And All These Things...

"Do you hear what these children are saying?" they asked him. "Yes," replied Jesus, “have you never read, "'From the lips of children and infants you, Lord, have called forth your praise'?" Matthew 21:16

Today I was having a conversation with a dear friend of mine. She shared with me that her granddaughter's elementary school teacher asked the class to draw a picture that would represent what Christmas means to them. One of the parents, who volunteered to help in the class, noticed that all the children began to draw beautiful pictures of Christmas trees and gifts. However, the parent volunteer also noticed that my friend's granddaughter was the only one who drew a picture of a nativity scene.

I love Christmas trees. I love seeing all the presents wrapped under the tree - gifts meant to bring happiness and blessings to others. Giving gifts is a special way that we can communicate our love and emotions to others. But sometimes, Christmas trees, gifts and all these things..., can mask the true reason of Christmas. Sometimes this happens to me more often than I would like to admit. What a gentle and powerful reminder my friend’s young granddaughter made when her little hands drew what her big heart was filled with. Christmas is a time that we should remember God's greatest gift - Jesus Christ - for He is the reason for the season.

"And a child shall lead them." Isaiah 11:6

 

JOY to the World!

"...for the joy of the LORD is your strength." Nehemiah 8:10b

Yesterday, my oldest daughter, Natalie, had the day off from work. I never knew that my Monday was going to be filled with so much CHRISTmas joy!

Early in the morning I asked my daughter, "What are your plans for today?" She replied, "Oh, I have plans all day - I am going to be very busy." After making her morning coffee she went up to her room and closed her door half way. Soon I heard joyful singing coming from her room. Hours passed by and she was still singing. I tapped on her bedroom door - I wanted to get closer to her - when I walked into her room - I felt like I was walking into a little bit of heaven. Christmas lights were strung throughout her room and she was painting special Christmas gifts for each of her co-workers and friends. Her joy filled my heart and my home and the singing of Christmas songs did not end until late that night.

"The joy of the Lord is the joy that springs up in our hearts because of our relationship to the Lord. It is God-given gladness found when we are in communion with God." Commentary

 At the time that Nehemiah encouraged the people with this scripture in Nehemiah 8:10, the people were sad and were weeping. They had just heard the Word of God read to them and they recognized how far they were from obeying and following God. But Nehemiah said, "Go and enjoy choice food and sweet drinks, and send some to those who have nothing prepared. This day is holy to our Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy of the LORD is your strength."
 
There is always something in each person's life that we can all become downtrodden about. Whether it is our relationships, our finances, our work, our health - you name it - we all have issues. But as we are preparing for Christmas this month, remember that this celebration is not to be self-centered. When we give to others, we are strengthened spiritually and filled with God-given gladness! Ask God to fill you with His joy! He loves you and cares for you and His joy is for all people!
 
The angel of the Lord appeared to the shepherds living out in the fields and said this, "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." (Luke 2:10-11)

FATHER, thank you for this great joy that is for all the people. We receive your Son Jesus – the greatest joy that we could ever receive!

P.S. The name Natalie meaning and name origin refers to: The birthday of Christ, or Christmas (No wonder why she is always filled with CHRISTmas joy!)

"Shoes and Socks"

"Catch us the foxes, the little foxes that spoil the vines...” Song of Solomon 2:15  

The first time I heard about John Wooden, the famous and former late coach of the UCLA basketball team, was when I found one of his books at an estate sale. I did not know much about him at the time but when I read his book, I was very impressed with his wisdom on life. Since then, I have purchased several of his books for my family and they have been a great blessing to all of us.

When researching Coach Wooden on the internet, I found the following write-up by Don Yaeger, a New York Times best -selling author and award winning motivational speaker:

"The first day of practice at UCLA was always a day full of anticipation and excitement as the new recruits awaited the arrival of Coach Wooden, known affectionately as the Wizard of Westwood. As they waited, each wondered what secrets of the game, what strategies for winning would spring forth from the famous coach on Day One.

“Please take off your shoes and socks,” Coach announced to the team, seating himself upon a locker from bench.”I’m going to show you the proper way to put them back on.” The new players looked at one another in disbelief – had the old man lost his mind? What on earth did this have to do with basketball? Not wanting to question their leader, they all complied and waited for what would come next.

“Now, when you pull on your socks,” he said showing them through example, “I want you to make sure that there are no wrinkles or gaps," as he put his socks on. “Make sure your heel is full seated in the heel of the sock; run your hand over the toes and make sure to smooth out any bumpy areas.” Then he showed each player how to properly lace his shoes and tie them snugly so that there was no room for the shoe to rub or the sock to bunch up.

As Coach Wooden got up to leave the locker room for the gym, the players behind him were silent, still wondering what their coach would possibly be doing by starting out the season talking about shoes and socks. Here they were, the best schoolboy players in America, and this legend had just spent 30 minutes teaching them about shoes and socks.

Just then, Coach Wooden would turn around and, with a glint in his eye say,”That’s your first lesson, you see, if there are wrinkles in your socks or shoes, or if your shoes aren’t tied properly, you will develop blisters. With blisters, you’ll miss practice, if you miss practice, you don’t play. And if you don’t play, we cannot win.

“If you want to win Championships, you must take care of the smallest of details.”

Coach then walked away, his first practice complete.

 

John Wooden understood the importance of the little things in terms of preparing for something bigger. Many people thought that he was a great coach because he had such a talented collection of players, but the students who played for him knew better: Coach Wooden was great because he focused on the small, basic tasks that are the building blocks of every major victory.

 

“His secrets are rarely about anything dramatic but instead, are focused on the tiny details of each day that most of us overlook.”

What a great reminder to remember to begin our days with the basics: God's Word, prayer, and to not ignore or minimize the tiniest details that could escalate to serious issues in our life. In my opinion, the John Wooden's coaching style was to be actively watching for the “little foxes” that could potentially destroy the vine.”

We have a Good Shepherd who carefully watches over us. Through His Spirit He reminds us to pay attention to not only the "big" things but also to the “little foxes" that we could easily ignore and that could fall through the cracks - things that could impact our marriages, friendships, positions, businesses, finances, health, etc.

What has God’s Spirit been bringing to your attention? Are we listening for and acting upon the prompting of God’s Holy Spirit in our life? Or, are we just hearing and saying to ourselves as the new recruits thought to themselves on their first day of practice when asked by Coach Wooden to please take off your shoes and socks, “What on earth did this have to do with basketball?”

 

The answer: EVERYTHING!

“Preparation doesn’t start when the buzzer sounds to begin the big game; it starts with the first action at the first practice on the first day of the season. Greatness is not achieved in a moment – it is the result of hundreds of small acts of preparation along the way." Don Yaeger.

 

The same is true in our faith as we need to be obedient to the smallest whisper of God's direction in our life - for God's Holy Spirit never prompts us without a reason or a purpose. 

“Catch us the foxes, the little foxes that spoil the vines...” Song of Solomon 2:15  

“The prudent give thoughts to their steps.” Proverbs 14:15b

His Most Beautiful!

"Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being in the appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross." Philippians 2:5-8

No matter who you are - no matter how young or old you are - no matter if you believe in God or not - everyone is drawn to humility. The Bible says that even God gives grace to the humble but is opposed to the proud (1 Peter 5:5).

 

As I was reading God's Word this morning, I came across this definition in my "Word Focus":

 

Humility/meekness signifies strength of character in enduring suffering without resentment. Such character is rooted in a strong faith in God and His goodness and a steadfast submission to the will of God."

 

With further investigation on this subject, I found this article that I would love to share with permission from the site of Doug Britton.

God and humility: The meaning of humility in the Bible

 Many people have the wrong idea about God, the Bible and humility, or being humble. They think being humble means groveling in front of others or thinking we're no good and others are good.

That’s not the Bible's picture. God says when you are humble; you are free from pride and arrogance. You know that in your flesh you are inadequate, yet you also know who you are in Christ.

You don't need to defend yourself when you understand the Bible's picture of humility, for you know who you are in Christ. You are able to be a peacemaker without needing to fight for your rights. You are able to walk humbly in the power of God’s Holy Spirit, not your own personal power.

Godly humility is being comfortable with who you are in the Lord and therefore putting others first. The meaning of humility in the Bible is one of loving others, not being a wimp!

 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves (Philippians 2:3).

In the Bible, we see that Jesus gave us a good example of humility in action. Although he was humble, he also was strong.

 I am gentle and humble in heart (Matthew 11:29).

Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death—even death on a cross! (Philippians 2:5-8).

Humility in action

Many people misunderstand the Bible, God and humility. The following statements show the power in humility.

You can defuse arguments when you are humble.

You do not need to stand up for yourself in an angry manner. And you do not have to win every argument.

A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger (Proverbs 15:1).

You can handle unfair treatment peacefully when you are humble.

You can respond to unfair treatment without being overcome by bitterness. Godly humility means you do not feel a need for vengeance or revenge.

Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you (Ephesians 4:31-32).

You do not have to put on a "false front" when you are humble.

When you understand God and humility, you don't need to act like a big shot. The better you know God, the less you have to prove.

You can eat "humble pie" without being crushed when you are humble.

When you are humble, you can respond to and learn from criticism without defensiveness—whether it is deserved or not deserved. Likewise, you can be aware of your failures without being emotionally devastated.

You can ask forgiveness when you are humble.

Even if you think you are only one percent wrong, you can easily apologize for what you did wrong.

Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to your brother; then come and offer your gift (Matthew 5:23-24).

You can talk with the right attitude when you are humble.

You can talk courteously and lovingly, regardless of the situation—even if you need to be firm or take strong actions.

Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen (Ephesians 4:29).

Being humble does not mean being a wimp.

As I already wrote, many people misunderstand humility. The following statements correct three inaccurate pictures of humility.

Bible-based humility does not mean groveling.

When I humble myself, I feel strong in the Lord. I don't need to be defensive.

Bible-based humility isn't being unaware of your gifts or calling.

Although we should avoid self-pride, godly humility does not mean we should pretend we are unaware of the gifts God has given us. The key is to remember that they are from God.

Although I am less than the least of all of God’s people, this grace was given to me: to preach to the gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ (Ephesians 3:8).

I am not in the least inferior to the "super-apostles," even though I am nothing (2 Corinthians 12:11).

Bible-based humility does not mean never speaking directly.

When God says to be humble, He lets us know we must examine our motives and attitudes. We also must examine how we take action.

But there are times when we need to take strong actions. Here are two examples of taking strong actions while maintaining a humble spirit:

Jesus was meek of spirit, yet he chased the moneychangers out of the temple (Matthew 21:12 and Mark 11:15-16).

As an employer, I can discipline or fire someone, yet do so quietly and gently.

God and humility: Enjoy the power in humility.

The results from understanding what the Bible says about God and humility are more successful than those taking an arrogant approach. (When you are humble, you are likely to have more influence than when you fight abrasively.) Even if your results are not successful, you have the joy and pleasure of having acted in a godly manner; you are a winner even if you do not "win," when you understand the meaning of humility in the Bible and put it into practice.

The more I learn about humility, the more I realize that I am not as humble as I wish I was. This Christmas season let’s look to Christ as our example of humility - who humbled Himself and was obedient to His Father.

As you attend the many family, work and friend gatherings this Christmas season, cloth yourselves with humility as the Bible exhorts, and I can guarantee you that regardless of what you are wearing, in God’s eyes, you will be one of His most beautiful!

 

"...be clothed with humility, for God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble." 1 Peter 5:5-6

 

givingThanks in ALL "The Times"

This Sunday, our pastor encouraged us to look back on our life with a grateful heart, and see how far God has taken us on His path of righteousness.

This morning, my husband and I woke up talking and reflecting about our life’s...where we came from, where we thought we were going and thankful about where we are now.

In every case as we reflected back, we could clearly see God’s sovereign hand orchestrating and directing our paths in every minor and every major event in our life's. Looking back, we could clearly see His hand - even though at the time we were unaware of His divine providence.  His hand guided us from when we first met each other, to having our children, to finding our careers and to the friendships that we have now.

However, what brought the most joy to our morning is when we reflected back to that sweet moment in our life's when we discovered that through Jesus Christ, we could have an intimate relationship with the God who created us. To know that we have the privilege to talk with our Creator, Savior and Heavenly Father is almost too much to take in. But as if that was not enough, He also gives His children the ability to hear Him and see Him answer us in His wonderful time and in His wonderful ways (John 10:27). We are so thankful to know that we can wake up each morning with confidence knowing that our Heavenly Father smiles upon us, thinks about us, plans for us and wants the best for us!

As we all reflect back on our life’s during this special Thanksgiving season, let’s give thanks to Him who uses the slow times,  the fast times, the weak times, the sad times, the strong times, the hard times, the good times, and the sweet times to bring us to a better place than we would have done for ourselves.

May we give thanks to Him for using ALL “the times” in our life for our good and His glory!

“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.” Jeremiah 29:11

FATHER, thank you that you know the plans you have for us and they are good! Thank you that in spite of ourselves and in spite of all of our wanderings, doubts, complaints and unbelief at times, You faithfully and lovingly bring us to a place of fulfillment. Thank you that by your incredible grace you will ultimately bring us to a place where we will see you face to face. Thank you that when we falter in our steps, we are never beyond your reach. In Jesus’ Name – Amen.
 

On Trial

“As you know, we count as blessed those who have persevered. You have heard of Job’s perseverance and have seen what the Lord finally brought about. The Lord is full of compassion and mercy.” James 5:11

The Bible tells us that life can come with trials and sometimes many trials. But those who persevered and learned from them, the Lord who is full of compassion, grants them a reward.

The Bible as well as history books are filled with men and women and children who were challenged yet who persevered.  When I think of perseverance, one of the people I think of is a man named Abraham Lincoln – known as one of the greatest presidents in the United States.

Here is a sketch of Lincoln’s road to the White House:

1. 1816 His family was forced out of their home. He had to work to support them.

2. 1818 His mother died.

3. 1831 Failed in business

4. 1832 Ran for state legislature – lost.

5. 1832 Also lost his job – wanted to go to law school but couldn’t get in.

6. 1833 Borrowed some money from a friend to begin a business and by the end of the year he was bankrupt. He spent the next 17 years of his life paying off this debt.

7. 1834 Ran for state legislature again –won.

8. 1835 Was engaged to be married, sweetheart died and his heart was broken.

9. 1836 Had a total nervous breakdown and was in bed for six months.

10. 1838 Sought to become speaker of the state legislature – defeated.

11. 1840 Sought to become elector – defeated.

12. 1843 Ran for Congress – lost.

13. 1846 Ran for Congress again – this time he won – went to Washington and did a good job.

14. 1848 Ran for re-election to Congress – lost.

15. 1849 Sought the job of land officer in his home state – rejected.

16. 1854 Ran for Senate of the United States – lost.

17. 1856 Sought the Vice-Presidential nomination at his party’s national convention – got less than 100 votes.

18. 1858 Ran for U.S. Senate again – again he lost.

19. 1860 Elected President of the United States.

What will our road say about us? Let's continue to persevere through our trials knowing that God will use it for good in our life! With God's help, He will see us through to a glorious conclusion and with God's grace we will one day say what the Apostle Paul said, "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Finally there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have longed for His appearing." (2 Timothy 4:7-8)

FATHER, thank you for the many people in the Bible as well as in history who have been shining examples of perseverance, endurance and of never quitting the race marked out for them. Thank you Jesus for being the ultimate example when you endured the cross for us so that all of us could have the blessed assurance of eternity with you!Lord, when we fall, please give us the understanding that trials are not failures but rather opportunities to become a better steward for your purposes. In Jesus’ Name – Amen.

 

Nothing We Have Done

“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast.” Ephesians 2:8-9

Grace: God’s unmerited favor. It is kindness from God we don’t deserve. There is nothing we have done, nor can ever do to earn this favor.

This morning I woke up with this word on my mind: GRACE. And then this scripture came ringing in my mind, “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast.” Ephesians 2:8-9

At breakfast time while enjoying a bowl of oatmeal with my daughter, we opened the book, Jesus Calling, to read the devotion for November 20^th before she rushed off to school. Guess what scripture was referenced? Ephesians 2:8-9 – and this is what we read:

“Shift your focus from your performance to My radiant Presence. The Light of My Love shines on you continually, regardless of your feelings or behavior. Your responsibility is to be receptive to this unconditional Love. Thankfulness and trust are your primary receptors. Thank Me for everything; trust in Me at all times. These simple disciplines will keep you open to My loving Presence.”

Who needs to be reminded of God’s grace today?  Allow yourself to receive it – it is a gift that God is giving you!  

“Allow yourself to become fully aware of My pleasure shining upon you.” Jesus Calling

FATHER, Thank you for the gift of being your daughter. Thank you for showering us with your love and reminding us to receive the blessing of basking in your pleasure. Thank you for giving us this gift every day. Thank you for reminding us to receive it and enjoy the blessing of your sweet fellowship. In Jesus’ Name – AMEN.