This post is an invitation for you to share in a Lenten Bible Study with me starting on February 14 and ending on March 31st in preparation of Easter Sunday. The focus of the Lenten study will be “Wilderness.” I have pamphlets available and will be posting a copy of the single page devotional with scripture reference and a daily “Breath Prayer” for your convenience. I am looking forward to sharing these devotionals with you along with what I hope will be personal insights and thoughts that God has laid upon my heart to share with you. The weekly studies are as listed below: The Wilderness and Mortality
The Wilderness as a Liminal Space
The Wilderness and Hunger
The Wilderness and Divine Testing
The Wilderness and Power
The Wilderness and Providence
The Wilderness and Restoration
Have you ever tried to quit something? Have you ever questioned why you do certain things? Do you seek answers from someone you no longer have a connection with? I will cut to the chase and not keep you hanging on until the end in hopes for answers to these questions. The truth is I do not have the answers, although often I wish I did but not knowing has not stopped me from living. I hope you continue reading and my hope is God will provide insights to all of us through this conversation. The first question I posed was “have you ever tried to quit something?” I have tried several through the years and my success rate is “sometimes!” As a child, my mom was constantly asking me to stop biting my nails, that question lingered into adulthood. I have been successful on occasions and yet it is so easy to fall right back into old habits. I’ve tried lots of methods to help me break the habit and what I have learned about myself is that biting my nails is an emotional reaction and a coping mechanism for me. I have a love/hate relationship with myself when it comes to my nails. I love them when they grow and the visual changes they make towards my hands. They make me feel more feminine, prettier and confident. I am disappointed if they chip and break and then there are times I crave the pain the ripping them off. It’s an emotional trigger I seek to keep at bay and I do actively seek other ways to express my emotions. What I am trying to say is we often learn a method of coping with things that are uncomfortable for us and sometimes it is nothing more than a transference of feelings. Talking about these things is the best way to take their power over us away. If you have a mentor in your life talk with them, a teacher, a coach, a pastor, Sunday school teacher, hotlines and counselors and therapist. An objective person who will listen and provide guidance not necessarily answers. My experience has been that answers often dwell within us, they need only to be found. Be true to yourself in discovering “YOU!” It would be easy to simply have someone give you the answers but you must ask yourself, “am I living my life or I am living someone else’s?” There is freedom when you discover who you are and what you stand for. Freedom is not the ability to do whatever you want, freedom is respecting others as you respect yourself. The golden rule if you will, “do unto others as you would have done to you.” And most importantly “Love your neighbor, as you love yourself.” Neighbor is not just the person who lives next door, it’s everyone in the world. It is global, it is the right thing to do as the Bible tells us of the second greatest commandment from God, the first is, “Love the Lord your God will all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.” Matthew 22:36-40.
My second question was, “Have you ever questioned why you do certain things in your life?” Most of the time this is due to learned behavior and/or mimicking the actions of others. A lot of things I do is because that’s how I was taught to do things and others are because that’s the way my mom or grandmother did things. It’s funny, usually growing up we think we don’t want to be anything like our parents or mentors until there comes a time in your life when things just start falling into place and before you know it, you are saying and doing things that make you tell yourself, “I sound just like my mom!” And it’s not horrible and the sky did not fall! I cherish the things that I do that mimic the actions of my parents and grandparents, I also see the value in the things that I do differently. I used to think for the longest time that I was disappointing my family because I did do and see things differently than they did, but I was wrong. With each generation the world we live in changes, expands and provides experiences that were not afforded to our parents. It was a tough lesson to learn that being different does not mean I am defiant; only different, I was just being “me!” God tells us throughout the Bible that we are each created by Him for a purpose, not cloned.
Psalm 139:13-14 “You alone created my inner being. You knitted me together inside my mother. I will give thanks to you because I have been so amazingly and miraculously made. Your works are miraculous, and my soul is fully aware of this.”
Psalm 119:73-74 “You made me; you created me. Now give me the sense to follow your commands. May all who fear you find in me a cause for joy, for I have put my hope in your word.”
Jeremiah 1:4-5 “The LORD gave me this message: “I knew you before I formed you in your mother’s womb. Before you were born I set you apart and appointed you as my prophet to the nations.”
Jeremiah 29:11 “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”
Ephesians 2:10 “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.”
1 Peter 2:9 “However, you are chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, people who belong to God. You were chosen to tell about the excellent qualities of God, who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.”
Seek God and your purpose will be revealed!
The third and final question I posed, “Do you seek answers from someone you no longer have a connection with?” The ultimate “WHY” questions. I have longed for an answer from someone I have not seen or spoken to in almost two decades. And just today I realized I don’t need an answer to my question, what I need to do is let it go. The emotional baggage I’ve been carrying around has not affected anyone but me. The reality is I have foolishly placed this person and their actions on a platform and allowed it to take up space in my mind for far too long. What I consider a pivotal moment in my life, I had given space and light to the wrong recipient! My life took on a new direction and doors opened that I didn’t even know existed, these are the things that should be on my platform not the person. The doors I have opened and those that I have walked into were done by me and God has been with me throughout all of the journeys. Admitted, I’ve made some poor decisions in my life and I’ve tried to learn from them. I love this quote, “I’m not where I should be but thank God I’m not where I used to be.” I have a tendency to hold on to things way past their expiration date, take my free advice, letting go helps you. Hanging onto things will only hurt you in the long run. Forgiveness is for you and not the other person, give yourself permission to take the burden off your shoulders. Ask God to help you, He wants to help you and me!
Matthew 11:28-30 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke on you and learn from me, because I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and my load is not hard to carry.”
Philippians 4:6-7 “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
John 14:27 “Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, nor let it fear.”
1 Peter 5:7 “Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.”
Matthew 6:27 “Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?”
Ephesians 4:31-32 “You must put away all bitterness, anger, wrath, quarreling, and slanderous talk—indeed all malice. Instead, be kind to one another, compassionate, forgiving one another, just as God in Christ also forgave you.”
Psalm 51:10 “Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.”
In closing, I want to share something a friend shared with me this past week. It is very simple and deeply profound. He said to me, “The moment I knew I was truly saved was the moment I realized I was a sinner.” Hearing this made me think of my own moment of salvation. I remember it clearly and yet hearing my friend utter this simple sentence shock my soul. It is so clear, we are dirty rags, sinful creatures filled with selfishness and God Loves us and wants us. Let me say that again, “GOD LOVES US AND WANTS US!”
Isaiah 64:6 “All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags; we all shrivel up like a leaf, and like the wind our sins sweep us away.”
Isaiah 1:18 “Come now, let us settle the matter,” says the LORD. “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool.”
Words…I have a very dear and wise friend who has recently been sharing the phrase “Words matter” the “words” we use to communicate can and do deliver different meanings and solicit a plethora of reactions based upon how and why they are used and delivered. Our words can be far worse than any physical pain we could cause someone. In like manner, words can heal more quickly than any form of medicine. God tells us in Proverbs 12:18 “The words of the reckless pierce like swords, but the tongue of the wise brings healing.” And, in James 1:19-20 “My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires.” I recently shared a story about “Star Words” it is an activity my church is practicing as we journey towards Advent and for some of us we want our “Star Word” to guide us throughout the year similar to the “My One Word” project. We have a basket filled with yellow stars with a word written on it, each person randomly picks a Star Word and then prayerfully seeks to discover its purpose and place in their life while being led by Spirit. Tonight I had the pleasure of leading a group of women from my church called Esther’s Circle, we meet once a month in someone’s home where we (re)connect with one another, have a devotional time and finish the evening off with light snacks and desserts. We had a group of 9 women tonight and I thought it would be fun to expand the “Star Word” campaign to our group. I gave a brief explanation of “Star Word” and ask the group to think about the Star of Bethlehem and the words that might come to mind regarding what the Star meant to the people at the time of Jesus’s birth. We also talked about the new movie that was released back in December 2017 called “The Star” although I have not seen it yet, I have heard nothing but good things about it. Highly recommended!
So, we passed the basket of words around the group and about half of our group had already picked their individual “Star Word” so after everyone else had picked a word, we went around the room stating our word and what it might mean. It was an amazing evening of sharing thoughts and ideas as well as encouraging one another in friendship and sisterhood through our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. We laughed at some of our words as they seemed in some cases to be a perfect fit for our lives at this present moment. Here’s a list of words for our group: humor, responsiveness, discipleship, trust, purpose, listen, reliability, selflessness, accountability and renewal. We celebrated the strength of our group and as individuals who love God and strive to live into the women He created us to be. We have not ever officially picked a life verse for our group but unofficially I like this scripture verse from Esther 4:14 “…And who knows but that you were born (have come to your royal position) for such a time as this?” Another favorite is Jeremiah 29:11 “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”
I have one final thought to share with you and most especially to my Esther’s Circle friends, tonight as we finished our time together I jokingly thanked them for the opportunity to be the unofficial leader and provide direction for our group and stated that I would not have excitedly volunteered for the position (AND) I am ever so grateful for this unique and special opportunity to serve God and my friends. Tonight was the first time I experienced total comfort in leading and sharing, not in the usually “that felt good” kind of way one feels when one accomplishes something. No this was more than any of that, it was the purest form of joy I have ever felt. I felt led by the Spirit as I shared from my heart. Another reminder of my friend’s advice and phrase, “Words Matter, Words have Meaning” along those same lines of thought is this; truth and true words flow calmly and steadily when we seek to spread the Word and Love of Jesus.
I had the privilege of encountering new people at a new project implemented through my church, it’s called “Pub Night @ Books & Brew.” The place was crowded yet unique, at least two groups were using the space when we started and a third started just as we were leaving. It was a fun and relaxing environment where you can pick a book from the shelf to read, play video games or board games all in a single space. They have their own line of custom beer to sample or choose from a menu of foods to be shared or devoured alone. Our group was somewhat small, eight adults and a small child. The concept of this kind of meeting is to be in a relaxed setting with friends to share in conversation with one another about our lives, our beliefs, even questions about the world we live in and how we can be the individuals God created us to be. Most importantly to be Jesus to those who do not yet know Him. It’s about being authentic people living, dreaming, hoping and sharing the Good News of Jesus Christ. A favorite scripture of mine comes to mind when I think of these small group gatherings, Matthew 18:20 “For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.” God wants to be with us 24/7/365; not just on Sunday’s or at Bible Study or any other specialized service.
When we live authentic and true to ourselves we don’t need special services or gatherings to remind us that we are God’s children. God wants to be there when you’re having a horrible work day where it seems like everything is going wrong, He will be your firm foundation, He will strengthen you, He will comfort and encourage you! And on your great days He will be by your side, smiling and cheering in your successes. He wants to be your best friend, your confidant…He loves you, He created you like no other! I’ve been attending another similar group at a sister church for about a year or so, it’s called “Pub-Theology” it too is a small group of people who once a month meet at a quaint cafe’ where we share in a snack/meal and a beverage while we share our joys, sorrows and questions all with Jesus being the center. Being a Christian is not an easy road to travel, the journey is lightened when shared with others. Daily, I am encouraged by God, not because I’m a perfect Christian always doing the right things, I am encouraged because I hold to the promises of God and I believe that God created me and gave me purpose. Each day I discover new things but as my knowledge expands my beliefs and understanding is heightened. I am excited to share my journey of exploration into what it means to live with authentic purpose. God gave me the word “CLARITY” a few years ago and I see more clearly today than ever before, as I mentioned in a previous post, God recently placed a new word upon my heart and it was “BOLD” along with clarity I have set out to discover what it is that God has in store for me. Then, at Pub-Night God through His wondrous plans gifted me with yet another word. Our church is exploring “Star Words” leading us to Advent. Each person picks a random “Star” shaped piece of paper from a basket and use the word chosen to lead your heart/spirit into Advent. My “Star Word” is “RENEWAL!” I am whole heartedly giving into the wonder of God as I try to live into RENEWAL, and what it means to me and my spiritual journey. I am not abandoning “Clarity” or “Bold” they too will stay a part of my journey of exploration. Hence, the new blog design. I hope you find this space encouraging and helpful. Wherever you are in this world, know this to be true…YOU ARE LOVED! Thank you for your support of my blog posts, I strive to be the individual that God created me to be and I am thankful for my salvation and for His forgiveness. May the Peace of God Be With You!
Have you heard of the “My One Word” movement that was started a few years ago? It’s a fascinating process where you choose a word that has been laid upon your heart and seek to live into it. I participated in this activity 3-4 years ago at my church and have continued the process. My “One Word” was and remains “CLARITY.” I felt that God had placed that word upon my heart after prayer and contemplation at the beginning of my journey to live into my one word. God has blessed me throughout this process with people, experiences and books helping me to define clarity for myself. With a new year approaching and people talking about making resolutions along with the unlikelihood of keeping the resolution past the first few weeks, or even the first few days of the new year, I found myself wondering where 2018 would take me(?). As I was driving home from a long weekend with my family today, my mind began wondering as I took in old familiar sights and recalled memories of long ago I suddenly felt the Holy Spirit press upon my heart the word “BOLD!” It was so strong I thought I had actually heard the word spoken! I know that God has something in store for me in 2018, I’ve felt so for some time now, that God is preparing me for a journey or an experience and I have no doubt that “clarity” and “bold” have something to do with it. Ask any of my friends that have known me since I was young and they will tell you I have a tendency to be a little stubborn, a trait I have tried to lessen over the years. Through my search for clarity I have learned that stubbornness can be a tiresome battle that is rarely worth the harm it causes. I have a trusted friend that taught me a very valuable lesson that has helped me in more ways than I could possibly or adequately explain but I will give you the basics of the lesson, I would often become overwhelmed with things especially at work but also in my personal life and my friend’s advise was so perfect and simple I finally saw the “bigger” picture. The phrase is this: “Area of Concern” and “Area of Control.” Once you figure out these two things life begins to be much clearer than ever before. If you don’t “control” it, you will always be disappointed and let down by it; however, you can still have a concern. Now, if it is a “concern” you will have to tell yourself, how much of myself am I willing to lose over a concern that I have absolutely no control of or over(?). Great advise! This bit of knowledge has helped me in so many circumstances I can honestly say that my stress level has drastically lowered and it’s much easier to differentiate boundaries in my personal and professional life. Learning this lesson has helped me more clearly understand “clarity.” I have had some high and low points in my life in the past and I have to say I’ve experienced a lot more high points in the past year and I’m also feeling like I’m at a plateau, not really a crossroad more like “balanced” which is absolutely wonderful and it’s a good thing to feel balanced in life but balanced can also seem “stationary” and I want to continuing growing and gaining, there’s still so much more to learn and share. This is where “bold” comes into play and perspective. I don’t want to become stagnant most especially in my spiritual life but my personal life as well, the whole of who I am (body, mind and soul). There’s endless opportunities to learn and share God’s message and my hope is to continue to do both with BOLDNESS in 2018. I appreciate everyone who reads my blog posts and my prayer is that you see past my words and see God and give Him praise. I realize this is a couple of days early for New Years but I am wishing you the Happiest of New Year in 2018!
Bible references for CLARITY: 1 Corinthians 13:12 “Now we see only a dim likeness of things. It is as if we were seeing them in a foggy mirror. But someday we will see clearly. We will see face to face. What I know now is not complete. But someday I will know completely, just as God knows me completely.” https://www.biblegateway.com/passage?search=1%20Corinthians%2013:12&version=NIRV
Merry Christmas to you! This song is one of my favorites to sing and listen to during the Christmas season. It reminds me of my best friend from high school, it was her favorite song too. My life has certainly changed through the years since high school; I have learned a lot over the years and would not be interested in going back and I’m thankful for the lessons I learned back then. It’s interesting to me, how life’s lessons affect us differently as we grow and mature and eventually reflect upon our past. It’s true what some people say about young people seem to be in a hurry to grow up and how grown ups seem to wish they had spent more time being young and active(?). I’ve tried to live my life with no regrets, I’ve made plenty of mistakes and done things I wish I had not done but if I chose to regret them all, I would also forfeit the lessons I learned in each of those instances. The most difficult thing I struggle with is forgiving myself and I am learning that it hinders me from experiencing God forgiveness and fullness. These things have been weighing on my heart as I have been preparing for the Christmas celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ many years ago in Bethlehem. Why did Jesus come to us as a baby? Why did He subject himself to pain and rejection of so many? The answer is simply LOVE! Jesus loves all His children, His creations and wants each of us to spend eternity with Him in Heaven. As you celebrate Christmas this year I pray that you seek to know Jesus and to keep “Christ” in your Christmas. Another favorite thing from my childhood was reading the “Birth of Jesus” from Luke’s gospel chapter two, I pray it brings you the good news you need to hear.
Luke 2:1-20“In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) And everyone went to their own town to register. So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them. And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.” When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.” So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.” https://www.biblegateway.com/passage?search=Luke%202:1-20&version=NIV
Let There Be Peace and Let It Begin With Me. ~Blessings and Peace~
I was looking forward to attending the Longest Day-Blue Christmas service at my church on December 21st. As I prepared to leave and get into my car, I noticed an orange sticker on my driver’s side back window, as I tore it off I read it was a towing notice because I was parked in a handicapped spot with no hang-tag for doing so. I immediately became “enraged” because I thought to myself, everyone who lives in my building has parked here on some occasion, why me? Why did I get the sticker(?). Before I go much further, I would like to clarify that I don’t always park illegally in handicapped spots, this one in particular is often the only spot available because no one in my building has a handicap, so not that this fact makes right, but we all take turns parking there if it’s the only spot open. It surprised me that I was so angry…then I thought to myself, I can’t go to church with my heart filled with all this overwhelming rage. I took a serious look at my feelings and thought processes and the question that came to me very loud and clear was this…What are you angry about(?) and Who are you really angry with(?).
There was a part of me that wished the realtor office had been open so I could vent my frustrations about having a bright neon orange sticker placed on my window, but it was closed. I was driving to the church and all these negative thoughts filled all the corners of my mind and I felt myself wanting to feed this ugly and negative process. I was literally acting out the cartoon scene where there’s s devil on one shoulder and an angel on the other. I knew in my heart this is not what I should be doing and my heart told me to turn the radio on and tune into K-LOVE, I did and my ears did not want to hear the words of Hope, Peace, Joy and Love. The answers to my questions were not far away, they were right at the surface and I just didn’t want them to break through and shatter this angry delusion I was feeding. Anger has a way of taking hold and tells us lies about its power and possibilities, all of these things are for the benefit of anger and leaves the person empty and alone, anger stays only long enough to cause horrific damage and then it slivers away looking for new opportunities to steal joy. I thank God for His unfailing Love, for His unconditional Love…I was able to let my anger dissolve into the nothingness from where it had come from, the answers broke through and I was angry at myself, I knew parking illegally was wrong and I took the chance of being caught. It’s not the person’s fault that placed the sticker on my car, they were just doing their job. It wasn’t personal, although it felt like it because as humans we are selfish like that. There’s no fault but my own, natural consequences of a wrongful act. I’m thankful that the office was closed, I’m thankful for radio stations like K-LOVE and I am most thankful that God loves me and He doesn’t demand perfection and forgives each of us our sins, more accurately our selfishness in excluding God from our lives. I’m also thankful for the 20 minute drive to church and for the heavy traffic. All these things might just seem random even normal activities of daily life and yet I can only see the Hands of God weaving through my life with comfort, encouragement, truth and yes even the choice to believe and be faithful to Him. I prayed in my car, sitting at a stoplight and ask God to forgive me and to take my anger because I was misguided by my emotions and found myself conflicted and in misery because I was in opposition of God, not a feeling of peace, my actions/thought were separating me from the love of God. I had to let go and surrender to God and allow the Holy Spirit to consume me before I could enter my church and experience the love of Jesus through the service along with my brothers and sisters in Christ Jesus. I physically took some deep breaths and exhaled, ridding myself of the poisonous air within my lungs and body. I was at peace and upon arriving at the church I was immediately greeting in the parking lot by a very dear friend, the first friend I encountered as a new member at this church over 5 years ago and that friendship has blessed me beyond imagination over the years. I felt light, my burden had been lifted and I could hardly wait to be with friends to worship God and share in a small quiet service remembering family members that are no longer able to be with us during holiday celebrations and knowing they will forever be in our hearts. Through tears and prayers we lit candles to remember, we were anointed with oil and we prayed and sang songs to God from whom all blessings flow.
“Blue Christmas, also called the Longest Night in the Western Christian tradition, is a day in the Advent season marking the longest night of the year. On this day, some churches hold a church service that honours people who have lost loved ones in that year.”
After the service I was fortunate enough to enjoy a relaxing dinner with four friends, we shared stories and we laughed. God is good, GOD IS ALWAYS GOOD! The Birth of Jesus
“In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) And everyone went to their own town to register. So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them. And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.” When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.” So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.” Luke 2:1-20 (NIV)
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.” John 3:16-17 (NIV)
Celebrating is something we all do especially at this time of year, Advent-The Christmas Story. Tonight, I spent time with my Aunt, her two daughters and two of her granddaughters; we wrapped Christmas gifts for her ever-growing family. I believe we counted 15 grandkids under the age of 10(?) then there’s my aunts 5 kids/spouses and then the grandkids over the age of 10! Let’s just say, family gatherings are large! In my opinion, it’s BEAUTIFUL! If there’s a single thing I am most proud of it is “FAMILY!” I have been so fortunate to have strong God-fearing relatives (most especially strong women) that set a very high bar of integrity before me. Spending time with my Aunt is always a wonderful time for me, she has been a constant family support my whole life. She is my mom’s baby sister and was always very close to my mom. I have to pause life every once in a while and reflect upon just how “BLESSED” I am! As some of you might remember, my mom passed away in 2012 and as time goes on I miss my mom terribly and when I have the opportunity to spend time with relatives like tonight, I can almost sense her in our midst as we laugh, tell old stories and share memories while making new ones. My aunt is much like a second mom, she has scolded me more than once and I’m pretty sure she swatted my back side a time or two. We have laughed and cried together and I am so proud to be a part of the rich tapestry, I call family. It was important for me to share this story with you so that I could better explain the title of this piece. As I was driving home tonight (an hour drive) I had a lot of quiet time to reflect on the evening and about Christmas and the celebration of Advent. Of course, “Jesus is the Reason for the Season!” I found myself thinking about Mary and all the things that were happening to her and I thought Mary would have been having all the same kind of wishes and dreams that all mothers have concerning their children. Mary, experienced all the emotions that we celebrate during Advent. Hope-for a happy future for her baby. Peace-for in the life of her baby. Joy-for all the days to be filled with joy for her baby. Peace-enormous prosperity and calmness in the life of her baby.
Basically, mom’s want the very best for their children and for their children to learn more, attain more, to have more of every good thing in life, to have more opportunities than were available to them.
For the record, I am not a mom and in a way I’m just theorizing on the “feelings” of motherhood. I was very close to my mom and had engaged in a few “mother/daughter bonding” conversations over the years. From my perspective, parents make huge sacrifices for their children, God did the same when He gave His only Son to pay the price for all the sins of humanity. My thoughts go to Mary, she was given the gift of motherhood, a challenging responsibility and she had hopes and dreams for Jesus and not one was to be crucified, yet that is exactly what happened. Sure, Jesus grew into manhood but He was also Mary’s son, her little boy. Her heart, she found favor in God true enough and her heart was created to love Jesus like no other woman could. Mary had extraordinary strength and she listened, trusted and followed the instructions from God. There’s nothing that compares to the Love of God! Just as there’s nothing quite like the love between a child and their mother. My prayer for you is that the Love of God fill you to overflowing to overwhelming as you experience Advent in a new and exciting way this year.
Think about hope as you hear Lamentations 3: 21-24: “But this I call to mind,
and therefore I have hope:
The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases,
God’s mercies never come to an end;
they are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness.
“The Lord is my portion,” says my soul,
“therefore I will hope in the Lord.”
Prayer: Gracious God, As the Advent season begins, we cry out to you. We come to you looking for hope. When everything else we rely on fails us, our only hope is in you. When we do not understand what has happened, we hope in you. We can hope for better days because we trust you. We know you and we know you are here with us no matter what we are facing. Some of us see only darkness this time of year. Some of us find life overwhelming. Some of us are filled with Advent joy. Wherever we find ourselves today, Loving God, remind us that our hope is in you. Be with us on this journey. Amen.
For the second week in Advent (December 10th), we focus on Peace.
In John 14:27, Jesus said, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid.”
Prayer: Prince of Peace, reveal yourself to us today. We need peace in our lives, our homes, our families, our church, and our whole world. Help us to slow down and seek out the peace you provide, so we may become peacemakers for ourselves and others. In your name, Prince of Peace, we pray. Amen.
During the third week in Advent (December 17th), we spend time thinking about Joy.
From Psalm 5:11, we hear these words,“But let all who take refuge in you rejoice; let them ever sing for joy. Spread your protection over them, so that those who love your name may exult in you.”
Prayer: Too often, we think joy is something big, O God. A brass band or a parade can certainly bring us joy. Just as easily and far more often, we can feel joy in a hug or the squeeze of hand, we can see joy in a smile or hear it in laughter. Help us to not overlook the simple joys that peak into our lives daily. This week in our Advent journey, open our eyes to the joy that surrounds us. Amen.
In this final week of Advent (December 24th), our attention is on Love. The following Scripture verses may sound very familiar, so we will hear them twice. The first time is in the New Revised Standard Version. The second time you’ll be reading from the Message. Listen for the call to love in these words.
Matthew 22:36-40 says, “Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?” He said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the greatest and first commandment. And a second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.
”Teacher, which command in God’s Law is the most important?” Jesus said, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your passion and prayer and intelligence.’ This is the most important, the first on any list. But there is a second to set alongside it: ‘Love others as well as you love yourself.’ These two commands are pegs; everything in God’s Law and the Prophets hangs from them.”
Prayer: God, we have learned to love from being loved by you. And so today, let us enact that love. Let us live that love. We know that what the world needs now is more love. We need to remember how much you love each one of us and we must share that love with others. Amen.
https://charlotteannrobinson.com/2017/11/18/dreams/
I experienced another dream recently and just today I confided in a friend about the content of that dream. A bit of background to set the stage, I was enjoying lunch with my friend and we were sharing with one another stories of our recent Thanksgiving activities. We had not been able to connect for the past few weeks and it was so relaxing to just interact and communicate face to face. As we were sharing with one another our conversation lead to a recent blog posts of mine and as we were talking I was reminded of a second dream since the first one I wrote about. As I mentioned in my earlier post, I do not know the meaning of dreams or what they might be composed of and for but nonetheless it moved me and took hold of my thoughts. Over the past few years I’ve had the distinct feeling that I am on a journey or at least preparing for a journey. I have tried to open myself to whatever God is leading me to as well as what God is leading me away from. I would be the first to say, “life is complicated.” I would also go on to say, “life is simple.” Both of these can be true, as sinful human beings we, yes “we” complicate things and at the very same time we can also see that life can be simple and clear. I would never say life is easy, it is definitely not easy and yet it can be lived with joy, zeal and love. God’s promises are true and His Words are healing, teaching, comforting, and life breathing. I use the word “simple” in regards to the teaching of the Bible, God has provided a step by step guide to be obedient, loving children of God. God goes into great detail explaining His love for each of us, He purposefully created each of us with specific gifts. Wow! How incredible is that(?). As far as dreams go, they are often about more than just the dream, allegories and metaphors for things. So, my first dream was about meeting someone who seemed to be destined to be part of my life, it felt intimate. It produced a sense of harmony and completeness like I’ve never felt before. I don’t recall seeing the person’s face in my dream, only their hair and oddly their eyes. Not so much a reflection of the eyes, more a sense of their soul. Now, with regards to my more recent dream it too left me feeling things I’ve missed and longed for. The dream takes place in a sparsely filled room, sitting at a round table, perhaps it’s a restaurant. I’m sitting at the table and sitting to my left is my mom, we were talking and all of a sudden my gaze went towards someone approaching our table and I seemed to have lost all consciousness of the moment because all my attention had been diverted to the person approaching. I can hear and feel my mom say with a smile, the smile that only a parent can produce when they know that their child is truly happy…she says, “That’s the One! I can just tell, I can see the love!” Then I wake from my dream…wanting to return to that place just to catch a glimpse of the one, of the love. I can’t even begin to try to describe the feeling of seeing my mom smile and be happy for me and optimistic for me, to be proud of me, she was joyfully happy. As for the “one” I’m not sure what any of it truly means and I’m putting my trust in God, maybe it means I’m ready to see what the future might hold for me, I’m a hopeless romantic and love happy endings. Perhaps the “one” is a newer version of myself, self-discovery towards a journey for God or meeting my soul mate that God created just for me(?). The first step to any of this is giving God control, trusting in His Will. There is one lesson I am trying to accept and learn, moving forward can only be successful when we let go of things that keep us in the past. Often I feel overwhelmed because I have one hand on the future and one hand on the past, creating an emotional tug-a-war! I recently talked about this in my blog entitled “Emotional Cleaning” and I explained the acceptance that things can be “true” and “not true” just because something is not true now doesn’t mean it wasn’t true at the time it was said or written. I came to this realization when I was sifting through old birthday cards and old scrapbooks, reading old love letters and promise that were made and knowing that things are vastly different now. I was initially hurt because the words were not true or not true today, how unfair I was being to myself and to those memories. Those things were true at the time the cards and letters were written, I’m choosing to be thankful for the happy memories and mindful of where they belong, in the past. They will not go away if I simply let go of holding onto them. Just as one of my favorite poems says, “…some leave footprints on our hearts…”. People are guided into our lives when we need them, and when they have fulfilled their purpose, they will move onto the next person who needs them. This way of thinking has not been an easy task for me, it wasn’t until I realized that I’ve had a lifetime of these experiences of unique and special individuals being a part of my life when I needed them the most. I challenge myself and you to choose to be happy they were and are a part of our life story, not sad because they had to move on. “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your Heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?”
Matthew 6:25-27 https://www.biblegateway.com/passage?search=Matthew%206:25-27&version=NIV “Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.”
Jeremiah 29:12-13 https://www.biblegateway.com/passage?search=Jeremiah%2029:12-13&version=NIV
“Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever.”
Psalm 107:1
Happy Thanksgiving to you! This day is a day of celebration, family and a meal shared with family and friends. As a Christian it is also a day to thank God for all His gifts and to sincerely recognize who we belong to and to share the love of God with others. As I am writing this I am thinking about past Thanksgiving gatherings with my family, as a kid it was looking forward to spending the day with aunts and uncles, cousins and grandparents. The aroma of homemade foods lingering in the air and sneaking a taste of icing on a cake when no one was looking. It seemed every year my grandfather would always ask me to say Grace, I often felt it wasn’t fair that he never ask anyone else to say the blessing. Today, I am ever so thankful I was given that responsibility. Every year our family would use the local Lodge Hall for our Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners. It was an old wooden building that had creaky, slated floors and a bit of a cold draft in the winter. There was an old upright piano in one corner, none of us played but that didn’t keep us from banging on the keys. Those tradition faded as individual families began growing and children growing-up, and grandparents passed away. My family continued the Thanksgiving day meal with as many of us that could make it, my mom was always up before dawn making preparations for a feast. Homemade sage dressing, homemade yeast rolls, delicious chocolate sheet cake, green bean casserole, Turkey, scalloped corn, candied yams, deviled eggs, dad’s special oyster dressing and jellied cranberry to name a few(!). Things slowly change over time, not planned, it just happens. Families grow, marriages happen, children happen, loved ones pass away and before you know it traditions change again. My family continues the tradition of sharing a meal, the faces around the table changes from time to time but the purpose remains constant, being “thankful” for all the things we enjoy from year to year, watching families grow and remember those who are no longer with us and all the joy they gave us. My prayer is for God’s Love to be shared today with everyone around you. If you are alone, know that you are never alone, God is always with you. I am planning on striving for intentionality today to be thankful for everything and to be intentional in what I am asking God for. Often I find myself at prayer time asking God for things almost immediately when I pray and I usually gasp a little and tell myself, “Seriously…after all the things that God provided for me today…I start by asking for more(?)…I then readjust my thought process and specifically name the things that got me through the day because God was with me and provided. When was the last time you thanked God for clean drinking water(?) for shelter (?) for clothing (?)… I am so blessed and sometimes I forget just how blessed I am. My life is not perfect, I don’t always get things to go my way, I’m not rich, financially that is but I am rich is the saving grace of God. I have tough days, I get upset and angry at times, I sometimes get disappointed by people and things and yet with all these things “I AM BLESSED BEYOND IMAGINATION BECAUSE GOD LOVES ME AND WANTS ME IN HIS KINGDOM!” Wherever you are today and whatever you are doing this day, know this for certain…God Loves You!
“As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. You are my friends if you do what I command. I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you. This is my command: Love each other.
John 15:9-17 – https://www.biblegateway.com/passage?search=John%2015:9-17&version=NIV
Let There Be Peace and Let It Begin With Me.
DISCOVER 
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