Christmas Memory

A friend who works at our local Christian radio station often stops by to get clips of the kids' voices for the radio. Today she was asking questions about their favorite Christmas memories and had them read a few passages from the Biblical account of Jesus' birth.

Last year, she recorded Josh telling one of his favorite memories. He shared a funny story about the time he had asked for a compound bow for Christmas and how his parents had creatively and surprisingly given it to him.

This time I tried to think of a favorite memory. I have a lot of trouble with this since so many of my favorite memories have to do with the Christmas season. But I chose to share about a moment that happened just a few years ago.

(Disclaimer: If you are local and may hear this on the radio, I aplogize for the spoiler.)

When my little Gabe was just about 2 years old he figured out that Christmas would include opening the fun, shiny packages under our tree. He knew that some of those presents were for him and he was so excited for Christmas morning. He came into the living room that morning full of exuberance, ready to celebrate and indulge.

He just didn't know about one little thing. Our family always begins our Christmas morning celebration by reading the story of Jesus' birth from the Bible. It's our way of focusing our attention on the correct reason for celebrating.

Our poor little Gabe didn't understand the delay. He sat on Daddy's lap and cried his heart out as we listened to the story. Big tears and everything.

The reason why it's a favorite memory is because I use this as a reminder for myself. In just the opposite way of my little Gabe, if I don't have my focus on Christ during the Christmas season, I'll be miserable. If I'm so bound by the busyness of baking, and buying, wrapping and visiting, but forget to spend time dwelling on the gift I have received because of Christ's sacrifice, then I am missing the whole point.

When you come down to it, Chistmas isn't about the giving or receiving. It's about the Son of God who came as a baby, grew to manhood, lived a sinless life, died a horrific death, and rose from the dead. It's about the only One who can save me from myself and my poor choices. It's about something far greater than me ... it's about redemption.

Five Minute Fridays: Quiet

Linking up with Lisa-Jo for the Five Minute Friday.


Noise
Chaos
Cacophony

Be still my soul

Responsibility
Routine
Busyness

Be still my soul

Fingers
Grabbing
Sticky

Be still my soul

Harsh
Loud
Anger

Be still my soul

Stop

Be still my soul

Quiet
Devotion
Relationship

My soul is still

Rest
Joy
Peace

My soul is still

Gentle
Soft
Kind

The Lord your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love" Zephaniah 3:17

Beautiful Hands - a rerun

Recycling an oldie but goodie today as I link up with the MOB society blog:

This morning I watched as you discovered your hands. Your fat little fingers reached out and grasped hold of mine. And as you brought my hand toward your mouth your eyes widened with wonder.

I began to dream of what those hands may someday do.

You may have the hands of a craftsman. A mechanic or woodworker. Rough, calloused hands. Useful hands.
Beautiful hands.

Perhaps your hands will be soft. Hands used to press keys on the computer. Hands used to write. Hands forming words of impact and influence.
Beautiful hands.

Your hands may be dirty from working the soil. They may stroke the fur of a beloved pet or firmly grip the chalk as you mold young minds. They could grasp the ragged rocks as you climb a mountain or gently pick fruit from a tree to share with a friend. Hands that delight in the world around you.
Beautiful hands.

Someday I pray your hands will be wrinkled from soaking in the dish water. Crusted with paint from a child's art project. Recovering from a paper cut after folding yet another paper airplane. Hands used to brush silky hair, change stinky diapers, dress little bodies. Hands that will cause the laughter of ticklish children. Hands that steady your bride on your wedding day. Family hands.
Beautiful hands.

Your hands can be used to bring comfort to the aged. Food to the hungry. Peace to the harassed. Help to the helpless. Hands of compassion.
Beautiful hands.

Of all these things, my greatest desire is for you to have hands of worship. Hands that are raised in adoration of the King. Hands that hold a worn Bible. Hands that frequently fold in prayer.

Because if your hands hold firm to these tasks, your hands will reflect the greatest hands. Hands that are scarred. Hands that stretched out on a cross. Hands strong enough to hold all your dreams, pains, fears, and joys. Christ's hands.
Beautiful hands.

Political Prayer

Whether you are in celebration or mourning today, I hope you will read this and consider what a Christian's response to the elections should be.

Many thanks to my sweet husband for sharing this amidst all the turmoil.



Finally the election is over. But the result is exactly what everyone predicted: half of us are discouraged and half us are happy. Whichever camp you find yourself in this morning, let me exhort you to put aside your feelings
& your opinions and seek the Lord. Be encouraged by two things: the Lord God remains sovereign and the Lord God remains a Redeemer! Let us put our hope & trust not in any human person or institution but in the Lord. As followers of Christ, let us speak the truth in love. Let us set aside any divisiveness and seek to work together rather than against one another. Let us implement the second greatest commandment. Let the republican put the democrat first and the democrat put the republican first. Let the rich man prefer the poor man to himself. Let the poor man prefer the rich man to himself. etc.


However you may feel about the election, remember your Christian duty to pray:

ESV 1 Timothy 2:1-2 First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, 2 for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way.


Given the great domestic & international challenges we face, our president & elected officials desperately need prayer. Join me in praying for them.


Heavenly Father,

You are the Creator of all people everywhere. You know each person intimately – even how many hairs are on their head. For those candidates & their supporters who lost yesterday, may they see your face in all this and take your hand. For those candidates who won and are therefore accepting important responsibilities, may they fall to their knees in humble reliance upon you and may they reach for your hand to lead them. Father lead our president. Father lead our congress. Father lead our governor & state reps. Father lead our nation. Father lead your world.

Father, may your kingdom come and your will be done on earth as it is in Heaven. We wait on you. You alone are the answer. You alone have wisdom. We wait on you.

In Jesus’ name, Amen.


May God bless you this day and may God bless America!

Pastor Josh

Silence Broken

I have been silent for a long time. In fact my last blog entry was six months ago to the day.

I didn't plan to begin writing again at this exact moment. I have longed to blog many times over the past six months. I have even logged in with fascinating topics swirling in my brain simply to end up staring at the blinking cursor wondering where my words had gone.

Why? I'm not sure if I can explain it. This year has been long and difficult. It has been a year of transitions and a year of hard work. Along with re-learning what it's like to have a baby in the house, we're learning what it's like to parent adolescent boys. I have walked beside my husband as the church transitioned to a healthier, Biblical leadership model. Some of our dreams have changed and others have been re-born. I have transitioned out of pregnancy and back into it. We have changed our homeschooling curriculum and are wading our way through it one day at a time. Transition, change, disappointment, joy, frustration, growth, laughter, tears. My heart is full. Sometimes it feels too full.

That fullness is what has kept me from writing. While many thoughts have swirled in my head and many lessons have been learned, I have not had the ability to write about such things.

Until tonight.

Tonight I was trying to pinpoint the biggest lesson I've learned over the past six months. And here it is: I am weak. Christ is strong.

Profound, right? Absolutely!

No doubt you've offered consolation to a friend with words like these: "Well, God can do anything. Even turn this situation around" or "I'll pray that God gives you the strength you need for ..."

We quote verses to one another.
I Corinthians 1:25 the weakness of God is stronger than man's strength.


II Corinthians 12:9 But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.


Sometimes though, I wonder if we really think about the power of these truths as we encourage one another. Recently I have begun to grasp the difference between glibly quoting them as truth and actually understanding and believing the meaning.

Oh trust me, I still have a long way to go before I fully grasp the entirety of my weakness and Christ's strength. My default is still to think that my hard work is what will make the day good or bad, that my abilities should be enough, that my weaknesses are shameful.

But here is the crux.
How I respond to what I can and cannot do reflects on what I believe about the character of God.

When facing an illness - either my own or a loved one's - and I pray for healing, do I truly trust God to heal in whatever way is best: physical or spiritual or both? When attempting to trudge through the never-ending list of to-dos, and failing miserably for the fifth day in a row, do I still ask God to put his priorities first in my life - even if that means my "priorities" may be set aside? When unable to shoulder some of the weight of a loved one's burdens, am I really able to place them into the loving hands of my Savior and leave them there?

These are the things I am learning. I am weak. I cannot do it all. And when I look at the enormity of it all, I'm rather glad I can't! But I do have a God who is strong enough. I have a God who is able to accomplish far more than I can imagine. And even in the hard times, I can trust him with all of life.

And I am left with this:
Therefore lift your drooping hands and strengthen your weak knees, and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be put out of joint but rather be healed. Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire. Hebrews 12:12-13, 28-29