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No Christmas?

This year there are no Christmas decorations in our home. In fact, there is very little of anything in our home right now!

You see, tomorrow we move on to a new adventure! The house and most of the furnishings have been sold. The keepsakes have taken up residence in the homes of our children and grandchildren. What we have are many, many years of wonderful memories.

The Lord really put it on our hearts this summer to sell the house and move into a RV fulltime. Tomorrow is the day we start that adventure. Dave and I are excited – following the Lord does that – it brings you a sense of excitement and anticipation!

As I sit here looking around at where the Christmas tree has always been, where my Nativity sets have topped the furniture and the counter tops, my heart is flooded with the sights and sounds of Christmases past. The laughter, the music, the presence of family and friends.

I envision my Christmas tree. It is probably like yours; decorated with ornaments that have been collected over the years. Angel ornaments are my favorite. Each year as I hang different “angels” on the tree I remember fondly the friends that have given them to me. And as they are hung in a special place I pray for that dear friend or family member.

I was thinking this morning, if each ornament were a picture my tree would be filled with images of the ones I hold dear all year long. You know the Father has done that, He has filled His home with our pictures. He’s actually got them in the palm of His hand.

“But the Lord says, ‘Can a woman forget her baby? Can she forget the child who came from her body? Even if she can forget her children, I cannot forget you. 16 I drew a picture of you on my hand. You are always before my eyes…” Isaiah 49:15-16 ERV

He not only holds us in His heart but He also holds us in the palm of His hand!

Take time to cherish the memories and the love that we share, especially at Christmas, and if you feel prompted, buy an ornament to give to someone you hold dear. It will be a memory in the making.

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Road Trip

Each year about this time I begin contemplating what it must have been like for Mary to make the trip from Nazareth, her home, to Bethlehem.

This morning I searched Google maps to remind myself once again just how long of a trip it is. On the road, it’s only 95 miles; a little over two hours in a car but Mary didn’t have the luxury of automobile transportation. She walked part of the way and road on the donkey part of the trip. Google told me that walking the trip would take 26 hours.

26 hours of walking for a normal person but how long did it take for a woman in her last weeks of pregnancy. Even if she rode the donkey the entire way, they still couldn’t go any faster than Joseph could walk. I figure they really couldn’t have gone more than 5 hours a day so the trip would have probably taken 5-6 days. Think about that!

A few weeks back Dave and I were out on some dirt roads in our side-by-side when it just quit. We tried everything we could think of but still couldn’t get it started. There was only one thing to do – walk. It was a beautiful afternoon; we had on good shoes and also had a well-used dirt road to travel on (although it was rutted and rough). It took this healthy older couple over an hour to walk the 5 miles back to the main road. I can only imagine what it must have been like to be pregnant and doing the same trip.

Mary wasn’t traveling with a medical team or even a mid-wife. She, with Joseph her fiancé were on this trip together. I’m sure there were others on the same road, headed to the same destination since they had to report for the census but theirs was a different journey. And when they arrived, they couldn’t find a place to stay…

“So Joseph left Nazareth, a town in Galilee, and went to the town of Bethlehem in Judea. It was known as the town of David. Joseph went there because he was from the family of David. 5 Joseph registered with Mary because she was engaged to marry him. (She was now pregnant.) 6 While Joseph and Mary were in Bethlehem, the time came for her to have the baby. 7 She gave birth to her first son. She wrapped him up well and laid him in a box where cattle are fed. She put him there because the guest room was full.” Luke 2:4-7 ERV

Sometimes the road we are on seems rocky and rough. Conditions are not what we would like them to be – less than favorable. But when God designs the path, we can go forward knowing that He is with us and His plans for us are always good.

“ ‘I say this because I know the plans that I have for you.’ This message is from the Lord. ‘I have good plans for you. I don’t plan to hurt you. I plan to give you hope and a good future. 12 Then you will call my name. You will come to me and pray to me, and I will listen to you. 13 You will search for me, and when you search for me with all your heart, you will find me.'” Jeremiah 29:11-13 ERV

When God takes you on a road trip, go, knowing that His plans are good!

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A Time for Change

Christmas time has always brought change – it certainly did for Mary, Joseph and the shepherds. The change of a star in the heavens brought the wisemen half way across the known world.

It brought change for Anna and Simeon, two elderly people, who had been serving in the Temple and were able to see their long-awaited Messiah. Change came to Elizabeth, Mary’s cousin, who was the mother of John the baptizer. She knew her son would preach the good news that the Messiah had come.

“Joseph registered with Mary because she was engaged to marry him. (She was now pregnant.) 6 While Joseph and Mary were in Bethlehem, the time came for her to have the baby. 7 She gave birth to her first son. She wrapped him up well and laid him in a box where cattle are fed. She put him there because the guest room was full.” Luke 2:5-7 ERV

The time came and there was change.

We are also changed by Christmas. Yes, those of us who recognize Christ as our Savior celebrate His birth and His love. We desire to be more loving, more giving, more kind at Christmas.

We decorate differently. We sing special songs, watch theme movies, bake special cookies. All of these are things that change at Christmas. There’s a Christmas song that I heard many years ago and still enjoy, “One Night A Year”.

“One night a year we believe in peace on earth
One night a year we praise our Saviour’s birth
I wish every night the whole year through could be like Christmas Eve
When love’s pure light is shining everywhere, one night a year”

I like to think that we can live with Christmas in our hearts all year long. Jesus said He came for a very specific reason.

“‘The Spirit of the Lord is on me. He has chosen me to tell good news to the poor. He sent me to tell prisoners that they are free and to tell the blind that they can see again. He sent me to free those who have been treated badly 19 and to announce that the time has come for the Lord to show his kindness.” Luke 4:18-19 ERV

The time has come for us to share the love that Jesus has for us with others. Christmas is a time for change!

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Copy/Paste Christmas Style

This morning I opened a tab and input the words “copy paste Christmas image” and what popped up was a catalog of images that were available to copy and paste of all things Christmas.

But that wasn’t quite what I was looking for. You know the concept was God’s idea.

“26 And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. 27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.” Genesis 1:25-27 KJV

God created us to be like Him – to be His representative, His counterpart on the earth. But when Adam sinned our nature was changed. God had to work to restore what He had intended for man to be. Enter Jesus.

“When anyone is in Christ, it is a whole new world. The old things are gone; suddenly, everything is new! 18 All this is from God. Through Christ, God made peace between himself and us. And God gave us the work of bringing people into peace with him. 19 I mean that God was in Christ, making peace between the world and himself. In Christ, God did not hold people guilty for their sins. And he gave us this message of peace to tell people. 20 So we have been sent to speak for Christ. It is like God is calling to people through us. We speak for Christ when we beg you to be at peace with God. 21 Christ had no sin, but God made him become sin[b] so that in Christ we could be right with God.” II Corinthians 5:17-21 ERV

Jesus restored us to the position that we had before Adam sinned. In Christ we are a NEW CREATION – a new creature – like the one that God created in the Garden of Eden. Jesus restored us to our original likeness.

He copies and pastes the origin blueprint that God used for man into our hearts when we receive the gift of salvation.

“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.)” Ephesians 2:4-5 ERV

In Christ we have been made new.

It’s not something we work to earn but something we receive freely by grace. Just as Adam was God’s idea and he did nothing to deserve or even request his creation so is our salvation and our restoration to a living and loving relationship with the Father God.

“Adam disobeyed God and caused many others to be sinners. But Jesus obeyed him and will make many people acceptable to God.” Romans 5:19 CEV

Copy/paste Christmas style! The gift of new life in Christ, the gift of being restored to the Father’s likeness.

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Light Up the Night

I remember my grandmother had a Christmas table decoration when I was a small child. It had four small candles and when they were lit the heat from the candles would cause the mobile to turn and the angels would strike a bell causing it to ring.

I would be fascinated for what seemed like hours just watching it.

This morning, as that memory came back, it was also accompanied with some words of Scripture.

“But you are his chosen people, the King’s priests. You are a holy nation, people who belong to God. He chose you to tell about the wonderful things he has done. He brought you out of the darkness of sin into his wonderful light. 10 In the past you were not a special people, but now you are God’s people. Once you had not received mercy, but now God has given you his mercy.” I Peter 2:9-10 ERV

The message of Christmas, Christ is born, is a message of hope and light. Through Christ we are brought into a right relationship with God, the Father. Our relationship with Him is one of mercy, grace and love. We no longer have to live in the darkness of our own futile efforts, we are given His light. After all, He is the light of the world.

Have you ever been to a candle light service where all the lights are off and then one person lights a candle and then they light the candle of the person next to them and so it goes until everyone in the church has a lighted candle and the room is fully illuminated? It’s a memorable experience to say the least.

That’s how we are to be in our world, our sphere of influence – we are to bring in the light, the light of God’s love.

“The sun will no longer be your light during the day. The light from the moon will no longer be your light at night. The Lord will be your light forever. Your God will be your glory.” Isaiah 60:19 ERV

The Lord is our light that shines forever!

When there’s no light we stumble in the darkness. I have stubbed my toe numerous times getting out of bed in a strange place with no light to guide me. The same holds true in our spiritual lives. That’s why God tells us that His word will be a light for our path.

“Your word is like a lamp that guides my steps, a light that shows the path I should take.” Psalm 119:105 ERV

God has chosen to let His light shine through us. He chose us to share His love and goodness with the world. Let’s go out and light up the night!

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The Last Two Minutes

We ended our day watching a Hallmark Movie and as we were heading to bed last night I said, “The kiss always comes in the last two minutes”. Dave laughed and said it sounded like a good title for a blog.

Happy endings, the perfect way to end each day and they are a part of God’s plan.

“Love never gives up on people. It never stops trusting, never loses hope, and never quits. 8 Love will never end.” I Corinthians 13:7-8 ERV

God has promised us that His love will never end!

Life isn’t a Hallmark Movie, it’s so much more than that. The challenges that we face, the victories we celebrate, the mundane, the heartaches, the overwhelming joy, the hope, the peace…His love endures forever.

“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

Jesus told the story of a young man who wanted to be out from under his father’s control. He wanted to live life on his own terms. The young man collected his inheritance and went off on his own. He was impetuous. He was foolish and I’m sure he was taken advantage of. Life led him down a path of loss.

At his lowest point, he decided to go home and ask to be a servant on his father’s estate. As he was coming up the road, his father saw him. What the young man didn’t know is that his father had been watching and waiting for his return. The father ran to his son to welcome him back.

Now, wait for it…

“I will leave and go to my father. I will say to him: Father, I have sinned against God and have done wrong to you. 19 I am no longer worthy to be called your son. But let me be like one of your hired workers.’ 20 So he left and went to his father. While the son was still a long way off, his father saw him coming and felt sorry for him. So he ran to him and hugged and kissed him.” Luke 15:18-20 ERV

There it is – the kiss! The forgiveness, the reconciliation, the connection, the love!

The Father’s love never fails. His love is unconditional, His mercy lasts forever and His grace is amazing.

“But the father said to his servants, ‘Hurry! Bring the best clothes and put them on him. Also, put a ring on his finger and good sandals on his feet. 23 And bring our best calf and kill it so that we can celebrate with plenty to eat. 24 My son was dead, but now he is alive again! He was lost, but now he is found!’ So they began to have a party.” Luke 15:22-24 ERV

Sometimes we get “lost” in life. All we need to do is come back to the Father and He welcomes us with open arms. He celebrates our return.

May I encourage you to take “the last two minutes” of each day to thank the Father for his never-ending love. And if you wait for it, I know you’ll sense His loving kiss.

 

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The Gift of Trust

Up earlier than usual this morning. Couldn’t sleep, lots on my mind. Made my way to the sofa to read and pray…for family, friends, our nation, personal circumstances and things that had to be prayed through by the Holy Spirit.

As I read, the word “trust” repeatedly came from the pages and from my heart. Really, that’s what Christmas is all about – trusting that the gift of His Son would bring us all the salvation that the Father had planned. Trusting in His goodness and love; his mercy and grace.

Trusting that the Father is always faithful!

“ Then the Lord came down to him in a cloud, stood there with Moses, and spoke his own name. 6 That is, the Lord passed in front of Moses and said, “Yahweh, the Lord, is a kind and merciful God. He is slow to become angry. He is full of great love. He can be trusted.” Exodus 34:5-6 ERV

“So remember that the Lord your God is the only God, and you can trust him! He keeps his agreement. He shows his love and kindness to all people who love him and obey his commands. He continues to show his love and kindness through a thousand generations,” Deuteronomy 7:9 ERV

The Father knows we have a tendency to forget things and He never wants us to forget His love and faithfulness so He repeatedly reminds of it through His word.

“God’s way is perfect. The Lord’s promise always proves to be true. He protects those who trust in him. 32 There is no God except the Lord. There is no Rock except our God.” II Samuel 20:31-32 ERV

What a precious gift we have been given! We have the Father’s promise and He is completely worthy of trust – there is no God except our Lord.

“So come near to God with a sincere heart, full of confidence because of our faith in Christ. 23 We must hold on to the hope we have, never hesitating to tell people about it. We can trust God to do what he promised.” Hebrews 10:22b-23 ERV

This morning I needed to be reminded to trust! I found myself wavering, on the verge of worry and that’s when I heard in my heart “I trust You”. May you need to hear those same words today – “I trust You”. The Lord is faithful; His word never fails, He always keeps His promises.

A few days back I told you about my favorite Christmas CD, The Gift, by Kenny Rogers. I want to share just a few lyrics from one of the songs on that album.

“God said, Mary pure and holy
With this baby, I trust you
She said, surely I’m not worthy
And it scares me, but I trust you.

Underneith a shining star
In a manger stall
Mary held the gift of love
God gave to us all.

Precious baby pure and holy
I’m not worthy, but I trust you

Precious baby pure and holy
Will you save me, I trust you
Son of Mary, I trust you…*

Receive this wonderful gift that the Father has given us – open your heart and say “Son of Mary, Son of God, I trust you”!

*I Trust You written by Skip Ewing and Don Schlitz

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Christmas Wrapping

Today I’ll start wrapping some presents. It’s a task I put off because it’s really not my thing. I have friends who do an amazing job. Their gifts are so beautiful that you almost hate to open them, almost.

I’ve had the wrapping paper in the closet for weeks but I couldn’t find the gift tags. I was determined not to run out to the store just for that so I was going to make some however, the other day, while going through my file cabinet, I found them. Thank you.

I got to thinking about some of the Christmas gifts I have received over the years. The simple gifts that came from the kids when they were little. The gift tag was written in crayon and the gift bows were yarn or string. Dave had a way of making Christmas gifts special – he loved to do leather work and for several years I received hand tooled and hand stamped leather coasters. He would place them on my gift as a “To/From” but really, they were and still are the gifts I cherish most.

There’s one other gift that means the world to me. Understated and wrapped in the most unique way. Looking at it from the outside there was no hint as to the real value. Priceless in fact! But the gift tag was beyond expression – flamboyant, glitzy, a real eye catcher.

“ That night, some shepherds were out in the fields near Bethlehem watching their sheep. 9 An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord was shining around them. The shepherds were very afraid. 10 The angel said to them, “Don’t be afraid. I have some very good news for you—news that will make everyone happy. 11 Today your Savior was born in David’s town. He is the Messiah, the Lord. 12 This is how you will know him: You will find a baby wrapped in pieces of cloth and lying in a feeding box.” Luke 2:8-12 ERV

The gift tag filled the sky with wonder! The To: and From: were written boldly by the hand of the Father.

“ Yes, God loved the world so much that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him would not be lost but have eternal life.” John 3:16 ERV

To: Everyone From: God

The gift: small and non-descript. A baby boy wrapped in cloth laying in a feeding trough on a mattress of hay.

The gift: extraordinary!! The Son of God in human form, left heaven, came to earth to be the Savior of all who believe.

From: The Father’s Heart. To: All Who Believe.

The gift has been wrapped; the tag has been written. Receive the gift that completely changes our lives!

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Are We Seeking?

Would you have made a good wise man? That’s the question I found I was asking myself this morning.

Examine their characteristics; they were studious, (they studied the skies looking for a sign), they were diligent, (they didn’t give up looking just because they didn’t see it right away), they were persistent, (they traveled a great distance and time to find the Christ child), they were consistent, (they weren’t distracted from their search) and they were dedicated (they committed to the task and didn’t stop until they reached their goal). And then they were reverent, they worshiped the Christ child and not the nation’s 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.”…The wise men came to the house where the child was with his mother Mary. They bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened the boxes of gifts they had brought for him. They gave him treasures of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.” Matthew 2:1,2,11 ERV

It’s believed that the wise men’s journey took about two years. They found a child and not a babe. They traveled at their own expense and then they brought gifts, lavish gifts, to the child. It cost them something – if they had been wrong in their search, it would have cost them more than their finances, it would have cost them their reputation.

So, I asked myself, what am I seeking?

Jesus told Martha, and us, that only “one thing” was needful – that was to hear His word.

“Jesus and his followers were traveling, he went into a town, and a woman named Martha let him stay at her house. 39 She had a sister named Mary. Mary was sitting at Jesus’ feet and listening to him teach. 40 But her sister Martha was busy doing all the work that had to be done. Martha went in and said, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do all the work by myself? Tell her to help me!”

41 But the Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are getting worried and upset about too many things. 42 Only one thing is important. Mary has made the right choice, and it will never be taken away from her.” Luke 10:38-42 ERV

Lord, my desire is to be wise – to seek but one thing, You!

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Ask For the Baby Jesus

A few days ago, Dave and I were in one of our favorite artisan shops in Tubac. I was reminded of one of the first time I visited there.

I love Nativities. I have the one from our first year of marriage; I have one that was made for me in 1980 and all the little ones I have added along the way. My most recent was one I purchased with Christmas monies from my Mom. I purchased it in that little shop I was talking about, it’s made from Mexican pottery called talavera.

I studied each figure in the set; their smiling faces, their clothing, the shape of the stall and then I realized there was no baby Jesus! Where did He go? What happened to Him? 

That shop has many Nativity scenes from Mexico, South America, and the US. There is a sign close to the larger sets telling shoppers to ask for the baby Jesus. When I asked the shop keeper why, he replied “People steal the baby Jesus. We don’t have a theft problem in the store except for that.” I was told they keep the baby Jesus in the back room and you have to ask for Him.

Ask for Jesus! Wasn’t that the Father’s intent from the beginning? He wanted us to recognize that our lives were not complete without Jesus. 

Who would steal the baby Jesus? That is completely counter to the reason He came. When Jesus was born the angels filled the heavens with the announcement. The shepherds were told to go find Him. The wise men saw and followed His star. Everyone was welcome to come see Jesus!

Jesus came to forgive the sins of all men, even the ones who would steal the baby Jesus.  Jesus wasn’t born in a palace where only a few of the elite would be allowed to enter. He wasn’t born in a monastery where only the religious and the holy would be. No, He was born in a barn; anyone – man, woman, child, elite or poor, educated or unlearned was welcomed at the manger. 

“Today your Savior was born in David’s town. He is the Messiah, the Lord. 12 This is how you will know him: You will find a baby wrapped in pieces of cloth and lying in a feeding box.” 13 Then a huge army of angels from heaven joined the first angel, and they were all praising God, saying,

14 “Praise God in heaven, and on earth let there be peace to the people who please him.”

15 The angels left the shepherds and went back to heaven. The shepherds said to each other, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this great event the Lord has told us about.”

16 So they went running and found Mary and Joseph. And there was the baby, lying in the feeding box.” Luke 2:11-16 ERV 

I want to encourage you to put Jesus on display. Don’t hid him, let the world see that He lives in you. Love the way He did; reach out to everyone the Father brings your way. The sign on our lives should be “if you want Jesus, just ask!”

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