Is Christmas Over?

Another Christmas has come and gone Let's talk of what we’ve seen. 

      The angels sang of Jesus birth, 

announcing peace to all the earth. 

Shepherds ran to see the son, 

the promised, long awaited one.

We stop to ponder Jesus birth and sing of glorious peace on earth, we praise the baby in the hay and pause to celebrate the day - 

and then we pack it all away.

 The trees and lights and treasures fair, we put the crèche with Jesus there. And for one more year we put away the trappings of that special day. 

But, if we this year instead, take Jesus from his manger bed 

and see the holy life He led,

then watch the Son of God and see Him die upon that cursed tree. 

If we do -

then Christmas might be just the start 

of Jesus living in our hearts. 

Has this season of concentrating on the birth of my Savior made a difference? Tomorrow, when I start to “undecorate” my house, I will not be putting Jesus away for another year. This year, as I looked at Christ’s birth in a different way, I found so much more about God to worship and to love. He will not be living in a box in the attic; he will be living in my heart. 

We read in Galatians 2:20  

I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. 

 

Today, I'd like to show you a picture that could have been ...

On a hillside he sits, alone in a crowd,

his tears sketch a picture of gloom.

On his heart there’s an old heavy burden

‘cause his mind is forever replaying

the words he remembers saying

those terrible words, “There’s no room.”

Yes, he offered his stable, the manger and hay,

but he gave not his best to the Savior that day,

and he fears that the Father in heaven will say

those same awful words

“There’s no room.”

On that hillside he sits, still alone, still remembering

The crowd is silent and still - the Master is speaking

of the love of the Father and the hope He can give.

Christ knows of the man’s heavy burden,

the crippling fear and the heartache,

so He  looks at that man as He utters

those beautiful words

“I forgive.”

I’m the one who was born in your stable that day

when my mother and Joseph had nowhere to stay.

You gave safety and warmth with the shelter and hay.

Without knowing the outcome 

“You made room.”

You made room in your stable and room in your heart.

Small acts can have great value too.

Go home and be comforted - cast guilt aside,

and remember how much I love you.

There are rooms in God’s mansion and room in his heart,

in a place to refresh and renew.

God offered that room

when He gave his own Son

to be born and to die just for you.

Peace and forgiveness, comfort and love, are yours 

because

Jesus was born 2000 years ago

and He lives eternally. 

Peace and Forgiveness are such beautiful words.  I can’t begin to think about Christmas without thinking about the forgiveness and love that Jesus brought to the world.  It’s so personal to me.

Of course, if you read the Bible's account of the birth of Jesus, you won't find this story there.  You won't even find a reference to the innkeeper.  But I found this story in my heart, in my imagination.  Most likely because it could have been.  

The innkeeper is a person who, in my imagination, carries with him all of the worry and guilt that so many of us harbor in our minds and hearts.  He tells himself all of the things he thinks he should have known - he should have done.  

We do that sometimes – the “should haves” hold us captive.  We know that the good that we do is not good enough.  We spend our time in gloom.  Our minds are continually replaying our past and believing that even the small good things we have done are not pleasing to God.  

The innkeeper in this story did something good.  Maybe his heart wasn’t totally in it.  Maybe he knew that he really should have been more caring.  So he continually beat himself up over the fact that it was such a small thing to do.

We forget that we don’t have a right to harbor unforgiveness in our hearts, for other people but also for ourselves.  If God can forgive us, can we believe our standards are higher than his?  

We can be comforted by the fact that there is room in God’s heart for us.  God will never say, “no room.”  

Jesus said; 

“ In my Father’s house are many rooms, if it were not so I would have told you.  I am going there to prepare a place for you…. I will come back and take you with me.”

(John 14:2)

 

I was once asked this question, “If you had been there in Bethlehem,  would you have known the Christ child when you saw Him?”

Consider this story of the watcher.

I watch there in the stable yard and see not far away,

a gentle mother kiss her child and place Him on the hay.

I see the father touch her face.  I see his look of pride

in the woman's strength and tenderness, 

his wife, his love, his bride.

I see the love shine in his eyes, for the baby lying there, 

his face, a mask of wonder, as he touches silky hair.

And I wonder at that young man’s smile, 

and I wonder 

what God had planned, 

for the little family staying there –

the child,

the woman, 

the man. 

But, I wander down the road again.  A hillside comes in view, 

I see shepherds, watching quiet sheep.  I’m the watcher,  watching too.

Then as I stand there at the scene, 

the heavens burst with light.

Mighty beings with wings of gold 

illuminate the night.

And the chieftain of this angel band roars out across the skies,

“Fear not!” he says, “Be not afraid!” 

Trembling, I close my eyes.

“Behold I bring glad tidings! 

Behold the time has come!  

For unto you is born this night, your Savior, 

God’s own Son.”

And then he spoke about the child and where He could be found 

 in a stable back in Bethlehem - 

and then

I looked 

down 

at 

the 

ground.

‘Cause then I knew the answer to the 

question asked of me.  

For I had been a watcher at his birth, 

and didn’t see.

As we celebrate this Christmas - as we gather round the tree, may we never be the watcher who looks, but doesn’t see. 

Consider the watcher – looking around, walking the road, observant?   We’re all watchers at times.  We walk through our lives watching the world around us.  But do we actually see?  Do we look beneath the “scene” and see what is really there?

In the poem, the watcher saw Jesus and Mary and Joseph, but she didn’t really see.  It wasn’t until the angels pointed out what was happening in Bethlehem that her eyes were opened.

Let's look for God’s hand in the events, the “scenes”, of our lives.  Let's look into the faces of the people that we meet.  God expects us to be his hands to his people.  We cannot help if we do not see the need.

If we look beneath the surface of the Christmas story; we'll see there the mighty love of God.  Look for Him, and you will find Him.

“Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfector of our faith.”  (Hebrews 12:2)

In The fullness of Time

 From a formless void - the words of God
thundered creation in!

The universe split,

the stars blinked alive,
and time was about to begin.

From a timeless place
the works of God
became constrained by time and by space.
The seasons, the years,
and the minutes and days were then given to us by God’s grace.

From the mind of God, a world came alive,
designed and controlled by the King.
The land, and the sea, and the bird, and the beast,
are born,
and the world starts to sing.

But
from this sinless world, the man, made by God,
who was formed with a touch of God’s hand,
walked away from his God at a moment in time,
and caused sin to enter the land.

Then
From His gracious heart
the God of love determined there would be a way
to bring back mankind,
so He set forth a plan,
and He scheduled the hour and the day.

“When the fullness of time had come, God sent his Son, made of a woman, made under the law to redeem those that were under the law that we might receive the adoption of sons.”  (Galatians 4:4 KJV) 

Joy! Where does it come from?

    Dear friends, the Bible study I've been attending focused on joy this past week.  I thought I'd reflect on that.

    Psalm16:11

You make known to me the path of life;
    you will fill me with joy in your presence,
    with eternal pleasures at your right hand. 

True Joy only in His presence
True Joy on our earthly path.

True Joy we can reach and hold, eternally. 
 
When we wake in the morning and begin every day
by counting our blessings and kneeling to pray,
and giving up thoughts that breed discontent,
and accepting what comes as a gift – heaven sent;
then giving up wishing for things we have not
and making the most of whatever we’ve got
 
It’s only by knowing life’s pathways displayed
by our heavenly Father.  The map has been made.

Our Joy rains from heaven, it’s sent from above
then we bask in God’s presence and rest in His love.
And there’s joy in the reading of His ancient bard’s song
As we hear crystal melodies break with the dawn.
 
Yes, there’s real joy in God’s presence,
true joy on the way,
Holy joy we can hold
When God unwraps our day.

 

There is a Light Behind Those Clouds

Clouds  - They might be ominous rolling black clouds, heavy, air-filling grey clouds, or small white ones that blot out just a little bit of the sun.  All of them can hover over our lives and make us uncomfortable, worried, sad, or angry.

I  am sometimes overwhelmed by the power of the pain, the loss, the worries that others face – and I  want to fix it!  I expect that's true for you as well.

We want to fix things, but mostly we can’t.  

When it’s me, and I hurt, or when it’s you, and I see you hurt, I want to do something.  When our daughter was very young, she would always say “Suzy do it” and stamp her foot. Sometimes I'm like that, but  most of the time I can't do anything about the hurt.

So what do I do?  I need to remember that I'm not seeing what is behind other people's clouds either.  I'm not seeing the sun that God is shining just beyond or above these dear people - not seeing the  sunshine, because often my focus in just on the cloud.  

I will continue to care.  I’ll continue to want to fix it, but I can’t do it alone and neither can anyone else.  Even with us all together, loving each other, helping each other, we can’t erase the clouds.

But,

What if we were to take that pack of troubles, our troubles, and the things that trouble our loved ones, and each day, each minute, leave one piece in the care of God, our Father?  How would it be if we were to, each day, talk to Him about the pain and the worry, and leave one piece there in His hands.  

What then?  Maybe we would be able to peek around those clouds and see the sun, see the light.

Jesus is that light.

In John 8:12 Jesus said, I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in Me should remain in darkness.

We can rest.

In Deuteronomy 31:8 we read "The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.”

Rest 

In the arms of the only one who CAN do all things

 

 Oh what a beautiful season.  

Today we woke to a light blanket of snow covering the fallen Autumn leaves.  The beautiful mums were still startling us with their vibrant colors of yellow, white and fuchsia.  Two tall oaks across the way brought bright orange and red to the canvas that was being spotlighted with the morning sun.  God is quite the artist, isn’t he?

He made it all.  Do you wonder why God gives us the eyes to see His creation and the hearts to appreciate it?  Maybe because He loves us?

God spoke His love to me today
in fluffy clouds and new mown hay,
in mountain's towering peaks that rise
from gentle plains to ice blue skies.
 
In flowers shouting loud and clear
their colors bright with dew drops tear,
in tall green trees that wave, and sway,
in the gentle breeze they softly say
"God's showing love to you today."
 
Glowing coals from evening's fire
Red flames leaping ever higher
Sparkling snow on winter night
The old moon casting icy light
Crystal streams that leap and roar
and soothe a throat that's dry and sore 

In all these things my heart can say
"God's showing love to me today."
 
But you also show His love – because He gave you a heart of love.
 
In gentle hands that help and bear
and tears that come from eyes that care,
in family's love and loyalty
God shows his mighty Love to me.
 
In words that come from deep within
the loving heart of a dear friend,
a pat, a hug, a tender touch
that says, "I love you, oh so much."
Dear ones, in what you do and say,
God shows HIS precious love today. 

Thank you, friends.

 

And Thank YOU Almighty, Holy Father for loving us so well.

 

^{"God shows" - By Diane 1995}

 Dear friends

Somedays I find myself wondering about whether to keep writing at this stage of my life.  But I expect that I'll continue as long as the Lord gives me the strength and the will to express the love I have for Him and the gratitude that overwhelms me when I remember His love. 

As long as the memories come - memories of times that He answered prayers, I will write of God's love.  Those remembered times, those specific prayers cannot be counted.  God heard the prayers for my husband's life, for assurance that a tiny bit of faith is enough for a particular season of great doubt, for comfort and strength for my children on many terribly painful occasions, and for the dream that I would one day know a special one has claimed Jesus as his Lord.  I prayed for peace when there seemed to be nothing but chaos, and for easing of pain for dear friends.  Many things big and small come to mind, yes, even our son's lost dog - found at a time of his life when it made a difference.  

These are memories of God hearing, answering, comforting, and changing situations and sometimes even changing my heart and my prayer.

The gratitude I have for my Savior goes beyond specific answers to prayer, but gratitude for His love and care brings  a feeling almost of pain to my heart.  The knowledge that He would even know or care for us, for all these flawed, sinful children of His, is overwhelming.  And the thought that He would care enough to become a man and live in our shoes, in our world, to endure all of the happenings that affect us day by day, and to know us as our brother as well as our Savior and our God, is nothing less than amazing.

And He did it all because He is the author of love.

To remember

The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end;  Lamentations 3:22

 His love has no limits, His grace has no measure,

His power no boundary known unto men;

For out of His infinite riches in Jesus

He giveth, and giveth, and giveth again.

From Anne J. Flint's song about God's  Love and grace.

Copyright Public Domain

It's all about

Is it all about me?

Is it all about we?

Is it all about what I see?

Is it all about if I'm free?

I think not.  I believe it's all about - the key.

A key is something that allows access, it helps you open something locked or hidden away.  

My question today is, "What is the key?"  What will  open my heart and mind to the purpose that God has for the rest of my life.  What will open my heart and mind to the changes I must make in my thinking, my vision, and my freedom?

I heard a podcast this morning discussing basically the way we see ourselves and others - the boxes we put ourselves and others into - to display.  Am I the town, the race, the culture, the station in life that I was born to?  Maybe, partly, but there is more.

This is the key.  We are more than that.  We are God's creation, His idea, His design, and His Children.  And as such I am not a "we" "I'm not just what you see" "I'm not completely free." But I am "me."  

God has each one of us on His mind.  And He has provided a key - a way to open our hearts and minds to His purpose, to His family, to His forgiveness.  There are places in our lives that require the same key to open different doors.

I'm not a perfect me, but, knowing this is "key."

I'm a child of The King and The King cares for me.  

That key is found in different places, but today my wonderful husband opened the Bible to Romans 8:1-15 and read it all to me - I've picked out a few verses that may speak to you as well.

"So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. And because you belong to him, the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you from the power of sin that leads to death."

"And Christ lives within you, so even though your body will die because of sin.  The Spirit gives you life because you have been made right with God. The Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from the dead, lives in you."

"For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God."

"So you have not received a spirit that makes you fearful slaves. Instead, you received God’s Spirit when He adopted you as his own children.   Now we call him, “Abba, Father." For his Spirit joins with our spirit to affirm that we are God’s children."

And as my husband told me this morning, 

God will NOT un-adopt us.  I love that.

I pray that you will hear God's voice today.

Diane

Do you believe those signs?

Do you see the signs, read the advertisements, or hear the chants of our culture proclaiming 

   I can do "anything" if I work hard enough!  

Although I don’t believe for a minute that those words are always true, let’s pretend they are.  But maybe before doing whatever the “anything” is, we should be asking…

What truly is my purpose?
Why am I here?
Why am I me?
And if that is not clear -

Let’s think thoughts together, beginning with life.
Consider creation.
Consider relations.
Consider our loved ones’ comfort and strife.

Consider our maker, the God of it all,
the one who created the big and the small.
Ask why He designed us
and caused us to be.
Ask why, and reflect then, 
Why am I me?

I am convinced that the Bible tells us the answer to mankind’s purpose on this earth.  And to be more explicit, it tells me what my purpose is on this earth, and in this life.  

God’s word explains it.

Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man.  Ecclesiastes 12:13 ESV

O nations of the world, recognize the Lord,
recognize that the Lord is glorious and strong.
Give to the Lord the glory he deserves!
Bring your offering and come into his presence.
Worship the Lord in all his holy splendor.  
1 Chronicles 16:28–29 NLT

“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.  
This is the great and first commandment.  
And the second is like it:  You shall love your neighbor as yourself. Matthew 21:37-39 (NIV)

So let’s align our lives to God’s will, 
and we may accomplish much 
with His help
and for His glory.

Know that 
the only reason we can think about God
is because he is thinking about us.

What does the Bible call Him?

 

I’ve been looking at the names of God in the Bible lately. There are many web sites and several experts who choose different names or descriptions, as names to identify God.  But there are a few of those names that paint and leave pictures in my mind.

The use of Elohim, El Shaddai, Adonai and others, speak about characteristics or traits of our wonderful God.  Another is El Olam from Psalm 90:1-2.  The meaning seems to be "Everlasting God," or "God without a beginning or an end." I love that.  To quote one writer, it means “free from all constraints of time.”  Psalm 90:1-2 speaks

El Olam (Lord)

You have been our refuge in every generation. Before the mountains were born, before you gave birth to the earth and the world, from eternity to eternity, 

You are God. 

The Psalmist didn’t say, “you were God.” 

He said, “You are God.”  

There was No change here!

God didn’t used to be. 

HE IS. 

In our “time constrained” world, it’s especially comforting to understand that time is NOT an issue for God.  

When questioned about His status in time, Jesus told the people in John 8:58 (HCSB) “I assure you: Before Abraham was. I AM.  He said again, "I AM", not I was, or used to be. 

The Bible refers to Him as the beginning and the end – Alpha and Omega.

“I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty.”  Revelation 1:8 (NIV)

Many times we worry about things in our own lives, our health or risks, or tomorrow.  But in Jesus’ sermon on the mountain, (Matthew 6:27) He asks the question, “Why do you worry?”  He said, “Can anyone of you, by worrying, add a single hour to your life?” 

Time is in God’s hands, He made it.  He controls it.  We can stop watching the clock or the calendar – God is in control and He is going before you, and walking with you.

 The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.” Deuteronomy 31:8 (NIV)

 

Slippery and Uncertain

 

If I should say, “My foot has slipped,”

Your faithfulness, Lord, will support me.

When my anxious thoughts are many

Your comfort delights my soul.

Psalm 94:18-19 NASB

Have you ever lived in a place where winter storms would cover your world with ice and snow?  Sometimes our lives are like that - slippery and uncertain, like trying to navigate a long icy sidewalk or find your way out of the forest. 

Do you feel like the world you used to understand and accept no longer gives you a firm, sure place to stand or to walk?

This Psalm writer knows what to do when life is a slippery sidewalk.  He reaches out and holds on to the one - the only one - who can and will support him. 

He writes about how God will steady him, not just once, but always.  The writer speaks of God’s faithfulness - God, who is always faithful, trustworthy, and never failing,

God can and will support us always.

God is always at our side.  He is El Roi – “the God who sees me.”  He sees you when things are going well, and He catches you when the ice storm comes. 

But how can I know that He will hold me up?

God's Spirit tells us. (That’s where the second part of this verse comes in.)  “When my anxious thoughts are many, Your comfort delights my soul.” 

I’m not sure that “delights” is a word I would use, but the writer of this Psalm knew what he personally felt.  My words might be that God’s comfort “stills” my soul.  The feelings I have when I’m anxious really need the soothing touch of God’s care to calm and hold me. My anxious heart needs the comforting Spirit's touch.

God’s faithfulness does support us if we call out to Him, if we hold on to Him, and, I know we can trust Him when our world slips out from under us.

Isn’t it amazing how God’s people continue to speak to our hearts with words from the scriptures?  God is so good.

He has promised!

Have you ever thought about all the ways God has said He would walk this life with us?  The Bible speaks of God’s promises and His care for His children.

 Let’s take a walk in our minds. I picture this.

We walk on a mountain path, or our neighborhood, or any place we’re familiar with – a place we love – sometimes we’re alone or maybe strolling with a dear friend. The scent of the flowers and the song of our beautiful world welcomes us. We bask in the sunshine and walk that path feeling healthy and strong.  It’s a wonderful world!

I believe that most of us have taken walks, or hikes that have begun beautifully like that, but didn’t turn out to be at all like my picture. Yes, most of us have found walks through life that, instead of joy, bring disappointment and pain. 

The stroll down the path of our life may end up taking a wrong turn.  We may become lost in an area or a situation that we don’t know how to get out of, or even understand.  It could happen that our friends desert us. Silence greets us when we call for help – there is no one to listen.  We’re left totally alone. 

Or we may start out in the beautiful sunshine and end up in the middle of a thunderstorm with lightning searing the world around us. We find ourselves in the middle of a crisis that we were not ready for.  

Or we’ve always been healthy and feeling just fine, but on that road, something attacks our lives and we become weak and faint.  We can’t go on.  We are helpless. 

What then - when we’re alone, lost, helpless and unprepared? 

Listen to God’s encouraging reply. 

The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you.  Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.  Deuteronomy 31:8 

He said, I’m going before you, checking the path, and then I’m going to be there, right along-side of you – with you.  I’ll always be there with you, I’ll never, never leave you.  Oh my child, don’t be afraid, don’t be discouraged with your life, your walk, your path.  I’m here.  Can’t you hear me?  I’m here! 

Again He replies. 

Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. Jeremiah 29:12 

He said, I hear you!  Not just that, I’m listening when you talk to me.  I watch your face.  I see your tears.  I feel the heaving of your sobs.  When you cry out to me, I hear your voice, I hear your heart, your hurt and your troubles.  I hear you!                     

God tells us. 

So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.  Isaiah 41:10 

He said, I am strong enough for both of us.  I know you don’t have the strength to go on, but I do, and I will impart my strength to you.  I will help you.  You know you need my help.  I won’t just pick you up, I will hold you up. 

He will hold us, strengthen us, walk with us, and love us.  We have no reason to spend our lives in fear.

Love, Diane