Speechless...

Turkey leftovers are eaten, my jeans are tighter (too much pie!) and the tree is decorated! The holiday season is officially underway! Every year as December creeps in and the house is filled with the scent of pine (from a can, since our tree is fake...heehee), my thoughts go back to that first night in a dark stable where God chose to reveal Himself in a most profound way.

My thoughts revisit those men and women who were so uniquely affected by that first Christmas. Seeing the cute figurines and the children in nativities, it is easy to loose touch with the fact that Mary, Joseph, Elizabeth, Zechariah, the shepherds, etc...were real, live people with baggage, doubts, pain, fears but above all faith in a very mighty God!

There is much for us to learn, 2000 years later, from those men and women of God. Today, as we finish decorating pine trees in our living rooms and hanging icicle lights from our roof, let's peek into the life of a man, a priest of God, choosen by lot to enter the Holy of Holies...a once in a lifetime honor for this man of God.

God had been silent for over 400 years...no prophets, no words, no gifts...until now. The 400 year silence is shattered by the voice of Gabriel speaking to the old, childless man in the Temple. Gabriel proclaims the prophesy for the son his wife would bear...as if that was not enough to blow Zechariah's mind, the angel goes on to proclaim that son as the very forerunner to the long awaited Messiah!

Zechariah is looking at a real angel hearing this incredible prophesy that would personally change his own life forever. His response? Well...unbelief. His first question to the angel, "How can I be sure of this?" (Luke 1:18) How could he be sure?! How could he not?? The unbelief in Zechariah's heart pours forth when he opened his mouth.

Gabriel remedies the situation by silencing Zechariah until the birth of his son. No unbelief was to cloud the glory of what God was about to unveil.

When Zechariah comes out of the Temple, the people are expecting the traditional priestly blessing to be spoken over them (Numbers 6:24-27). Tradition was all they had at this point, so they clung tightly to it. They hung as near as they were allowed and could not take their eyes off of Zechariah when he emerged from behind the thick veil. But God had other plans for these people... Zechariah would not proclaim that blessing, or anything else for nearly a year. After centuries of silence, it appears as if God just got quieter! The reality is God's monumental work was taking form.

Isn't this so of God? Often when we think He is quietest, He is the most at work! Our human senses cannot see into the reality of the heavenlies and all that is forming over our lives...so we think 'I can't see God, so He must not be there.' What lies we believe!

In what area of your life does God currently appear silent? That prayer for the lost loved one? That unstable job situation? Our finances, our health, our pain? How can you and I speak truth over that situation rather than unbelief?

God's remedy for Zecharah's unbelief and doubt was silence...as is our best remedy! Words have great power (James 3:5-6). Let's be aware of our words and use the self-control needed to speak life, belief and truth into our lives and the lives of our loved ones. Otherwise, let's remember ole' Zecharaiah and remain a little more silent. "Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for Him." (Psalm 37:7)

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

Whatcha thinkin'?

Ever been in need of a new perspective? Walking around on this planet can sure skew our perspective! Whether we go too far one way or the other, this world sure provides opportunity for messed up thinking, amen?

Well, the Lord intoduced me to one psalmist who felt the same way. His name was Asaph. He is the one through which the Holy Spirit inspired Psalm 73. Throughout the first several verses we can find ourselves agreeing with ol' Asaph as he whines about the ungodly and how they have no struggles...boy, does our thinking easily get off target! He gets to the point of feeling as if he has kept his heart pure before God in vain.

Sure we don't want to admit that...but isn't it is a relief this man of God does? Don't you ever feel like that? Like our own attempts to not fall into our old patterns of thinking are in vain when we see those who are ungodly (or posing to be godly) succeed? It's a tough one. But Praise Jesus, He is not intimidated by it!

So, what is this poor psalmist's plight? Does he just resolve to wallow in his mess? NO WAY! Not when we know our Savior! Thankfully He will not leave us there!

Verses 16-17 say, "When I tried to understand all this, it was oppressive to me...til I entered the sanctuary of God!!" It was THEN, when he came into the very presence of his God, that he got him some right thinkin'!!

The very presence of our God can correct the skewed lies this world bombards us with and it rectifies those messed up thoughts we carry around and allow to bog us down.

Asaph goes on to say, "When my heart was grieved and my spirit embittered, I was senseless and ignorant; I was a brute beast before you." (v. 21-22) Isn't it so when we harbor grief and bitterness we become senseless and ignorant? So what do we do with that? We pour it at the feet of Jesus! He is always with us, holding us, guiding us and afterward carrying us to His glory (see vv. 23-24)

So along with the psalmist, I will say ... "But as for me, it is good to be near God. I have made the Sovereign LORD my refuge; I will tell of all your deeds." (v. 28)

Just a thought..

Just a thought to ponder...

"Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful." ~ Colossians 3:15

A Rainy Season

Life is full of seasons. Just as the land goes through fall, winter, spring, and summer; our own lives pass through seasons of change, refreshment, joy and sorrow. We can be blind-sided with a storm we never saw coming or bask in the warmth of a season of joy.

My own recent season has had months of rain intermingled with days of sun-shine, as I would expect most of us have. Most recently the rain rolled into a full out storm, though. As I have begun walking through it, the Lord is opening my eyes to see that without the storm, the rainbow has no brilliance.

Just this morning a fresh Word lept off the pages of Scripture and right into the deepest places of my heart...

Hebrews 6:7 teaches us, "Land that drinks in the rain often falling on it and that produces a crop useful to those for whom it is farmed recieves the blessing of God."

What a precious reminder that the soil of my heart needs this rain in order to produce a crop that is useful for those the Lord has called me to serve...my children, my husband, and the precious ladies I teach. We are not useful without the rain! Just as the fruit in a garden cannot grow to its full potential without a good dose of rain, our own lives cannot produce a useful crop for those for whom it is farmed unless we get a little wet in the storm!

So, today, I am thankful for the current storm I need in order to grow in godliness...but I will not stop peeking through the clouds for the rainbow! :)

Poured out with Purpose

As I flipped the calendar page to November this morning, I was stunned at all the boxes already covered with commitments. Notes jotted here and there all over the month. So many commitments, constraints vying for my time.

Staring at the calendar page with playgroups, soccer practices, homeschool meetings, and a string of other commitments staring back at me, Psalm 90:12 fell as a refreshing wave over my weary soul.

"Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom."

The thought followed... "What if this was your last week on earth? How would you spend it?"

Wow, as I pondered that thought I realized how fragile life is and how we never do know when we will be called home to Christ. I want to have poured my self out fully for His glory. But I want to have done it where HE wants me to...not just poured out. But poured out with purpose!

Pondering this, I considered the things God calls priorities in my life: my Jesus, my man and my children. The areas to pour out my heart, soul, energy and time should reflect these priorities.

Well, it is a gray area, for sure! All I am doing is 'good' and God-glorifying but certainly not ALL 'best'! As I am seeking the Lord, He has lead me to drop a couple commitments and refocus my time and efforts on Jesus.

I am praying to glorify Him with the weeks ahead as I begin to walk into a month with some blank boxes on the calendar. What about you? What would your week look like if you thought it was your last week?

Something Worth Celebrating

Quite often I find myself reminding my sons to be 'leaders' rather than 'followers' in various situations with friends and one another. Just last night as my boys played happily with their cousin, I continually heard the THUMP, THUMP, THUMP of wrestling and running that inevitably ends with tears. So I called my firstborn and calmly reminded him of some 'other choices' to make and encouraged him to go lead the others in these better choices. A few minutes passed and the children had decided on a board game and were beginning to play. I was so proud, and relieved to not be drying tears...or applying ice...for now.

But this got me thinking...

Why is it that we believers and followers of the Lord Jesus have decided to not be leaders ourselves? But rather to allow the world to make witchcraft and evil 'fun' for our kids? We follow along with the world's ways rather than making a new way.

There IS a great reason for believers to celebrate on October 31st. That day in 1517, a man named Martin Luther nailed his 95 Thesis about purgatory, indulgences and other false teachings of the church at the time, to the door of the Castle Church in Wittenburg. And along with a group of men over the course of several years, began a reformation of the church that, bottom line, put the Word of God in the hands of His people! You and I can open a Bible and read it for ourselves because of men who were killed brutally for the sake of the gospel. God intended His Word FOR His people. Luther and others were used by God to make it happen. October 31st 1517 was a monumental day worthy of much celebration!

So this year my boys and I will Party in honor of Reformation. We are playing games like Pin the Thesis to the Door, Building a mighty fortress (Martin Luther wrote the hymn "Mighty Fortress is our God") and even a Bible Smuggling game. I have a great kids book to share with them, too. And what would a party be without CANDY, CUPCAKES and GOODIES?! There will be enough to make a dentist rich!

My point is to celebrate Jesus and His Word and to educate the children (and mothers) on the Reformation and the value of something we too often take for granted...The Holy, Living Word of God!

What about YOU? How will you celebrate the Reformation and teach its truths to your children this year?