May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. Romans 15:13
1 Corinthians 13:4-8a
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is
not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is
not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not
delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects,
always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.
I read a post on Facebook recently, written to teenagers who
were developing crushes. The writer advised the teen to replace the name of the
person they liked for the word love in 1 Corinthians 13. I’ve also heard
pastors encourage their congregation to do the same thing with their own names.
It’s good advice on both counts.
Love is patient. Whoa! One of the most difficult
characteristics to nurture is the very first one Paul, the author of
Corinthians, mentions. I used to cringe at the word patience, because I wanted
more. How ironic is that? Over time, God has helped me grow through circumstances
to gain more patience.
Love is kind. We talk a lot about being kind. My
granddaughter bought me a charm that said, “Kind people are my kind of people.”
I love it, and I pray every day for a kinder world.
Love doesn’t envy, boast, or think more of themselves than
others (pride.) Jesus gave the ultimate example of humility. The Son of God
died for me and you.
Love doesn’t dishonor. I enjoy a good joke, as much as the
next person, but I shouldn't put someone else down to make myself feel good.
Respect others.
Love is not self-seeking. Let’s look out for each other. Time
on earth is short compared to eternity, so why not take care of each other to
make the journey better?
Love is not easily angered. When I was young, I had a
temper, and I spent many hours praying for God to help me control it, and He
did. God hears and helps.
Love keeps no records of wrongs and does not delight in
evil. Start over every day, forgive, and rejoice in truth.
Love always trusts in God, hopes in Jesus, and perseveres
with the Holy Spirit’s help.
Love never fails because God never fails. We can’t do this
alone. We need God and each other.
Love makes a difference.
In this world of constant attention grabbing and alarm creating social media and news, I am thankful for the solid consistency of books.
I thank God for books, especially the book He inspired most.
I find myself excited to read the stories in the Bible. David’s Psalms inspire
me and give me hope and confidence in God. Luke’s accounts in the book of Acts
teach me perseverance and inspiration. The gospels teach the truth of Jesus.
God created words for us to communicate truth, to tell
stories, and to learn and share.
Do you have a favorite book? A favorite book of the Bible?
Matthew 9:10-13
While Jesus was having dinner at Matthew’s house, many tax collectors and
sinners came and ate with him and his disciples. When the Pharisees saw
this, they asked his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors
and sinners?” On hearing this, Jesus said, “It is not the healthy who need
a doctor, but the sick. But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy,
not sacrifice.’ For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”
Jesus loves people. It doesn't matter who they were,
where they came from, or their occupation. He took the time to sit down with
the folks he met, get to know them and share with them His Story. Yes, he
talked to them about salvation because he loved them. Back in his day, tax
collectors were often cheaters who stole money for themselves from the
collected taxes. They were pretty much low-lifes in the eyes of the community.
And you can bet the religious leaders of the day didn't bother to even say
hello. Yet Jesus sat down at the table with Matthew.
Tax collectors weren't the only ones Jesus
befriended. His disciples were a bunch of regular guys who were sometimes a bit
clueless and smelled like fish. But he loved them and taught them about the new
kingdom, his kingdom, and his sacrifice. Then there were the women. Mary
Magdalene had been filled with demons. Jesus cast them out of her, and she
followed him. He loved children and protected them. He loved older people, sick
people, and sinners. Jesus wasn't a push-over. He was a caretaker, one who
wanted the best for everyone he met. And that best is salvation. So you might
be surprised who the Lord hung out with. It wasn't the kings or queens, rabbis
or teachers. Oh, he spoke with them, too. But he spent his precious time on
earth with regular people. Like you and me. And he still wants to, through us.
He invited regular old Joes and Janes to take up the
cross and follow him. He included the lame, the lepers, and the dying into his
fold. He healed and loved. Knowing how Jesus cared for people, how can I do any
less? It's hard for me because I'm not exactly a people person, yet God puts
folks in my path and says love them. With his help, I do.
How about you? Who has Jesus called you to love? Who
has he asked you to share his story with?
Several years ago, a few days after Christmas, I dropped my youngest off to spend a few hours with her aunt, uncle, and cousins. While I waited for her, I visited a coffee shop with my laptop in hand. I’d been fiddling with writing a novel, and on that day I took the plunge and decided to take the possibility of publishing a novel seriously. Before I settled in to write, I spied an after-Christmas sale. The larger mouse you see in the picture caught my eye. I’m not terribly fond of real mice, but the stuffed variety is rather cute.
When I picked the little guy up, I read his tag and found he
was called Writer Mouse. Of course I bought him. He’s reminded me to keep writing, ever since. I call
him Nutmeg. Some might say I’m silly, but after spending years as a children’s
librarian, I developed a good imagination. Plus, I like stuffed animals. (The
bear was a gift from friends who encouraged me to write and the little mouse is
from Greenville, SC.)
I’m hoping Nutmeg inspires me to write many more stories.
How about you? Do you have a favorite stuffed animal? Or something or someone who reminds you to keep writing?
Hosea 6:3
Let us acknowledge the Lord;
let us press on to acknowledge him.
As surely as the sun rises,
he will appear;
he will come to us like the winter rains,
like the spring rains that water the earth.
“Sometimes life just calls for an umbrella.”-Unknown
January rain poured outside and annihilated the snow from
last weekend. For a few days, the ground was covered with beauty and calm, then
the rains came and mud stirred. I’m not a fan of mud with a dog to walk, but we
manage, as long as she doesn’t lie down and roll.
I’m not troubled by the dark days of winter, but I know many
people struggle with the dreariness. We all need sun to balance the rain.
Dreary days may not come from the weather conditions, but
from illness, too much debt, missing someone, making mistakes, sinning against
God, or any other difficulty. It’s easy to curl into the sorrow and sadness of
hopelessness—but
with God—hope
is as sure as the sun rising.
I’m thankful God holds the umbrella for me. He stops the
rain from drowning me and shines His light on my situation. When I was
diagnosed with fibromyalgia, I knew I’d live the rest of my life in pain. At
times, the pain gets me down. I hurt physically and mentally, but spiritually,
I hold on to the hope of brighter days. Thankfully, my husband and family
understand. With my hope in God and my support system, the struggle lessens,
and I can store the umbrella in a basket.
Hosea reminds me that no matter my situation, God comes to
me like he did the Israelites. They struggled for years, but God hung with
them, reminding them to turn away from their sin and sorrow and follow Him.
Let God pour over you or let Him hold the umbrella against
the rains. Whatever you do, seek Him.
Everything looks magical when it snows.-Lorelai Gilmore
I've met Will Hillenbrand at several book festivals and rode on the same plane with him to a library conference, years ago. On the plane, as I witnessed him sketching illustrations, I realized how privileged I was to experience one of the great talents in the field of children's books creating his art.
One of my favorite Hillenbrand books is Snowman's Story. There are no words, but the illustrations depict a beautiful tale. As you share this book with your children, let them tell you the story of this delightful snowman and the rabbit family.
