As you enter the New Year, may the Living Lord go with you.
single calendar month. (It isn't really blue!)The moon was full in 2009 on December 2, and will be again on the 31st. On average, a blue moon occurs about every two and a half years, so the expression "once in a blue moon" means only once in a great while!When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers,MaryMartha
the moon and the stars, which you have set in place,
what is man that you are mindful of him,
the son of man that you care for him?
You made him a little
lower than the heavenly beings
and crowned him with glory and honor.
You made him ruler over
the works of your hands;
you put everything under his feet:
all flocks and herds,
and the beasts of the field,
the birds of the air,
and the fish of the sea,
all that swim the paths of the seas.
O LORD, our Lord,
how majestic is your name in all the earth!
Psalm 8:3-9
whelmed! I could not possibly consider adding any new plans or goals because I would be so busy trying to re-do something from the past.
We also hesitate for many of the same reasons. We are bound by what people think, or we are afraid of the cost. We are embarrassed, or we are ashamed, especially if we feel like what we've done and where we've been makes us too bad to come to Jesus. And it's true for us, as well, that we often don't realize our own need. No matter why we hesitate, the Father is waiting for us to come to Him.
His government and its peace will never end." (Isaiah 9:6, 7)
day on which that Sun was born...Christ should be born." John Chrysostom, Bishop of Constantinople in the 4th century said, "They call it the 'Birthday of the Unconquered'. Who indeed is so unconquered as Our Lord . . .?"
only a test." Had there been an actual emergency, we would have been given further instructions, but since it was only a test, we just waited for regular programming to be resumed.
blogging friends has expressed some regret that she led her children to believe in Santa Claus because now she considers that she lied to them. I wrote in reply, "When I was growing up, we loved Santa Claus, knowing he was in the same category as other fun things like rabbits who talk (in Peter Cottontail) and the "dish fairy" who surprised my Mom when she got home and found that somehow—almost by magic—the dishes had been washed and dried. "Oh, the dish fairy has been here!" she would exclaim with delight, and I would just giggle because I knew who the "dish fairy" was! We didn't feel anyone lied to us about Santa Claus, but enjoyed the pretending, understanding that it was just that."
ssage of peace on earth! But on the whole, people are generous to others in ways they may not be throughout the year. (They do fill those Salvation Army buckets, after all!)
things are not meant to be revisited. There were a bunch of old letters from an erstwhile friend, and I was tempted to put them aside to re-read, but I clearly felt that was not the thing to do. It is hard enough work lifting boxes and sorting through them without adding the burden of remembering a particularly difficult time in my life. "But what if I need . . . ?"
Although some people grumble, this is actually a sign of God's continued presence and providence.Listen to it! Listen to his thunder, the rolling, rumbling thunder of his voice. He lets loose his lightnings from horizon to horizon, lighting up the earth from pole to pole. In their wake, the thunder echoes his voice, powerful and majestic. He lets out all the stops, he holds nothing back. No one can mistake that voice—His word thundering so wondrously, his mighty acts staggering our understanding. He orders the snow, 'Blanket the earth!' and the rain, 'Soak the whole countryside!' No one can escape the weather—it's there. And no one can escape from God. Wild animals take shelter, crawling into their dens, when blizzards roar out of the north and freezing rain crusts the land. It's God's breath that forms the ice, it's God's breath that turns lakes and rivers solid. And yes, it's God who fills clouds with rainwater and hurls lightning from them every which way. He puts them through their paces—first this way, then that—commands them to do what he says all over the world. Whether for discipline or grace or extravagant love, he makes sure they make their mark. (Job 37:2-13)
Summer and winter, springtime, and harvest,
se who do not acknowledge the gift is a touchy subject: Grandchildren who do not say thanks for birthday checks, brides who do not send thank-you notes, waitpersons who are offensive about expecting a tip. Every giver has to decide for himself/herself how to handle these situations. But it would be well to stop and consider, "Why am I giving this? Are there strings attached to this gift? What am I hoping for in return?"
when they came to Grandma's house. The days are gone when they were easily entertained with a box of crayons, a scissors and some construction paper!
a crib in my parents' bedroom when I heard him say his bedtime prayers as my mother led him. "Now I lay me down to sleep—" then God bless Mama, God bless Daddy, and all the other God blesses he could think of.
very single day we do encounter little choices and we act in little ways that, if considered all by themselves, are pretty insignificant. But just as surely as a series of small things led to an air disaster, a series of small things can culminate in an amazing positive change in our lives.
Jabez: Breaking Through to the Blessed Life," inspired a host of derivatives: three versions written for children and one for women, a journal, a book of devotions, a Bible study, a musical "worship experience," and a wide array of official merchandise including key chains, mugs, backpacks, Christmas ornaments, scented candles, mouse pads, and jewelry.
in different ways as they are held one way and then another. Don't misunderstand me; there is but one way into the Kingdom of God. Jesus explained to Nicodemus that one must be born into it. But how Kingdom life is lived out is as varied as the people who make up the Kingdom. No one can claim that he/she understands God best because they worship with "Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, Merciful and Mighty! God in three Persons, blessed Trinity!" The Christian is no less spiritual who chooses to sing, "Open the eyes of my heart, Lord. I want to see You." It is a different facet of wonderful truth.
shoppe [workshop] of the deuill." T. Fuller in 1732 and H.B. Bohn in 1855 wrote essentially the same thing.
a red car that runs,The warm, yeasty smell of fresh cinnamon buns,
and birds with bright wings;
Michael E. McCullough, eds."Thou hast given so much to me,
Give one thing more, - a grateful heart;
Not thankful when it pleaseth me,
As if Thy blessings had spare days,
But such a heart whose pulse may be Thy praise."
~George Herbert (1593-1633), a Welsh poet, member of
parliament, and parish priest.
butter, but I have discovered that it's possible. Difficult, but possible.
of my very favorite foods are going to be off the menu, at least for the time being. But not chocolate! I have to thank God, "who giveth us richly all things to enjoy!" (I Timothy 6:17)
in content. Perhaps we have been asked for it, or it becomes our moral duty to speak out. It's right to have our opinion, and sometimes it is right to express it strongly. But if you can't say something nice, find a nice way—a respectful, decent way—to say what must be said. That excludes angry controlling and name-calling and put-downs.
with all my paperwork to the tax preparer. He looked at the papers, and was puzzled. He then spent almost an hour on the phone with the IRS office, most of that time "on hold."
between what I report and what is reported by the payer. When the tax man had finished talking to the agent and had faxed all the documentation (again!), everything was satisfactory with my return and I do not owe more money—plus interest and a penalty. Our first reaction was thankfulness: "Thank you so much, ma'am; God bless you!" to the agent, and "Praise God!" to the Lord. From Him—not from some force out there determining what I deserve by how I behaved in a previous existence!
