Okay. If you are feeling grateful at this moment, that’s very good. You should make time to tell the person exactly how grateful you are. I say make time, because honestly, there just doesn’t seem to be enough of it anymore. If you are like most people, you probably wear a lot of “hats.” I have my work hat, my husband hat, my musician hat, my martial arts hat, my friend hat, and my parent’s son hat. Like I said, you probably wear a lot of “hats.” There is one hat that I wear around my heart, and never take off. Yep, that’s right. My Christian hat. Being a Christian is the one thing that most people will judge all your other hats or actions on. No matter where you go or what you do, God will always be with you, and people will watch you to see how you deal with things.

Remember the person you thought of a minute ago? Consider that God is all of those and more to all the world, God always has time for you, loves you, and will never leave you. He loves us so much, he sent Christ to die for us, even though we didn’t deserve it. (Deuteronomy 7:9, Deuteronomy 31:6, Deuteronomy 31:8, Joshua 1:5, 1 Kings 8:57, Romans 5:8 **I didn’t put the verses here because I want to encourage you to read your Bible ? ) That’s a lot of love, and that’s just for starters! Take the time to tell God how grateful you are for his love, and make it a point to show that love to others through your actions, speech, and attitude, no matter what hat you may be wearing.
COMMENTS

I have to admit the healthy eating part has proven to be the most challenging. There is not one day that I am not tempted to eat Krispy Kreme donuts when they are brought to my workplace, or fresh baked cookies in the café during lunch. Not to mention the late night cravings for sweets and other foods. Ironically, those foods did not seem as readily available when I was not concerned with a healthy diet. One thing I have noticed is that working out so often and putting so much effort into changing my body and habits encourages me to reach for the carrots instead of the carrot cake, and gives me strength to say no to high calorie, fat filled, or high cholesterol foods.

Our body is the temple of God, and the same principle that applies to eating right and exercising applies to our spiritual lives as well. When you begin to have a personal relationship with God, you need to daily consider what you listen to, look at, think about, hear and act – your “spiritual diet,” if you will. You must study God’s word and pray to help you trim off “spiritual fat.” It is then that you will begin to notice all the little temptations in life, especially ones that you might have difficulty with. Satan presents those to you and throws situations in your path that will cause you to have to make a choice: Do I cope with these the same way that I always have; do I go back to my old habits, doing what is easy? Or do I draw upon God’s strength and Spirit to continue in the Christian way, knowing that the end reward is far better than any instant gratification that may be had, and your life will touch others for Christ? Paul said in 1st Corinthians 24-27 (NKJV) , “Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it. And everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown. Therefore I run thus: not with uncertainty. Thus I fight: not as one who beats the air. But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified.” I encourage you today to live your life daily in a way to obtain the permanent blessings and plans Gods has for your life…you’ll be eternally glad you did.
COMMENTS

That's how it can be for us as Christians sometimes. To be in the world and not of the world is God's command, but to be honest, that is something that needs to be learned, and it doesn’t always come easy. Sometimes, it means letting go of hobbies, places or even people who are separating you from God. I have had to make those same choices, but believe me when I tell you, you will be better off for it. When you choose God ahead of yourself, you will begin to see Him work in you.

It's really AWESOME when you begin to see the plan God has working in your life...I say "BEGIN" because we will never really truly understand God's entire plan until it is complete in our lives, or until we stand before Him...I'm 26 years old and am JUST BEGINNING to see His plan in my life, I feel so honored that He demonstrated His love for us on the cross and THAT ALONE should be ENOUGH to prove His love for us. As human nature sometimes we want MORE, we need Him to "show us this, and show us that." As you go through this week, get to a place where you and God can spend some alone time together, just enjoy His presence. Turn the phone off, the TV off, and listen to some praise and worship music, or your favorite kind of Christian music. You'll begin to feel your love for Him grow, and begin to appreciate and be thankful for what He's already done.

He doesn't have to continually prove His love to me...BUT GOD in His infinite mercy and infinite love continues to show His love for me, even in the smallest of ways!! I guess we just have to be aware of these small acts of love...sometimes they can be so small or subtle in our lives that we just miss it...don't miss it...they aren't just small coincidences...

All we need to ever be is in God; there is no greater love or purpose.

If you don't listen to praise and worship often, allow me to share with you a song by Fred Hammond that states: "I don't really need to tell someone their future. I don't really have to see the things that can't be seen. I don't need another hyped-up church encounter, or another clever New Years theme. I'm not looking for another goose bump sermon, or a word that leaves me passed out on the floor. My basic needs are really very simple:

to know You love me, You like me, and I am Yours...I've tried so hard to know the deepest revelation, so I could stand and tell the nations what it means. But I found the greatest gift wrapped in your salvation; it’s really much simpler than it seems. So, I relinquish all my witty observations; leave my so-called sacred knowledge at the door. When you died you answered ever single question: You said you love me, You like me, and I am yours." (Simply Put: Fred Hammond, 2006)

When we begin to love and need God in this way, and live our lives in a manner that draws us closer to Him rather than fulfilling our own selfish desires, then we really will be "above the influence."
COMMENTS

I know I've been mentioning my struggles lately, my stress and frustrations (as much as I can on a blog without dragging out all the details!). I hope I don't sound like I'm complaining.

The truth is, Life is Hard sometimes. And I know I'm not the only one who can attest to this.

So, there are these things, these areas of my life that I've been wrestling with. Just so you know, I'm on top of the "Christian" thing to do. I pray and pour my hear out to God. And I've already mentioned that I'm trying hard to do the "praising in the hard times" thing. I'm still working on it. Can you feel completely miserable and still profess to believe that God is God, and in control? Well, if so, I'm slogging my way through it.

I don't share this stuff just to vent. I mean, I do think it's important to have people in your life that you can tell things to. For me, talking it out with others really helps me get things in perspective. (Because again, things are always worse in my head than in reality.)

I share it because it's Real, and it's what's going on in my life, and I don't think that praising God through the bad stuff means that you act like everything is great when it's not. When I pretend like I'm fine, as I'm prone to do, to avoid pity, I am depriving others of the Reality that Life will get rough. I can't act like things are great all the time and that I never wrestle or struggle, or those who are struggling will think there is something wrong with their faith. And that's simply not true. Every person in the Bible who had an active relationship and vivid encounter with God also had times of hardship and struggle. It happens. And we could get into theological discussions of why--whether God is testing us, or allowing it to grow us and bring us closer to him (hard things to tell someone who is grieving the loss of a loved one, and not very comforting), or if it is the work of this fallen world and our Enemy. But the bottom line is that God is still in control.

He is sovereign. He is in the big things and the small things. And most of all, he is good.

I started out my day stressed, frustrated, and tired. Things were weighing heavily on my heart. I was wrestling with my situation and circumstances, and things that are simply out of my control. And yes, I was praying, and acknowledging God's control. But I was still under attack.

Then, in a heartbeat, just when I needed it most, I received encouragement. This is the other reason I share about my struggles. To show how God works through them. Not one, but two people reached out to me with very needed words of encouragement. God is good. So very good.

And isn't it amazing how He uses us, as flawed and selfish as we are, to lift others up? That is so very important, such a vital part of our purpose here on Earth. Just being there, being available, listening to a friend--it sounds cliché, and yet it saved me today. God knew just what I needed. And so I praise Him.

God is good--ALL the time.
COMMENTS

In the midst of this wonderful time of regrowth and renewal, we celebrate the Resurrection of Jesus (commonly called Easter). It's such a beautiful holiday, so profound and soul-stirring.

And because I have to plan and participate in the worship services this week, I haven't given it hardly a thought. Stress!

I love being involved with worship. I truly do. But some of the more Administrative (as opposed to Creative) duties are just draining. Stress!

On Sunday, I admitted my stress to my 20somethings group, as I stood in front of them, leading worship, just me and my guitar. I didn't really want to admit it. I didn't really particularly want to say anything to them, because I didn't want to draw anymore attention to myself. Yet I found myself sharing about my struggles and stresses, because I believe that in order for worship--any worship, not just the singing kind--to be authentic, it had to be honest.

You know what happened? My group prayed for me. (I shouldn't call them "my" group. I just meant the group that I am part of.) Blessing!

The last song we sang was "Blessed Be the Name of the Lord," in which we sing that no matter what we're going through, we will praise God. It's a profound thought, one I have already admitted I struggle with.

So, I wonder: was the stress in my life a blessing in itself? Or was the response of the Body of Christ the blessing?

Afterward, I went out with a friend of mine; this very friendship is what I called "a God thing," because He brought it about so unexpectedly and suddenly. It was so nice just to have some quality girl time. Talking about relationships, eternity, struggles....and when I think of just over a year ago, when I hardly had anyone--outside of my family, and here in Pgh--to even begin to discuss such things with, I am amazed. Blessing!

BUT were the years of loneliness in themselves a blessing? Or was it a blessing to see God's hand bringing people back into my life?

I don't pretend to know the correlation between Stress and Blessings. Certainly it is Biblical to look at the struggles in our lives as something of value, because of what they will produce in us. But we don't want stress in our lives. We don't want struggles and hardships. I know I don't! And yet...and yet. If I could do it over again, would I want the easier road? If nothing else, dark times give us the opportunity to see God at work in our lives more clearly.

I don't have the answers. But it is something on my heart, something that keeps coming back. What do YOU think?
COMMENTS

I’ve been reading Lauren F. Winner’s Mudhouse Sabbath, which talks about some of the Jewish disciplines that she wishes Christians picked up on a little. The first one she discusses is the idea of the Sabbath. A Jewish Sabbath is of course much more rigorous than a Christian Sunday. They start at sunset the night before, and are very careful to make preparations so that no work is done on the actual Sabbath.

I’m aware that this is pretty unrealistic for most of us. Our lives are so busy that the idea of stopping for a day just seems like a waste of time—even knowing the biblical basis behind it.

Sundays are not really my Sabbath. I work for my church, specifically for the worship of our Saturday night service, so Saturday isn’t my Sabbath, either. Sundays I usually spend cleaning, etc, and then we also have a 20somethings group that meets. I do have one other day off, Thursday. And I’ve been trying to make that my Sabbath, but I haven’t quite worked that out yet.

Yesterday, I slept in (my favorite part of days off). I got some breakfast, watched some TV. I could have easily spend the afternoon vegging, but that didn’t strike me as particularly sanctified for a Sabbath. I had to run my dad someplace; by the time I got home, I had only a few hours of my day left before my next activity (Bible Study Small Group).

I suddenly felt overwhelmed by things I ought to be doing. There was cleaning. My taxes. Balancing my checkbook. Paying bills. Exercising? Oh, and I had to read First Corinthians for the study.

I figured I ought to at least do that, prepare myself for the study. And as I sat there on my bed, reading, and journaling, I got a visitor. A gray kitten jumped up beside me and proceeded to snuggle down next to me. Phoebe’s purring had a calming effect on me.

She reminded me that yes, there are things we need to be doing. But we also can’t let life become one giant “To Do” list. And how ridiculous would it be to schedule in time to snuggle with the cat? Yet it was just what I needed.

I am far from figuring out exactly how to strike this balance, or how to organize my day off so that I spend it well. But I admit, the gray, purring kitten helped. I guess God can use anything.
COMMENTS

Sometimes God allows us to go through some really rough times in life to help us grow spiritually and emotionally. Sometimes God doesn’t take us out of the situation, but through it so we change for the better. Consider this - God rewarded Job for his faithfulness in troubled times by restoring everything he had lost and more. (Job 42: 12-17 NKJV)

If you are experiencing trials in life, turn to God. Cry, kick, tell God all about it, and ask Him for guidance and wisdom. He will help you, and your relationship and your life will be better for it. Always remember: “God is our refuge and strength, A very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, Even though the earth be removed, And though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea” Psalm 46:1-2 NKJV
COMMENTS

Raise your hand if that’s your first thought when things go wrong.

Didn’t think so.

You know all those verses in the bible that talk about rejoicing in the midst of trials? I’m terrible at that. In fact, when something goes wrong in my life, I’m rarely thinking, “What is God trying to teach me?” It’s usually something more like “God, why are you doing this to me? Why did you let this happen?”

It’s something I’m trying to work on.

A couple years back, I was having a miserable time in my life. Honestly, 2005 was one of the worst years I’ve ever had. My mom had cancer, my dad lost his job, we had to move out of the one house I’d ever gotten attached to, I had one of the worst jobs I’ve ever had, and my grandma died. It was really just a rotten year.

But, I survived it. And as things began to get better, I found myself thanking God for moving me out of that dark and dry time. I suppose that’s a better response than not thanking him, but it occurred to me that I could have had a much better attitude during the whole thing.

I’m not one of those people who thinks that being a Christian means putting on a smiley face no matter what’s going wrong in life. You know what I mean. There are people who will always say they are “Fine, thanks,” when you ask them how they are. I admit, I don’t exactly like for people to see me crying, either. I say I believe in being authentic, but I don’t like to let everyone see that I’m hurting.

Yet the Psalms are full of laments. A lament is when you cry out to God in the midst of your troubles. And I was so relieved when I learned that being honest with God was okay. I pour my heart out to Him all the time—and I especially did that Awful Year. BUT I neglected something very important. A Psalm of Lament, no matter how bad the situation was, would end in praise. The Psalmist would break off from his pleading and moaning and end up steadfastly trusting in God’s ultimate goodness.

That’s the hardest part, at least for me. I have a hard time seeing past my circumstances, and trusting that God has something good for me. Oh, I believe it, deep down; but I don’t usually feel it.

Yesterday, I found out something that troubled my heart. It hurt—even though I truly know that it was good for me. It was not what I had in mind for me, but as I thought about the situation, I realized that it was a perfect opportunity for me to praise God, even when I didn’t feel like it. Understand, I wasn’t mad at God, or shaking a fist or anything; I just felt deeply disappointed. But, I praised Him anyway. And though I don’t actually feel a whole lot better today, I do have a peace about the situation.

It isn’t easy. But it is good, because God is Good. All the time, as my pastor says. All the time, God is good. Especially today.
COMMENTS

I prided myself on my abilities as an outgoing person, knowledge of the Bible, and musicianship, and since my father wasn’t around much, I always felt a need to be liked and accepted by those around me.

I had much head knowledge of God, “book smarts” if you will. I could provide any answer and quote any verse. I would adapt my likes and dislikes suiting my situation, and was fairly good at it. Soon I was quite popular in my own circle of acquaintances, and I started going to church to hang out with my friends instead of to worship God. I regretfully say that God became an accessory to me.

Similar to the suit I only wore on Sundays. Eventually my friends and I skipped the service altogether to go to the mall or galleria, and this continued until I stopped going to church and started going to parties. I was having fun – no one could tell me I was wrong for living that way and all the while I felt an emptiness grow inside of me.

That emptiness is a vicious cycle. I hated my behavior and in turn hated myself, only to feel worse than the moment before. The more I felt the emotional pain, the more I attempted to fill it with anything I could find. First it was music & nightclubs, then progressing to drugs, and for a time, it seemed to work. But sin is only fun for a season. Do not make the mistake of thinking that “fun” of sin comes without a price. Before I knew it my money was gone, I was all alone, and full of self hatred. I was addicted to “feel good drugs” and self-deception. Like the prodigal son, I found myself miserable and friendless, wondering what had gone wrong. (Luke 15:17-19) I was afraid of how God would change me, and that I would end up in another country getting shot for my faith, and I wasn’t willing to make that sacrifice. So I ran from Him. I wanted the world’s view of a good life…money, women, friends and fun. Instead I ended up utterly depressed and attempted ending my life. I realized that money and things or people could not provide comfort or true happiness – and I gave up. Although I had given up on myself, God had other plans for me.

I’m going to stop there for a moment to stress the difference in knowing God, and knowing of God. Knowing someone’s name and facts about their life is not the same as having a personal relationship with them. Going to a fun place with that person on occasion and speaking to them in passing does not necessarily make you friends. God can be so much more than what we sometimes allow Him to be in our lives. God is a true friend whose love is immeasurable. (For the LORD is good. His unfailing love continues forever, and his faithfulness continues to each generation. Psalm 100:5 NLT) He is a comforter in bad times, providing peace that is unexplainable. (Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:6-7 NLT) No matter what you are going through, He loves you and gave his all to give us an opportunity to be with him. (For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16 NLT) His sacrifice of dying on the cross is the ultimate gift and expression of love.

Today, let’s purpose to know God’s heart rather than just seek His blessings. If you are a follower of the Way, take time each day to pray and read your Bible, to get closer to God. Allow God to show you the beauty of His word and how to apply it to your life. If you haven’t had the pleasure of having a deep, personal relationship with Jesus as you Savior, Lord, and friend, it’s never too late to start. And just like the father of the prodigal son, God will welcome you with open arms. (Luke 15-20-24)
COMMENTS

Up here in PA, we’ve gotten more snow than is typical. When I first moved here, I was told that Pittsburgh winters were “mild.” I’m telling you, as I look at the foot-and-a-half layer of snow covering everything, this is not mild.

Now, I like a “White Christmas” as much as anyone. There’s something magical about the first few snowfalls of the year. Everything bleak and bare is suddenly covered in a bright, beautiful layer of white.

But I have to be honest, I’m a little sick of the snow right now. I don’t have a garage, and I’m so tired of cleaning off my car. The magic has worn off. The roads were so bad this week that many things were closed and canceled. And that rarely happens around here!

Although it’s a little hard to picture snow in the Middle East, around the desertous area where Jesus grew up, the bible makes mention of snow more than once. A quick topical search of the bible produces enough results to convince anyone that the Israelites were familiar with snow. I’m pretty sure they didn’t have to worry about shoveling sidewalks, salting driveways, or scraping off windshields, but they did know of its beauty.

The most important (and best-known) verses about snow in the bible refer to its whiteness. Psalm 51:7 says, “Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.” And in Isaiah, chapter one, verse eighteen: “"Come now, let us reason together," says the LORD.

"Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool. "”

Now—unlike the snow that is piled up on the side of the road outside my house, grungy and dirty and gray and slushy—most snow is pretty darn white. In fact, many times snow is blinding in its pure whiteness. It has this way of covering up all that is dead and barren in the winter and making it beautiful and clean. And sparkly. (I love the way snow shimmers in the sunlight.)

In that same way, we are made clean and pure when God forgives our sins. It’s actually a pretty amazing picture. God’s grace covers us—all the ugly, bare, dead parts of our life. He blankets us with Himself so that—like the world outside—we will be made clean and beautiful.
COMMENTS

How many times have I heard that one?

Recently I’ve been thinking a lot about what it means to be patient. At my church, we are starting a series on the book of Acts. The very first chapter starts with Jesus, before he ascends to Heaven, telling his disciples to stay in Jerusalem and wait for the Holy Spirit to come to them.

Can you imagine? They know the best news that has ever been told in the entire history of the world—and they must wait. And they do wait. I had never noticed this before, but once I started thinking about it, there is quite a bit of waiting in the Bible. It doesn’t always seem like it, because it happens in a matter of verses and chapters and pages. God makes promise after promise, and then asks people to wait for it to happen.

I do not like this. I’m not a fan of waiting. I could blame it on our culture. After all, we live in an instant-ized age. DSL, cell phones, microwave dinners, direct deposit, drive thru windows, email...is there anything we really have to wait for? We can’t bear to be inconvenienced by standing in lines for even a few minutes. At least, I can’t.

I’ll be honest. I get upset and impatient over tiny things. Like my car door freezing shut. Or my palm not synching. Or my CD player skipping. Mere trifles, in the whole scheme of things. And I’m not any better when it comes to big things. I never have been. And so God is still trying to teach me patience.

I have to wonder, though. I may be waiting for God’s timing, but does that mean I am being patient? There is something in particular that I am certain that God is telling me to be patient about. Honestly, I really have very few other options besides waiting. There isn’t a whole lot I can do to bring this particular thing about. But I confess, I haven’t exactly been patient about it. I tend to whine and pout about it.

So what is the difference, exactly, between just waiting and waiting patiently? I think it has to do with trust. The disciples at the beginning of Acts could wait patiently because they completely trusted Jesus to send the Holy Spirit as He had promised them many times. Not everyone in the Bible waited so patiently and trustingly, though. Abram and Sarai got a little tired of waiting for a son to arrive and decided to help God by getting Sarai’s servant Hagar pregnant. That one faithless, impatient act changed the entire course of history—Hagar’s son Ishmael became the father of Arabic nations, remember?

Thankfully, God is patient even when we are not. He is very patient with us, forgiving our mistakes and loving us when we don’t deserve it. And what a relief it is to know that He is the one who not only models perfect patience for us, but also is the source of our patience!

Father, help me to trust You today. I may not see all that You see, but I do believe that Your plans and Your ways are better than mine. Amen.

COMMENTS

I’M NOT VERY GOOD WITH “FAVORITES.” I’m incredibly indecisive (I’m known for it). It takes much thought and effort for me to make a list of even my top ten favorite movies. But then, there are some things that I love so much that everyone knows it. (The Newsboys, for example.)

This Psalm is one of my favorites. It’s hard for me to nail down a single favorite passage in the Bible; there are so many good, encouraging verses that have spoken to me through the years. But back when I was in college, I took a class on the Psalms. It was very good. Dr. Bolger, my professor, wanted us to pick a psalm to write a paper on to demonstrate the knowledge we had learned.

I chose Psalm 103. This was risky; I didn’t know it when I chose it, but Psalm 103 was also one of Dr. Bolger’s favorites. Luckily, he liked my explanation, so my paper got a good grade. Now I’m past the time when grades really mean anything, but Psalm 103 still is one of my favorites.

The psalms in general help to soothe a troubled soul. They speak out honestly about hardship and crying out to God, and at the end, they sing praise to the One who helps us even in the midst of our difficult circumstances.

Now, I’m not a total Drama Queen, but sometimes it does seem like I’m constantly in a state of crisis. In those times, it’s easy to ask “Why me? Why, God?”—even though we know all too well that trouble comes to us all. This Psalm is all about praise—with a purpose. It’s about remembering all that God has done, and all the good things He does for us all the time. The psalmist is done with crying out; instead he chooses to remember and praise God. Not only that, but he invites all of creation to praise with him.

Isn’t that a beautiful picture of how we could be living life? Choosing to remember all God has done, and praising Him so heartily that others cannot help but join in?

Praise the Lord, o my soul.
COMMENTS

Merry Christmas. Happy Holidays. When you hear those words, what do you feel? What do you imagine? What are you reminded of? Are you one of the many people scrambling the city looking for that last gift? Perhaps you think of a big family dinner and opening that “one gift” before Christmas. Others may long for a loved one’s return or anxiously look forward to arriving home after a long hiatus. For some, maybe it is a time of difficulty because of illness or remembrance of those who are no longer present. Whatever the case may be, the Christmas season can be a positively or negatively stressful time of year. As Christians, How do we show others Christ in us, while humanly dealing with our own weaknesses this time of year?

The answer, I am happy to say, is simple. Pray, and seek God’s counsel and presence. Let God’s love show through our actions and words. Remember God’s word. Paul encourages us in Philippians 4:6*, " Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God." Peter counsels us in 1 Peter 5:6-7* saying, "Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.” Jesus teaches us in Luke 12:22-24*, "Then He said to His disciples, Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; nor about the body, what you will put on. Life is more than food, and the body is more than clothing. Consider the ravens, for they neither sow nor reap, which have neither storehouse nor barn; and God feeds them. Of how much more value are you than the birds?" Jeremiah assures Israel in Jeremiah 17:7* that " Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, and whose hope is the LORD." David wrote in Psalms 55:22* ," Cast your burden on the LORD, and He shall sustain you; He shall never permit the righteous to be moved."

These verses from the bible illustrate that just as the grace and wisdom of God was sufficient for His people in the past, it is more than enough for our future. Take time presently to pray and take comfort in God’s grace, and I guarantee you, that with Christ, your Christmas will indeed be merry.

*All verses taken from New King James Version
COMMENTS

When I was in high school, we moved several times. (I went to four different schools from ninth to twelfth grade.) Oddly enough, we seemed to always be moving around the holidays. When I was a freshman, we actually moved during Christmas. We were in a hotel on December 25th, on our way to California, from Virginia. When I was a senior, we were in Washington State. We’d been there a little while, but we were moving from a trailer into an apartment.

I remember sitting in the empty living room with my mom and talking about Christmas, because it was just around the corner. We talked about where we would put the tree, and when we would decorate it—we used to always decorate the tree as a family. One year they even waited until I came home from college.

As we sat there, talking and remembering, I reflected on how few Christmas traditions we actually had. Of course, we usually read the Christmas story, or went to church; we decorated the tree, and it was common to open one present on Christmas Eve. My parents weren’t big into the whole Santa Claus thing, and because times were often tough, we never made a big deal out of presents anyway.

Yet Christmas remains my favorite holiday. there are a lot of beautiful things that add to the glamour and wonder of Christmas time; but I couldn’t help but think of the morning we spent in the hotel room, opening the one present we’d saved (mine was a book, which was very handy for the two-day trip). There had been no tree, no lights, no snow(!), not even a nativity scene.

When you strip all that stuff away, at first glance Christmas looks rather plain. Ordinary, even. After all, it’s a day just like any other. The sun rises and sets the same; people are born and die; life goes on. There’s nothing magical about the twenty-fifth of December that makes it better than any other day.

It all comes down to why you celebrate it. If you need all the trappings to make your holiday “merry and bright,” then the day would be disappointing and flat without it. But I learned something in that hotel room that morning. It wasn’t about all that other stuff. In a few minutes, the presents are all open. The food is all eaten. You’ve gotten into another fight with your brother. The snow has melted. And the wonder…has evaporated.

Unless…the wonder of Christmas is about who we celebrate. I’m sure that most people would say that Christmas is a traditional holiday, in which we celebrate the birth of Christ. In fact, this weekend I even informally polled people about it—random strangers, right there in the mall. Why is it, then, if we all know what the holiday is really about, that we have such a hard time focusing on it? We could blame consumerism and commercialism and the media, and they certainly have a large share of the responsibility.

Trees and lights and candy canes were once symbols that were supposed to point to Christ; now they are so commonplace we only notice if they aren’t there. And now, snowmen and elves and reindeer are mixed alongside them. Sure, they’re cute. But what do they mean? Tradition can be a very good thing, but not if we don’t stop to remind ourselves why we have that tradition.

As I sat in that empty living room in Washington with my mother, I told her I had figured out what one of our new Christmas traditions was.

“What?” she asked.

“Moving,” I told her, teasingly. We laughed. But it was true. And it taught us that it doesn’t matter if the ornaments are still in boxes or the floor beneath the tree is empty. What mattered was that God had come to be with us. He’d come to earth as a baby all those years ago—leaving his home behind. He was with us in the hotel room, in Virginia, California, Washington, and everywhere in between. And he is still with us.

So…it’s not exactly a tradition that I want to pass on to my own children. But the message behind it, that I will.
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There are some versions of songs we’ve been listening to for almost half of my life. They’re more than tradition; they’re practically an institution. As if it wouldn’t be Christmas without Bing’s “White Christmas,” Amy Grant’s “Breath of Heaven,” or Steve Taylor’s mariachi-style “Winter Wonderland.” I have more than a few favorites I listen to, to get me in the spirit.

Then there are the traditional hymns…we sing them every year. There are a lot of good ones—“O Come, O Come Emmanuel,” “Silent Night,” and Joy to the World” are a few of my favorites. But one song I keep coming back to is “O Holy Night.” I’ve had several friends mention to me this year that “O Holy Night” is their favorite Christmas Carol. Honestly, I don’t know if I could pick one favorite—but if I could, “O Holy Night” would top the list.

The truth is, I love any Christmas song that gets at the heart of Christmas. The fun ones—who doesn’t like to sing along to “Frosty the Snowman” or “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer?”—are nice, but in the end, they’re just fluff. They don’t remind us of the wonder of Christmas.

“Long lay the world, in sin and error pining, till He appeared, and the soul felt His worth. A thrill of hope, the weary world rejoices! For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn!” —When I hear that, I remember. My own soul feels that thrill of hope.

“Truly He taught us, to love one another…” Christmas is a great time to remember not just that one Holy Night, but all the other nights that followed as Christ taught us about God and showed us how to live.

What I’m learning this Christmas, and what I’m hoping to pass on, is that even though we’ve all heard this story time and time again, it’s still important. It’s worth telling. What happened on that Night Divine 2000 years ago was something that changed the entire world. New and glorious morn, indeed! The truth is, that Holy Night, God came to be with us. Emmanuel. And we still need Him with us today.

I still need Him, today.

“Christ is the Lord, o praise His name forever…” not just on Christmas… “His power and glory evermore proclaim.”
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I was having a conversation with a friend the other night. They reminded me of me in a huge way. They were falling in love with this person, but was unsure if the other person was reciprocating that love. This person went on and on trying to piece together the puzzle of whether or not this relationship was going to work out or not.

Just like I do, they were trying to figure out the future, so much so that "right now" was clouded.

I asked this person what God wants for them right now. They said, "For me to just stop!" Then they said that they did not know beyond that. I then asked them if they knew the next thing that God was saying to them. I asked, "What if the next thing is very clear? What if it is to stop... and to know that God is God, that He is in complete control and that He is utterly good."

Many of us, including myself, stop at just stopping. I know that stopping is good. We end our efforts, which are vain, and we pretend to let God take over, when all the while we just worry and grumble.

God is saying that He is God, not us. He is good, not us. We borrow goodness from Him. We borrow life from Him. He is not surprised or miffed by our circumstances. He is working them all out for the best.

Our view is small. We must release all of our desires and dreams to Him so that He can place His dreams and desires in our hands.

Be still... and know...
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Because Your lovingkindness is better than life, My lips will praise You.

I have many good things in my life. I have beautiful daughters. I have an amazing girlfriend who has an adorable daughter. I have a good job that affords me the things that I need. I have a good family that cares for me and I have good friends that are here to support me if I need them. I have been to exotic places that most people only dream of going.

This is my life.

The interesting and challenging thing is that these things will not bring me life. They are things to be enjoyed, but they cannot and will not bring me the life that I desire and need. They are part of my life and I am allowed to fully enjoy them, but they will not make me whole or fully comfort me. Only One can do that.

Some way, some strange way, God is even greater than life. I have a difficult time putting my brain around that one, let alone my heart.

God and His lovingkindness call me away from this life, to something greater. The power of His love draws me to Himself, which is greater than anything else. He is pinnacle.

Why do I struggle? Why am I filled with anxiety? Why do I feel all alone? I only have to believe that He is here. He is within me. He is all around me. He is ordaining my steps and my situations. He is in control. This does not mean that I will not be afraid. Yet while I am afraid, I will trust in the Lord (Ps 56.3).

It is easy to forget that He loves us more than we love ourselves. It is easy to forget that He is in control. It is easy to forget that He is here and that we are not alone. It is easy to forget that our life and all that is in it will not bring us the life that we need and long for. Only He can be that. Only God is greater than life.
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But let the godly rejoice. Let them be glad in God's presence. Let them be filled with joy. "Let". One word, repeated three times.

"Let". It means: not prevent or forbid; allow.

Notice that the definition starts in the negative? Interesting. I think it makes sense though. We are prone to not let things happen that are good. It is like we don't believe that we deserve the good things. They are too good to be true. In reality, though, they are too good not to be true.

Look at 1 Thessalonians 5.19. It says, "Do not quench the Spirit..."

It is the same here. God is always doing something. The Spirit is always working, loving, communicating to us and on our behalf with the Father. We allow ourselves to experience Him.

So, what the psalmist is saying here is allow yourself to rejoice, it is what you are created to do. Allow yourself to be glad in God's presence because that is where you are. Allow yourself to be filled with joy because that is the result of being in God's presence (Ps 16.11).

At all times "let" yourself rejoice, be glad in God's presence, and be filled with joy. It is there for the taking. It is not trying to muster it all up or search for it, but it is all right here, right with us. Rejoice! Let yourself do it!!! You are in God's presence.

That means that you are not alone and He is walking you through every little detail of your life; caring, loving. Be filled with joy because being in God's presence brings joy, if we let it. He is standing at our door, knocking. He has come a long way to see us, to love us. Open up. Let...
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Knowing this about myself... Why do I hide myself? Why do I hide from God? Why do I pretend to be someone that I am not? Do I think that I will fool God? Do I think that I can put on the facade that He is impressed with me?

Why do we spend so much of our time trying to be someone we are not?

Why do we spend so much energy trying to impress others and convince God that we are not nearly as messed up as we know that we are?

What are we afraid of? We are afraid of being found out. We are afraid of failing. We are afraid that we will not have the control needed to make it to the finish line. We are afraid that if God truly knew us, me, He would turn His head and go for someone else who is better put together, more financially successful, more socially adept, etc...

God forbid He know me. God forbid He truly see me. If He only know how much of a screw up I truly was....

Then there is the cross. There is the fact that He gave His greatest prized possession: His Son. Read Romans 8.32. Read Romans 5.8. We are known, fully. He knows our hearts (Ps 40.20-21). God knows our hearts. He loves us regardless. He loves us based on His Son.

He loves us even though we could not love Him. He loves us so that we can love Him. Nothing can get in the way of that love. Receive it, no matter what you have done. No matter what you are doing. No matter what you think of yourself. He will redefine you to you. He will redefine love to you.
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"...till I entered the sanctuary of God; then I understood..."

I am in love with this girl. It is that simple... and I just put it out there. I say this because I need utter clarity when I interact with her. The reason I am bringing this up is because we are moving into a situation that demands that I look beyond my temporary perspective.

I have known this girl for about 8 months and she has quickly stolen my heart. There has never been one like her, honestly. So, she is considering moving away to a place that is better suited for her and her daughter, some place that is closer to her family so that she can better raise her daughter. I can easily see why she is moving or at least may want to. Even though she cares about me and I care about her, her move is not predicated on me. She must move because God is leading her to move. Again, it is that simple. I am free from worrying whether or not she is staying or going based on me.

Given all of that, I am faced with another situation. Do I pursue her? If she is leaving, is it worth pursuing her? What if she does not move? What if she does move? What if she moves and we still try?

What will it look like to pursue her if she is staying or going? What does pursuing look like?

Well, after trying to consider the answers and potential answers to all of these questions, I have found that they are all unanswerable or answerable with a million different answers for each question.

Each question and each answer can literally haunt and taunt me. I do not know the future. I cannot tell you where she will end up or where I will end up for that matter.

All I have is right now. All I am promised is right now, where God is. He is not in the future. He is not in the past. What is God saying right now? Where is God right now? He is within me, that He has promised. He will speak to me, that He has promised. He will lead me according to His will, that He has promised. His will is the best thing for me. His will can take me anywhere, but that anywhere is right where I need to be... for now.
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Listening to God is usually based on our future or past. I think God is telling me to do this because look at the outcome. Look at the result. If I get this thing, I know it will be what God was telling me to do. If I listen to Him, I know He will lead me to do that because He wants me to be happy. I cannot do that because God would not want me to suffer. I remember the last time I listened to God, I got hurt, therefore He is most certainly telling me not to do that. I went through a divorce last time because I did not listen to God, so I will not make that mistake again. The last time I listened to God, I lost all of my money. There is no way I will listen to Him again. What job should I take? Where should I live? Who should I date?

Where is God? Why can't I hear Him? What are you saying to me God? How do I hear Him?

I think that most Christians wrestle with hearing God because they are looking for Him in the wrong places, where He is not. God is not in the future. He is not in the past. He is right here, with us right now. He makes the promise to be with us, leading us all the way. He gives us clarity in the moment, so that we might experience Him.

If we listen, we must be close. If He is speaking, He must be close.

Why is it that we believe He is far when He speaks? He is right here with us. Isaiah 30.21 says that you will hear a word behind you, in your ear. It is close and intimate. The implication is that He will lead us only so far that we must listen for every step that we take.

Why is this? It is so that we will have an intimate relationship with our Father. He loves us, He leads us, He comforts us. He delights in intimacy. His intimacy is true and it is good. It is not abusive. It is not controlling. It is not possessive. It is not destructive. It is loving. It is caring. It is kind. We derive our goodness from His nearness. (Psalm 73.28).

Think of what we gain from listening to God, here in the present. Knowing that He is with us, we are connected to a great and loving God who desires to draw us close and whisper into our ear. He is here, now, in the details. He is interested in everything that is transpiring, right now. As we listen to Him right here, right now, we will not be concerned with the outcome because the greater experience is experiencing Him in that moment. He will lead because He is sovereign. We will follow because He is good.
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One of the classic ways that we minimize our pain is by saying, "God will never give us more than we can handle." It seems as though many of us, if not most of us, think that this is true, that this is a biblical truth. Is this true though? Is it true that God will not give us more than we can handle?

Our pain is real. It is mine. It is yours. It is not someone else's.

Saying that God will not give me more than I can handle focuses on our ability to walk through that pain and trial. We then become the "strong" ones. God is, in effect, useless and the devil. He is the one who just whimsically and ambiguously doles out trials and pain for "our character".

I believe that these trials and this pain that can seem so unbearable are for one specific purpose. Read what the apostle Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 1.8-10. Paul's language is very different from "God will not give us..." According to Paul, God WILL give us more than we can handle. Why? It seems so sadistic and mean, but look at the purpose.

It is so that we might not depend us ourselves, but on a God who raises the dead.

God WILL deliver us. He is the one doing the saving, the rescuing, the "handling". It is God who brings the storm, keeps the boat afloat by entering into it, and then calms the storm. It is that moment that He enters into the boat that the pain goes from unbearable to "bearable". We don't see it happen. God's grace enters in and rescues us.

Do we see that God desires that we depend on Him? Do we think that we can "handle" these things on our own? Are we fooling ourselves if we think so? God raises life from death. Just as He raises the sun every morning and sets it that evening, He raises life from death. It is in that moment of "death", not "dying" that He raises life. He will deliver. On that, we can depend fully. Let us rejoice in Him, not in ourselves.
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I see a distinction between God leading us into affliction and affliction I receive when I have my way. He leads us there, but He promises to heal those afflictions as He leads.

The idol (verse 22). I see it as beautiful. I see it as something that we would want in our life because it is lovely. It is covered in gold and silver. It is something that it obviously beautiful, yet subtly dangerous. I guess if it was grotesque, we would stay away from it.

So, it is beautiful. I see clearly from this passage in verse 22. My Father is right there with me, showing me the way. Whispering. It becomes clear, from His love and presence, that my idols are detestable and defiled. No longer lovely.

I also see that idols have no life to give. As a matter of fact, in order for an idol to have any life, they must steal it from me. They steal my life to get their life. The Father is the other way. He has a voice filled with life. He gives life and does not take it away.

Verse 18 has impressed me too. He will define justice to me. As I see my present situation as "unfair", I will wait on Him and be blessed because he will show me the true justice that only he can give. I must wait. I really do not have a choice. I do, but the choice is seemingly obvious.

My choice kills me, if I choose my way. My choice has become my idol, as long as I choose not to listen to God. My view of justice, apart from the wisdom and true justice of God, becomes my idol. My choice to receive the justice of God is a blessing and is my freedom and will bring about the very will of God for in my life.
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This verse is the Christian life. To me, it is synonymous with Colossians 1.27 when Paul states, "Christ in you, our hope of glory".

I used to live in Russia. Something cool about this verse in Russian is that if you translated it literally, it would actually read, "before the face of God". That gives this verse great context and application. When else and how else would we experience true joy? Where else could and would we go to get this joy that we so desperately seek and only God Himself can provide? Imagine being face to face with God the Father? Where else do we want to be than in the Father's lap being held in His loving embrace? Read Psalm 131, its only 3 verses long, but it is powerfully perfect here.

Verse 4, a little lesser known verse in Psalm 16, gives us an indication, using the complete opposite of being away from the presence of God to find our joy, and where we end up apart from the Father. The verse reads like this, "Their sorrows shall be multiplied who hasten after another god".

This verse seems, to me, to be the complete opposite of being "before the face of God". Think about how scary it can be to be face to face with the Father? You will fully see Him and be fully known. Moving closer means things become more visible. That is scary. Will He still love me? Will He disapprove of me? Am I ugly? Will He condemn me?

Read 1 John 3.19-20.

Verse 4 seems to be the outcome of what we get when we run from God, and to other things (i.e. lesser lovers), to find our satisfaction and approval that cannot give us any life at all. Read Habakkuk 2.19-20. There we see the things that give no life because they are empty and the only thing that can give us life because He IS life.

Have you ever just been so miserable chasing something that cannot give you life? Have you just been full of sorrow because you want life from something that is empty? Only God can give you life. He is the author and giver of life. We cannot get life from something that is empty or that borrows life from the Giver of Life Himself. God, as we come before Him, will give us joy. His presence is joy. He promises that. He fulfills that desire of joy by giving us Himself.

Do you know that if you have the Father, you have joy?
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This is THE great exchange. I referred earlier to the "love transaction" in the last blog. The transfer of God's love for His son, unconditional and eternal, onto us because of the death of Jesus on the cross. As He was experiencing the wrath of God on behalf of our sin, we began to enjoy the eternal love of the Father. So, on that day, we were given love.

On that day we were given something else. We were given "the righteousness of God". Our sin was exchanged for the righteousness of God. No longer are we subject to His wrath. No longer are we under the power of sin. No longer are we associated with sin that will ultimately place us in the grave. Not only that, but we are no longer associated with legalism and performance.

We are righteous. Not by our efforts, but we have been given the very "righteousness of God". Let that sink in for a moment...

We have done nothing to deserve it (Romans 5.8). We have not been able to muster that righteousness up on our own (Romans 3.10-20). We have been given this righteousness (John 1.12). It does not come by performance or work, but by the faith of Christ (Romans 3.22), the finished work of Jesus Christ upon the cross. It is through this relationship that we have God's righteousness.

What does this really mean? We have "GOD'S" righteousness. It means that God is utterly and completely satisfied. He is utterly and completely satisfied and pleased with His righteousness, WHICH He has given to us because of Jesus! We are righteous. We are pleasing. We are holy. We are forgiven.

Now, all we have to do is receive this. Receive it. Do not try to earn what you already are. Do not try to strive to be that which Jesus already made you. You cannot merit the merit of Christ. You cannot be more righteous than you already are, if you are a Christ follower.

Psalm 73.28 says, "The nearness of God is my good." Your goodness and righteousness is supplied to you by God the Father. Enjoy it. Live in it. Jesus died that we might live. Go on... live.

Do you know that you are righteous?
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Is there anything in your heart that resonates with this verse as you immediately look at it? What stands out to you? As you read it, let it work its way in. Think upon it and then ask yourself again, "What in this verse resonates with my soul?" Have you ever just cried out to God, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" One thing I quickly noticed is that Jesus cries out in "the ninth hour". Jesus had already been hanging on that cursed tree for nine hours before He makes His plea. He begins to feel the isolation, the unrequited love. He begins to experience the great transaction of our sin from us to Him. 2 Cor 5.21 says, "God made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God." Jesus bore the sin of man on Himself so that we might experience that love of God without condition and without measure.

It came with a price. His life. He endured the eternal weight because of His eternal worth. Our sin against an eternal God needed a sacrifice of eternal worth. Now that is love! "This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us." (1 John 3.16) We are loved. There is no question in that. Jesus made that eternal and final transaction on the cross. It was where He bore the wrath of the Father so that we might experience that eternal love that has always existed amongst the triune God. We have been invited into that love. We have been considered worthy by His life and death, not our own. We will remain by that same standard. We now are no longer forsaken.

When we are in our ninth hour, we have one who can identify with us. We have an advocate that has borne that pain and rejection so that we can and will experience the unfaltering love of the Father. We are loved. No matter what the hour, no matter how dark the clouds may be, we are loved. That will not change. We must know that we are not forsaken because He was forsaken on our behalf. He became unlovely so that we might become lovely.

Do you know that you are loved?
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That is the cry of our hearts. "Father, will you be with me?" I can only imagine how much of my life is lived out of fear. Fear that I am all alone. I am doing this thing by myself. I live and work out of that fear. I relate to others out of that fear. Oh but to know, to be confident that I am NOT alone. To firmly believe that my Father is walking with me. Better yet He is carrying me, leading me by the hand. Even though it is dark, He will light the way. I cannot see too far ahead so that I will cling to Him. Otherwise, I would go running ahead, away from Him. He wants to enjoy me. He wants to enjoy you. He loves the walk. He loves to hear us say, "Daddy, will you be with me?" Dare I say that He delights in much more than that?

How would I live my life differently if I knew for a fact that my Father would not leave me, regardless? As a matter of fact, He promises to be with me continually, always, forever, permanently. To live my life out of this wholeness... It would be transforming, not only for me, but for those who come in contact with me. To know that I am fully loved. Unrequited love is a thing of the past. I can walk confidently that I am not alone, that I am fully loved, that my circumstances cannot touch me.

Do you know that you are not alone?
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