The 12 Days of Christmas - Day 7

On the seventh day of Christmas
my true love sent to me:
   Seven Swans a Swimming
   Six Geese a Laying
   Five Golden Rings
   Four Calling Birds
   Three French Hens
   Two Turtle Doves
   and a Partridge in a Pear Tree

Seven Swans a Swimming = Seven Gifts of the Holy Spirit: 1) Prophecy, 2) Ministry, 3) Teaching, 4) Exhortation, 5) Giving, 6) Leading, and 7) Compassion

We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your faith; if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach; if it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; if it is to lead, do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully.  ROMANS 12:6-8

The Lord blesses us with gifts SO THAT we would bless others by using those gifts in a godly manner in such a way that the body of Christ is built up.  Ministry is about serving others.  God gives us these gifts to use and lead others to the giver of these good gifts.  

Each of us are created uniquely.  These gifts are like instruments in the hands of talented musicians.  Each one plays it a bit differently, and yet beautiful music is produced which expresses that particular musicians style and creativity.

Gifts are given with the hope that they will be appreciated and used.  A well-used gift brings joy to the giver.  Bring joy to the Lord by using the gifts He has so generously given you.

The 12 Days of Christmas - Day 6

On the sixth day of Christmas my true love sent to me:
   Six Geese a Laying
   Five Golden Rings
   Four Calling Birds
   Three French Hens
   Two Turtle Doves
   and a Partridge in a Pear Tree

Six Geese a Laying = Six Days of Creation
Confessing God as Creator and Sustainer of this World 


After each day of creation, God deemed the day as "good."  He was pleased with the outcome.  I was interested to discover that throughout the account of creation, there were only three major categories that were created:
1) the heavens and the earth - we could think of this as matter
2) every living creature - all the birds of the air, fish in the sea, and animals who exist on the ground
3) mankind, whom he created in His own image

I also discovered only one time in the creation account that the Lord said something was "not good" - “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.”  GENESIS 2:18

God is relational.  God is love. 1 JOHN 4:8  We were made for relationship.  Love expressed is intended to be returned.  It cannot be mandated or demanded, it can only be received and expressed reciprocally.  All of creation was a gift of love to humankind.  We return God's love by loving Him, caring for His creation, and loving the people he fashioned in His image.

In Martin Luther's Catechism, his teaching on each of the petition of the Lord's Prayer that says: “Give us this day our daily bread,” he asks 

"What does this mean?"
Answer: To be sure, God provides daily bread, even to the wicked, without our prayer, but we pray in this petition that God may make us aware of his gifts and enable us to receive our daily bread with thanksgiving.

What is meant by daily bread?
Answer: Everything required to satisfy our bodily needs, such as food and clothing, house and home, fields and flocks, money and property; a pious spouse and good children, trustworthy servants, godly and faithful rulers, good government; seasonable weather, peace and health, order and honor; true friends, faithful neighbors, and the like.

Thank you, Lord, for all the good gifts you give!

The 12 Days of Christmas - Day 5

On the fifth day of Christmas
my true love sent to me:
   Five Golden Rings
   Four Calling Birds
   Three French Hens
   Two Turtle Doves
   and a Partridge in a Pear Tree

Five Golden Rings = The First Five Books of the Old Testament, known as the Torah or the Pentateuch:
1) Genesis, 2) Exodus, 3) Leviticus, 4) Numbers, and 5) Deuteronomy 
These books tell the story of creation, mans fall from grace, and the promise of redemption.  

It's impossible to understand God's activity in our lives and in the world without understanding the whole story.  As I first came to know the Lord, I was putting lots of small pieces into place, but there was such a disconnect in my understanding of the Old Testament and the New Testament.  By God's grace, I persevered in reading, asking questions, praying and seeking to understand.  

The rich story of humanity is contained in these books!

We live with both the grace of God and the evidence of evil in our world.  We don't have to look very far to see that there are bad things in the world.  It is difficult in a world where everything is relative, to embrace a sense of absolutes.  Holiness is one these things. 

I can recall the first time I encountered the thought that I was a sinful person.  Everything in my being rebelled!  As I began to grasp the concept that God is Holy - - perfect and without sin - - I pieces of God's redemptive mission in the world began to take shape.   

If there had been nothing wrong, there would be no need for a savior.

These books help us understand the broken condition of humanity and God's plan for redeeming it.  God promised a savior from the moment sin entered the world and broke the relationship between the He and mankind.  God is love.  Love always acts for the good of another.

The Lord receives the blame for things that are not of His doing.

In the book of Leviticus, the Lord makes a promise that is partially fulfilled in that generation, truly fulfilled in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus, and ultimately fulfilled in eternity.  
I will put my dwelling place among you, and I will not abhor you.  I will walk among you and be your God, and you will be my people. LEVITICUS 26:11-12

On the day of Christ's birth, which we celebrate as Christmas, God entered the world and bodily walked among us.  The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.  JOHN 1:14  He came for the sole purpose of reconciling the relationship that was lost to sin.  God is FOR us, always working to restore, and not to destroy.

Take time to explore and understand the wonderful things 

the Lord has done and how dearly he loves you!

The 12 Days of Christmas - Day 4

  
On the fourth day of Christmas
my true love sent to me:
   Four Calling Birds
   Three French Hens
   Two Turtle Doves
   and a Partridge in a Pear Tree

Four Calling Birds = The Four Gospels:
1) Matthew, 2) Mark, 3) Luke, and 4) John

Have you ever tried to reach someone through some means of communication and not receive an answer?  You might have exciting personal news to share, or have something to give them, only to receive no response.  How about when communication is misunderstood?  

When I think of the Gospel, this is what seems to be all around...people misunderstanding the message, or just being non-responsive.  

God's Good news is reconciliation and restoration - - NOT condemnation!

The Gospel is the Good News of God's reconciliation of the world to Himself through Jesus Christ.  These four Gospels proclaim this message!  

Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.  ROMANS 5:7-8

It is the call of the "church," the body of Christ to proclaim this message.  This precious message of reconciliation is what Mission, Jesus Style is focused on.  Paul's expression to the Corinthian church is still relevant for us today:

For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again.

So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God. God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.  2 Corinthians 5:14-21

When you hear birds calling,
hear the love of God and His call to you to know Him, 

believe Him, and trust Him.

He loves you dearly!

The 12 Days of Christmas - Day 3

  
On the third day of Christmas
my true love sent to me:
   Three French Hens
   Two Turtle Doves
   and a Partridge in a Pear Tree

Three French Hens = three theological virtues:
1) Faith, 2) Hope, and 3) Love

FAITH.  There is a mystery to faith.  Faith is a belief in something or someone.  Faith stands in the gap between the reality of now and what one believes will happen in the future.  Faith takes work! 

The writer of Hebrews speaks of faith in this way:

Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.  HEBREWS 11:1 

Recently, someone said to me: "Faith is hard!  

It's hard to believe in someone that you cannot see."

There is always an object to faith - what or who are you believing in?  True faith is not a set of doctrines or tenants, but a relationship with the one who is faithful and trustworthy - - deserving of trust.  The LORD, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, is the one in whom we can fearlessly place our faith.

Know therefore that the Lord your God is God; he is the faithful God, keeping his covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love him and keep his commandments.  DEUTERONOMY 7:9

Relationships take work and time to develop. We live in a culture where we often allow others to shape our opinion.  Take time to know the Lord before dismissing His love or taking it for granted. 

HOPE.  What is it that you hope for?  Hopes can be short-termed or focused far into the future in this life and for eternity.  When it comes to eternity, in whose trust are you placing your soul?

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls.  1 PETER 1:3-9

LOVE.  When all is said and done, what remains?  The Lord says:

And now these three remain: faith, hope and love.
But the greatest of these is love. 

1 CORINTHIANS 13:13

Grief has taught me much about love. Love is always expressed in the context of a relationship, where love flows out and is reciprocated.  Whenever there is a break in a relationship, love ceases to flow.  When someone dies, we experience an ultimate break in that relationship.  As we experience this, our love continues to flow, but is unable to be reciprocated, and we grieve.  

The Lord's promise is that true life is lived in relationship with Him.  His love never fails!  His love is always reaching out, calling everyone to receive His love and reciprocate it.  

This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.

1 JOHN 4:10-12

God loves you!  This is the greatest gift of all!

The 12 Days of Christmas - Day 2

On the second day of Christmas
my true love sent to me:
Two Turtle Doves
and a Partridge in a Pear Tree

Two Turtle Doves = the Old and New Testaments of the Bible

The Holy Scriptures are meant for us to know the ways of the creator.  I once heard it said that Bible stands for:
Basic
 Instructions 
Before 
Leaving
Earth

The creator of all that exists has given us wide-lens perspective on life.  He created a world that was good and contained no brokenness.  Evil entered in and the Lord has been on a reconciliation and restoration ever since.

The Holy Scriptures, the Bible, help us know the creator, the immense love He has for his creation, and the hope he has to offer humankind.  His hope for those who know him is to act in ways that are consistent with His nature and character so that all people will come to know Him.

In Paul's second letter to Timothy, he writes that Timothy should "continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, and how from infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work." 2 TIMOTHY 3:14-17

The Word of God provides a precious means for knowing the Lord. As I grew to know Him through the Bible, I frequently encountered concepts that were contrary to the way I had previously thought.  With each encounter to the Lord's ways, I began to understand how tainted our worldly wisdom can be.  I grew to understand the depth of His grace and His hope for mankind.  

Spend time in the Word of God and ask the Lord for understanding.  He is faithful to provide!

The 12 Days of Christmas

During these twelve days between the time we celebrate the birth of Jesus on Christmas Day, and the time we celebrate the Wise Men visiting on Epiphany, the liturgical church celebrates the season of Christmas.  The 12 Days of Christmas provide a way to explore some basic teachings of the Christian faith.

On the 12th day of Christmas my true love
sent to me:
     Twelve Drummers Drumming
     Eleven Pipers Piping
     Ten Lords a Leaping
     Nine Ladies Dancing
     Eight Maids a Milking
     Seven Swans a Swimming
     Six Geese a Laying
     Five Golden Rings
     Four Calling Birds
     Three French Hens
                                                                                Two Turtle Doves                                                                                                                                   and a Partridge in a Pear Tree

There are differences of opinions about the origin and meaning of this song.  However, for these twelve days, we'll explore the references that point to elements of the Christian faith.

Growing up, part of my family was of Eastern Orthodox tradition.  My immediate family celebrated Christmas only as a secular holiday, so it was years later that I began to understand the meaning of the religious traditions I experienced as a child with my Armenian grandparents. 

The Eastern and Western Christian traditions recognize different religious calendars, so my Armenian grandparents always celebrated Christmas on January 6.  The church body in which I now worship and serve follows a liturgical calendar, which provides a rich framework for teaching the faith.  

On the 1st day of Christmas my true love gave to me...

A Partridge in a Pear Tree.

The first day of Christmas is celebrated on December 25, remembering the day of Christ's birth.  

My true love = God himself, not an earthly suitor

Me = those who have received the gift of faith from the Lord

The Partridge = Jesus Christ, the Son of God.

Christmas!  The day Christians celebrate the day God entered His creation as a man, born of a virgin, as foretold in the Scriptures, to save the people from sin.  

This stanza may be a reference to Jesus's response to the Pharisees:

Jerusalem, Jerusalem, killer of prophets,
        abuser of the messengers of God!
How often I've longed to gather your children,
        gather your children like a hen,
Her brood safe under her wings—
        but you refused and turned away!  LUKE 13:34 (The Message)

I hear the longing of God expressed in these words; the desire of God for His creation know Him as the loving creator and redeemer.  It also expresses sadness as a result of those who turn away and refuse... 

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.  JOHN 3:16 (NIV)

God loved   AND   God gave

“This is how much God loved the world: He gave his Son, his one and only Son. And this is why: so that no one need be destroyed; by believing in him, anyone can have a whole and lasting life. God didn’t go to all the trouble of sending his Son merely to point an accusing finger, telling the world how bad it was. He came to help, to put the world right again. Anyone who trusts in him is acquitted; anyone who refuses to trust him has long since been under the death sentence without knowing it. And why? Because of that person’s failure to believe in the one-of-a-kind Son of God when introduced to him.  JOHN 3:16-18 (The Message)

For those who have received the gift, the Lord also calls into His mission to share this gift.  This is Mission, Jesus style.  To know the Lord, to know and take on His nature and character in such a way that our lives reflect the gift of love we've received.  

God's gift is love!

Receive the gift!

Respond in love!

Christmas Day

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. ISAIAH 9:6 

There is so much richness in this one verse!  

The promised Christ child is born, a son is given... given by God as the one who will build the family name... the family of God.
The government will be on his shoulders... the place where the burdens of the world are placed... he will shoulder the burden of sin for all of humankind.

And what shall we call Him?

Wonderful Counsellor - - an adviser.  The one who created all now steps into His broken, yet precious, creation to help us know how to relate to Him, each other, and His creation.
Mighty God - - powerful and valiant (bold, brave, and courageous) and Almighty God!  
Everlasting Father - - a father who lives in perpetuity... for eternity. 
Prince of Peace - - a prince... the head person leading.  Peace = Shalom - - completeness, soundness, well-being.   

Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.  ISAIAH 7:14

How precious this day is when we've waited in
expectant anticipation for the coming of the savior!  

The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

(John testified concerning him. He cried out, saying, “This is the one I spoke about when I said, ‘He who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.’”) Out of his fullness we have a received grace in place of grace already given. For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is himself God and is in closest relationship with the Father, has made him known.  JOHN 1:1-18

Today, we celebrate the day that God came to us!  And we remember...

God always comes down. 

God always comes down.

There is never anything that we can ever do

to turn that arrow around and make our way UP to God.  

God came down in Jesus.

And God still comes down, in the bread and in the wine,

in the water and in the fellowship of believers.

God ALWAYS comes down.

Today, and every day, remember that the Lord who created you loves you beyond measure! 

I lift up my eyes to the mountains—
    where does my help come from?
My help comes from the Lord,
    the Maker of heaven and earth.

He will not let your foot slip—
    he who watches over you will not slumber;
indeed, he who watches over Israel
    will neither slumber nor sleep.

The Lord watches over you—
    the Lord is your shade at your right hand;
the sun will not harm you by day,
    nor the moon by night.

The Lord will keep you from all harm—
    he will watch over your life;
the Lord will watch over your coming and going

    both now and forevermore.  PSALM 121

Shalom, you are dearly loved!

Advent Day 19 - A Willing Heart

Week of JOY

In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.”

Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.”

“How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?”

The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be unable to conceive is in her sixth month. For no word from God will ever fail.”

“I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May your word to me be fulfilled.” Then the angel left her.  LUKE 1:26-38

As I read this account, I often try to imagine the scene... where Mary was and what she was doing.  We have no details other than she was in Nazareth, her home town.  I imagine her about her daily tasks and suddenly everything changes when the Angel of the Lord appears!

What always strikes me in the passage is Mary's readiness to serve the Lord.  She knew Him. She knew His promises.  Her response was not full of excuses - - it was one of readiness to step into the calling that the Lord presented.  

In what ways are we prepared and ready to respond
so willingly when the Lord breaks into our routine? 

This interaction doesn't detail all that would happen in the years to come.  Mary knew the Lord's word and trusted Him with her heart.  She willingly stepped into all the risks and unknowns!

This song, "Mary Did You Know?" says so much.  

Advent is a time when we prepare for the
Lord's entrance into the story of humanity. 

Don't miss the opportunity to prepare for Him
to enter into the story of each of our lives as well.  

Are you ready to say "I am your servant?"

Advent Day 18 - Prepare the Way

Week of JOY

“I will send my messenger, who will prepare the way before me. Then suddenly the Lord you are seeking will come to his temple; the messenger of the covenant, whom you desire, will come,” says the Lord Almighty.  MALACHI 3:1-2

Prepare...

We prepare for many things in life...  school...  athletic events...   musical performances...  interviews...  important events...

In this season of advent, the year is 2013.  We await the celebration of the birth of the Messiah and remember God's faithfulness.  He had been promised long ago and arrived just as God promised. 

Advent is a season that reminds us to prepare for the coming of the Lord - - the coming of His birth - - and His second coming in the fullness of God's time.

God's consistent faithfulness in the past gives us assurance of his faithfulness in the future.  The things he has promised that have not yet been fulfilled.  We can trust that what the Lord says is true and He ALWAYS does what He says He will do!

We live in a culture that no longer waits patiently.  

There is JOY in waiting and preparing for good things to come!

But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day.  The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.  2 PETER 3:8-9

Let the season of Advent be a reminder of to wait expectantly and in so doing, 

prepare for the relationship with Jesus that will last for eternity!  

Advent Day 17 -Being Sought After

Week of JOY

The Lord is searching...

“‘For this is what the Sovereign Lord says: I myself will search for my sheep and look after them.  As a shepherd looks after his scattered flock when he is with them, so will I look after my sheep. I will rescue them from all the places where they were scattered on a day of clouds and darkness.  EZEKIEL 34:11-12

Imagine being pursued and courted by someone who loves you and desires your love in return.  This is the story of romance.  This is God's story for humanity!

The Lord is searching for his precious people.  His foremost desire is that all people would come to know Him.  It's as if we're buried under the rubble after a massive earthquake and the Lord is searching...calling out...waiting for a response...

Rejoice!  The rescue team has arrived!

The Lord "wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.  For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all people. This has now been witnessed to at the proper time." 1 TIMOTHY 2:4-6 

In the season of Advent, we are waiting and anticipating the birth of the king!  This king is not merely sitting upon His mighty throne, he is in the rubble searching.  

Every person is being sought after!

The Lord of creation calls out...and when we answer...there is rejoicing in the heavenly realms!

Then...the Lord says:
They will be called the Holy People,
    the Redeemed of the Lord;
and you will be called Sought After,

    the City No Longer Deserted.  ISAIAH 62:12

It's the third week of Advent... the king is coming!

Respond and Rejoice!

Advent Day 16 - Rejoice! Rejoice!

Week of JOY

The third week of Advent is focused on joy...rejoicing.

The Advent wreath typically features a pink candle during this week of rejoicing!

How beautiful on the mountains
    are the feet of those who bring good news,
who proclaim peace,
    who bring good tidings,
    who proclaim salvation,
who say to Zion,
    “Your God reigns!”   ISAIAH 52:7

Mountains are representing nations - - where people from different tribes and races will hear the Good News.  People who have received the Good News...God's loving-kindness, His grace that brings us back into a right relationship with Him...proclaim it to all the nations!  This Good News is available to all.  God says "receive my gift!"  

...and I give thanks that God came down as Jesus, the Messiah, to be the ultimate sacrifice for the sin of the world.  I give thanks for the Good News that God did not leave humanity in her desperation, but in compassion and love, did what humankind was unable to do for themselves.  This is certainly Good News!

Just as Jesus became part of humankind and shared the Good News,
those who have received this Good News now share it with others!

Generations have been rejoicing at the Good News of Jesus Christ, Savior of the Nations!

"Rejoice, rejoice! Emmanuel. Shall come to you O Israel."

Israel - the literal meaning is "one who struggles with God."
He welcomes the struggle, and when we yield to God, He gives us peace.

Rejoice this week!

Advent Day 13 - For ever and ever...

Week of PEACE

Your throne, O God, will last for ever and ever;
    a scepter of justice will be the scepter of your kingdom.  PSALM 45:6

The Hebrew word used for God in this passage is Elohim, meaning the strong one, the supreme God.  This same reference is used in Genesis: In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.  It is stated in the plural, not referencing multiple gods; rather  indicating plurality within the Godhead - Father, Son & Holy Spirit.

..."for ever and ever" points us to time that is concealed, past and future, beyond what we know as "time."  It presses us to know that there is something beyond what can be fully seen in this world.

Father, Son & Holy Spirit...

 ALL present at creation and reigning for eternity!

Can you hear the assurance Jesus is giving to His disciples and to us when He says:

“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. 

In this world you will have trouble. 

But take heart! I have overcome the world.”  JOHN 16:33 

God continually gives us temporal illustrations of eternal truths!  A scepter...a ceremonial or emblematic staff held by a royal representative that represents divine power. 

Divine power, bringing justice... making everything right...straight...even!  He will make it right, and pleasant, and prosperous in His kingdom. The consistency of his faithfulness in the past gives us assurance for His faithfulness in the future.   We're called to trust that He will do everything He promises to do!  

Trust in the Lord with all your heart
    and lean not on your own understanding;
in all your ways submit to him,
    and he will make your paths straight.
Do not be wise in your own eyes;

    fear the Lord and shun evil.  PROVERBS 3:5-7

He promised peace in Him, not necessarily peacefulness in this broken world.  Waiting is often hard.  This season of Advent is a reminder that we are still waiting for the promises of God that are still "not yet."  This time of waiting begs us to trust in the Lord with all our hearts and lean not on our own understanding.  

In receiving His grace, we receive the keys to the kingdom...the now-in-part, and the not-quite-yet kingdom to come.  Hear it as we pray:

Our Father, who art in heaven
hallowed be thy name.
Thy kingdom come,
thy will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven...  MATTHEW 6:9-11

 Receive the PEACE of the Lord and share it with someone on earth today!

Advent Day 12 - Acts of Kindness

Week of PEACE

Shalom - completeness, soundness, well-being.

What are the small ways that we can bring elements of Shalom to our neighbors?

We've had back to back snow / ice / snow events this week.  It was just beautiful this afternoon, but then the work of clearing the walkway and driveway awaits!

Our neighbors are away, so while the rest of the neighborhood has cleared driveways, this one was still untouched.  The temperatures are due to drop, so tonight's soft snow will by tomorrow's icy  glaze.  My husband  and I cleared their driveway and walkway, so that as they arrived home late at night, they would not be burdened with that task.

Do to others as you would have them do to you. LUKE 6:31

We had the same blessing in 2009, the day we moved our son home upon completing a master's degree from college, during a blizzard in December.  This was the kind of blizzard that shut down major highways.  We were traveling through a mountain valley with a trailer in tow...not good!  The normal 6 hour drive took over 10 grueling hours, landing us at our home about midnight. 

Much to our surprise, our driveway had been cleared!  My brother-in-law and a dear friend had come to deliver this blessing for very weary travelers!

A friend wrote on his Facebook today: 

If you are going to do something nice make sure it proclaims Jesus 

We never know what small acts of kindness may open doors.  

Advent Day 11 - Weighted Down

Week of PEACE

The heavens opened two days and delivered the first frozen blessings of winter.  We received about 6 inches of snow topped by ice first, topped by another 3-4 inches of snow.  

Behind my home is a grove of white pines that stand 40-50 feet tall.  The boughs were hanging low from the weight of snow and ice that had accumulated.  Some were pinned to the ground from so much extra weight!

Do you ever feel like that?  

Where the cares,concerns and the burdens of life are weighing you down?  

Do you ever feel like your just pinned down and stuck?  

Then I heard it...

SNAP...crack, crack, crack... THUD!  

High up on one of the trees a limb snapped and took out a few more branches on the way down.  

Jesus says, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”  MATTHEW 11:28-30

During this week focused on PEACE, the weighted and the broken branches were a reminder of what happens when we carry more than we're meant to.  The regular matters of life can mount up, one upon another, and if we don't pay attention we're burdened, sometimes to the point of snapping and even taking others down with us.

Conflict, finances, grief, unforgiveness, physical pain, illness...
these can all weigh us down.  

Jesus' promise is that He will give us rest.  Our part is trusting Him enough to give Him our burdens. 

Just before Jesus arrest, he gave His disciples a realistic perspective that is important for us to remember also:  “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”  JOHN 16:33

Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.  1 PETER 5:7

Advent Day 10 - Uncontainable Joy!

Week of PEACE

Shout for joy to God, all the earth!
    Sing the glory of his name;
    make his praise glorious.
Say to God, “How awesome are your deeds!
    So great is your power
    that your enemies cringe before you.
All the earth bows down to you;
    they sing praise to you,
    they sing the praises of your name.”
Come and see what God has done,
    his awesome deeds for mankind!
He turned the sea into dry land,
    they passed through the waters on foot—
    come, let us rejoice in him.
He rules forever by his power,
    his eyes watch the nations—
    let not the rebellious rise up against him.  PSALM 66:1-7

Shout in triumphant joy, all the earth!  

In this passage the Lord is calling all the inhabitants of the world that are capable of praising him, to do just that...imagine an ear-splitting burst that signifies triumph!  

This kind of joy comes from within...
bursting forth with every ounce of emotion that can be outwardly expressed.  

Those that have been in the trenches, participating in what the Lord is doing, are unable to contain this kind of joy!



We live in a media-hyped culture.  Magazine pages, airwaves, and the internet are filled with all kinds of information, good and bad, about the celebrities of our time.  It's easy to know a lot about a person, without actually knowing him or her.  It's the epitome of gossip! 

You might be wondering..."where did that come from?"  

The Lord is calling us to know him, personally...to join Him in bestowing grace to the world, to be witnesses to His wonderful deeds, so that when we share with others, it comes through as sheer joy!  When we're excited about something, people can sense it and are eager to hear. 

This kind of

"I have something so exciting to tell you, that I can hardly contain myself"

joy is contagious!

It's the kind of joy I think about expressed in they hymn "Angels We Have Heard on High"