“…I believe; help my unbelief!” ~Mark 9:24b

To follow along in the novel, read chapter 5.

I have been a fan of C.S.Lewis’ writings for quite some time, I love his ability to use words to transport me to new and exciting places. I love the imagery one can conjure up by using imagination. Long before movies were available or affordable travel, people have been able visiting new countries and planets; and meeting new species. People today still find it difficult to believe what the Bible tells us. They have trouble believing a child was born of a virgin but no problem whatsoever believing in a groundhog named “Punxsutawney Phil” who predicts the weather? Or in believing in the Easter Bunny or Santa Claus. I am certainly not trying to diss “Peter Rabbit” or “Kris Kringle,” they were both part of my beloved childhood. I’m just saying, our imaginations are gifts from our Creator! I can easily see Christian themes in many productions I’ve watched, one of my very favorites is “Star Trek: Deep Space Nine” it is filled with imagery and storylines to encourage the belief in someone bigger and more powerful than ourselves. Check it out sometime!

In the story of “The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe,” Edmund has ventured through the wardrobe, following Lucy. Lucy is so excited about what see discovers she shares it with her other 2 older siblings. They are quite concerned that Lucy is loosing it! They decide to seek counsel from the Professor, with whom they are staying with. The response they received was not what they were expecting, he simply ask “why do you not believe her?” Little did they know, the Professor knew that Lucy was telling the truth, because he, himself had been to Narnia. (The Magician’s Nephew), The Professor says to himself, why are they attached to such a narrow definition of reality? I love that phrase, “narrow definition of reality.” In truth, my reality is different from yours and well, different from every one else’s I would say. We are all unique individuals living under different circumstances. Sure, we share many traits and even perform the same jobs, go to the same churches, schools, clubs…etc., but we all also have had different experiences in life that have shaped us and formed certain ideas within ourselves. I may make the same amount of money as a coworker but we have different needs and responsibilities in life. So what might be an abundance to one may not be to the other.

It’s easy to believe in the possible, it’s actually quite boring. Challenge yourself and believe in the impossible. Make the unreal, a reality.

I love the Bible verse written by Paul in Philippians 4:13, “I can do all things through him who strengthens me.”

Advent and Christmas both are season of imagination and wonder, dive in and experience all it has to offer. God was born among us to make what seems ordinary into holy and transformative things. Things that can sound strange or even a bit crazy…a virgin birth, visiting angels, shepherds and magi following a star to a dark, cold and damp stable to see a baby wrapped in rags. Use your gift of imagination and enter into God’s reality and experience the Christmas season not as a silly, childish distraction but as a radical new perspective on faith and the kingdom of God.

Questions for Reflection:

• Which of the Pevensie children are you most like? Peter, Susan, Edmund or Lucy. *I would have to say I’m a little of Lucy and a little of Edmund.

• Are you comfortable with the similarities? *I appreciate seeing myself in both and I want to be more like Lucy.

• Would you prefer to emulate one of the other children. *Lucy

• Does the season of Advent strain your sense of reason? *No for me, I believe that anything is possible with God. *My doubts fall on myself and my ability to be faithful and committed.

• How is your imagination fed during Advent? *Through the music and children.

• How is your faith affected at Advent through your imagination? *The manager scene and the Star! It feels like I’m hearing the story for the first time each year.

~Peace~

References:

http://www.biblegateway.com/

Tuesday, December 10, 2019

Isaiah 41:14-20

“Do not fear, you worm Jacob, you insect Israel! I will help you, says the Lord; your Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel. Now, I will make of you a threshing sledge, sharp, new, and having teeth; you shall thresh the mountains and crush them, and you shall make the hills like chaff. You shall winnow them and the wind shall carry them away, and the tempest shall scatter them. Then you shall rejoice in the Lord; in the Holy One of Israel you shall glory. When the poor and needy seek water, and there is none, and their tongue is parched with thirst, I the Lord will answer them, I the God of Israel will not forsake them. I will open rivers on the bare heights, and fountains in the midst of the valleys; I will make the wilderness a pool of water, and the dry land springs of water. I will put in the wilderness the cedar, the acacia, the myrtle, and the olive; I will set in the desert the cypress, the plane and the pine together, so that all may see and know, all may consider and understand, that the hand of the Lord has done this, the Holy One of Israel has created it.”

The manner in which God brought Jesus into the world as a baby speaks volumes about His character. Jesus was born to a virgin, who became pregnant by the power of the Holy Spirit. Her bravery is unimaginable, I’m sure others looked down upon her and questioned why Joseph would marry her after knowing she was pregnant and they had not been together. God could have chosen different parents for Jesus and a birth to put all others to shame but that is not the God we serve. God was changing things up, the world had lost its way and the promises foretold in the Old Testament were unfolding.

Isaiah 11:6b, “And a little child shall lead them.”

Judah will hold the royal scepter,
And his descendants will always rule.
Nations will bring him tribute
And bow in obedience before him. (Genesis 49:10)

The Lord says, “Bethlehem Ephrathah, you are one of the smallest towns in Judah, but out of you I will bring a ruler for Israel, whose family line goes back to ancient times.” (Micah 5:2)

But the LORD will still give you proof. A virgin is pregnant; she will have a son and will name him Immanuel. (Isaiah 7:14)

A child is born to us!
A son is given to us!
And he will be our ruler.
He will be called, “Wonderful Counselor,”
“Mighty God,” “Eternal Father,”
“Prince of Peace.” (Isaiah 9:6)

“What I saw in my vision
hasn’t happened yet.
But some day, a king of Israel
will appear like a star. (Numbers 24:17)

Jesus was born in a stable, He was wrapped in bands of cloth and laid in a manager shared with the animals. No royal banners or trumpets sounding. When Jesus started His ministry it was to seek the lost. He hung out with sinners, the poor and needy, the sick and the forgotten. Where might God be calling you to serve and share the promise of salvation? May the light of Jesus shine in and through you to light the way for others this holiday season!

Prayer:

God, you promise to provide for the needy. Too often we think you will simple drop manna from the sky when instead you are calling us to go and serve. During this season of extravagance, reveal to me the poor and the thirsty. Let me provide for them just as you have provided for me. ~Amen.

~Peace & Hope~

References:

https://www.biblegateway.com/

https://www.unitedbiblesocieties.org/10-bible-verses-old-testament-birth-of-jesus/

Psalm 21

“In your strength the king rejoices, O Lord, and in your help how greatly he exults! You have given him his heart’s desire, and have not withheld the request of his lips. (Selah). For you meet him with rich blessings; you set a crown of fine gold on his head. He asked you for life; you gave it to him— length of days forever and ever. His glory is great through your help; splendor and majesty you bestow on him. You bestow on him blessings forever; you make him glad with the joy of your presence. For the king trusts in the Lord, and through the steadfast love of the Most High he shall not be moved. Your hand will find out all your enemies; your right hand will find out those who hate you. You will make them like a fiery furnace when you appear. The Lord will swallow them up in his wrath, and fire will consume them. You will destroy their offspring from the earth, and their children from among humankind. If they plan evil against you, if they devise mischief, they will not succeed. For you will put them to flight; you will aim at their faces with your bows. Be exalted, O Lord, in your strength! We will sing and praise your power.”

https://images.app.goo.gl/g4qHCjZRCXMcbEqz6

When you pause and think of God’s great power, what do you imagine? What Bible stories appear in your thoughts? Do you think of Moses parting the Red Sea so the children of Israel could cross since they were fleeing from Pharaoh and his broken promises to free them? (Exodus 14)

What about Shadrach, Meshach and Abendego in the fiery furnace? How God protected them when the King Nebuchadnezzar threw them into the furry furnace for not worshiping the golden statute. (Daniel 3)

God is our strength! Strength is defined in the dictionary as: the quality or state of being strong; capacity for exertion or endurance; power to resist force; power of resisting attack. Our God is all these things and more, much more. The strength of the Lord is not measured or compared with earthly kings and rulers, we see the strength of our Lord in the meekness if a child, not in military or militia. We see the strength of the Lord in the vulnerability of meager beginnings, not in promises of earthly riches and gain. This season we celebrate and acknowledge the Lord’s strength through the power of strangers, shepherds and kings coming to meet and kneel at the child born of a virgin and laying in a manager.

Prayer:

God our strength and hope, reveal the meekness of your strength to me and invite me into the hope that comes not from earthly powers but from the babe we seek in the manager. It is your strength I rely on, not my own, and it is your kingdom that is to come. ~Amen.

~Peace & Hope~

References:

https://www.merriam-webster.com/

https://www.biblegateway.com/

Once again friends, I am behind! I’m hoping to get caught up and I wanted to say thank you for your continued support and prayers! I’m happy to share with you that I am now up to 145 followers! God is so very GOOD!

Sunday, December 8, 2019

“In those days John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness of Judea, proclaiming, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.” This is the one of whom the prophet Isaiah spoke when he said, “The voice of one crying out in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.’” Now John wore clothing of camel’s hair with a leather belt around his waist, and his food was locusts and wild honey. Then the people of Jerusalem and all Judea were going out to him, and all the region along the Jordan, and they were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins. But when he saw many Pharisees and Sadducees coming for baptism, he said to them, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bear fruit worthy of repentance. Do not presume to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our ancestor’; for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children to Abraham. Even now the ax is lying at the root of the trees; every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. “I baptize you with water for repentance, but one who is more powerful than I is coming after me; I am not worthy to carry his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor and will gather his wheat into the granary; but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.” ~Matthew 3:1-12

On Sunday morning, my church presented the Children’s Christmas program. It was so wonderful to see so many young children in our presence and growing up in our church. They are such a blessing! They told the story of Mary and Joseph, including the Angels and Bethlehem. At the same time, a separate storyline was being told by a few adults and children, it was presented as a single mother raising a son and daughter with money being tight and a missing parent, the mother shared the true meaning of Christmas to her children and then at the culmination of the play the children along with audience sang Christmas songs!! It was beautiful!

We also lit the Advent candle for Peace. This week we will be seeking “PEACE,” the peace that can only come from Jesus. Jesus being born in Bethlehem is not the end of the story, it is through the empty tomb we have the promise of forgiveness and eternal life in Christ Jesus. In this season, we hear about perfection in every corner we pass. As mentioned in previous posts, God is not looking for nor does He expect perfection, He seeks relationship and reconciliation with us. He loves us and wants to be part of every aspect of our lives.

Luke 19:10

“For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”

Romans 3:10-11

“As it is written: “None is righteous, no, not one; no one understands; no one seeks for God.”

2 Peter 3:9

“The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.”

Prayer:

Prince of Peace, Wonderful Counselor, give me your peace and counsel. Strengthen me, open me to your grace and forgiveness that I may live each day closer to you. ~Amen.

~Hope & Peace~

References:

http://www.biblegateway.com/

https://www.openbible.info/topics/god_seeking_man

My dear friends, I have fallen behind on my posts and I am sorry for that. Honestly, I’ve been tired and seem to not get enough rest. It could be the changing of the seasons and a busy schedule. I am going to go ahead and share a few words as I read and meditate on the readings I hope you can follow along. It brings me great joy to share and comfort knowing that God is with each of us, no matter what small space we occupy around the world. I am so thankful for all my followers and the ability to share my faith with others.

Saturday, December 7, 2019

“Comfort, O comfort my people, says your God. Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and cry to her that she has served her term, that her penalty is paid, that she has received from the Lord’s hand double for all her sins. A voice cries out: “In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord, make straight in the desert a highway for our God. Every valley shall be lifted up, and every mountain and hill be made low; the uneven ground shall become level, and the rough places a plain. Then the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all people shall see it together, for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.” A voice says, “Cry out!” And I said, “What shall I cry?” All people are grass, their constancy is like the flower of the field. The grass withers, the flower fades, when the breath of the Lord blows upon it; surely the people are grass. The grass withers, the flower fades; but the word of our God will stand forever. Get you up to a high mountain, O Zion, herald of good tidings; lift up your voice with strength, O Jerusalem, herald of good tidings, lift it up, do not fear; say to the cities of Judah, “Here is your God!” See, the Lord God comes with might, and his arm rules for him; his reward is with him, and his recompense before him. He will feed his flock like a shepherd; he will gather the lambs in his arms, and carry them in his bosom, and gently lead the mother sheep.” ~Isaiah 40:1-11

Advent is a season of preparation, preparing our hearts for the birth of Jesus. In the New Testament, we read that John the Baptist was also in preparation, as told in Luke 3:3, “He went into all the region around the Jordan, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.”

John preached more than just repentance but what some might call a radical idea of “reorientation of self.” He preached to not merely repent but to literally turn away from sin and turn to God. Advent is turn to the glory and majesty of the manager and away from our fallenness and brokenness to wholeness through Christ Jesus!

I often hear the phrase, “preparing our hearts, minds, etc. to receive Jesus” at this time of year. Jesus prepared the way to salvation over 2000 years ago, we must be open to the Holy Spirit leading us to the place of redemption and ask for forgiveness.

“If we confess our sins, he who is faithful and just will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” ~1 John 1:9

Prayer:

Lord, in a season of preparing, make it know to us that your love abounds even when we are focusing on everything except you. ~Amen.

~Peace & Hope~

References:

http://www.biblegateway.com/