The Promise

Christmas Ornament by YO$HIMI

It's here again already. I don't know where the time goes anymore. Remember when you were a child and it seemed as though time dragged by kicking and screaming, not wanting to go into the future but remain ever in the present? Remember the boredom, and the longing for that next big event waiting ahead just outside of your reach? Summer vacation... Christmas... birthday... graduation... your first car... your first job... marriage... children...

Anymore, I find myself the one who is digging in my heels wanting the fast spin to stop and let me rest for just a moment. Where does the time go...

I find myself once again at the beginning of the season of Promise. Thanksgiving is a memory. There might be some leftovers still in the refrigerator, but other than that, it has faded into the past where all events go. We can stand wistfully looking over our shoulders, trying to catch a glimpse of it behind us, or we can choose to look forward.

I don't celebrate the holiday season; I celebrate Christmas. I choose to celebrate not so much with the giving of gifts that support our commercial culture, but rather by remembering why we celebrate. It is our small, attempt to re-enact the most perfect, and best gift that was ever given. 

Sometimes when we give gifts, we do it expecting something in return. We may not mean to be that way. But, it's human nature. We expect to give and then receive. Sometimes we even want to receive first and then we'll consider giving! We are also very choosy about who will receive our gifts. After all, we can't just give a gift to everyone. And, there are some people in our lives who deserve a better gift than others. So, we budget, and shop accordingly and bless others through giving the best that we know how.

But there was a better gift, a perfect gift. And that is what we celebrate. 

Approximately 2,000 years ago a gift was given. It was given freely, with no strings attached, and no expectation other than it be received. No one got a bigger, better gift. The exact same gift was given to everyone, because this gift couldn't be earned. It was a gift of ultimate love and sacrifice.

The perfect gift was unveiled in a simple manger, in the form of a baby boy. 

He is our hope, our promise, our savior. His birth was planned and foretold as long ago as the fall of man. 

From now on, you and the woman will be enemies, and your offspring and her offspring will be enemies. He will crush your head and you will strike his heel. 

~Genesis 3:15 (NLT)

This is what I celebrate. I invite you to join me on a journey this month. Together, we will search out the promises of the coming King, and rekindle in our hearts the true meaning of Christmas.

If you liked this post, please let me know by leaving me a comment, question or suggestion in the comment box below. Likes and shares are also appreciated! 

The Seed of Abraham

Photo by Starr Environmental 

The story of Abraham and Sarah (or Abram and Sarai, before God changed their names), is rich with history and with present-day meaning for Christians. There is so much in the story of the "Father of Faith" that it would probably take a life time to study it and ferret out all of the symbolism and meaning. But there are a few things about this story that the Holy Spirit wanted to make sure I didn't miss today. 

This might not be anything new and earth shattering to you, after all, there isn't anything new in scripture. It was all written thousands of years ago. But every now and then, I hear or read something that I never heard or read before -- at least not the same way.

We know that the Kingdom of God works on the principle of seed, time and harvest; sowing and reaping.

 "So is the kingdom of God, as if a man 
should cast seed into the ground..."

~Mark 4:26 

The 4th chapter of Mark and the 8th chapter of Luke explains how this works -- and correlates the seed with the Word of God. Not only is Jesus the Word of God (John 1:14 "The Word was made flesh and dwelt among us...") but he was also the seed of Abraham (Galatians 3:16 "And to thy seed, which is Christ.").

The Parable of Jeremiah Steepek

The following story appeared on Facebook last week. I was deeply touched when I read it, and shared it, as did some of my friends. By the end of the day, the story had disappeared. Links to the original were broken. I consulted my good friend Google, and saw a lot of controversy over whether or not the story was true. Apparently, someone had discovered that the photograph attached to the story supposedly depicting Pastor Jeremiah Steepek was in fact a picture of a homeless man in London that was posted at flickr.com. 

People seemed upset that there might not have actually been a pastor named Jeremiah Steepek  and that the whole story was made up. Ironic, since the story discussed Christian principles in action, and Jesus most commonly taught his followers through parables (or made up stories that weren't true in order to illustrate Truth). 

I am re-posting the parable of Pastor Jeremiah Steepek, because I think it's worth reading and taking to heart. I hope it will touch your heart as it did mine.

I'm a Christian

photo by the|G|™

I'm a Christian.

No Options!

the liberator by dbking

Few weeks ago pastor Susan Allen taught a lesson on "Beating the Odds". My apologies in advance for my almost plaigiaristic post.

In the information age it is so easy to stumble over statistics, facts and figures. The odds are that a certain percentage of people will develop cancer, get the flu this season, die in a car accident, get divorced, etc. We live with an almost constant stream of negative programming from the entertainment industry, from.the medical community, law enforcement officials, the news media, even well-meaning friends and family are eager to tell us what the odds are that we cannot succeed, and they usually let us know that the odds are stacked against us. 

How do we tip the scales in our favor? 

Why?

Tears are tasteless by magyarsh

In the blink of an eye, everything can change. Often, we look at the things that happen in our lives and the lives of others, and inevitably someone asks the question...

"Why?"

For God So Loved...

adapted from "heart" by seyed mostafa zamani

God loved the world so much that he gave...  And he continues to give today.

I was thinking about God's gifts today, and about how he gives. "Not as the world giveth..."  When God speaks his word, it is "forever settled in heaven".

When You Pray

"But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly."

~Matthew 6:6

I've been struggling with the events of a week ago. Especially, I've been struggling with opinions, beliefs, cause and effect, the cultural changes that have taken place in America...

One Nation Under God

American Flag at Half Mast by brianDhawkins

As the news broke on Friday about the school shooting in Connecticut,my first instinct was to pray. I worked for the rest of the day with live news coverage playing in the background on my computer.

Let me apologize at the beginning for what will likely be a rambling, disjointed, opinionated and passionate post.

We have had school shootings in the United States before, but not like this. Not in an elementary school with such young, innocent children.

All Your Need

Carl Walks Closer to the "Falling Down" House by Old Shoe Woman

It seems as though the last several years have been challenging ones for me. But, through every challenge, I have never had to go without.'

I'm Sorry

Free Dirty Forgotten Sad Child by Pink Sherbert Photography

I'm Sorry: The Lost Art of Apology

I was thinking about cousin Danny today. Danny isn't really a cousin, and his parents weren't really our aunt and uncle, but it was what we grew up calling them. Aunt Betty was actually the adopted daughter of my father's brother Bill. (I will confess I'm on shaky territory here, my sister, Pam is the family historian, but I think I have that right.)

It's About the Gift

Christmas Town USA by DigiDreamGrafix.com

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas. Christmas songs are playing. The stores are filled with Christmas decorations (and yes, I realize that most of them have been since Halloween!). People are baking, shopping, gift-wrapping, going to parties, giving gifts, decorating trees, putting up lights...

Kindness Challenge & #21 Days

The Kindness Challenge

&

#21 Days

I'm participating in two challenges simultaneously. The Kindness Challenge is a 14 day event. 14 acts of kindness in a 14 day period. Actually, if you follow the instructions, it will be MORE than 14 acts of kindness, because some of the acts are multiple in nature. Here's my progress so far:

By Thy Words

 

Words (c) ninasauresrex via Flickr.com

"For by thy words thou shalt be justified and by thy words thou shalt be condemned." 

~Matthew 12:37

A small passage of scripture, but so packed with meaning! What was Jesus saying here? First, we need to look at this in context. Jesus had just performed an exorcism, casting a devil out of a man who was blind and dumb. The man was healed, and instantly, we see the two types of people spring into action:  the believers begin praising God and calling Jesus the son of David; the Pharisees begin talking among themselves saying he cast out the devil because he is, in fact, the devil.

I See Rain, Lots and Lots of Rain

(Laughing in the Rain (c) Greything via Creative Commons @ Flickr.com)

Walking by faith. It's sometimes easier said than done. I love my church. Have I said that lately? I don't go to one of those "feel good" kind of churches that perks you up so that you can have a good attitude for a week and then come back for a refill when the feeling wears off.

We have some light messages, but the vast majority of them are designed to convict you and point you in the direction of living more Christ-like and less narcissistic and selfish. The lessons are also heavily centered on responsibility -- personal responsibility for your circumstances, and responsibility as a steward for everything you have dominion over, which would be... well, everything if I read the creation story right.

Roaring Like a Lion

(Roar (c) iam_photography flickr.com Creative Commons License)

My God's not dead, He's surely alive

He's living on the inside, roaring like a lion.

Catchy tune, but some questionable lyrics. 

I has been my pleasure since Friday night to attend the Supernatural Lifestyle Conference with Kevin Dedmon. There is one more session in a couple of hours at the Fellowship of Christians here in Russellville, Arkansas.

I had never heard of Kevin Dedmon before, and I don't attend FOC regularly. But, they frequently host some extraordinary events, and this is another one of them. I haven't noticed a single thing Kevin Dedmon has said that doesn't line up with God's Word. If I had, I wouldn't have attended every session. 

This definitely is not one of those conferences where you sit back in comfortable anonymity, take notes, and get educated. This is experiential, hands on, in your face training in spiritual warfare.

God of Abundance

"Overflowing Hospitality" PhotosByDavid under Creative Commons License

I am a God of abundance. I will never run out of resources; My capacity to bless you is unlimited. You have access to as much of Me as you have faith to receive. Rejoice in My abundance--living by faith, not by sight.

~Sarah Young, Jesus Calling

It is so easy to lose our perspective when we take our eyes off of God and look at our circumstances instead. We get caught up in what we see and, while those are facts, those things exist, they are not Truth. 

And, the real problem is that what we concentrate on, what we look at, what we think about, tends to grow. So, if you are worried about a lack of finances and concentrating on that, you are, in effect, watering that plant of lack so that it will grow.

The Political Process

(Picture by jacinta lluch valero)

2012: A Year of Thanksgiving and Praise

Day 20: Today, I'm Thankful for the Political Process

I came home from work the other night to a barrage of complaints from my son and his friend about how horrible America is, and what an awful government we have. They were ready to move to Europe to escape the horrors of America.

The berated our current and past Presidents, and talked about how they have ruined the economy and the country in general.

Curious as to where they got their facts, I probed for more information. Of course, there were no facts to back up their very emotional statements. I asked them why they thought Europe was better than America, and was told that they weren't in debt like we are. 

Obviously, they haven't been keeping up with the news of the financial crisis going on over there.

They complained about our taxes, until I reminded them that they didn't earn enough to pay taxes.

They complained about how terrible it is to live here, and I reminded them that we have a high rate of immigration to the states from countries all over the world, so it must not be that bad to live in America.

They complained about the elected officials, and I reminded them that when they actually participate in the process by voting in politicians they believe in and voting out those they don't believe in, they really don't have a right to complain about the process.

Later that night, I asked my son what set them off. Apparently, it was all about SOPA. Again, there was a misunderstanding. They thought that Google and Wikipedia had been shut down by the politicians instead of realizing that Google and Wikipedia had voluntarily blacked out to make a statement and to encourage the American public to contact their elected officials to vote against SOPA and PIPA. 

I explained that this is the beauty of the American system. That we can actually make a difference by banding together and speaking out. That often grass-roots movements can change the course of events.

We can do it with legislation. 

We can do it with elected officials.

One of the most dangerous beliefs is, "My vote doesn't count." There have been many elections, local and national, in which the winning margin was incredibly small. If only a fraction of the people who thought their vote didn't matter had bothered to go to the polls, the outcome could have been entirely different.

The internet is huge. Obviously, the American people have spoken, and SOPA has gone down to defeat. For now, Freedom of Speech is intact. We can still share information freely among our friends and relatives, and on our blogs, Facebook pages, and websites. 

While I have no doubt this isn't the end of the story, it is satisfying to know that we can still band together and make a difference.

We have a strange system in which often the vocal minority overpowers the silent majority. While these issues are seen as issues of freedom, it seems that many times one person's freedom results in another person's loss of freedom.

Take Christianity, for instance. This nation was originally founded as a Christian nation. The founding father's wove their Christian beliefs right into the legislation. Now, we have a President who says that America is no longer a Christian nation. Tell that to the 83% of Americans who identify themselves as Christian.

There is a movement to take the word "God" out of anything having to do with the government or our educational system. 

The pledge of allegiance was written in 1892. 1892 was also when it was first recited by approximately 12 million school children. I grew up saying the pledge of allegiance in school every morning, complete with the line "One nation under God..."

In 1963, prayer was taken out of school. It was considered "unconstitutional". In my opinion, the First Amendment, rather than outlawing prayer, actually supports it. 

"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances." 

If prayer is forbidden in schools, isn't that a violation of my rights by prohibiting the free exercise thereof, or abridging my freedom of speech? To allow prayer is constitutional. To mandate prayer would be illegal.

Why is it that "freedom of religion" is translated as 

"freedom from religion"?

I have seen the erosion of Christianity throughout our nation since I was a young girl. And, I have to say, I don't like the trend that I have seen. The year after prayer was taken out of schools, the pregnancy rate for girls under fifteen skyrocketed from 5,000 per year to 27,000 per year.  At the same time, SAT scores plummeted. Violence and drug use has also increased dramatically over the years. 

It would seem clear that we are not headed in the right direction.

But, the events of the past week, and the uprising against SOPA give me hope. If we could stand together against our freedom on the internet being taken away, then what is to prevent the 83% of the American public from standing together to defend our religious freedom? 

"Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, who gave himself for our sins to rescue us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen."

~ Galatians 1:3-5

Today, I'm Thankful for the Political Process. 

It may not always be perfect, but it does give us the power to change things.

Forgiveness

(Jesus Does Math by LivingOS @Flikr via Creative Commons License)

2012: A Year of Thanksgiving and Praise

Day 19: Today, I'm Thankful for Forgiveness

Have you ever had a difficult time forgiving someone for something they did? Who hasn't, right? Sometimes people can be so insensitive, and the things they do can hurt so deeply...

How many times have you thought (or even said) "I can never forgive him for what he did"?

Or how about, "I've forgiven her, but I'll never forget what she did".

Sometimes we are so deeply offended that it seems we can never truly let go of the pain. The truth is, forgiving others isn't nearly as important for the other person as it is for ourselves.

Laughter

(Laughing Baby photo by Weird Beard @ Flikr - Creative Commons License)

2012: A Year of Thanksgiving and Praise

Day 18: Today, I am Thankful for Laughter

I was thinking about laughter today. Seems it's a popular vein in my household right now. I came home, and Nick has been watching comedians all night. Laughter is a good thing.

Have you ever had one of those days (or nights) when everything just strikes you as funny? You start laughing and just can't stop.You can barely talk because you are laughing so much. Every time you think you have your laughter under control, you start up again.

It's been a long time since I've laughed like that. I think I'm overdue for a good belly laugh.

There's nothing like laughing so hard that your stomach hurts and your muscles ache -- both in your abdomen and in your face!