To Be More Like Jesus

 It's the Fourth Sunday of Advent...We are getting closer and closer to Christmas and celebrating the birth of our Savior.  Today we lit the fourth candle on the Advent Wreath at church. Obviously, this picture doesn't have anything to do with an Advent Wreath, but it was such a lovely evening and it gave me such peace and joy and comfort as we enter this last week prior to Christmas, that I just thought I'd share it with you.

What you couldn't see in the above picture was that there was a whole flock of geese who had landed just before sunset on Still Waters Pond.

They were swimming around the island in the pond, checking things out. Some even went up on the island and walked around.  

And then they all slipped back into the pond and swam away into the sunset...

And this gave me such "Joy in this Place"...

It helped me to focus more fully on the true meaning of Christmas...putting things in perspective as we "wrap things up" (literally)  in preparation for our celebration.  I've been a little stressed as usual at this time of the year in getting everything done, tending to overthink what I think needs to be done...and I need to just stop and "rest beside the still waters" for a little while and let the Lord restore my soul from the hectic pace of the world.

This morning our church choir sang our Christmas Cantata, "Joy In This Place".  It is a relief to have that over with after weeks of practice, but it is also a joy to have shared the "Good News" of Jesus Christ coming to earth..."God with us",  to save us from our sins and give us hope, joy and peace for a better life here on earth and the hope and assurance of eternal life in heaven.  I have already shared this video on Facebook, but if you aren't able to see it there, then here it is again for you if you would like to listen to this joyful message:

As you can see, our choir was "socially distanced", and we are few in number since there are still several who are not able to attend church because of their health concerns. But we who were able to participate sang for the joy and glory of the Lord.  I hope you will enjoy this.

So what special things are you doing to celebrate Christmas this year? I know many are not able to be with loved ones or friends, but perhaps there are special programs you are watching or participating in...or any particular charities that you or your church or club or group supports during the holidays?  One thing I really love about our little church is that we give toys and gifts to the children of our local elementary school. There is one woman in particular in our church who takes it upon herself to start collecting new toys early in the year.  People donate funds to help, but she does much of it on her own, and by Christmas time she has collected enough toys to make sure that every single child in our school will receive some special gifts at Christmas.  (I believe there are more than 500 students now). Some of the ladies help her wrap the gifts and distribute them. It is a wonderful ministry as we are a poor rural community and many children would not have anything for Christmas if people did not help. I am amazed at the love and big heart of this particular woman who has taken on this ministry. She is truly an example to all of us.  I am sharing her picture here because I want you to see her exuberant spirit. I don't think she will read my blog, and she would be very humbled and probably embarrassed if she saw it, but this dear saint of God deserves some special accolades.  I know God already knows, and He takes good care of her...but to me she is a super hero. Her name is Norma.

Norma exemplifies the true Spirit of Christmas to me.

She also baked cookies and gave tins of them to many families in the church for Christmas.

I think what I want for Christmas is to be more like Norma in the New Year.

To be more giving, loving and do so with a humble spirit.

In other words, to be more like Jesus.

Yes, that is what I really want for Christmas. 

To be more like Jesus.

How about you?

Have a blessed and wonderful Christmas my friends.

 

Hymn for the Day - A Song for Lent

Good Morning!  As we continue along in our journey through the Lenten season in preparation for the remembrance of Christ's ultimate sacrifice on the cross on our behalf, I would like to revisit this post from many years ago.  Praying that it will be a blessing to you today as well...


Original Post 3/11/2011:

I love to sing the old hymns of the faith...and I want to keep them alive for future generations.  This morning in my devotional time with my husband, we focused on this old hymn as a prayer:

"Out of my bondage, sorrow, and night,

Jesus, I come, Jesus I come;

Into Thy freedom, gladness, and light,

Jesus, I come to Thee;

Out of my sickness into Thy health,

Out of my want and into Thy wealth,

Out of my sin and into Thyself,

Jesus, I come to Thee.

Out of my shameful failure and loss,

Jesus, I come, Jesus, I come;

Into the glorious gain of Thy cross,

Jesus, I come to Thee;

Out of earth's sorrows into Thy balm,

Out of life's storms and into Thy calm,

Out of distress to jubilant psalm,

Jesus, I come to Thee.

Out of unrest and arrogant pride,

Jesus, I come, Jesus, I come;

Into Thy blessed will to abide,

Jesus, I come to Thee;

Out of myself to dwell in Thy love,

Out of despair into raptures above,

Upward for aye on wings like a dove,

Jesus, I come to Thee.

Out of the fear and dread of the tomb,

Jesus, I come, Jesus, I come;

Into the joy and light of my home,

Jesus, I come to Thee;

Out of the depths of ruin untold,

Into the peace of Thy sheltering fold,

Ever Thy glorious face to behold,

Jesus, I come to Thee."

Written by William T. Sleeper, 1819-1904

Wow! Doesn't that hymn speak to you?  This is one of those songs that we often would sing as a prayer of commitment and surrender at the close of a church service.  Even though these words were penned by the composer over one hundred years ago, they are still applicable and powerful to me today.

During this Lenten Season, rather than focus on what you are giving up, why not consider what new insights you can glean from God's Word, the faithful messages found in the hymns of our faith, and other devotional writings as God leads you.  Then, share those thoughts with others throughout your day...whether by email, Facebook, notes written in cards, or by word of mouth in your conversations with friends and loved ones. If we could manage to share a word of encouragement and hope with another person each day, what a difference there would be in our world!

Have a glorious day...and give someone a real hug today.  God bless you real good! (((((HUGS)))))



3/10/2019:  Note to my friends:  I discovered some very unpleasant comments on a few of my recent blogs this morning (spam), so am now using comment moderation.  I will try to get back to each comment as soon as possible. I apologize if anyone happened to see any of those spam messages before I was able to delete them.  Hopefully this will help. I notice that many others of our friends are also having to use comment moderation.     Have a blessed day my friends, and I will catch up with you later as I must get ready for  Sunday School and Church now.

Second Sunday of Advent

Here we are again...the 2nd Sunday of Advent...and in our home tradition we usually light the "Bethlehem Candle"...

(picture from our home Advent Wreath, 2017)

As we lit the Second Advent Candle we read the following:

"Today we light the Bethlehem candle.  It is symbolic of preparation.  The prophecy in Micah 5:2 that Jesus would be born in Bethlehem has significance because it indicates how God prepared even the last detail of the coming of Christ."

The following scriptures were read:

Micah 5:2

"But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah,

Though you are little among the thousands of Judah,

Yet out of you shall come forth to Me

the ONE to be Ruler in Israel,

Whose goings forth are from of old,

From everlasting."

Matthew 2:1-6

"Now after Jesus was born in BETHLEHEM of Judea 

in the days of Herod the king,

behold, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem,

saying, "Where is He who has been born King of the Jews?

For we have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him."

When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him.

And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together,

he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born.

So they said to him,

"In BETHLEHEM of Judea, for thus it is written by the prophet:

"But you, BETHLEHEM, in the land of Judah,

are not the least among the rulers of Judah;

for out of you shall come a Ruler Who will shepherd My people Israel."

This was followed by the singing of another beloved Christmas Carol, "O Little Town of Bethlehem"

Don't you sometimes wonder why God chose Bethlehem for the birth of our Savior?  Perhaps because God wanted us to realize that He is able to make something marvelous and magnificent come out of someplace seemingly small and somewhat insignificant. Much like what He does with us, we are seemingly small and insignificant in the eyes of the world...but Psalm 139:13-16 tells us we are "fearfully and wonderfully made"...and that God had a plan for our lives before we were even born.

"For you created my inmost being;

    You knit me together in my mother’s womb.

14 

I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;

    Your works are wonderful,

    I know that full well.

15 

My frame was not hidden from you

    when I was made in the secret place,

    when I was woven together in the depths of the earth.

16 

Your eyes saw my unformed body;

    all the days ordained for me were written in your book

    before one of them came to be."

The marvelous thing about Advent and the Christmas story is that God sent Jesus, His Only Begotten Son, down to earth in the form of a tiny baby, to be born in an animal stable in the insignificant little town of Bethlehem, so that He could save ME (YOU) from all our sins. Read the following from the book of Matthew, chapter 1: 18-25 for more information...

18 This is how the birth of Jesus the Messiah came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit. 19 Because Joseph her husband was faithful to the law, and yet did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly.

20 But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21 She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.”

22 All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: 23 “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”).

24 When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. 25 But he did not consummate their marriage until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus.

"YOU ARE TO GIVE HIM THE NAME JESUS, BECAUSE HE WILL SAVE HIS PEOPLE FROM THEIR SINS."

We are the people that He has come to save...little, insignificant you and me...because the God of Heaven loves us so much He was willing to sacrifice His Son for us...this is really significant...really big news!  And THIS is why we celebrate Christmas!

Nativity scene at our church - 2018

Today at our church Advent service, we lit the candle of PEACE.  This was our responsive reading and prayer after lighting the second candle:

In this season of Advent, we pray for God's peace.

Christ is our light and the source of our peace.

We witness the hostility between nations and neighbors.

Christ is our light and the source of our peace.

We see a world full of fractured relationships and unforgiving hearts.

Christ is our light and the source of our peace.

We seek relief from our own inner turmoil and restlessness.

Christ is our light and the source of our peace.

"Gracious God, as we continue our Advent journey, we thank You for sending the Prince of Peace into a world filled with unrest and strife.  We ask that You quiet our restless hearts and instill in each of us the calm assurance that tells us You are in control so we need not worry. Give us the tools we need to serve as You would have us serve, and make us willing instruments of Your peace. Amen."

Our choir sang the following "Calypso Lullaby", written by Jester Hairston, and arranged by Joel Raney.  You can listen and sing along here:

https://soundcloud.com/hope-publishing/calypso-lullaby-marys-little

It really doesn't matter if your church lit "The Bethlehem Candle", the "Peace Candle", or no candles at all...what matters is that we are each preparing our hearts for Christ to enter our lives, homes, churches, and world anew at this Christmas time. Try to forget about the gifts we need to buy or wrap or make...try to put aside all of the stress of doing this or that or how much money we are going to spend to make sure everyone gets a "good Christmas".  Can we just focus our thoughts and minds on Jesus, and how He came to save us from our sins and give us PEACE and HOPE and JOY?  And can we share this good news with someone else this week?  It is too good to keep to ourselves!

(This post will take the place of our usual Sermon Notes for this week)

Running Into His Arms

In our Bible study today we were asked the following question:

"If you saw Jesus standing nearby, how would you approach him?"  

What is your first reaction to this question?  One of the members of our group said that she would be in such awe that she would fall down at His feet, probably weeping and praising Him.  Another said that she would approach Him timidly, feeling unworthy.  My first reaction was that I would run into His arms,

like a little child so happy to see her daddy or beloved grandparent after a long separation.  I could envision myself hugging His legs and wanting to be held in His lap.

Photo by Michael Belk, "Journeys With The Messiah"

I guess I feel a lot like Simon Peter, who, after the Lord's death, felt lost and alone...and probably quite perplexed with how things had happened.  The disciples never expected that the Lord would die...even though He had given them plenty of hints and notice...they just didn't quite get it.  So, they went back to the thing they knew best...fishing.

In John chapter 21 we find the disciples out in a boat, where they had been fishing all night long and had caught nothing.  In the morning, (see verse 4) "Jesus stood on the shore, yet the disciples did not know that it was Jesus."   And then in verse 5, Jesus calls to them, "Children, have you any food?", and they answered, "No."  So He tells them (vs. 6) to "Cast the net on the right side of the boat, and you will find some."  And so they did, and the Bible tells us that "now they were not able to draw it in because of the multitude of fish."

First, the disciple John recognized that it was Jesus, and said, "It is the Lord!"  (vs. 7) When Simon Peter heard  that it was Jesus, he put on his outer garment and plunged into the sea....and in his excitement and joy, hurried onto the shore to meet the Lord.  

Was it because Peter felt worthy of Christ that he ran onto the shore?  Did he feel entitled to being first in line to greet the Lord?  Probably not...remember, Peter was the one who had denied Christ three times the night before He was crucified.  And Jesus doesn't exactly let Peter get away with that when He does sit down with him on the shore to have breakfast.  Jesus asks Peter three times  in verses 15-17 just how much he really loves Him...and tells Peter to not only tend to, but to feed His sheep.  

This gives me pause.  My gut reaction to the question about how I would approach Jesus was to run and leap into His arms.  Now I wonder...How would He respond to my exuberance?  Would He welcome me with open arms, like the pictures above...or would He have some questions and instructions for me as well?  

Honestly, I know that I am not worthy to approach Christ with anything but awe and extreme reverence and deep humility.  I am not worthy of His love, mercy and grace.  But guess what? None of us are worthy in our own strength.  We are only able to approach Christ because He has made us worthy.  He paid the price for our sins, and washed us white as snow with His own shed blood on the cross.  

Romans 8:14-17 tells me that as I am "led by the Spirit of God", I am a son (daughter) of God.  I am an heir of God and joint heir with Christ...and therefore I am worthy to be called His child...and to call Him, "Abba, Father".  "Abba", in the Greek means Father, a term expressing warm affection and filial confidence.   Therefore, I have confidence that I can approach Jesus, the Son of God, with unreserved joy and excitement, knowing that He will indeed welcome me as His beloved child.  And, as any good parent might do, He may ask me a few questions about whether or not I've been a good girl...and perhaps He may even give me some instructions for how I could improve or possibly give me some new assignments.  And that's okay with me.  

Romans 8:18 says "For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us." 

So, whatever instructions Christ may have for me will only help me to continue to grow in grace and be prepared for the glory that is yet to come in heaven.   

Now this question is to you, dear friend...how would you approach Jesus?  Do you feel unworthy to even speak His name, afraid that He might not know you?  Or do you have confidence that you can run into His arms as a child running to her father, and know that you will be welcomed and loved...and cherished?  If you aren't sure about that...I invite you to make sure now...just ask Him to show you the way, and He will definitely welcome you with open arms.

These flowers have nothing to do with the story...but the rose was blooming in my garden this morning, and I wanted to share it with you.  The violets continue to bloom on my kitchen windowsill, and again, I wanted to share them with you.  Sometimes we just have to stop and smell the roses/flowers.  Life is too short to be so busy and hung up on whether or not we meet all the proper standards.  However...one standard needs to be met...ask Christ to come into your life and heart....and then just breathe....and smell the roses.  You are beloved.

The Lord Is My Strength and My Shield

Psalms 28:7 "The Lord is my strength and my shield; My heart trusted in Him, and I am helped; Therefore my heart greatly rejoices, and with my song I will praise Him."

I love the old hymns of the faith...they often express exactly what I am feeling at the moment. So please bear with me as I share with you another old hymn that I find comforting today:

"Jesus, I am resting, resting

In the joy of what Thou art;

I am finding out the greatness

Of Thy loving heart.

Thou has bid me gaze upon Thee,

And Thy beauty fills my soul;

For, by Thy transforming power,

Thou has made me whole.

Oh, how great Thy loving kindness,

Vaster, broader than the sea!

Oh, how marvelous Thy goodness

Lavished all on me!

Yes, I rest in Thee, Beloved,

Know what wealth of grace is Thine,

Know Thy certainty of promise,

And have made it mine.

Simply trusting Thee, Lord Jesus,

I behold Thee as Thou art,

And Thy love, so pure, so changeless,

Satisfies my heart;

Satisfies its deepest longings,

Meets, supplies its every need,

Compasseth me round with blessings;

Thine is love indeed!

Ever lift Thy face upon me,

As I work and wait for Thee;

Resting 'neath Thy smile, Lord Jesus,

Earth's dark shadows flee.

Brightness of my Father's glory,

Sunshine of my Father's face,

Keep me ever trusting, resting;

Fill me with Thy grace.

Jesus, I am resting, resting,

In the joy of what Thou art;

I am finding out the greatness

Of Thy loving heart."

"Jesus, I Am Resting, Resting", by Jean S. Pigott, 1845-1882

Thank you all for your prayers for our son Matthew today, as he travels to Boston for his appointment with the medical team at Dana Farber Cancer Institute.  Today he will be learning what level this cancer has supposedly reached in his body, and what the treatment plan will be.  We are praying that God has already gone before him, has prepared the way with Doctors who are knowledgeable, compassionate, and highly skilled.  We are also praying that they will be astounded by what God has already been doing in Matthew...and that they will know beyond a shadow of doubt that God has already touched his body and brought healing.  We are trusting and resting in Jesus today.  Regardless of the outcome of these reports, we will trust our God.  We KNOW that HE is in control, in all things.  Therefore, I can rest in Him today.

Thank you, everyone! 

GOD IS IN CONTROL!

AMEN!