So Thankful!

Hope you had a very Merry Christmas yesterday.  I wasn’t sure how this holiday season was going to go.  For months, I had plans to come to my parents’ home for Christmas and as of the beginning of the week, I wasn’t sure I would make it.  I didn’t realize how tired I’ve been and how much rest I haven’t gotten over the last few months, even though I’ve taken some time off.  I’ve still been going – work, church, bible study, travel, etc.  I’ve just been busy!

All that said, I did make it home and I’m so very glad I did.  I was blessed with an easy drive on Christmas Eve, practically no traffic). It was wonderful seeing my parents after so many months apart.  It was a blessing to see my brother and my niece and a few other family members (face covers in place and physically distancing exercised).  While, I definitely need to get more rest and not be quite so busy, I needed to find my way home - a place of comfort and peace.  

It is a blessing to be surrounded by people who love you! I mentioned earlier that I’ve lost family members over the past couple of months, but there are so many who lost those much closer – parents, siblings, children……I can only imagine how difficult it is to celebrate the goodness of God directly after those losses.  But, our circumstances don’t change the fact that God is good all the time.  His goodness and mercy doesn’t change with our circumstances (Lam 3:22-24).  It is a truth, whether we can see the reality of it or not.  This truth is a source of hope to me.  God is good no matter what I do or experience (Nahum 1:7). 

I’m so thankful to the Lord for loving me and thinking enough of me to send His son from His heavenly home to earth.  Jesus gave up the surroundings of His heavenly kingdom to come to earth to be rejected by the very ones He came to save.  What a bum deal.  Can you imagine going to help someone and they threw it back in your face?  That’s what we did to Jesus.  It’s what we do to Jesus.  Every time we rebel, every time we sin, every time we choose the lie, we are rejecting the truth of the Messiah.  We don’t know better than He does.  We never will – that’s one reason why we need Him.  

Thank you Father for loving me and keeping me, even when I didn’t know I needed to be kept and loved.  Thank you for all the good things in my life. As we close 2021, please lead and guide your children into understanding the next steps you want us to take. Let our lives be pleasing to you and let others see you in us. Let our live point to you.  All honor, power and glory to your name! In Jesus Name, I pray – Amen.

What Gift Will You Give?

For those of you who know me, you know I’m big on birthdays.  I recently celebrated my own and unlike last year, I actually got to take a short trip.  It was still limited, but I did get away from the house.  That could lead some to believing things are back to what we considered normal prior to COVID.  However, things are not back to normal.  The world is still in a bit of chaos, with a new variant loose and multiplying.  Thankfully, the new variant is not prominent yet, but COVID is still spreading and causing sicknesses and deaths.  

A year ago, I thought this would be long over.  But here we are, preparing to celebrate the birthday of the Messiah, after another year of drama associated with COVID.  While it’s been another rough year and while there are plans to return more to normal, the pandemic continues.  All that said, we have to remember that nothing happens by chance……everything matters and happens for a reason.  And, God can use anything for His purpose (Prov 16:4).  

I know that all things work together for our good, if we love God and are called for His purpose (Rom 8:28).  While COVID has been a thing, it’s brought our family together weekly to have bible study, so we’re growing closer together as we learn and grow in the Lord.  That would not have happened without the new experience with COVID.  Now, did I wish for that?  Absolutely not!  I didn’t even know I needed to spend time with the family in this way and it took a year for the idea to bubble to the surface.  Now, this time together is a source of strength for me.  I miss my family when we don’t meet.  I miss our prayer time together.  It’s a blessing to have them and this time together.  They are a gift. 

Just as God blessed me with the gift of my family, God gifted us with Jesus (Isa 9:6).  He is the Ultimate Gift!  His birth signified God’s promise to David of an everlasting kingdom (Psa 145:13).  Jesus is the King of kings and Lord of lords (1 Tim 6:15)! His sacrifice of leaving heaven to come to earth is as important as His death on the cross and His resurrection.  He fulfilled every prophecies of the prophets hundreds of years before.  His birth was celebrated by the stars, angels, shepherds, wise men, etc.  At His birth, He received gifts referencing His death (Matt 2:1-12).  He came with purpose and to honor His birth is to honor His life.  Jesus was born to live a blameless, sinless life so He could be the sacrificial lamb to save us all from our sins.  

As you prepare to celebrate the birth of the King, remember all that He suffered to give each of us the gift of eternal life.  And, think about what your gift to Him will be for His birthday.  He asked us to do a few things – Love God with all our heart, soul and mind and to love our neighbor as ourselves (Mark 12:30-31).  If we live our lives committed to doing those things, I believe He will be pleased.  What better gift can we give than ourselves?  

Praying you have a marvelous Christmas filled with love, joy, peace and laughter as you celebrate our Lord and Savior!

Where are you headed?

Years ago when I first started my career, I was told you should always have goals for yourself.  Where do you want to be in 5 years? 10 years? 20 years?  I’ve never really lived by that for my career, but I have identified things I wanted out of life as a whole.  For example, some of my life long goals have been to purchase a home; to get my degree; to find fulfilling work that also pays the bills, etc.  Along the way, I’ve sought God’s guidance on the next steps and such, but never really knowing where exactly I was headed.  I’ve trusted that God will lead me to my next “thing,” and He has.  He has always had a plan for me (Jer 29:11).  

However, as I’ve gotten older, I’ve definitely gotten more settled into my ways and what I look forward to in the years to come.  But I recently realized that my plans may not align with what God has in store for me (Prob 19:21, Isa 55:8).  I pray and I read my bible (not as much as I should, but more than I used to) for direction and wisdom and I believe that God directs my path (Prov 3:5-6).  But, He gave me free will to make decisions and take actions.  Don’t get me wrong His Will will be done, even when I’m disobedient and out of place.  There will also be consequences for the decisions I make – good when I align with God’s Will and the opposite when I don’t.  

A few months ago, I would have said, I’m not leaving my job (unless they fire me) until I retire and I’m not moving from the Atlanta suburbs.  Now, I’m not so sure.  I know he sent Abraham away from everything He knew.  Joseph went through an undesired path to get to where God was taking him. 

God is continually providing me opportunities to see and experience Him.  I want to go where He leads and be who He desires me to be.  I’m still seeking His Will for my next steps and I know He will lead and guide me.  But I pose the question to you – where are you headed?  Is it where God is leading you or are you leading yourself?  Has He opened doors that you refuse to walk through?  Has He made a way for you that you don’t want?  I’ve found that God’s ways aren’t always the ways I want something to happen or the way I want to go, but I have to remind myself that He is God and He knows best – what’s best for me and all of His creation.  

I don’t know exactly where God is leading me, but I fully plan to follow.  I know it’ll be a little bit uncomfortable (as almost all change is), but the Holy Spirit will be with me, no matter what.  I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me (Phil 4:13).  And so can you!

What’s the Hold-up?

I know over the past few weeks, I’ve been talking about the losses in our family and how I don’t really know how to feel.  Well, we just suffered another one and this one, while not completely surprising, was still devastating.  Several friends have also recently suffered losses or illnesses.  We recently had a major shooting in Michigan. One thing all these losses have really driven home is the need to move forward.  Don’t stay stagnant.  

What is the thing in your life that you’re not moving on?  Salvation?  Career?  Family?  What are you waiting for?  Will you have time to do it if you wait?  We all have dreams and we put them off because we don’t have the time or the money or whatever other excuse comes up.  Well, if not now, when?  If not you, who?  Many times we pray about things or we think about them but don’t take any actual actions to make them happen.  Now I’m not suggesting that any one neglect the responsibilities you’ve created.  Don’t go out and skip paying your mortgage to take that trip you always wanted.  What I mean is that we need to live each day as if it were our last…..time is not promised (Prov 27:1) and we need to stop taking for granted that more time here will be ours.  If you thought you were going to pass away tomorrow, what would be the most important things for you to do? Start doing them.  

There is no time like the present to do the things that you dream of (Prov 6:4)…..as long as they are consistent with God’s will.  The longer you put them off, the harder it is to get started.  There’s a reason some people are super successful and others just talk about what they will do.  Truly successful people may not be the smartest or the best at something, but they do the work…..consistently.  God gives us abilities and talents, but they need development and we need desire and passion for what we’re called to do.  

If there is a lack of funds, take a look at your spending and see what you can give up – start saving that.  If you can’t save from what you make now, see if there are some other jobs you can do and save the extra……don’t spend it on frivolous stuff you don’t need.  Yes, you may want it, but what benefit does it afford you?  Is it just a want so you can be like everyone else?  If so, think about why you want to be like everyone else…..we’re not – this is not our home.  We are a peculiar people (1 Peter 2:9) and we should be focused on God’s will and not conforming to this world (Rom 12:2).  

If you need more time, take a look at your schedule and see where you have time sucks.  Are you playing too many video games? Are you watching too much TV?  Sometimes I am.  What else is keeping you from spending your time appropriately?  Cut the time you’re doing that and focus on the work to do what you’re called to.  While the video games and TV and whatever else you have going on may be fun, are they productive?  If not, stop it.  Dreams are not just handed to you. You have to do the work to grab them.  No time like the present.  Get started and see what you can accomplish…..with God’s help.  With Him, all things are possible (Matt 19:26).