward me. (deep sigh) So, I leaned back and snuggled into His presence. I felt dwarfed by the quiet but was completely comfortable in my awareness of the Father’s companionship.
Quiet.
That’s what I experience in His presence – quiet. I began to search the Scriptures for verses on “quiet”. What I found was quiet is equated with lack of conflict, turmoil or war.
“But you have a son who is a man of peace. I will give your son a time of peace. His enemies around him will not bother him. His name is Solomon. And I will give Israel peace and quiet during the time that he is king. 10 Solomon will build a temple for my name. He will be my son, and I will be his Father. I will make his kingdom strong, and someone from his family will rule Israel forever!’” I Chronicles 22:9-10 ERV
“But he who listens to me will live free from danger, and he will rest easy from the fear of what is sinful.” Proverbs 1:33 NLV or
“But whoso hearkeneth unto me shall dwell safely, and shall be quiet from fear of evil.” Proverbs 1:33 NKJV
“The work of being right and good will give peace. From the right and good work will come quiet trust forever. 18 Then my people will live in a place of peace, in safe homes, and in quiet resting places. ” Isaiah 32:17-18 NLV
And one more…
“Do your best to live a quiet life. Learn to do your own work well. We told you about this before. 12 By doing this, you will be respected by those who are not Christians. Then you will not be in need and others will not have to help you.” I Thessalonians 4:11-12 NLV
Praise God for the quiet. In the quietness there is rest for the soul…
And then there was the abrupt intrusion into this time of silence, the coffee pot beeped to let me know that it was going to automatically shut off. I had to chuckle.
There could only be one carol that I would share with you while I’m enjoying this silence. It’s one everyone knows but I hope you will take the time to read all the words.
Silent night, holy night! All is calm, all is bright Round yon Virgin, Mother and Child Holy Infant so tender and mild Sleep in heavenly peace Sleep in heavenly peace
[Verse 2] Silent night, holy night! Shepherds quake at the sight Glories stream from heaven afar Heavenly hosts sing Alleluia! Christ the Savior is born Christ the Savior is born
[Verse 3] Silent night, holy night! Son of God, love’s pure light Radiant beams from Thy holy face With the dawn of redeeming grace Jesus Lord, at Thy birth Jesus Lord, at Thy birth
The Father speaks to us in the quiet. If we listen, we can hear His words of love and grace and His word will free us from turmoil and unrest.
