Christmas is like God, timeless and eternal.
Christmas is not just a season of a day in the year, but a condition of the heart.
Christmas is the message that there is hope for all humanity.
Christmas is love in action ~ giving, sharing, opening ourselves to others ~ loving ourselves and loving others.
Christmas is the celebration of a baby, born in a manger. A baby who lived and grew and loved and taught and gave of himself unselfishly for others and died and lives again. A baby who changed the world that was and changed the world that is and changed the world that will be.
Christmas is so much more than a moment or an hour or a day. It is life and living and death and dying and the event that brought heaven and earth into harmony in a manner that will not be seen again until God only knows. So, let’s celebrate, rejoice, praise God and share the message of a baby born in Bethlehem so many years ago!
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
Something to Think About - 7
"Veiled in Flesh" - Devotionals from the Peachtree Road Staff; Advent 2010
As fall unfolds, it’s not hard to look around and find the presence of God in many places. To see the vibrant colors emerging on trees and the coolness in the air offers credence that there is a larger presence in our world.
While there are visible signs everywhere, there are also every day blessings we receive from others – you just have to realize them. My family went through some health challenges and continues to, yet I constantly see God in my home. My husband has chronic hip and leg pain and it is difficult for him to walk, sit or stand. He can no longer enjoy the activities he use to such as playing tennis or golf, exercising or doing outdoor activities with our daughter. While this might be discouraging for some, he continues to amaze me with his effervescent attitude. Despite his constant severe discomfort, he wakes up happy, smiling and has an incredible outlook
every day – a true blessing by the grace of God.
As a result of witnessing her father’s pain, my daughter has become more sympathetic, empathetic, caring and thoughtful which will hopefully be a part of her soul for the rest of her life. I truly believe that out of an any adverse situation comes many blessings. Through God’s presence, I am lucky enough to be the recipient of many of these and live my life with two of them.
Robin King
"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, just as he chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world to be holy and blameless before him in love. He destined us for adoption as his children through Jesus Christ, according to the good pleasure of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace that he freely bestowed on us in the Beloved. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace that he lavished on us. With all wisdom and insight he has made known to us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure that he set forth in Christ, as a plan for the fullness of time, to gather up all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth. In Christ we have also obtained an inheritance, having been destined according to the purpose of him who accomplishes all things according to his counsel and will, so that we, who were the first to set our hope on Christ, might live for the praise of his glory. In him you also, when you had heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and had believed in him, were marked with the seal of the promised Holy Spirit; this is the pledge of our inheritance towards redemption as God’s own people, to the praise of his glory." ~ Ephesians 1:3-14
As fall unfolds, it’s not hard to look around and find the presence of God in many places. To see the vibrant colors emerging on trees and the coolness in the air offers credence that there is a larger presence in our world.
While there are visible signs everywhere, there are also every day blessings we receive from others – you just have to realize them. My family went through some health challenges and continues to, yet I constantly see God in my home. My husband has chronic hip and leg pain and it is difficult for him to walk, sit or stand. He can no longer enjoy the activities he use to such as playing tennis or golf, exercising or doing outdoor activities with our daughter. While this might be discouraging for some, he continues to amaze me with his effervescent attitude. Despite his constant severe discomfort, he wakes up happy, smiling and has an incredible outlook
every day – a true blessing by the grace of God.
As a result of witnessing her father’s pain, my daughter has become more sympathetic, empathetic, caring and thoughtful which will hopefully be a part of her soul for the rest of her life. I truly believe that out of an any adverse situation comes many blessings. Through God’s presence, I am lucky enough to be the recipient of many of these and live my life with two of them.
Robin King
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
Something to Think About - 6
"Bigger Than a Stable" - Crosswalk the Devotional - Dec. 8, 2010
By Katherine Britton, Crosswalk.com News & Culture Editor
"In that day you will say: ‘Give thanks to the Lord, call on his name; make known among the nations what he has done, and proclaim that his name is exalted. Sing to the Lord, for he has done glorious things; let this be known to all the world.'" - Isaiah 12:4-5
My felt Advent tree gains one velcro ornament each day until Christmas. I love this calendar, because each unique ornament tells a little bit more about the story of redemption from Genesis onward. A grey felt heart stands for the Fall into sin. A beaded crown reminds of the Prince of Peace and Wonderful Counselor foretold in Isaiah. A fuzzy lamb represents John the Baptist's announcement of Christ's purpose.
The calendar is paired with devotional readings for children, which have surprised me in their simplicity and breadth. Like the ornaments, these readings tell a continuing story, in which Christ's life is not the beginning or the end, but the event that makes sense out of both. With this bigger context, an otherwise chaotic history becomes simple enough that a child can understand.
How often do we take time to contemplate the magnitude of this story, which began in the Garden of Eden and won't finish until Christ's second coming?
I think my Christmas cheer is too often confined to the stable. To use a loose analogy, I'm a bit like the dwarves in C. S. Lewis's "The Last Battle," who convince themselves that their dingy stable-prison could not possibly hold the miracle of a whole new Narnia. And so, the dwarves get left behind in their imaginary confinement with nothing to celebrate when everyone else begins to explore the beautiful new world. Like the dwarves, I can put my little Christmas story in a little room, and forget to see the whole miracle of redemption.
Sunday's sermon about Herod's massacre in Bethlehem reminded me why the grander picture is so vital. You'll remember the story - only a short while after the angels announced "peace on earth," Herod's blazing temper led to the mass murder of baby boys in Bethlehem. The arbitrary deaths of these little ones seems so disconnected from what we celebrate, so outside the realm of God's grace. That event - like so many other injustices - seems to overwhelm the baby sleeping peacefully.
We can compartmentalize Christmas so it remains untainted by such events, can't we? But that's just it - as the grey heart on my felt Advent tree me, Christmas has to begin with an understanding of sin. We have to see the world's desperate need for grace before we understand why a baby requires such a hullaballoo, and we have to look back at God's plan to see how a baby can redeem even those situations. Therein lies the astonishing glory of what happened at Christmas, and the beauty of what we proclaim to the world.
As the days go by and my calendar grows fuller with symbolic ornaments, I get more and more excited about Christmas Day. Into this world with so much baggage came a child who remained in it and not of it, who knew what we are and loved us anyway. By God's grace, my understanding of Christmas keeps getting bigger - and with it, my reasons to "let [it] be known to the all the world" what he has done, is doing, and will continue to do!
Intersection of Faith and Life: Christ's incarnate birth makes little sense if we forget why he had to come and what he came to do. As you focus on the manger scene with your family, encourage each other with the bigger story of Genesis to the end of time, knowing that this little baby redeemed every moment in time. May your Christmas be big as your consider the grandeur of redemptive history on both sides of the manger!
http://www.crosswalk.com/devotionals/crosswalk%20devo/11641720/
By Katherine Britton, Crosswalk.com News & Culture Editor
"In that day you will say: ‘Give thanks to the Lord, call on his name; make known among the nations what he has done, and proclaim that his name is exalted. Sing to the Lord, for he has done glorious things; let this be known to all the world.'" - Isaiah 12:4-5
My felt Advent tree gains one velcro ornament each day until Christmas. I love this calendar, because each unique ornament tells a little bit more about the story of redemption from Genesis onward. A grey felt heart stands for the Fall into sin. A beaded crown reminds of the Prince of Peace and Wonderful Counselor foretold in Isaiah. A fuzzy lamb represents John the Baptist's announcement of Christ's purpose.
The calendar is paired with devotional readings for children, which have surprised me in their simplicity and breadth. Like the ornaments, these readings tell a continuing story, in which Christ's life is not the beginning or the end, but the event that makes sense out of both. With this bigger context, an otherwise chaotic history becomes simple enough that a child can understand.
How often do we take time to contemplate the magnitude of this story, which began in the Garden of Eden and won't finish until Christ's second coming?
I think my Christmas cheer is too often confined to the stable. To use a loose analogy, I'm a bit like the dwarves in C. S. Lewis's "The Last Battle," who convince themselves that their dingy stable-prison could not possibly hold the miracle of a whole new Narnia. And so, the dwarves get left behind in their imaginary confinement with nothing to celebrate when everyone else begins to explore the beautiful new world. Like the dwarves, I can put my little Christmas story in a little room, and forget to see the whole miracle of redemption.
Sunday's sermon about Herod's massacre in Bethlehem reminded me why the grander picture is so vital. You'll remember the story - only a short while after the angels announced "peace on earth," Herod's blazing temper led to the mass murder of baby boys in Bethlehem. The arbitrary deaths of these little ones seems so disconnected from what we celebrate, so outside the realm of God's grace. That event - like so many other injustices - seems to overwhelm the baby sleeping peacefully.
We can compartmentalize Christmas so it remains untainted by such events, can't we? But that's just it - as the grey heart on my felt Advent tree me, Christmas has to begin with an understanding of sin. We have to see the world's desperate need for grace before we understand why a baby requires such a hullaballoo, and we have to look back at God's plan to see how a baby can redeem even those situations. Therein lies the astonishing glory of what happened at Christmas, and the beauty of what we proclaim to the world.
As the days go by and my calendar grows fuller with symbolic ornaments, I get more and more excited about Christmas Day. Into this world with so much baggage came a child who remained in it and not of it, who knew what we are and loved us anyway. By God's grace, my understanding of Christmas keeps getting bigger - and with it, my reasons to "let [it] be known to the all the world" what he has done, is doing, and will continue to do!
Intersection of Faith and Life: Christ's incarnate birth makes little sense if we forget why he had to come and what he came to do. As you focus on the manger scene with your family, encourage each other with the bigger story of Genesis to the end of time, knowing that this little baby redeemed every moment in time. May your Christmas be big as your consider the grandeur of redemptive history on both sides of the manger!
http://www.crosswalk.com/devotionals/crosswalk%20devo/11641720/
Saturday, December 11, 2010
Something to Think About - 6
Saturday, December 11th, 2010
CELEBRATE A SPIRIT-FILLED HOLIDAY.
Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon who was righteous and devout. He was waiting for the consolation of Israel and the Holy Spirit was upon him. It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord’s Christ. Moved by the Spirit, he went into the temple courts. When the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what the custom of the Law required, Simeon took him in his arms and praised God (Luke 2:25–28).
It is hard to hold a baby and not wonder at the enormity of potential in such a small body. Simeon didn’t have to wonder about the baby he held—God had already spoken to him of this baby’s future through the Holy Spirit. Simeon held the “consolation of Israel” and knew the Holy Spirit was upon the baby Jesus.
It is common at this time of year to see Jesus only as the baby in the manger, reserving other thoughts of him for the rest of the year. When Simeon saw the baby, he saw the Savior he had been promised. How did he know? The Holy Spirit told him. Looking back at the passage, Jesus is not the central figure, nor is Simeon. The reason Simeon understood the significance of that moment in the temple was because the Holy Spirit led him to that place and gave him that understanding.
Simeon was righteous and devout. He was righteous because he was “right with God.” His relationship with God was not clouded with on-going sins; his habits and behaviors were in line with God’s will. Simeon was “devout,” which means he had set aside his life for service to God. Victor Raymond Edman, the fourth president of Wheaton College said, “The Spirit-filled life is no mystery revealed to a select few, no goal difficult of attainment. To trust and obey is the substance of the whole matter.” Simeon was Spirit-filled because he was righteous and devout.
Every day, God provides opportunities for his children to be his physical Presence in this world. That is why God gave Christians his Holy Spirit. Look back at Edman’s quote. You can choose to be Spirit-filled, but you must choose to trust and obey. Will you make that choice today? “You will be my witnesses” (Acts 1:8). This verse does not use “witness” as a verb. In Acts 1:8 God was describing what a Spirit-filled person becomes. May we be what we were gifted by the Holy Spirit to be. And may we, like Simeon, be “righteous and devout.”
By Janet Denison
The Center for Informed Faith
http://www.godissues.org/pdf/Advent_Devotional_2010.pdf
CELEBRATE A SPIRIT-FILLED HOLIDAY.
Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon who was righteous and devout. He was waiting for the consolation of Israel and the Holy Spirit was upon him. It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord’s Christ. Moved by the Spirit, he went into the temple courts. When the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what the custom of the Law required, Simeon took him in his arms and praised God (Luke 2:25–28).
It is hard to hold a baby and not wonder at the enormity of potential in such a small body. Simeon didn’t have to wonder about the baby he held—God had already spoken to him of this baby’s future through the Holy Spirit. Simeon held the “consolation of Israel” and knew the Holy Spirit was upon the baby Jesus.
It is common at this time of year to see Jesus only as the baby in the manger, reserving other thoughts of him for the rest of the year. When Simeon saw the baby, he saw the Savior he had been promised. How did he know? The Holy Spirit told him. Looking back at the passage, Jesus is not the central figure, nor is Simeon. The reason Simeon understood the significance of that moment in the temple was because the Holy Spirit led him to that place and gave him that understanding.
Simeon was righteous and devout. He was righteous because he was “right with God.” His relationship with God was not clouded with on-going sins; his habits and behaviors were in line with God’s will. Simeon was “devout,” which means he had set aside his life for service to God. Victor Raymond Edman, the fourth president of Wheaton College said, “The Spirit-filled life is no mystery revealed to a select few, no goal difficult of attainment. To trust and obey is the substance of the whole matter.” Simeon was Spirit-filled because he was righteous and devout.
Every day, God provides opportunities for his children to be his physical Presence in this world. That is why God gave Christians his Holy Spirit. Look back at Edman’s quote. You can choose to be Spirit-filled, but you must choose to trust and obey. Will you make that choice today? “You will be my witnesses” (Acts 1:8). This verse does not use “witness” as a verb. In Acts 1:8 God was describing what a Spirit-filled person becomes. May we be what we were gifted by the Holy Spirit to be. And may we, like Simeon, be “righteous and devout.”
By Janet Denison
The Center for Informed Faith
http://www.godissues.org/pdf/Advent_Devotional_2010.pdf
Friday, December 10, 2010
Something to Think About - 5
Thus says the Lord, you redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: I, the Lord, your God, teach you what is for your good, and lead you on the way you should go. If you would hearken to my commandments, your prosperity would be like a river, and your vindication like the waves of the sea; your descendants would be like the sand, and those born of your stock like its grains, their name never cut off or blotted out from my presence. (Isaiah 48:17-19)
Reflection
The use of water as a metaphor of God, or for any good thing, is common in Hebrew Scriptures. Who should know more about the preciousness of water than a desert people like the Israelites?
Isaiah says our prosperity will be like a river. Have we let God’s love flow over us like a river, or are we stingy when we imagine it? Do we imagine God’s love as a trickle or a torrent?
Advent Action
Send a get-well card to someone in the hospital.
Ask St. Lucy to help us not to be blinded our personal goals, but to always seek what the Lord wants us to do.
Prayer
Lord, wash me and I shall be clean, bathe me in Your loving mercy and I shall be truly forgiven.
http://www.ewtn.com/devotionals/advent/index.htm
Reflection
The use of water as a metaphor of God, or for any good thing, is common in Hebrew Scriptures. Who should know more about the preciousness of water than a desert people like the Israelites?
Isaiah says our prosperity will be like a river. Have we let God’s love flow over us like a river, or are we stingy when we imagine it? Do we imagine God’s love as a trickle or a torrent?
Advent Action
Send a get-well card to someone in the hospital.
Ask St. Lucy to help us not to be blinded our personal goals, but to always seek what the Lord wants us to do.
Prayer
Lord, wash me and I shall be clean, bathe me in Your loving mercy and I shall be truly forgiven.
http://www.ewtn.com/devotionals/advent/index.htm
Thursday, December 9, 2010
A Letter To Santa From Mom
Dear Santa,
I've been a good mom all year. I've fed, cleaned and cuddled my two children on demand, visited the doctor's office more than my doctor, sold sixty-two cases of candy bars to raise money to plant a shade tree on the school playground and figured out how to attach nine patches onto my daughter's girl scout sash with staples and a glue gun.
I was hoping you could spread my list out over several Christmases, since I had to write this letter with my son's red crayon, on the back of a receipt in the laundry room between cycles, and who knows when I'll find anymore free time in the next 18 years.
Here are my Christmas wishes:
I'd like a pair of legs that don't ache after a day of chasing kids (in any color, except purple, which I already have) and arms that don't flap in the breeze but are strong enough to carry a screaming toddler out of the candy aisle in the grocery store. I'd also like a waist, since I lost mine somewhere in the seventh month of my last pregnancy. If you're hauling big ticket items this year I'd like a car with fingerprint resistant windows and a radio that only plays adult music; a television that doesn't broadcast any programs containing talking animals; and a refrigerator with a secret compartment behind the crisper where I can hide to talk on the phone.
On the practical side, I could use a talking daughter doll that says, "Yes, Mommy" to boost my parental confidence, along with one potty-trained toddler, two kids who don't fight and three pairs of jeans that will zip all the way up without the use of power tools. I could also use a recording of Tibetan monks chanting, ....
more at: http://barefootpreachr.wordpress.com
I've been a good mom all year. I've fed, cleaned and cuddled my two children on demand, visited the doctor's office more than my doctor, sold sixty-two cases of candy bars to raise money to plant a shade tree on the school playground and figured out how to attach nine patches onto my daughter's girl scout sash with staples and a glue gun.
I was hoping you could spread my list out over several Christmases, since I had to write this letter with my son's red crayon, on the back of a receipt in the laundry room between cycles, and who knows when I'll find anymore free time in the next 18 years.
Here are my Christmas wishes:
I'd like a pair of legs that don't ache after a day of chasing kids (in any color, except purple, which I already have) and arms that don't flap in the breeze but are strong enough to carry a screaming toddler out of the candy aisle in the grocery store. I'd also like a waist, since I lost mine somewhere in the seventh month of my last pregnancy. If you're hauling big ticket items this year I'd like a car with fingerprint resistant windows and a radio that only plays adult music; a television that doesn't broadcast any programs containing talking animals; and a refrigerator with a secret compartment behind the crisper where I can hide to talk on the phone.
On the practical side, I could use a talking daughter doll that says, "Yes, Mommy" to boost my parental confidence, along with one potty-trained toddler, two kids who don't fight and three pairs of jeans that will zip all the way up without the use of power tools. I could also use a recording of Tibetan monks chanting, ....
more at: http://barefootpreachr.wordpress.com
Monday, December 6, 2010
Something to Think About - 4
Number 4 in the series entitled "Something to Think About". Hope you are inspired to pause, think, and then take action!
Heart, Soul, and Mind
Love is a simple concept, yet changing it from a noun to a verb has its challenges. Jesus calls us to love the Lord...not just with our hearts, but with our minds and our souls—with everything we have. When we are able to love God like that, we better understand how to love others. God’s love flows freely to us, we reflect it back to God and let it flow through us to others. We can pick through our life’s baggage and come up with many excuses not to love. But of all the laws and instruction God has given us in the Bible, loving God and neighbor is at the top of the list. What can you do today to show love to God…and to someone you talk with today?
Praying the Scriptures: “You must love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: You must love your neighbor as you love yourself.” (Matthew 22:37-39, CEB)
Heart, Soul, and Mind
Love is a simple concept, yet changing it from a noun to a verb has its challenges. Jesus calls us to love the Lord...not just with our hearts, but with our minds and our souls—with everything we have. When we are able to love God like that, we better understand how to love others. God’s love flows freely to us, we reflect it back to God and let it flow through us to others. We can pick through our life’s baggage and come up with many excuses not to love. But of all the laws and instruction God has given us in the Bible, loving God and neighbor is at the top of the list. What can you do today to show love to God…and to someone you talk with today?
Praying the Scriptures: “You must love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: You must love your neighbor as you love yourself.” (Matthew 22:37-39, CEB)
Saturday, December 4, 2010
Something to Think About - 3
Number 3 in the series entitled "Something to Think About". Hope you are inspired to pause, think, and then take action!
God's Children
The Bible is filled with the phrase "God's children." This is fitting in at least two ways. We need God’s guidance on our life journey, as we try not to get hung up on the things of the world. Instead, we seek to reflect the heart of God in all we do and, as a child to a parent, we seek God’s favor and blessing. Children take joy in things we have long taken for granted—a cool glass of lemonade, running through the sprinkler, a beautiful sunset. As we pass through these summer days, take notice of the children. Will you decide to drink in life a little more deeply like them? What joy can you celebrate today as God’s child?
Praying the scriptures: "Some people brought children to Jesus so that he would place his hands on them and pray. But the disciples scolded them. "Allow the children to come to me," Jesus said. "Don't forbid them, because the kingdom of heaven belongs to people like these children." Then he blessed the children. (Matthew 19:14-15, CEB)
God's Children
The Bible is filled with the phrase "God's children." This is fitting in at least two ways. We need God’s guidance on our life journey, as we try not to get hung up on the things of the world. Instead, we seek to reflect the heart of God in all we do and, as a child to a parent, we seek God’s favor and blessing. Children take joy in things we have long taken for granted—a cool glass of lemonade, running through the sprinkler, a beautiful sunset. As we pass through these summer days, take notice of the children. Will you decide to drink in life a little more deeply like them? What joy can you celebrate today as God’s child?
Praying the scriptures: "Some people brought children to Jesus so that he would place his hands on them and pray. But the disciples scolded them. "Allow the children to come to me," Jesus said. "Don't forbid them, because the kingdom of heaven belongs to people like these children." Then he blessed the children. (Matthew 19:14-15, CEB)
Thursday, December 2, 2010
Something to Think About - 2
Number 2 in the series entitled "Something to Think About". Hope you are inspired to pause, think, and then take action!
What is faith?
What is faith? How would you explain it to someone? For such a central and essential part of the Christian life, faith is remarkably difficult to define. Hebrews 11:1-2 says, “Faith is the reality of what we hope for, the proof of what we don’t see. The elders in the past were approved because they showed faith.” That’s the definition, right? Sort of. The real definition of faith in Hebrews continues in 11:3-39, the acts of faith by God’s people. And that in turn is a summary of the Bible. A better question then might be “where do you see and show faith?”
Praying the Scriptures: By faith we understand that the universe has been created by a word from God so that the visible came into existence from the invisible.... By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place that he was going to receive as an inheritance. He went out without knowing where he was going. By faith he lived in the land he had been promised as a stranger. He lived in tents along with Isaac and Jacob, who were coheirs of the same promise. He was looking forward to a city that has foundations, whose architect and builder is God. By faith even Sarah received the ability to have a child, though she herself was barren and past the age for having children, because she believed that the one who promised was faithful. So descendants were born from one man (and he was as good as dead). They were as many as the number of the stars in the sky and as countless as the grains of sand on the seashore. All of these people died in faith without receiving the promises, but they saw the promises from a distance and welcomed them. They confessed that they were strangers and immigrants on earth. People who say this kind of thing make it clear that they are looking for a homeland. If they had been thinking about the country that they had left, they would have had the opportunity to return to it. But at this point in time, they are longing for a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore, God isn’t ashamed to be called their God—he has prepared a city for them. (Hebrews 11:3, 8-16, CEB)
What is faith?
What is faith? How would you explain it to someone? For such a central and essential part of the Christian life, faith is remarkably difficult to define. Hebrews 11:1-2 says, “Faith is the reality of what we hope for, the proof of what we don’t see. The elders in the past were approved because they showed faith.” That’s the definition, right? Sort of. The real definition of faith in Hebrews continues in 11:3-39, the acts of faith by God’s people. And that in turn is a summary of the Bible. A better question then might be “where do you see and show faith?”
Praying the Scriptures: By faith we understand that the universe has been created by a word from God so that the visible came into existence from the invisible.... By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place that he was going to receive as an inheritance. He went out without knowing where he was going. By faith he lived in the land he had been promised as a stranger. He lived in tents along with Isaac and Jacob, who were coheirs of the same promise. He was looking forward to a city that has foundations, whose architect and builder is God. By faith even Sarah received the ability to have a child, though she herself was barren and past the age for having children, because she believed that the one who promised was faithful. So descendants were born from one man (and he was as good as dead). They were as many as the number of the stars in the sky and as countless as the grains of sand on the seashore. All of these people died in faith without receiving the promises, but they saw the promises from a distance and welcomed them. They confessed that they were strangers and immigrants on earth. People who say this kind of thing make it clear that they are looking for a homeland. If they had been thinking about the country that they had left, they would have had the opportunity to return to it. But at this point in time, they are longing for a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore, God isn’t ashamed to be called their God—he has prepared a city for them. (Hebrews 11:3, 8-16, CEB)
Something to Think About - 1
I found several meditations that have made me pause and think. I want to share these with you. The series is entitled "Something to Think About". Hope you are inspired to pause, think, and then take action!
With a Grateful Heart
Read: Deuteronomy 26:1–11
Have you already made your Black Friday shopping list and checked it twice? Besides taking advantage of great deals, the hustle and bustle of getting up before dawn to pursue the best price on the latest gadget just appeals to the competitive spirit in each of us.
There is certainly nothing wrong with a good deal or giving gifts. But nestled on the eve of the most popular shopping event of the year—seemingly forgotten—is the American Thanksgiving holiday.
Thanksgiving. It’s a day set aside to reflect, rejoice, and celebrate the gifts we have already been given. Gifts like family or friends; gifts that are both material and immaterial; gifts that no matter their actual cost are valued deeply by you.
Last year—in a down economy—Americans spent over $41 billion the weekend following Thanksgiving according to the National Retail Federation. For a little perspective, some advocacy groups estimate the worldwide clean water crisis could be eliminated for $10 billion.
This year, perhaps we should all make another list—a Thanksgiving list—and check it as many times as necessary, share it with family, e-mail it to friends, post it on-line, and truly celebrate the many reasons we have to give thanks.
Praying the Scriptures:
Know that the LORD is God—
he made us; we belong to him.
we are his people,
the sheep of his own pasture.
Enter his gates with thanks;
enter his courtyards with praise!
Thank him! Bless his name!
Because the LORD is good,
his loyal love lasts forever;
his faithfulness lasts
generation after generation.
(Psalm 100:3–5 CEB)
2009 spending: http://www.nrf.com/modules.php?name=news&op=viewlive&sp_id=841
Solving water crisis: http://www.adventconspiracy.org/water/
With a Grateful Heart
Read: Deuteronomy 26:1–11
Have you already made your Black Friday shopping list and checked it twice? Besides taking advantage of great deals, the hustle and bustle of getting up before dawn to pursue the best price on the latest gadget just appeals to the competitive spirit in each of us.
There is certainly nothing wrong with a good deal or giving gifts. But nestled on the eve of the most popular shopping event of the year—seemingly forgotten—is the American Thanksgiving holiday.
Thanksgiving. It’s a day set aside to reflect, rejoice, and celebrate the gifts we have already been given. Gifts like family or friends; gifts that are both material and immaterial; gifts that no matter their actual cost are valued deeply by you.
Last year—in a down economy—Americans spent over $41 billion the weekend following Thanksgiving according to the National Retail Federation. For a little perspective, some advocacy groups estimate the worldwide clean water crisis could be eliminated for $10 billion.
This year, perhaps we should all make another list—a Thanksgiving list—and check it as many times as necessary, share it with family, e-mail it to friends, post it on-line, and truly celebrate the many reasons we have to give thanks.
Praying the Scriptures:
Know that the LORD is God—
he made us; we belong to him.
we are his people,
the sheep of his own pasture.
Enter his gates with thanks;
enter his courtyards with praise!
Thank him! Bless his name!
Because the LORD is good,
his loyal love lasts forever;
his faithfulness lasts
generation after generation.
(Psalm 100:3–5 CEB)
2009 spending: http://www.nrf.com/modules.php?name=news&op=viewlive&sp_id=841
Solving water crisis: http://www.adventconspiracy.org/water/
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
A Friendly Conversation
Common English Bible Meditations
Praying the scriptures:
“Dear friends, let us love each other, because love is from God, and everyone who loves is born from God and knows God. The person who doesn’t love does not know God, because God is love.” (1 John 4:7-8, CEB)
Taking Time
When was the last time you had a meaningful conversation with a friend? This person is someone you trust, someone you confide in, and vice versa. Often these types of conversations wait until some crisis in life hits or, on the flipside, when great news just has to be shared. Consider contacting a friend you haven't seen in awhile and schedule lunch or some fun outing together. This gift of loving each other helps us better understand the gift of God's love for us.
Praying the scriptures:
“Dear friends, let us love each other, because love is from God, and everyone who loves is born from God and knows God. The person who doesn’t love does not know God, because God is love.” (1 John 4:7-8, CEB)
Taking Time
When was the last time you had a meaningful conversation with a friend? This person is someone you trust, someone you confide in, and vice versa. Often these types of conversations wait until some crisis in life hits or, on the flipside, when great news just has to be shared. Consider contacting a friend you haven't seen in awhile and schedule lunch or some fun outing together. This gift of loving each other helps us better understand the gift of God's love for us.
Ask, Seek, Knock
Common English Bible Meditations
Ask, Seek, Knock
When Jesus gave his "Sermon on the Mount," huge crowds came to listen. They stayed for hours and hours, taking in this once-in-a-lifetime moment. The parables of Jesus are simply profound. Whether a child or a scholar, every person who heard Jesus that day understood what he was saying. There was something for everyone. Amazing truths came from Jesus as effortlessly as a normal conversation. His words remain today. They still hold true. If you ask, search, and knock, what will God reveal to you today?
Praying the scriptures:
Ask, and you’ll receive. Search, and you’ll find. Knock, and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives. And everyone who searches finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door is opened. —Matthew 6:7-8 (CEB)
Ask, Seek, Knock
When Jesus gave his "Sermon on the Mount," huge crowds came to listen. They stayed for hours and hours, taking in this once-in-a-lifetime moment. The parables of Jesus are simply profound. Whether a child or a scholar, every person who heard Jesus that day understood what he was saying. There was something for everyone. Amazing truths came from Jesus as effortlessly as a normal conversation. His words remain today. They still hold true. If you ask, search, and knock, what will God reveal to you today?
Praying the scriptures:
Ask, and you’ll receive. Search, and you’ll find. Knock, and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives. And everyone who searches finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door is opened. —Matthew 6:7-8 (CEB)
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