Celebrate Christmas~Angels

Luke 1:28-33
The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.” Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.”

An angel carried hope to a broken world. 

Years ago, I sewed an angel costume for my daughter to wear in the church's Christmas play. She was adorable. That same simple, white dress, and angel wings have been passed down through the family. What a delight to see the little ones dressed in glittery garland halos, and singing from their little hearts.

How do you picture an angel?
In my mind's eye I see cherub cheeks, ringlets in their hair, and bright eyes. Their tiny barefoot feet poke out under crisp white gowns. Each one stands erect and they sing the most beautiful melody. But the angels in the Bible weren't cute little cherubs, they were pictured as fierce warriors, men dressed in white, some bigger than life.

God created angels to minister to his people. In the Bible, angels prepared for spiritual combat, while others delivered divine messages. Either way, they are prepared to battle for and care for Jesus' followers.

Before Jesus was born, they led the brigades to prepare the way for the King of Kings. In the Christmas story these men God sent to earth, visited Joseph, Mary, Zechariah, and the shepherds. They showed up to spread the good news of hope, joy, and love.

You see, God sent the angels with purpose. Our world is broken. God's people need heavenly beings to fight for us, assist us, and speak to us. God asked his angels to spread God's words. I've not seen an angel (that I know of) but I believe they dwell among us. They minister to God's people even as they did in biblical times.

Read the Christmas story in Matthew and Luke and focus on the angels, find the joy they shared as hope for our weary world.

 

Fresh Snow

 Everything looks magical when it snows.

-Lorelai Gilmore

As I drove home in the evening, the trees glistened with white,

and the ground rested under a blanket of fresh snow. 

In southwest Ohio, we had our first snowfall.

I still feel like a kid when I see those flakes floating to the earth.

Something about the snow reminds me to stop and

take the time to enjoy the beauty and be thankful.

A Thankful Heart

Colossians 4:2
Devote yourselves to prayer with an alert mind and a thankful heart.

I have fond memories of my dad praying grace over our meals, when I was growing up. Tim's prayers at our dinners bless my heart. My girls learned to pray their prayers at bedtime with honesty and sweetness. Oh, how I enjoy our grandkids' voices speaking to their heavenly father. Over the years, I've been asked to pray out loud, and I'll be honest, I get nervous. I'm not comfortable leading others in prayer. As a matter of fact, I used to struggle with how I should communicate with the Lord, at all. But I've learned, I don't need to be nervous or shy about prayers. I simply need to go before God with whatever is on my mind. Sometimes I write my prayers in a notebook. Other times, I talk to him whenever a need comes to mind. The truth I know is—God wants to hear from me.

Paul tells the Colossian church to pray with an alert mind and a thankful heart. Even though my words may be simple, I don't want to be distracted when I call up words to Jesus. Instead, I need to be attentive. And I should always go before the Lord with thanksgiving. With Thanksgiving Day around the corner, it's easy to think of what I'm thankful for. But what about next week? Or during the hustle and bustle of Christmas, if I become irritated and tired. What about next year, after the new diet doesn't work out and the scales are stuck? Yep, even then I need to go before God with a thankful heart. What if all is well? Do I stop talking to God? No. I need to shout words of thanks and praise! I am grateful that God has set up a way for us to communicate. I love talking to him and listening for answers.

This week as Thanksgiving approaches, give thanks. Sometimes that's enough.

A Warrior of Light

A storm blew the birch tree across the walking path.

The park's team cut the trunk into manageable pieces 

and left it to rest for the creatures of the woods.

When I spied the chopped wood, I admired the beauty of the trunk 

and the rounds inside.

The mottled bark reminded me of a soldier's uniform, 

and the inside center—a heart.

As a Jesus follower, He wants me to be a warrior with a heart for people.

He wants me to fight the battle of darkness with His light in my heart.

Keep His light shining mighty warrior.

 

Them Bones

Ezekiel 37: 1-6
The hand of the Lord was on me, and he brought me out by the Spirit of the Lord and set me in the middle of a valley; it was full of bones. He led me back and forth among them, and I saw a great many bones on the floor of the valley, bones that were very dry. He asked me, “Son of man, can these bones live?”

I said, “Sovereign Lord, you alone know.”

Then he said to me, “Prophesy to these bones and say to them, ‘Dry bones, hear the word of the Lord! This is what the Sovereign Lord says to these bones: I will make breath enter you, and you will come to life. I will attach tendons to you and make flesh come upon you and cover you with skin; I will put breath in you, and you will come to life. Then you will know that I am the Lord.’”

And he did.

On one of our walks at the park, I glanced up. Branches of the white birch bark on the bare trees shone against the brilliant blue sky. The white birch branches reminded me of the story in Ezekiel where God sent him to the valley of the bones and asked him to prophesy to the bones. Ezekiel may have wondered why, but he obeyed. God knew in His sovereignty that the bones would rise again in new life. Ezekiel witnessed a miracle.

On days when it’s hard to put one foot in front of the other, I hang on to God’s promises of hope. Some days my fibromyalgia flairs and my body doesn’t want to move. On those days, I feel like the dry bones in the valley. Other days, the fibro stays calm, and you’d never know I had any health issues. Those days I thank God for the breath of life.

When my eyes caught sight of the beautiful bare branches and the blue sky, God reminded me to rest when I need to and engage in life when I can. You see, I still have work to do on this earth. So did Ezekiel. He had a story to tell and bones to raise. On the days I feel like I’m in the valley with the bones, I’m reminded of the breath God breathed into the bones and the breath He breaths into me.

Thank God for all days and know He is with you.

Contemplate

Contemplation.

I wonder what these two ducks are thinking.

How safe is the water to swim in?

The bugs they'll catch and eat.

Where are their friends and family?

Many of us live busy lives, moving from one thing to the next without much thought.

God reminds me to ponder the possibilities before I leap ahead.

I'm not always good at it, but I know in my heart-- 

God wants me to consider everything through His lens.

 

Stand Strong and Courageous

Joshua 1:9
Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.

I salute the men and women who serve in the military.

My dad served in World War 2. He never talked about his time overseas, much. I know he was stationed in the Philippines and New Guinea for a time. After he had passed away, my sister discovered a letter written to our mom where the commanding officer stated dad had received a Soldier’s Medal for saving the life of a fellow soldier. I’m proud of my dad for having the courage to rescue the man.

I thank the Lord for men and women who choose to stand strong and courageous for our country. So many have given the ultimate sacrifice of their lives to keep American soil safe. I thank the Lord for the families who stand beside the military folks. The children who miss their parent or both parents, the spouses who hold the home together, the parents of the enlisted all need our prayers.

Moses handed the leadership to Joshua to lead the people into the promised land. They had to be prepared to take the land and win the battle. God commanded Joshua to be strong and courageous.

I may not be in the military, but I am in a battle zone. The war between good and evil surrounds me every day. God calls me to be strong—His strength fills me—He calls me to be courageous—To not be discouraged. The best news is—God goes with me wherever I go!

This Veteran’s Day, pray for our military, thank our service people, pray for peace, ask God for strength and courage and fight the spiritual battles with faith and hope. 

A Matter of Perspective

I walked across the living room and caught a glimpse of my lighthouse chimes.

The sun shone through the window and cast a shadow of the wooden piece.

The long skinny lighthouse's shape 

changed into a shorter and wider version of itself.

The perspective changed. 

Had I just seen the shadow, 

I would have assumed the object 

to be very different from the original. 

Isn't that how it is with people sometimes?

We only see a fragment of them

or we assume we see the heart of the person, when we don't.

God sees the real us. He sees beyond the shadows, into our heart.

 

Need Rest?

Matthew 11:28-30
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

"I'm so glad I live in a world where there are Octobers." -Anne Shirley

This week the leaves on the deciduous trees burst with color. Autumn shone her glorious scarlets, golds, and ambers. God’s paintbrush kissed the sky with azure blue. What a lovely time.

As I look at the trees and think about their preparation for winter, I know they will rest. Each oak and maple will shed their leaves, and their systems will slow as they slumber through the cold months. Sometimes, I envy the trees. They have a cycle that guarantees time for respite and refreshment.

In the busy world we live in, rest seems like a bad word. Stopping to admire the trees and renew the spirit is often overlooked. Maybe because I’m older now, I value slowing down and sitting with Jesus more than ever.

In Matthew 11, Jesus is speaking to a group of people in Galilee, and I’m guessing He’s also addressing his disciples. The folks He preached to experienced weariness. They were in the midst of the friction between those who believed Jesus was Messiah and those who ridiculed Him. Jesus invited them to come to Him. When he mentions his humble and gentle heart, it feels like a warm hug for my weary soul. Jesus’ yoke is easy, and His burden is light because Jesus shares our needs with God, who hears our prayers.

What a beautiful cycle the trees experience and what an amazing cycle we have when Jesus takes our burdens and carries them to Father God. Our load is eased, and we can rest.

Take your cares to Jesus, find rest in Him, and value the time to slow down.