Silent Night?

 

Silent Night!
Holy Night! 

Does this song speak to you?
Or is the commotion in your world pulling you along
on its frantic, ear-splitting rush to nowhere? 

Are your mind and your heart
seeking, needing, desiring peace?

Rest now and experience Christmas.

Bathe in the mystery around us.
Pause and consider the reason,
and breathe in the scent of the season.
Then kneel as the sacred surrounds us. 

That night - that sacred night 
was

Set apart for us to know
that the promised one had come.
Creation’s long awaited Son
has stepped from heaven’s brilliant light
to the darkness here below. 

A baby cries, a woman sighs,
and soon the world would realize
the meaning of this “Silent, Holy night.”

Peace has come to still your heart -
God's peace within your soul.
 
This long awaited peace has come 
to make God's children whole.

Angels We Have Heard

We love Christmas carols, but sometimes we just sing them without thinking about what they’re really saying.   Here is the first line of a Christmas carol that began as a French song.  It was paraphrased in 1862 by an Englishman, James Chadwick.               

"Angels we have heard on high
sweetly singing o'er the plains

and the mountains in reply

echoing their joyous strains…”

Have you ever heard an angel sing?

If we listen to those words – they sound soft and gentle, don’t they?  I’m sure that the writer saw the encounter with the shepherds that way, and that’s nice, but --- sweetly singing?  I’m not so sure that is what came to the ears of the shepherds.  

I’m afraid that my mind doesn’t go there either.  Sweet?  God’s “heavenly host,” His army, announcing the birth of the King of the Universe?  I would be more inclined to believe it sounded like thunder, or a huge brass band than a sweet gentle harp.

The shepherds were frightened by the angel, and the “glory” that surrounded him, as he told them the good news of great joy.  Don’t you think that they were every bit as terrified when the angel was joined by a multitude (a huge number) of “the heavenly host” that filled the sky?

All this to say, though we know that many times God speaks to us in a gentle, quiet voice, there are times when the majesty and power of His words and His works are anything but gentle.  Afterall, He is God Almighty, and the announcement of the event that would change the course of eternity for all of mankind was surely not given in a quiet whisper.  

I suppose this idea touched my heart because so much of the time we Christians don’t look at the power of God, His majesty and might, but only His love and compassion.  I’m so glad that He is filled with power, majesty, might, and love and compassion, aren’t you?  I want to trust my powerful and majestic God who continues to treat me with gentle love, encouragement, and compassion.

Have a beautiful, power-filled Christmas season.

Love, Diane

The Plan

 

It was promised.

“But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah,

though you are little 

among the thousands of Judah,

yet out of you shall come forth to Me

the One to be Ruler in Israel,

whose goings forth are from of old,

from everlasting.” Micah 5:2 (NKJV)

Where do you think that a king should be born?

In a fine golden palace on a warm summer morn,

with the servants all hurrying and royalty worrying,

and the citizens waiting to hear of his birth?

Or, I wonder 

where do you think that God’s Son would be born,

in the home of the lightning, the lair of the storm?

Would God’s thunder and glory
shout from the mountains?

Would the four winds proclaim this good news to the earth?

God’s Son was born in Bethlehem – a little town.  He was born far from home.  He was born in a dirty stable.  

It was promised.
It was planned.

Why that plan? 

Neither of these pictures seem to have been part of God's  plan.  Maybe because He wanted us to realize that we are all His children, each one of us, not just the mighty, the rich and the royal.  We are His children, the lowly, the poor, the old and the unborn.  

I believe God wanted us to know that our hometowns are never too remote, our homes are never too small.  The money in our bank accounts or the reflection in our mirror will never have any bearing on two facts.  

We are children of The King, 
and He loves us so much that He
would give His life to save us.

Bethlehem seemed insignificant, but it wasn’t.  We may feel insignificant, but we aren’t. It was promised.  Jesus, our Savior was promised.  Eternal life is promised for those who believe.  

And for sure, God keeps His promises.

God bless you today in so many ways.

Joseph

 

Matt 1:18 – 25 (ESV) Now the birth of Jesus Christ  took place in this way. When His mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together, she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit.  

And her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly.  But as he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.  She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.”  All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet:

“Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son,
    and they shall call his name Immanuel.” (which means, God with us).

When Joseph woke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him: he took his wife but knew her not until she had given birth to a son. And he called his name Jesus.

------

How many people would take on a challenge as difficult as the one Joseph had?  How many excuses could a person think up for not obeying the commands in that dream?  I believe that God picked this man out to be the earthly father to His Son.  He knew what kind of man Joseph was. 

Some time ago I wrote a poem wondering how Joseph would feel about this task.  This is not something I found in the Scriptures.  It’s just my imagination – but I wonder? 

The baby’s hands curl ‘round his fingers.
He looks in wonder at the sight of those bruised and broken,
rough and calloused, human fingers, held so tight. 

Baby hands reach out for comfort from this man so full of love -
the earthly father of our Savior
commissioned by his God above. 

Would this man’s hands be worthy vessels
to touch and lead the little lad?
Would he find respect and honor
from the one who’d call him dad? 

Baby hands curl ‘round his fingers
as they curl around his heart.
Joseph trembled, filled with questions,
still he vowed to do his part. 

Strong arms raised the precious bundle,
lifting Him toward the skies.
Humbly talking with the Father
Joseph prayed with tear filled eyes. 

With all his heart and soul he pleaded

for the strength and wisdom needed
to fulfill the task, God given,
caring for the Son of heaven. 

Joseph prayed – this was his prayer,
“God help me always to remember
just whose Son is in my care.”

John the Baptist

 

John the Baptist was chosen to prepare the way for Jesus, our Savior!  A voice of one calling in the wilderness prepare the way for the Lord; make straight in the desert a highway for our God. 
Isaiah 40:3 (NIV)

John's birth was a miracle.  You'll want to look this up in chapter one of Luke.  When it came time to name the child, His father, Zechariah, spoke of what would be John’s task here on earth.  

This is a part of Zechariah’s prophecy.

“And you, my child, will be called a prophet of the Most High;
    for you will go on before the Lord to prepare the way for him,
 to give his people the knowledge of salvation through the forgiveness of their sins,
 because of the tender mercy of our God,
    by which the rising sun will come to us from heaven
 to shine on those living in darkness
    and in the shadow of death,
to guide our feet into the path of peace.”  
Luke 1:76-79 (NIV) 

John would be the one to tell of the coming of Jesus, our Savior.  His words would tell his world and ours 
just who the savior would be.

The Blessing

 My Father God, I pray 

With strong arms hold my fragile life when strength has slipped away.

My Mighty one, My God, My help,

I need your strength today. 

With eyes that see what I cannot, show me your holy way.

My Shepherd, help me know the path

you’d have me take today. 

The world gives way beneath my feet 

slipping sands of sin abound.

I need You, my Rock, to stand upon. 

You are my solid ground. 

Almighty God 

The only God

The giver, giving free

The only gift that I desire

Is your love that blesses me.

 

Dear friends,  I recently read in Genesis 49 the account of Jacob blessing his sons.  It goes like this - 

Jacob called for his sons and said: “Gather around so I can tell you what will happen to you in days to come.

Assemble and listen, sons of Jacob;

    listen to your father, Israel."

Jacob went on to tell each of his sons what would come to them in their lives.  Jacob knew each of these men.  He knew their personalities and their strengths and their weaknesses.  

Most of Jacob’s sons fell far short of goodness, but he had a special word for Joseph.  

He predicted that Joseph’s life would not be free of trials – with physical attacks and hostility.  But Jacob saw where Joseph’s strength would come from.  He said, 

“Joseph is a fruitful vine,

    a fruitful vine near a spring,

    whose branches climb over a wall. 

 With bitterness archers attacked him;

    they shot at him with hostility.

 But his bow remained steady,

    his strong arms stayed limber,

because of the hand of The Mighty One of Jacob,

    because of The Shepherd, The Rock of Israel,

 because of your father’s God, who helps you,

    because of The Almighty, who blesses you

with blessings of the skies above,

    blessings of the deep springs below,”

Do you ever wonder if you had been given this information, how you would have reacted?

I am certain that my father would not have been able to tell what my life would be, and neither would yours, no matter how well he knew you.  But our heavenly Father does know, and sometimes I'm surprised that He is so patient with me as I stumble through this life.

The most exciting words I read in this chapter in Genesis are the descriptions of our God and the fact that Jacob said Joseph would remain strong 

because of 

The Mighty one – with muscles to give him strength.

The Shepherd – giving guidance and care.

The Rock – a solid and steadfast place to stand.

The Almighty – the giver of every blessing.

Friends, this blessing from Jacob to Joseph is amazing.  We know that the Savior, the Messiah, the promised King, Jesus, would come through the line of a different brother (Judah) but even with that, Jacob knew that God would bless Joseph.  

God has His hand on each of HIS children, and He will bless those who follow Him.  

He’ll give each of us His strong arm, His guidance and care, a firm place to stand, and blessing from His hand.

We just need to watch and see.

Am I, If I?

Last night we listened to a podcast by Allister Begg.  He was speaking about Jesus’ command to “follow” Him.  It was interesting in that he related it to the “commandments” in the Old Testament as well as the clarifications in Jesus’ words, and how almost every time they intersect with the everyday lives of God’s children.  

He started out by talking about how a child may say, “I want to follow Jesus,” but then that child will not follow even a mundane requirement from his or her parents.  

Are we like that? 

Am I?  If I?

If I tell you that I love my God, but when He says love your enemies, do I say, “that’s not the same”? 

So, AM I following His direction, but only IF I, or when I, feel that other people deserve my love and forgiveness - is that following Him?

Maybe I truly believe God doesn’t expect me to love my enemies?

But Jesus said He did expect that!  So in the middle of the night this question came to me.

AM I FOLLOWING HIM, IF I?

He said to care for the orphans and widows.

Is it loving Him less to say, let some “another”
look to the needs of the struggling mother?
Do I slow down each day and look at the need,
of the lonely, the lost or the beaten and tossed?
Or is it loving Him more to open my arms,
my home  and my hands
to the ones who’ve been harmed.

He said “Love Me, The Lord, with all of your heart.
Let’s look at that statement and tear it apart.

Love Him - The Lord (the Master is He.)
Does that mean I obey Him, or focus on me?


Is it loving Him less to say, "You didn’t expound,
when You gave me the words that I can’t get around."
If I twist out the meaning of “Child, thou shalt not”
or I strive to fit in the desires I have got. 

Or is it loving Him more to release all this pride, 
and do it His way,
and let Him be my guide”?

Love Him - The Lord (the Master is He.)
Does that mean I obey Him, or focus on me?

Relationships matter to God and to me.  
Commandments design our life's purity.
Commandments, examples, of living a life 
of commitment to God, to husband, to wife.  
Structure in families, communities, too.  
It isn’t a game of just “doing you.”

Love Him - The Lord (the Master is He.)
Does that mean I obey Him, or focus on me?

If we look into the mirror of God’s word, we find that we fall far short of His desire for us.  God has had so much to forgive.  We are His creation, made to glorify Him, to raise His name - His image, high.  And we certainly don’t always do that.  

But, I'm amazingly blessed to know that He has given us this word - forgiveness, and the assurance of His willingness to forgive, because I need it so desperately.

God does forgive when we ask – when we repent, but Jesus said He will not forgive if we don’t forgive others.  That is one thing many of us have a problem with.  

God doesn’t offer to let us follow Him less in that area either.  I can’t find an excuse for it in the scripture.  God says to forgive.  In Jesus’ sermon on the mount, He said, “If you don’t forgive, My Father in heaven will not forgive you.” That seems pretty plain.

So where to go from here?

Love Him - The Lord (the Master is He.)
Does that mean I obey Him, or focus on me?

Becoming Every Day

I've often described myself as a "loved and forgiven child of God."  A week or so ago as I was talking to a dear family member, I stressed that I was a "flawed" and forgiven child of God.

Although that sounds, "surface good," it's good only as long as I will remember the forgiven part. I can then accept that I am no longer in the "flawed" catagory.  Jesus' death on the cross erased that part of my identity.  He made me clean and new.

Jesus' sacrifice for us changed our identity, but we can still keep on "becoming" - becoming more like Him.  Oh yes, we still struggle with the opportunity to mess up and mar the beautiful work that Jesus did when He died for us.  But we can still become examples, as dearly loved children of the King.  

Children, when they are asked what they  want to be, or to do when they grow up, may give grandious answers.  Possibly, they may plan on "becoming" an astronaut, the president, superman, or even like mom or dad.  

While they plan on "becoming" something special, they don't always know that they already are.  The innocence of that is so beautiful.  

And, as we grow and age, sometimes we forget that we can
still keep on "becoming."

So,  

May I greet each morning in a way
that I don't mar the beauty
of my Savior's sacrifice 

of love.

But, may I then remember it's ok 

to "keep becoming" as I pray,

awake, 

 "becoming " every day

 more like my Father, 

God above.

No matter where I am in life, I still want to strive to "keep becoming."

Words Again

more words

Words from the mouth of God
"Wisdom comes from the heart of God."

Quotes from the Book of Proverbs – The Bible

For the LORD gives wisdom; from His mouth come knowledge and understanding.  Out in the open wisdom calls aloud.  She raises her voice in the public square; on top of the wall she cries out, at the city gate she makes her speech:

Every word of God is flawless. 

He is a shield to those who take refuge in him.

Proverbs 30:5 (NIV)

A person finds joy in giving an apt reply— and how good is a timely word!

The soothing tongue is a tree of life.

The tongue of the righteous is choice silver.
    
The lips of the righteous nourish many.

The one who has understanding holds their tongue.

Gracious words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones.

The prudent keep their knowledge to themselves.

A gentle answer turns away wrath.
 
The tongue of the wise adorns knowledge.
     
The tongue of the wise brings healing.

Whoever would foster love covers over an offense.
    
The one who has knowledge uses words with restraint,
and whoever has understanding is even-tempered.

Even fools are thought wise if they keep silent, and discerning if they hold their tongues.

You will notice that I chose to include only positive parts of those proverbs - If I had included the warnings, I wouldn't have been able to get them all on one post.  Besides these gave me plenty to think about and work on.  Wow! 

I took these thoughts from several versions of the Bible and you'll find that some of the wording might be a little different, but I've tried very hard to keep the thoughts true to the Bible.  

words

I've been thinking about words recently, having spent some time in the book of Proverbs.  There are so many references to the way we use our voices.  Next time I'll share the verses that really impacted my thoughts - but for now......

Words can help or hurt.

Words can wound or heal.

Words begin with thoughts.

Words show what we feel.

God has given speech to human-kind to use.

May I watch the words I say
and speak in such a way

that doesn't wound, it soothes.

Misunderstanding!

This is a strange  word, how can a person "miss" understand? 

 Sometimes when I speak, my words don't truly express true feelings - not lying, just not saying things in a way that speaks gently of what is really in my heart.

So many of our words today just become "sound bites."  They are little bites of noise that become what someone "expects" to hear, not what we really wanted to say to them.  

Maybe it's because we think that person will understand,  because they know us?  Or maybe we think they know us, and they truly don't.

Or, there are those who, by nature of their personalities, can just not say anything - just keep their opinions to themselves.  Many times I wish I was one of those people.  

There are also those who good-heartedly want to FIX, and while trying to do that. they feel they must say something!  

And of course there are those who of us that sometimes do not think, and we  just blurt out whatever is on our minds.

So what is the answer to this "miss" understanding?

I suppose that it would be to think before we speak.  

Wow!  That is a concept!

The Veil is Thinnng

 

Do you ever notice as the rain falls from on high

how it tends to touch your heart or makes you want to sigh?

Do you ever stop and think,

 and sadly wonder 

why? 

Could it be that you see God’s own tears within the sigh?

Tears full of love

Tears full of pride

But tears filled with pain,

because

you’re dissatisfied.

  

So when you feel the rain, the wetness on your face,

maybe you will wonder if it’s from another place.

Has the veil between your world and heaven perfect land

begun to thin,

as you begin

 to touch the Father’s hand?

 

God touches your heart in those “thin veil” ways, in the voice of a violin, the moon’s subtle rays.

 

Or

The scent

 that sweet perfume sends out in that hour

with

God’s comfort and peace from the heart of a flower.

 

Has the veil between your world and heaven’s perfect land

 begun to thin

as you begin

to feel your Father’s hand?

This morning 

May I fall on my knees in humble awareness

of your glory, your majesty, power and might.

May I look at the sunrise in wide-eyed amazement

at the brilliance, the splendor, you hid in the night.

May my heart fill with wonder at the sparkle of dew drops 

May I wake to the presence of you in my sight.

May I see that the morning is painted with beauty

on the canvas of love,

By  

The painter

The Light.

Today's Morning Prayer

Lord, for all you are and do, I praise and worship you.

Alive in your presence this morning, my God

I wake with the sweet morning dew.

Please make me aware of your spirit and love, 

so this day I’ll draw closer to you.

In my life I have followed a wandering road.

 running where fickle winds blew. 

But today, Father,

show me the path I must take  

to walk ever closer to you.

Many days in this life have been stained with the ink  

of evil and darkness and sin.

But those stains 

you have softened with peace from your heart,

and I'm blessed to feel peace once again, 

to be held in your arms once again.

Lord, I find that 

broken hearts and great pain in the people you love,

may demand that I feel their pain too,

and to reach high above my everyday strength 

to show them a love sent from you.

As the road brings me near to the end of the journey,

let me walk that path slowly with you.

Help me take smaller steps and open my eyes.

Help me listen more than I tend to do.

Let me know as I weaken in body or mind

the ways I can still reflect you.

May I show them the path next to you

is where safety and beauty shine through.

Love, Diane

Empty?

Do you ever feel empty – like there’s nothing in you anymore? I think that sometimes we all feel that way, especially as we age. 

Today I want to look at that feeling – that feeling of emptiness, in a different way.   I believe that being empty is not always a bad thing.

When we are empty handed, God’s hands fill all our needs.
When we can’t even do the little things, we may find God doing everything.
When we don’t have the strength to move, God will hold us up.

When our hearts and lives feel empty our loving Savior will fill those empty places with His Spirit.

When I think about being empty, of course I think about a cup of coffee.  I love my coffee.   But, if the cup is half full and it’s been sitting around, and we fill it up with hot coffee – all the coffee in that cup becomes lukewarm and loses its flavor.  

But when the cup is empty, and we fill it with fresh hot coffee – it’s wonderful! 

So, Being empty is not always a bad thing.

Maybe we need to empty ourselves – to get rid of the idea that we can handle everything without God’s help. We struggle to solve life’s problems, but resting on God’s goodness and love is really what we need to do.

Much of the time we have the idea that we can do life on our own.  Maybe when we realize that we don’t have the answer to the troubles that haunt us and realize that our storehouse is pretty empty, then we can open our hearts and minds to what God wants us to know.  Then He will fill us.

When you think you’re in control, you become so full of yourself that there is no room for God to come into your heart and fill you.

In the Bible, John 4 tells us about a woman at the well.  Jesus asked her for a drink of water, and she asked him why He, a Jewish man, would ask her, a Samaritan woman, for water.

This is what John writes.

Jesus answered her. “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water.”

“Sir,” the woman said, “you have nothing to draw with and the well is deep. Where can you get this living water?  . . . “

Jesus answered, “Everyone who drinks this water (in the well) will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”

Jesus told us that we never need to be empty.  He will become our spring of water welling up to eternal life.  As we fill our minds with the knowledge of our Savior, as we trust in Him to provide love, and friendship, comfort, direction, strength, and peace, we will feel the warmth of His unfailing care and we will be filled.

Empty is when there is nothing left but God and you discover that He is all you need.

Unless we give control to Him

our zest for life is stilled.

Unless we know our emptiness, we never will be filled.

 

Psalm 113:3

From the rising of the sun to its setting, The LORD’s name is to be praised. Psalm 113:3 (ESV) 

This is so beautiful!  God is so good!  The first thing on my lips in the morning should be words of praise.  Not necessarily praise for the morning, or praise for life, but I think it should be

PRAISE OF
the One who gives us the morning, and the life.

Oh my Father, God in heaven, may my heart burst with thoughts of your goodness, your glory, your majesty, and your love this, and every morning.

As I leave the dreams that walk the night
and my foggy brain greets morning’s light.
I must remember not to fear, for you my God, are with me here.
 
I can’t,
I must not disregard You 

as you walk this road beside me.

I can’t,
I must not start my day 

without your steady arm to guide me.

I can’t,
I must no longer sleep, and dream   
in dread uncertainty.
 
Because my Father, God of wisdom
You walk
the road before me.
 
Because my Father, God of hope
You know
what worries plague me.
 
Because my Father, Majesty,
Unexplainable God,
Ruler of the world,
Savior and friend,
You are eternally King,
 forever the same.

I can’t, I must not start the day 

unless I pause to praise You, 

to rise to walk and praise your 

GLORIOUS HOLY NAME.
 

 

Dear Friends, 

Many years ago I wrote an article for a local publication about life in our mountain town.  I’d like to share it with you today because I believe it speaks of life in each of our communities, our Church families, our neighborhoods, and groups of friends.  

The Tapestry of Life 

An elaborate tapestry is in the process of creation.  Day after day and year after year the threads are woven, hiding the fibers that hold them in place.  The hands of our people hold the shuttle, as life goes on in our mountain home and the picture in the tapestry comes alive.
 
Yes, each person who lives here or has ties to our small community contributes to its beauty with the threads of his or her own life. The colors of those threads are determined by a person’s hopes and dreams.  The texture comes from deep within their souls.  As she weaves, one person may use a vibrant green, a color which shows her concern and love for nature, for the wonder of all things created by the hands of God.
 
Another may weave with soft threads of blue, showing a desire for tranquility and peace within his heart and with his neighbor.  Only a few will use a gold thread, expensive, rare and shining, bright with happiness and a desire to see the good in life and in people.  Or maybe you will bring us red, the color of fire and might. 
 
Did you notice that we all hold some black threads in our hands?  These threads will outline and add shadow to the picture on the tapestry.  These threads are sadness, concern, and yes, sometimes even anger.  The beauty of the picture requires darkness to highlight the colors as well.   
 
A life of true beauty is difficult to achieve, so although each person may hold several colors in his hands, he will never be able to supply all that is needed alone. 
 
So my friend, look around you.  Look at your neighbor - the person walking beside you.  See what color and texture they bring to the picture.  Look at yourself, what colors are in your hand?  What textures reveal your soul? 

And then - Pick up your threads and weave!

Diane Gruchow

Published Prairie Times

July 2008

My friends let's rely on the Holy Spirit, the Voice of God, to help us work out the design, and then we can weave!  I've found the tapestry is even more beautiful when the hands of the Master Weaver are in charge!