Cause for Pause

I read a small devotional the other day from Heartlight: "The Corinthians boasted in their wisdom, giftedness, and tolerance. But, no matter how gifted a church, no matter how full of earthly wisdom, no matter how tolerant, if the people of that church are caught up in petty arguments, cliquishness and ugly quarrels, they are immature. Rather than being a place where Christ is known and shown, it is just another gathering of human foibles". 

It led my thoughts to an incident that occurred last week when I got crazy mad cuz someone figuratively stepped on my mother toes.  Oh boy... Lioness time! I choose not to react in anger outloud but took it to the Lord and threw it down at His feet. I was angry just getting it off my chest to Him.  I prayed.... still angry.... prayed some more.... dog gone .... still angry. Determined to wait on the Lords direction before I spoke to this person to give them a piece of my mind. (Humm, a mind is a terrible thing to waste - thought just popped).  You know what the Lord did?  He gave me a clear and perfect set up for dispensing my anger but I did not act on it.  I was flabbergasted that I didn't!  I suddenly saw the deep woundedness of the other person, that "hit dog hollars" kind of thing.  The Lord held my lips shut then pushed them up in a smile and suddenly it wasn't about me anymore. I have to say thank you Lord... I would have done wrong on my own.  Wow pushing 70 and seeing signs of maturity and wondering why it takes so long. 

"You are still worldly. For since there is jealousy and quarreling among you, are you not worldly? Are you not acting like mere men"?  (1 Corinthians 3:3) 

A pearl to string:  I've come to an age where I am not tempted so much by the things of this world.  Family, friends and the desire for health hold more eartly value than anything else.  But I find a long life becomes my most difficult temptation when I yield to my own way.  I have to fight being set in my ways - it is definitely a cause for pause so I can let the Lord lead. 

God loved us first

and He loves us now,

                               Lyndi

Stormy Weather

Victor Hugo, who is famous for his novel the Hunchback of Notre Dame, also wrote a story called "Ninety-Three." It tells of a ship caught in a dangerous storm on the high seas. At the height of the storm, the frightened sailors heard a terrible crashing noise below the deck. They knew at once that this new noise came from a cannon, part of the ship's cargo, that had broken loose. It was moving back and forth with the swaying of the ship, crashing into the side of the ship with terrible impact. Knowing that it could cause the ship to sink, two brave sailors volunteered to make the dangerous attempt to retie the loose cannon. They knew the danger of a shipwreck from the [loose] cannon was greater than the fury of the storm.

Ever notice that you seem to weather the storms of life but it's your "loose cannons"  that take you down?  A spirit of bitterness, jealousy, pride, greed or unresolved hurt, anger, a lack of forgiveness, guilt, or lust.  All "loose cannons" inside  our hearts that can rock our world and shipwreck our relationships, our faith or even our life. These cannons violently crash about lashing out from within us severely wounding loved ones and peoples of our lives and capable of doing life long damage to another.  

A pearl to string:  We each make a choice to be self controlled or we give ourselves permission to be out of control just by saying, "that's just how God made me". Horse feathers!  God didn't make no junk!  Each person is responsible for doing their own inventory before the Lord and bringing to the forefront any unresolved "loose cannons" in their life.  If you really love others then deal with your stuff  and bring it under control by the Holy Spirit.  Be brave - go to your ship's cargo and retie your "loose cannon". 

"For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works".  (Titus 2:11-14)

May the joy of the Lord bless you,

                                                  Lyndi

A Frayed Knot

Are you feeling like a frayed knot these days?  Does your life feel like you are on the wrong end of a lemon?  Did the stuff that hit the fan all land in your life?  Did your dreams shatter? Did they all come true only to find you had your ladder up on the wrong building? Did life pull the rug out from under you or was that someone you knew?  Are you over worked, under paid, not appreciated or worse taken for granted? Com’on did you think I’d have the answer?  What if I told you – this is it.  It’s not going to change. It won’t get better if you get a nicer car or a higher paying job or a bigger house or a mate or a better mate or a healing.  Talk about sucking on a lemon lady – not very encouraging.  What if every time you complained you left a mountain of dirt behind you?  After a few years wouldn’t it be somewhat difficult to get around in your corner of the world?  That’s what happened to me.  I kept bumping into ‘Complaint Mountains’ that had accumulated in my life.  Dog gone, they nearly squeezed me out.  I was forced to my knees before the Lord.  “I give up, I can’t do this any more – I don’t even want to do this anymore”, I cried.   Then God said to my heart, “be a frayed knot my child”.  That’s biblical!  Oh Lord, “how am I supposed to be your woman under this load?”  And God said, “The question is good”.  Long silence………  “That’s it?  I was kind of expecting a more definitive answer.  Could I maybe get a little help here – a little illumination?”  I begged. The quiet was deafening and unending.   

From the play “Man and Superman” by the Irish dramatist George Bernard Shaw comes a quote that I pondered for years, “There are two tragedies in life. One is not to get your heart's desire. The other is to get it.”  As a young woman I could not get my mind around Mr. Shaw’s quote.  Life experiences brought a reality to the two tragedies but God brought me a quest and this weeks pearl.  

Pearl to String: No matter what circumstances I find surrounding me, no matter how unfair, difficult or painful they might be - the constant in my life is not to complain about it but to ask myself: How can I be God’s woman (man) is this situation. Right here, right now.  That question always leads me to prayer, thanksgiving and God’s Word.   

In The Message translation of 2 Corinthians 12:7-10 we see Paul learning to be God’s man in his situation. “Because of the extravagance of those revelations, and so I wouldn't get a big head, I was given the gift of a handicap to keep me in constant touch with my limitations. satan's angel did his best to get me down; what he in fact did was push me to my knees. No danger then of walking around high and mighty! At first I didn't think of it as a gift, and begged God to remove it. Three times I did that, and then he told me, My grace is enough; it's all you need.  My strength comes into its own in your weakness.  Once I heard that, I was glad to let it happen. I quit focusing on the handicap and began appreciating the gift. It was a case of Christ's strength moving in on my weakness. Now I take limitations in stride, and with good cheer, these limitations that cut me down to size—abuse, accidents, opposition, bad breaks. I just let Christ take over! And so the weaker I get, the stronger I become.” 

Like a kid at Christmas opening toys, (Yea!) clothes, (Huh?) socks and underwear. (Ugg!) not all gifts from God are fun but all have purpose.

No longer a frayed knot - Now dancing in the palm of His hand,

                                                                                                 Lyndi

OTHERLY

"To be or not to be" is the opening phrase of a soliloquy in William Shakespeare's play Hamlet.  What's on my heart this morning is a different question: What is it to be or not to be otherly....Am I "otherly"?  

"Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ". Galatians 6.2, "Let no one seek his own good, but the good of his neighbor". 1 Corinthians 10.24, "Do nothing from selfishness or conceit, but in humility count others better than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others". Philippians 2.3-4,  Jesus said, "You know that the rulers of the gentiles lord it over them, and their great men exercise authority over them. It shall not be so among you; but whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be your slave; even as the Son of man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many." Matthew 20.25-28 

Me-centeredness is so powerful and prevalent in our society that if we don't deliberately fight it we will undoubtedly live it and become cloaked in false humility. I have to ask myself am I only enthusiastic and giving to efforts that involve me? Deliver me Lord 

Everyone has the God-given right (and ability) to control their own thoughts and actions. Self-leadership is about developing the ability to choose how we respond to others regardless of their behavior. 

A pearl to string:  Many of us are inclined to see the world based on what we like and dislike. It's just not true that everyone has the same hopes, fears, likes and dislikes. Too often we expect others to behave just like ourselves. But, when they don’t and they expect us to act the way they do, we run into conflicts. The block to knowing God is the same as the one that blocks us from loving others. It is our self-will.  

We grow spiritually when we learn how to eliminate our self-will and put the other person’s welfare before our own desires. Whoomp! There it is .... OTHERLY 

Know you are loved,

                             Lyndi

.Gotta Have Heart

An old tune popped into my head this morning from the movie about the Yankees years ago:

You've gotta have....Heart! All you really need is heart!

When the odds are sayin' you'll never win, that's when the grin should start!

You've gotta have hope! Musn't sit around and mope.

Nuthin' half as bad as it may appear, wait'll next year and hope

When your luck is battin' zero, get your chin up off the floor.

Mister, you can be a hero. You can open any door.

There's nothin' to it, but to do it. You've gotta have heart!

Miles and miles and miles of heart! Oh, it's fine to be a genius of corse!

But keep that ol' horse before the cart! First you've got to have heart! 

I've been humming the tune for days and it brought several Scriptures verses to my mind this week and thoughts about the heart of us:

“Above all else, guard your heart for it is the wellspring of life.”

(Prov. 4:23)

“A heart at peace gives life to the body but envy rots the bones.”

(Prov. 14:30)

“A happy heart makes the face cheerful.” (Prov. 15:13)

“A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones". (Prov. 17:22)

We learn in Scripture that God commands us to take care of matters of the heart. How do we take care of our heart? We guard against things that are not of God. We resist the lies that the evil one speaks into our mind. We spend time reading God’s Word so that His truth can sink deep into our spirit and soul – our heart. 

Having any bitterness or unforgiveness in our heart certainly is not of God. If somebody has hurt you in the past, if you are upset with God or you haven’t forgiven yourself concerning an issue of your life, your heart is probably not right with either God, yourself or another person. God would want us to take this issue to Him prayerfully so that we don’t carry this burden in our heart. Doing this frees us up on the inside so that more of God’s Spirit can direct us. 

A pearl to string:  Our heart is the wellspring of all life. It is at the deepest level of our heart that God lives in us with His Holy Spirit. He will not share space with anything that’s not good, pure and holy. 

"Since He hath looked upon me my heart is not my own.  He hath run away to heaven with it".  Samuel Rutherford

Know that you are loved,

                                    Lyndi

                                                                 

Knock Knock

A young man who was an All-American football player in college went back to his alma mater as an assistant coach. Before he made his first recruiting trip, he went in to talk with the head coach, the same coach for whom he had played when he was there in college some years before. The head coach was widely known and highly respected all across the country. The new young coach said to him, "Coach, I'm about to head out on my first recruiting trip, but before I go I want to be sure that we are on the same page. Tell me, Coach, what kind of player do you want me to recruit?"

The crusty old head coach leaned back in his chair. He looked the young coach straight in the eyes and said: "Son, I've been at this job a long time and over the years I have noticed that there are several different kinds of players. For example," he said, "you will find some players who get knocked down and they stay down. That's not the kind we want!"

And he said, "You will find some players who get knocked down and they will get right back up and get knocked down again and then they stay down. That's not the kind we want!"

And then the old coach said, "But you will also find some other players who get knocked down and knocked down and knocked down, and every time they get knocked down, they get right back up!"

At this point, the young coach got excited and he said, "Now, that's the kind of player we want, isn't it, Coach?"

"No!" said the old head coach. "We want the one doing all that knocking down!!"

Grandma note: CU signed such a player Feb 1st: Our very own "knock em down" Derek McCartney!

Woohoo, congrats grandson... we are all so excited and very proud of you.

A pearl to string: In God's Word we are called to be strong and to stand firm and to get back up when we're been knocked down - and we all admire people of great faith. We must also remember that we in the church are called to knock down walls of hate and hostility and unforgiveness - and to build bridges of love and reconciliation.

"For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility." (Ephesians 2:14) 

GO BUFFS

There is joy in knowing...

you are loved,

                  Lyndi

Thank You Please

Joseph Joubert said, "Politeness is the blossom of our humanity".  Wow, we must be living in the thorny stage of life's journey. It's difficult not to notice how rude and disrespectful people are to one another in restaurants, in stores, on the highways and in church parking lots. The era of service and simple courtesy seems to have vanished. It's missing without a trace!  How long has it been since you heard in any manner of regularity children and the younger generation say “yes, ma’am and no ma’am” or “yes sir or no sir” to those of older generations? I, for one, am convinced that the lack of courtesy in our generation is paralleled to our rejection of and departure from God and Bible principles of kindness and respect for one another.  

Let's consider several scriptures that teach courtesy and good manners. 

"Make my joy complete by being of the same mind, maintaining the same love, united in spirit, intent on one purpose.3 Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves;. 4  do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others.” (Phil. 2:2-4)  

“Do to others whatever you would like them to do to you. This is the essence of all that is taught in the law and the prophets..” (Matt. 7:12) 

"Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you".  (Eph. 4:32)

Ephesians 6:1-4 is written to the church. It deals with good manners and respect of family members in the home including a command that goes all the way back to the ten commandments, “honor your father & your mother .” 

It is interesting to note the likeness of the character of God and Christ in these verses:  the characteristic of being humble and putting others ahead of oneself. 

A pearl to string: Treat everyone with politeness, even those who are rude to you – not because they are nice, but because you are. We should wear velvet on our inside, show ourselves most amiable to those of our own house for goodness is the health of the soul. 

We cannot erase all of the bad manners in the world, but we can help by setting the example of courtesy. Say, “thank you and please” take the time to show some courtesy to a stranger that could use a kindly deed, surprise your parents by saying “yes ma’am” and “yes sir” and “please” and “thank you” (after you help them up off the floor) you might be surprised at the rewards you would get, beginning with a personal feeling of fulfillment. Courtesy is taught by the scriptures. Hide His Word in your heart today. 

Know you are loved,

                                Lyndi

Hunt for the Treasure

Parable:  A traveler, fleeing a tiger that was chasing him, ran till he came to the edge of a cliff. There he caught hold of a thick vine, and swung himself over the edge.  Above him the tiger snarled. Below him he heard another snarl, and behold, there was another tiger, peering up at him. The vine suspended him midway between two tigers.  Two mice, a white mouse and a black mouse, began to gnaw at the vine. He could see they were quickly eating it through. Then in front of him on the cliff side he saw a luscious bunch of grapes. Holding onto the vine with one hand, he reached and picked a grape with the other. How delicious! That’s the end of the parable. 

Huh??? That's it??? Well how does the story end? Does the man get eaten by one of the tigers? Does he manage to find a way of escape? That's the fun thing about parables.  They are stories that don't have a traditional beginning,  middle or an end.  You have to hunt for the treasure.  

A pearl to string:  I know myself that I can sometimes be so focused on wanting to know what's going to happen in the future that I fail to enjoy what I have right here, right now.  There will always be good times as well as plenty of trials in life and countless difficulties to overcome.  But look up from your trouble and see that you are surrounded by countless blessings from God: a breath taking sunrise, a blanket of snow, seeing your breath on a frosty morning, a steaming cup of aromatic coffee, the fireplace flickering, my husband in his easy chair reading God's Word and our little dogs curled up beside me.... now that's a bunch of grapes! 

Is it possible to focus on the blessings at hand even when we are bobbing in a sea of difficulties and we don't know how the story will turn out? For a child of God, it is not only possible, it is essential that we learn to do so.  "I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want." (Philippians 4:11-12) 

Are you surrounded by tigers today? Take a moment to enjoy the grape that God has placed right in front of you.

Know you are loved,

                             Lyndi

Coyote Solution

Environmentalists and the U.S. Forest Service were presenting an alternative to Wyoming ranchers for controlling the coyote population. 

It seems that after years of the ranchers using the tried and true method of shooting or trapping the predators, the environmentalists had a "more humane" solution to this issue. What they were proposing was for the animals to be captured alive. The males would then be castrated and let loose again.  

All of the ranchers thought about this amazing idea for a couple of minutes. Finally an old fellow wearing a big cowboy hat in the back of the conference room stood up, tipped his hat back and said; "Son, I don't think you understand our problem here... these coyotes ain't having sex with our sheep... they're eatin' 'em!" 

The meeting never really got back to order. 

I look out around our world and I see satan doing the same thing to God's people - eatin' 'em alive.  The religions of the world are NOT going to save anybody, no where, no how. Nor are any of the smart thinkers scattered across our planet. The tried and true method through the ages holds true today.  It is only by the blood of Jesus that we are saved. 

"For the life of the flesh is in the blood: and I have given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls: for it is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul".  (Leviticus 17:11) 

A pearl to string: It's baffling too witness the hate and mistrust of those who bring the message of forgiveness & eternal life.  I suppose it is because we are all flawed and imperfect.  Maybe some can be over the top with their enthusiasm, some may be boring and some may be annoying - imperfect people can be like that.  It's not, however, the people that are knocking at the door of your heart.  It's Jesus!  We are instructed in 1 Peter 5:8 to be sober and vigilant for satan walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.  So don't be devourable!  Stay in His Word.... Hear His knock! 

He came that we might have life

Know you are eternally loved,

                                            Lyndi

Earth Sick

What on earth is going on?  Not much good I can tell you that.  If you want to be cheered don't tune into the 5pm news.  If you want to feel safe don't read the newspapers. If you want to feel encouraged don't listen to talk shows.  If you want to know the truth don't believe politicians.  

So how do you stop yourself from feeling helpless in uncertain times?  The same way you keep from getting seasick when on a sea cruise. Don't look at the waves crashing around you.  Look at the horizon far away.  Look at that stable, stationary line.  When you fix your eyes on the unshakable, unwavering line, even though the ship bobs up and down in the rough sea your stomach will stabilize. I learned that lesson growing up in California during my days as a Sea Scout/Mariner Girl Scout. The same holds true in our spiritual lives.

A pearl to string:  Don't keep the eyes of your heart focused on your circumstances or the appalling things happening in this world... it will make you earth sick.  Steady your heart and harvest peace for your soul... look to the unshakable, eternal Word of God. Watch "...my God {will} supply all your needs according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus". (Philippians 4:19)  From temporal needs to spiritual needs .. including our need in suffering, for many of us are called to take our turn in the Lord’s prison-house. Here we need patience under pain, and hope under depression of spirit. Who is sufficient for furnace-work? Our God will supply us with those choice graces and consolations which shall strengthen us to glorify His name even in the fires. He will either make the burden lighter, or the burden stronger; he will diminish the need, or increase the supply. 

Lean on Him,

Keep your eyes in His Word

And know you are loved,

                                     Lyndi

Blinker Fluid

If your mechanic is telling you that you need blinker fluid...friend,  you are getting ripped off.  But if you really want to see what is going on in this world of yours..... feed your faith: that's true blinker fluid. 

“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” (Hebrews 11:1)  

Faith is your lifeline to the Lord.

Lose your faith in the Lord,

and you will lose all contact with Him. 

It is very easy to have high levels of faith in the Lord when all is well in the kingdom of you, but let someone face a heavier type of storm cloud, and all of a sudden their high levels of faith in the Lord could take a major nosedive. People in pain start yelling at God as to how He could have allowed this kind of heavy storm cloud to come into their life in the first place. That's when the whisper lie begins, "Yeah if God loved you He wouldn't let anything hurtful or painful or bad happen to you."  Been there, heard that whisper lie! Can we get a grip on reality here? Life is not fair... period! From God's lips to your ears, "In this world you will have trouble, (John 16:33) but be courageous-I have overcome the world!"  So throw all of the temper tantrums you want, wrestle with God over certain issues you are really struggling with – but please do not ever lose your faith in the Lord and then quit and walk off His playing field.  

God has already laid the ground work for faith in you and His Word tells you how to grow it:

1. “… as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith …”

(Romans 12:3)

2. “… because your faith grows exceedingly.” (2 Thessalonians 1:3)

3. “So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.”  (Romans 10:17)  

A pearl to string: You can sum all of this up in one simple little statement – as you grow in the knowledge of God through your study of the Bible, then your faith will start to grow right along with it. But stop growing in the knowledge of God (stop taking time to read God's Word) and your faith will stop growing right along with it.  

The deeper your faith grows

the wider your peace flows

regardless of circumstances 

Don't let your soul go naked into the new year.

May your faith grow exceedingly in 2012

Grow your blinker fluid and

Know you are loved,

                            Lyndi

Happy New Year

Turn It Around

Are you center stage?  Does every moment of every day depend on whether things are going your way or living up to your expectations? If daily life seems to be all about you then turn it around.  It takes practice. “Blessed be the Lord, who daily loads us with benefits, the God of our salvation!”  (Psalm 68:19)

"Oh rat feathers! The electricity must have gone off in the night and messed up my alarm clock, now I'm going to be late".  Would that start your morning wrong? Would you grouch and growl speeding your way through your morning routine? Would an expression sit on your face that would scare children, domestic animals and the elderly?  Well turn it around. See the blessings. The electricity came back on. (Blessed) My niece in Connecticut lost her electricity for three weeks with that last storm.  You had to take a fast shower? (Blessed) the homeless man who slept under the bridge last night won't have a shower. I really don't like those 'get your guilt on' comparisons. I'd much rather you just see the multitude of blessings around you and let them light you up. Getting out of the shower you reach for a clean fluffy towel... ummm... smell good. (Blessed) Clothing enough to make choices. (Blessed) Rush into the kitchen to grab a quick bite.(Blessed)  Food, home, all your basic needs God has provided. You look up and see smiles ... of course they are fifteen feet away because of the expression on your face. Your smile can decrease the distance and get needed hugs. (Blessed) You sprint out the door and jump into your car.  Oh my gosh you've got a car (Blessed) that's parked in a garage (Blessed) that has gas in it (Blessed) that working at your job (Blessed) provided the funds to put into the bank to pay for that gas (Blessed) and all your other expenses. (Blessed)  Do you have enough for everything you want? No???, then you are (Blessed)  We should never get everything we want! You back out and drive down the street. (Blessed) neighbors (Blessed) rain??? Huh???? oh no that will slow me..... turn it around (Blessed) The swish and slap of the windshield wipers will keep good time to the music.. so SING (Blessed) laugh (Blessed) and the glow on your face will bless everyone you run into at work (Blessed) 

A pearl to string: My grandmother use to say "Count your blessings".  Well now I am a grandmother so I'm saying, "Counting your blessings will turn your attitude of self-focus around to a gratitude that unlocks the joy of the Lord.  It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow."  “Blessed be the Lord, who daily loads us with benefits, the God of our salvation!”  (Psalm 68:19) 

Turn It Around

Know you are loved,

                              Lyndi

All Roads Lead to Jesus

by Phil Ware

If we are honest, there simply are a lot of things that we get wrong about Jesus' birth. It's not that we don't care about the facts, we just seem to lose them in the mix of sentimentality and the re-telling of a story precious to us. As well-intentioned as we may be, we just get some things wrong: 

  * The time of year -- Jesus was probably born in late
    September or early October, though the explanation
    of that would take too long to put here, just take
    this one verse and do some investigation on when
    shepherds would have been out in the fields at
    night watching their flocks (Luke 2:8). 

  * The place where Jesus was born -- probably not a

    barn, but a cave for keeping animals, especially
    sheep, and in this cave would have been a carved
    out stone for watering them, and this watering
    trough was called a manger (Luke 2:7). 

  * Joseph and Mary didn't go to the cave to have
    Jesus because the local inn was out of rooms --
    it was because they were outcasts to their own
    families: folks to whom they were related wanted
    to have nothing to do with them because Mary was
    pregnant and not married and there was no
    explanation of her pregnancy that made sense
    (Luke 2:4-7 -- literally it says, "FOR THEM
    there was no place in the [family] guest room"). 

  * Mary doesn't ride a donkey or a camel -- there

    is no mention of her riding. Donkeys and camels
    were expensive. Walking was the common mode of
    transportation. 

  * The magi did not show up with the shepherds at
    the manger -- they came to the house where Joseph,
    Mary, and Jesus were living (Matthew 2:11),
    probably several months after Jesus' birth
    (Matthew 2:16) and quite likely because there
    were still unkind things being said about
    Mary's pregnancy. 

  * The magi were not three Kings -- they were
    astrologers from the East (Matthew 2:1-2
    likely Iran), who used a forbidden practice

    (astrology) to find Jesus whom they identified
    as king of the Jews (Matthew 2:2). While we
    know they brought three gifts -- gold,

    frankincense, and myrrh -- we don't know how
    many of them there were. 

When you strip these down and hear the story in its simple yet brutal beauty, it may lose some sentimentality, but takes on even greater power. A young engaged couple, expecting a child conceived by the Holy Spirit, goes back to their ancestral home and has no one who will take them in because they are unmarried and pregnant. They find an abandoned cave normally used to keep sheep safe. It is abandoned because the shepherds are in their fields at night during this special time of year. 

Baby Jesus is wrapped in strips of cloth and placed in a stone watering trough for his bed. (For those who first heard these stories and knew the culture, this would sound eerily like the tomb in which he was placed in death!) The Lamb of God is rejected by family and people in power. The Lamb of God is welcomed by those who tended sheep as he slept where baby lambs would have slept. The shepherds in the fields could have been the very same shepherds who watched over the lambs slain at Passover, because that is what many Bethlehem shepherds did. 

God with us, Immanuel (Matthew 1:23), was not welcomed into this world by those who knew Mary and Joseph. Jesus, who would save his people from their sins (Matthew 1:21), yet he and his family were rejected because everyone suspected he was conceived under "sinful circumstances" in the minds of many people. Shortly after Mary became pregnant, she left her home in Nazareth and went to be with Elizabeth in the hill country of Judea, probably because of her questionable pregnancy while she was engaged to Joseph (Luke 1:39). Even years later, Jesus would still hear the taunt that he was Mary's boy, implying that Joseph wasn't his real father and Mary's supposed sin had somehow tainted him (Mark 6:3). 

At the end of Mary's pregnancy came the required trip to Bethlehem.

Where is Joseph's family during this journey? They would have made the trip, but Joseph and Mary journey alone. After the long hard walk from Nazareth to Bethlehem, Mary had to give birth without the love or support of family -- not because they weren't there, but because they had spurned Joseph and Mary! Mary had risked everything to follow the call of God -- including the risk of losing the love and companionship of Joseph (Matthew 1:18-19). And Mary did all of this to offer herself to God as the servant of the yet to be born Messiah (Luke 1:38). And when Joseph joined her in this risk of obedience, he was ostracized, too!

The story of Jesus' birth is a powerful testimony to the amazing obedience of two simple people who were willing to risk everything to honor God. And this story is a powerful testimony to the amazing love of God to risk everything to the faithfulness of these two people.

Such is the love of God for us … for all of us … those near and far from God … to show us that Jesus came to include us … each of us … all of us … in his mercy and grace. 

So we see Jesus welcomed, worshiped, and proclaimed by Jewish shepherds (Luke 2:15-20), Iranian astrologers (Matthew 2:1-11), and angels from heaven (Luke 2:8-14). We see his birth recognized and feared by King Herod and his religious experts (Matthew 2:3-8). We find precious and devout servants Simeon and Anna, both long in years, rejoicing in his birth and proclaiming God's loving mercy in the Temple (Luke 2:22-28).

We see his birth set in history in Roman time (Luke 2:1) and Jewish time (Luke 1:5-7). We see Jesus' genealogy traced through David and Abraham (Matthew 1:1-17) -- with some Gentile detours through Gentiles like Rahab and Ruth -- and we see it traced through David to Adam (Luke 3:23-37). 

Bottom line, no one is left out. Whether we get some things wrong or we research every bit of minutiae, all roads lead to Jesus -- whether those roads are traveled by Jews or Gentiles, the pitiful or the powerful, the righteous or the rebellious! Jesus is the story of God's love, the testimony to God's gritty grace, and the living witness of God's costly kindness for all people (John 1:14-18). And that story is consistent from beginning to end -- from cave to grave, from heaven and back to glory. 

May he be born in us this day and not lost in sentimentality or sanctimony of our season!

You can find the video here: http://hlt.me/tmlFpr

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  (c) 2011 Phil Ware <phil@heartlight.org>. All rights reserved.

It's Christmas

December 25–Christmas Day–has been a federal holiday in the United States since 1870.

Thousands of people know that holidays like Christmas and Easter  have pagan origins, but we don't hear of the holidays being celebrated in pagan fashion like days of old.  It is kind of creepy knowing that though. ewe! For whatever reason the church leaders had for choosing the dates they are the dates we celebrate.  Christmas... Merry Christmas. Say that in public a few times these days and watch heads spin. Christmas is obnoxious to some because it represents the combination of two words, "Christ" and "mass." The word means "the mass of Christ."  But what does "mass" really mean in the compound word Christmas? The dictionary reveals that the English term mass evolved from the Anglo-Saxon word maesse, which derived in turn from the Latin missa, which is a form of the verb mittere, which means "to send." Consequently, the root meaning of Christ-mass is "to send Christ," or "Christ is sent."  There is nothing inherently obnoxious in the name Christmas. The term accurately represents what the holiday is all about--the sending of Christ.

In doing that little word study I discovered another thing that sets my teeth on edge like fingernails scratching a black board. Xmas!?! The abbreviation Xmas takes Christ out of Christmas right? That's what I thought. Certainly some who use the abbreviation may do so for that very reason. But the abbreviation did not originate either to take Christ out of Christmas or as an "irreverent modern substitute for Christmas."  The X in Xmas did not originate as our English alphabet's X but as the symbol X in the Greek alphabet, called Chi, with a hard ch. The Greek Chi or X is the first letter in the Greek word Christos. Studies reveal that as early as the first century the X was used as Christ's initial. Certainly through church history we can trace this usage. In many manuscripts of the New Testament, X abbreviates Christos (Xristos). In ancient Christian art X and XR (Chi Ro--the first two letters in Greek of Christos abbreviate his name. This practice entered the Old English language as early as AD 100.  

A pearl to string:. God planned and executed the first Christmas. No matter how flagrantly men may abuse this holiday, they cannot rob devout believers of its wonder and glory as expressed by the angel of old, "Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord" (Luke 2:10, 11).  

Christ IS sent...

Because God loves you

Merry Christmas my friends

I love you too

                  Lyndi 

Enjoy this fun song: Christmas With A Capital C  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IAckfn8yiAQ

Thou Didst Leave Thy Throne

A very old Hymn my Grandmother Chase use to sing to me.
Text: Timothy R. Matthews
Music: Emily E. S. Elliott
________________________________________
1. Thou didst leave thy throne and thy kingly crown,
when thou camest to earth for me;
but in Bethlehem's home there was found no room
for thy holy nativity.
O come to my heart, Lord Jesus,
there is room in my heart for thee.

2. Heaven's arches rang when the angels sang,
proclaiming thy royal degree;
but in lowly birth didst thou come to earth,
and in greatest humility.
O come to my heart, Lord Jesus,
there is room in my heart for thee.

3. The foxes found rest, and the birds their nest
in the shade of the forest tree;
but thy couch was the sod, O thou Son of God,
in the deserts of Galilee.
O come to my heart, Lord Jesus,
there is room in my heart for thee.

4. Thou camest, O Lord, with the living Word
that should set thy people free;
but with mocking scorn, and with crown of thorn,
they bore thee to Calvary.
O come to my heart, Lord Jesus,
there is room in my heart for thee.

5. When heav'ns arches shall ring and its choir shall sing
at thy coming to victory,
let thy voice call me home, saying "Yet there is room,
there is room at my side for thee!"
And my heart shall rejoice, Lord Jesus,
when thou comest and callest for me.

Lonely this Christmas?

Loneliness is the painful gap in your life between the amount of contact you want to have with other human beings and the amount you actually have.  Loneliness is about loss: loss of a loved one, loss of a family grown up, loss of being grown without family, loss of a youth stolen by tragedy, loss of physical abilities or loss of health to name a few.  With painful disappointment many suffer from feelings of shame, self-pity, guilt or failure.   

We are about to experience the shortest day and the longest night of the year. Many know what it feels like to be in the darkness of night. Others have called it “the dark night of the soul,” or “the winter of our discontent.” This time of year can bring back memories of past pain and sorrow. It highlights and heightens new experiences of suffering and this Christmas season is not a joy for everyone. In love & compassion people reach out and gather in the lonely yet often it hurts more going and seeing a family group that you're outside of. 

"Even in darkness light dawns for the upright, for the gracious and compassionate and righteous man".  (Psalm 112:4) 

A pearl to string: Oh my goodness there is power in God's Word, in His promise!  Just as night passes into dawn, for the gracious and compassionate and righteous, dawn comes even in the worst nights of deep spiritual darkness. The Holy Spirit is reminding us that even in those worst times of cultural decay and decadence, satan's darkness will not rule forever. His darkness cannot stay where Jesus' disciples reflect the character of the Light of the world. 

That just lit me up.  I was feeling so blue not having the physical ability to decorate my home for Christmas, which was in itself a spiritual time of joy for me. I am in the process of grieving that loss in my life and along comes Jesus. He comes right into my heartache to remind me I am His walking decoration when I reflect His character. 

You know what "they" say when you are standing out on the ledge of the 72nd floor of a tall building..... "don't look down"!  When you're hurting... don't look down!

No matter what you are facing, no matter how bad it gets or how deep it hurts... there is hope in that beautiful child's birth that we celebrate this time of year. Each one of us can choose to reflect His character and decorate our world. 

Let us shine & twinkle

He came so you would know

You are loved,

                    Lyndi

The Outcome is His

Back in the day when I was in High School one of the big events I was looking forward to was going to the premier of "Ben Hur", the greatest epic movie of it's time. That was "The" red carpet event back then. A good old fashion Hollywood special screening premier with the high-intensity searchlights criss-crossing the night sky and a very big deal to me. The boy I was dating had made all the special arrangements.  At the last minute he told me that he had an emergency and had to travel out of town with his family on the night we had planned to attend. Disappointment didn't begin to describe my feelings. He said we'd go to the movie when he got back. Going to a movie and the premier of a movie are two completely different things. I then learned that boy was not out of town but had taken my friend (?) to the premier. Imagine my joy in plotting his demise after I cried a bucket of tears and then planned her demise.  That sunk two friendless-ships. My dad came to my heart rescue and escorted me to the private cast party celebration viewing of Ben Hur.  Wow, what an evening! I didn't know any of the other stars but meeting Charlton Heston that night was a definite memory maker. Having that very special evening with my dad was THE quintessential blessing bigger than life itself. It certainly helped me to have a dad in "the Hollywood business" 

Those fun memories came flooding back while I was reading a devotional from God's Little Devotional Book about how Charlton Heston worked long hours with the stunt trainers to learn to drive a chariot for the movie's crucial chariot race scene. He improved greatly with His mastery over the horses and rig, but finally became convinced the task was more of a challenge than he had initially anticipated.  He approached the legendary director of the movie, Cecil DeMille about the scene. "Mr. DeMille," he said, "I've worked very hard at mastering this rig, and I think I can drive it convincingly in the scene. But I don't think I can win the race."

The director replied, "You just drive. I'll do the rest."  

A pearl to string: God has a way of orchestrating the various races we run during the course of our lives. He trust us to do our part in "manning the rigs." We must trust him to determine the result of the race.

"Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.  Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. (Hebrews 12:1-2)

The greatest act of faith is when man decides he is not God but realizes that "he can do all things through Christ who strengthens him."  (Philippians 4:13) 

We have a Creator in the Saving business

You are loved,

                  Lyndi

NOTE: I love the point this illustration makes but I'm not sure of the validity of the story.  Cecil B DeMille was not the director on the 1959 Ben Hur movie but he did direct Charlton Heston in the Ten Commandments in 1956 which turned out to be Mr. DeMille's last film. William Wyler directed the 1959 movie. AND yes I did wind up forgiving both friends but didn't choose to hang with either one of them again :)

Christmas With A Captial "C"

Do Right

"Defend the weak and the fatherless; uphold the cause of the poor and the oppressed. Rescue the weak and the needy; deliver them from the hand of the wicked". (Psalm 82:3-4)

Like thousands upon thousands of you my heart is hurting for those suffering children as we witness the horror of the news unfolding before our eyes at Penn State. In the midst of all this I was blessed to learn that while some students acted out their pain by throwing a temper tantrum (riot) a large number gathered on campus to pray for the children who have grown into young men and their families. The wait for justice was too long for saving. The healing had to begin without it.  Honestly to do the right thing now won't make up for the past but it will guard the future. 

Though we are living in a society of moral decay I think we'd all like to believe that given the same set of circumstances we would have done the right thing for the kids. Judging from hindsight does not really give anyone a clear picture of what it looks like or what it costs to be a person who does the right thing.

In the fifth century (early 400's A.D.) a little monk named Telemachus was led by an inner voice to go to Rome without knowing why. At that particular time in history the Romans held gladiator events that were loved and cherished by the people much like our football is cherished today. Back then the honored sport had grown so much in popularity that it had become a 'god' to the people. Telemachus followed the crowds to the Coliseum.  He was appalled to witness two gladiators fighting to the death.  Moved by his compassion for the sanctity of life Telemachus tried to get between them to stop them, shouting three times, "In the name of Christ, forbear!" Telemachus was stoned to death by the furious crowd, enraged that someone would dare to interfere with their "entertainment."  Because of Telemachus' death, three days later, the Emperor by decree ended the Games.  One man dared to do the right thing. One man who loved God stood for God's Word and evil was squelched.

“The ‘gods’ know nothing, they understand nothing. They walk about in darkness; all the foundations of the earth are shaken". (Psalm 82:5)

A pearl to string: Would a better moral climate at Penn State University and the surrounding community have changed the behavior of an alleged pedophile?....  probably not.  Would a better moral climate at the University and in the community have changed the response of those who saw what was happening? I believe it would have. Do Universities and communities across this nation share in the decline of morality? I believe we all do. Moving away from God is moving into disaster. 

"He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God". (Micah 6:8)

We're in this life together... We've tried the 'me, me, me' method and it's not working so well.  Each person has to choose who they will serve. For my husband and I and our household, we will serve the Lord. (Joshua 24:15)

He loves all of us,

                       Lyndi

Capture Unchecked Thoughts

Ever get something stuck in your mind?  The more it rolls around in your head the more you think on it. All the possibilities and ramifications grow worse the longer you think on it. Wow what was a moehill is quickly becoming a mountain and it is all in my mind. A trickle can do that. If it continues it may turn into a stream, and then a brook, then maybe a river. Before you know it, you’re dealing with an ocean of unchecked thoughts.  Capture those unchecked thoughts.... don't let them roam around in your brain till they drop into your heart. 

Has this ever happened to you? I’d like to say I have it all in hand and I stop those thoughts dead in their tracks, but it took awhile for me to recognize what was going on and then turn in another direction. Sometimes it still does. I depend on the Holy Spirit to alert me. 

A pearl to string:  Scripture has the only satisfying answers for me: "We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ." (2 Corinthians 10:5) "As a man thinks in his heart, so is he..." (Proverb 23:7) 

I kept this poem framed and hanging on the wall in our kitchen to remind me often how very important our role as parents was to the future of our children.  

Twas a sheep not a lamb that strayed away
In the parable Jesus told,
A grown-up sheep that strayed away
From the ninety and nine in the fold. 

And why for the sheep should we seek
And earnestly hope and pray?
Because there is danger when sheep go wrong;
They lead the lambs astray. 

Lambs will follow the sheep, you know,
Wherever the sheep may stray.
When sheep go wrong, it won’t take long
Till the lambs are as wrong as they. 

And so with the sheep we earnestly plead
For the sake of the lambs today,
For when sheep are lost, what a terrible cost
The lambs will have to pay! -C. C. Miller 

Capture those unchecked thoughts!

You are loved,

                Lyndi