Holiday Cheer.

It’s hard to believe another year has almost come and gone but it has. This year’s holiday season has been filled with times of reflection, prayer, singing, sharing, reading, and laughter. In many parts of the world, and even in our city, there are many people who are dealing with difficult times right now. It would almost seem impossible to have holiday cheer when the economic or other personal news could be so difficult. Focusing on the blessings of life instead of the hardships, does not foster an escapism attitude, but helps put events in t heir proper perspective.

The Scriptures tells us that the peace of God will guard our hearts and our minds. It is not man’s peace but a divine peace. A peace that “transcends all understanding” we’re told in Philippians 4:7-9. This passage also encourages us to think on things that are pure, true, noble, right, lovely, and admirable. When I think about the price that Jesus Christ paid upon that cross at calvary for me, I am humble. I know I don’t deserve it, but God made a way for me (and you) to have a right relationship with a God who is so awesome that he cares even about the little things in our lives. Our feelings, our disappointments, our failures, and even our successes.

So during this holiday season, make sure to spend some quality time with those around you because life goes by too fast. But also make a point to spend a little time with the One who created you and wants the very best for you. God sent his only son, Jesus Christ, because he loved the world that much (John 3:16). That’s something to be cheerful about!

Absolutely Cold!

Cold...absolutely cold! That's what it is today. Outside the temperature is a frigid 10F with a wind chill of -5F. I'm not sure where you might live, and there will always be somewhere colder, but that is downright cold where I live! When I was growing up on a farm in the central Midwest, we would make sure the livestock were fed and then head to warmer climates--i.e. any place that had a fire! The livestock would enjoy their food and then hide away in a draw or some other sheltered place, all huddled together.

Sometimes, life can be so brutal that we just want to go and hide away in a sheltered place. A place to escape reality for just a while in order to get reoriented or mend some wounds from people around us. I'm so glad that God provided a place where His children can go--a secret place that only those who know Him can find. Psalm 91:1 tells us that those who dwell in the "secret" place of the most high will "rest" in the shadow of the Almighty.

So if it's a secret place then only a select few know how to get to this place. Interestingly, God wants all of us to know how to get to the secret place, because it's a place where we can dwell in His presence. The "shadow" of the Almighty is an awesome place to rest. In the world, shadowy places are places of fear, rejection, abandonment, and pain. But God's shadow is a place of rest, peace, healing, restoration, encouragement, and empowerment. God longs for you and I to take some time out of our busy day and "rest" in Him--just by dwelling in His presence for awhile. That's pretty cool.

Just A Little Time.

What a great feeling to have had a great conference and finally get to the closing meal. All the hard work and financial investment into something worthwhile has come to a close. I don’t know about you, but that has always been a great feeling for me. I guess part of that feeling is relief that it is finally over, but also the fact that God has done some great things and you were allowed to be a part of that.

Seeing people let go of past hurts and disappointments, while being so blessed by God’s Holy Spirit is a bit humbling to me. People who love helping others, but oftentimes there isn’t time enough or opportunity, or a plethora of other reasons why they have not been ministered to themselves. Evangelists and itinerant ministers are typically “givers.” They love to help others and give of themselves exponentially. Many lay persons also fall into this category of unselfish behavior.

Oftentimes those of us who travel, or are “givers,” don’t even realize we have been needing some “refreshment” until we actually get away at a conference or special function and allow God to speak to us. Jesus gave and gave and gave, but He also took time to get alone with God and fellowship with His heavenly Father.

Jesus taught us so many lessons, but one of the more important ones may be that no matter how prominent or improverished we get - we still need to take some time every day to strengthen that relationship with our heavenly Father. Isaiah 40:31 tells us that those who wait upon the Lord will have their strength renewed. I pray today that God will encourage and strengthen you as you make time for Him in prayer - leading you in every area of your life.

Stuffed!

O.k., that was a pretty lame title right after Thanksgiving huh? But it works and I’m not ashamed to voice the obvious - we all probably ate way too much this past weekend. And if we did eat too much we probably did not head straight to the gym to work off all those excess pounds. You may have just watched the parades and tuned in to watch as many football games as possible…vegetation at it’s best! However, there were some who donned their best clothing to defend against the weather and headed out early to find the best bargains - Black Friday!

I don’t know about you but I have never found a deal so great that I wanted to stay up all night waiting in line for it. Perhaps I’m just getting old, or have lost the thrill of getting the best deal, but I definitely enjoyed a time to sleep in on Friday and spend some quality time with the family over this past weekend. Family time is special time as we tease, hug, play, work, eat, and watch old rerun movies together. I am so thankful that the Lord allowed me to have such a wonderful family.

I do know that some people do not have family or friends and this time of year seems like a tough time to be thankful - especially with the economic news. But having God in our lives, has made us a part of a family that has no boundaries. Wherever I am, I can enjoy being part of a heavenly family that began with getting my relationship back where it needed to be with God. The great thing is that God waits patiently for us, and doesn’t beat us up when we finally find our way back home. His specialty is peace and comfort in the midst of chaos, and a feeling of belonging. That helps me be thankful even in thankless times.

That kind of a relationship is probably the only thing that could cause me to wait up all night in a line. It’s the greatest deal on earth - it’s free - just for the asking. If you don’t have a right relationship with God, may today be a day that you ask Him to help restore you to a place in His family - and He surely will!