The Sun Will Come Out

When my daughter was a baby and became fussy, I would sit down at the piano and play the song, the sun will come out tomorrow.  My husband and I would sing rather loudly, and like magic she would stop crying and stare wide eyed as we belted out a tune.

I always loved that song with its uplifting lyrics.  The sun will come out tomorrow, bet your bottom dollar that tomorrow they’ll be sun!  Just thinking about tomorrow clears away the cobwebs and the sorrow till there’s none!

On Monday of this week a once in a lifetime event was visible in Northeast Ohio, a total solar eclipse.  It was amazing and even more amazing was that the weather allowed us to see it.  Watching the moon begin to eclipse the sun was something I had never been able to see before.  In the quiet of my backyard, I watched and waited.  My husband had his telescope set up to magnify his experience.  Then suddenly it was like evening and darkness descended in such a way that there was a grayness to the trees and the birds fell silent.  I sat in the darkness behind my glasses until my son said, “Mom if you can’t see anything it’s ok to take off your glasses.”  So, I did and there it was, a total eclipse of the sun, dark in the middle with a brilliant corona around the moon.  With the sun eclipsed it was cold, but we had been warned about that, so I was quite warm in my cozy sweater.  3 minutes later the sun would start to appear again, and warmth would return to the day.

The next four days it rained continually with Friday being the worst day of the week due to high winds.  As I tried to walk my umbrella was blown sideways and the rain was pelting me from the front on my walk to a gathering and from behind on my walk back!  There was talk at the gathering of the amazing eclipse we had all witnessed on Monday and I said, “Wasn’t it amazing that God chose to show us his glory through the eclipse that day!”  I was met with blank stares by my colleagues, but I truly believe God wanted us to see his glory!  He could have made it an overcast day, or He could have sent the rain on that day, but he didn’t.  He allowed us to see the magnificence of His creation of His Universe.

The appearance of the sun again on Saturday was a welcome sight.  Although the day was still cold and windy, seeing the sun again made all the difference!

God’s plan was perfect when he created the world.  He created the sun for our survival for without the sun we couldn’t exist.  God was specific in his plan when he created the world to include the bigger light by day, and the smaller light by night, both important for us to have sight and sustenance.

God’s plan was also perfect in sending His Son to redeem all people of His world.  His son would bring light to the darkness, healing to the helpless, and salvation to the sinner.

And so this week the words of this beautiful hymn below come to mind to explain the splendor of God’s world.

This is My Father’s World  Maltbie D. Babcock 1901

This is my Father’s world,
And to my list’ning ears
All nature sings, and round me rings
The music of the spheres.
This is my Father’s world:
I rest me in the thought
Of rocks and trees, of skies and seas—
His hand the wonders wrought.

This is my Father’s world:
The birds their carols raise,
The morning light, the lily white,
Declare their Maker’s praise.
This is my Father’s world:
He shines in all that’s fair;
In the rustling grass I hear Him pass,
He speaks to me everywhere.

This is my Father’s world:
Oh, let me ne’er forget
That though the wrong seems oft so strong,
God is the ruler yet.
This is my Father’s world,
The battle is not done:
Jesus who died shall be satisfied,
And earth and Heav’n be one.

In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.  And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. And God saw that the light was good, and he separated the light from the darkness.  God called the light “day”, and the darkness he called “night”. And there was morning the first day.  Genesis 1 :1-5

Words of Wisdom

Words of Wisdom

As I was walking this morning, I thought about conversations had with family members from years past.   In recollecting these conversations I thought, what would I most associate with this person and remember as a lasting memory.

The first person I thought of was my dad.  Dad didn’t say much but when asked he gave an honest answer.

I remember being at a craft fair with my parents and deciding to buy a slate shingle that was hand painted for hanging by your front door.   The artist would paint a scene and add the words you wanted, such as “Bless this House”.  After choosing the scene I liked the best, which was a red barn that reminded me of times on my grandparents farm, I had to choose the words to add.  Back in those days “Bless this House” was a familiar phrase on signs inside out outside the house.  I asked my dad if I should choose, “Bless this House” or “Bless this Home”.  My dad replied, “A house is just a structure, but a home is the people inside who live there.”   So, of course my sign reads, “Bless this Home.”  He was right.  I moved from the house where I originally hung the slate, but I took the slate with me, to bless not my new house, but the home we would create inside of it.

The next person I thought about was my brother.  What words did I remember from him?

I remembered when I was 27 years old and had been married to my husband for 5 years.  I was at my brother’s house, and he asked, “When are you going to have kids?”   I said, “When the time is right.”  He replied, “There is no right time. If you wait for the right time, it will never come.”  My husband and I just looked at each other.  We had both completed graduate school and were working, and of course other relatives had been asking my mom why we didn’t have any kids yet.   A year later I gave birth to my first daughter, followed a few years later by another daughter and a son.  It may not have seemed like the right time, but it was the perfect time.

The last person I thought of was my mother.  What lasting words had she said to me many years ago?  Well, this one is rather funny.  I always had a hard time finding shoes in my size because I have narrow feet.  One day I found a cute pair of summer sandals.  I was so excited I showed them to my mom and dad, and I was talking and talking about them, just gushing about how cute and comfortable they were, when my mother said, “Well, now you can get on with your life!”

I was stunned.  Clearly, I’d talked too much about my shoes!

And then my dad laughed.  And I laughed and mom laughed too!

And to this day her comment is shared with family members as a joke when they need to move on.

But I also practice a little more humility because I remember how taken aback I was when mom said this to me. If was as if she didn’t want to listen to me.

So, when my son comes to share his latest purchase with me, shoes, headphones, video games, or whatever, I just listen and confirm how cool the item is, because I remember in my mother’s comment detecting a hint of annoyance and that’s not something I would want my son to feel when he is sharing about his good shopping deals.

Still there is a place for my mother’s comment.  “Now you can get on with your life.”

When I’m feeling self- pity and after a while, I suck it up, I can tell myself, “Now you can get on with your life.”  Move past that episode.  Let bygones be bygones.  Leave the past in the past. Don’t dwell on the negative.  Don’t try to change what can’t be changed. Accept the situation, learn from it, and move on.

For each piece of advice, I saw that I had applied it and learned from it and it shaped me as a person and my purpose in life.

“A house is just a structure, but a home is the people inside who live there.”

Dad made me see that it was up to me to create a home where there was love, acceptance, and opportunity for growth in self, and relationship with others and to pray God’s blessing for my family.

 “There is no right time to have children. If you wait for the right time, it will never come.”

My brother made me see that putting something off for what you feel is the “right time” may result in never having the opportunity.   If I had continued to put myself first, I wouldn’t have had my three beautiful children.

And lastly good old mom’s comment; “Now you can get on with your life!”

These words really are words to live by, aren’t they for every phase of our lives.

When you get married, “You can get on with your life.”  Sharing that bond with a spouse, the connection that comes from the commitment to stay together no matter what through the good times and the not so good times.  The strength you draw from each other when you know that person has chosen to be with you for a lifetime though thick and thin and you have taken vows in the eyes of God to be one in unity with each other as you walk through life.

Then perhaps you get an education and then “You can get on with your life.”  Through a job that will show you your purpose in life not just for yourself but in your relationship with others and outcomes which better your family, community and even the world.

Every decision you make is a chance to move forward and in moving forward you “get on with your life!”

But the biggest decision is not in living for yourself but in seeing you were made for something more.  You were made for a purpose beyond that of raising a family or holding down a job.

The purpose of your being is that having been created by God you were also created for God.

So, your true purpose first, is to glorify God and second, to do good works according to the purpose to which God has called you.

For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.  Ephesians 2:10.

This verse clearly teaches that you are not an accident—God created you on purpose for a purpose.

So, find out what that purpose is by asking God and then you can “Get on with your new life!”

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! 

2 Corinthians 5:17

Post Valentine’s Day

On Valentine’s Day this past week the news covered a heartwarming story of love that was both sad and uplifting.

It was the story of a husband who was dying and the choice he made to keep the bond of love with his wife after he was gone.

The Valentine’s Day the year after he died a huge bouquet of flowers arrived at their house for his wife.   She was overwhelmed, teary eyed and thankful.

The second year after his passing another bouquet of flowers was delivered for Valentine’s Day.

The third year, the flowers arrived.

The fourth year, the flowers arrived.

The fifth year, the flowers arrived.

The sixth year, the flowers arrived.

And this year, the seventh year the flowers arrived.

No one knows how long the flowers will keep coming but the beauty of the flowers is a remembrance every year of the bond of love this couple shared.

As his wife said, they had a beautiful marriage and an enduring love for each other.

And her husband even though he passed away 7 years ago found a way to keep that connection with his wife on Valentine’s Day continuing to share his love for her.

It truly is a story of love between soulmates.

Although someday the flowers will likely stop arriving their love will continue in her heart.

There is another story of love that is eternal, one that has no end and is available to all.

That story is the story of another bridegroom;

Then the kingdom of heaven will be comparable to ten virgins, who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish, and five were prudent. For when the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them but the prudent took oil in flasks along with their lamps. Now while the bridegroom was delaying, they all got drowsy and began to sleep. But at midnight there was a shout, ‘Behold, the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.’ Then all those virgins rose and trimmed their lamps. The foolish said to the prudent, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ But the prudent answered, ‘No, there will not be enough for us and you too; go instead to the dealers and buy some for yourselves.’ And while they were going away to make the purchase, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding feast; and the door was shut. Later the other virgins also came, saying, ‘Lord, lord, open up for us.’ But he answered, ‘Truly I say to you, I do not know you.’  Matthew 25:1-12

This bridegroom is Jesus, and the bride is all who believe in Him and share fellowship with Him.  Those who are prudent and prepared to meet Him.  Those who wait expectantly to be united with Him.

There will be jubilation at the coming of this bridegroom and we will live with him forever and His kingdom will have no end. 

I will rejoice greatly in the Lord,

My soul will exult in my God;

For He has clothed me with garments of salvation,

He has wrapped me with a robe of righteousness,

As a bridegroom decks himself with a garland,

And as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.

Isaiah 61:10

Filtering our Thoughts

My vacuum cleaner bag failed this morning.  I knew something was wrong when I wasn’t getting suction.

I opened the vacuum and to my horror the entire inside of the vacuum was filled with dust, debris and lots and lots of dog hair.  At first, I thought the vacuum bag had exploded.  In actuality, the vacuum bag was empty.  It had never sealed properly and didn’t do its job.

I remembered a few weeks back that I had a really difficult time getting the bag inserted to the point that I thought perhaps I had bought the wrong type of bag.  Eventually I secured or thought I had secured the bag, and I closed the lid.

So, for two weeks or so each time I vacuumed the dirt accumulated inside the vacuum instead of being trapped in the bag.

Oblivious to the fact that the bag may have not been inserted correctly I continued to vacuum until the vacuum told me that it was no longer picking of stuff.

Today is the anniversary of my brother’s death, a year ago.  He died of brain cancer but I wasn’t told he had cancer or was dying, so my first knowledge of it was when my sister called and said he had passed away.

Apparently, he had not wanted me to know but instead confided in my sister for the last couple years of his life.  I know it was probably hard for her not to tell me, because a promise is a promise and she had promised not to tell me.

Last year at first, I had difficulty processing it.

My brother was kind of like a hero to me.  He was seven years older than me, but I really looked up to him.   In our adult years we didn’t see much of each other because we lived in different cities.  Our birthdays were two days apart so one thing we made sure to do was to send each other a birthday card each year.

The year that he died I felt a nudge from the Lord to share the gospel message of salvation with my brother in the birthday card I sent him.   I believe he knew Christ because we had grown up in a Catholic family.  We went to church, and we knew the story of Jesus and that he died for our sins.

But when my brother lost one of his children to sudden infant death syndrome it was difficult for him to believe in a loving God any longer.  He seemed to move away from his faith at that point.  In later years he went back to the Catholic church. 

Today when I saw the explosion in my vacuum, I felt the same explosion in my soul. 

While I try to understand why my brother did not want me to know he was dying, the difficulty lies in not being allowed to say goodbye.  There was no funeral, there was no memorial service.  It’s just that one day I knew he was alive and the next day, he wasn’t.  The lack of closure was hurtful.

I always thought I had a close relationship with my brother, but last year when he died and again today I realize that I probably didn’t.

About a year before my brother died our last living aunt passed away.  At the funeral I could tell that my brother was pulling away from me.  He behaved differently.  He was having difficulty walking down a stairway. I reached up and held my hand out to help him, and he pulled away and seemed aggravated with me.  That’s the last memory I have of my brother.

It’s not the best memory to have, so today I try to focus on happier times like the time we were kids washing the dishes and he would flick the towel and hit me.  It stung but I would dance around and say, “You missed me.” To which he replied, “I did not.” and he’d pull the towel back and smack me again.  I’d never admit he hit me or that it hurt, even a little bit.

Or the time he gave me a rum, and coke when I was 14 years old, something mom would not have liked had she known.

I remember the time he took me for a ride on his motorcycle through the park, winding down the hills and feeling the breeze across my face.  Another time we rode at night with a friend of his and I felt like we finally connected as adults, and I wasn’t just his baby sister.

I realized today that I didn’t even cry last year when I heard the news.  I was so dumbfounded I just couldn’t process the information, so I stuffed it inside and told myself what was important was that his family abided by his wishes both in life and death.

When I looked at the explosion of filth in my vacuum it reminded me of all the trash, I have built up in my life from childhood right up until this very minute, and it wasn’t a pretty sight.  I’ve stuffed my feelings inward rather than expressing them.

But looking at that mess inside the vacuum reminded me that I need to filter my thoughts and contain them appropriately.

After a thorough cleaning the vacuum is back in working order with filter and bag in place.

And after a good cry I have finally processed my brother’s death on a level I am able to understand. 

“There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens: a time to be born and a time to die.” Ecclesiastes 3:1-2

Covering

The weather this past week has come with brutal temperatures.  So, each morning when I walk my dog I put on multiple layers and bundle up as much as possible.

When I was a kid, my mother always insisted on buying me a coat with a hood for additional protection from rain and snow.

When I was a teenager, I balked at her recommendations and chose some coats through the years that were stylish rather than functional.

But when I had my own children, I remembered mom’s advice and steered them toward coats with hoods.

So, as I walked during heavy snow yesterday, I had my hat on and popped my hood up for extra warmth.

As we trudged along through the blowing snow, I was reminded how God’s protection is like a hood.

In Psalm 91:4 we are told God will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.

God covers us, protects us, and provides a home in which we can abide.

What does it mean to have God cover us?  It means we have God’s spiritual protection which provides for those who are in a relationship with Him and under His wings we have refuge.  A covering that protects us.

In Psalm 105:39 God spreads a cloud for a covering to protect His people from the rays of the sun. 

In Psalm 5:12 we are told; The Lord blesses the righteous, He surrounds them with his favor as with a shield.

Who are the righteous?  Every believer in Christ who lives by faith.  Habakkuk 2:4 says; Behold, his soul which is lifted up is not upright in him: but the just shall live by his faith.

In John 12:44 Jesus said, “He who believes in me believes not in me but in Him who sent me and he who sees me, sees Him who sent me.

When I was a teenager there were posters with these words, “You will know the truth and the truth will set you free.”

Many people had these, but many thought the truth was “their truth” whatever their belief was, to each his own.  People are still of this opinion today.

Your truth isn’t my truth folks say.

That’s true.  My truth isn’t your truth.  For instance, I’m 5’4” with brown hair, green eyes, that’s true about me, but not everyone looks like me.

But God’s truth is that He cannot lie for the truth is in Him, and we can take refuge and strong encouragement to hold firmly to the hope he has set before us.  Hebrews 6:18.

What is this hope?

Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth and the life.  No one comes to the Father except through me.” John 14:6.

Jesus didn’t come so we would believe in Him.  He came so we would believe in the Father who sent Him as atonement for our sins which separate us from the Father.

A belief that His act of sacrifice on the cross created a bridge by which we have access to the Father who covers us, protects us and holds us fast.

It’s not hard to believe Jesus existed.  He’s a historical figure and no one denies His existence.

What’s hard for many people is believing Jesus’ death was necessary for us to be reconciled with God.

That God sent His only son because He loved us so much and wants us to be with Him always.

God stands at the door and knocks.  If today you hear His voice, harden not your heart.

He chose you because He loves you.

“Look! I stand at the door and knock. If you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in, and we will share a meal together as friends.  Revelation 3:20

New Years Resolution

New Year

Last week I was watching a show about local kids TV shows that aired in the 50’s and 60’s, many of which I grew up watching after school. 

My favorite was the Captain Penny Show. Captain Penny dressed as a railroad engineer and showed a variety of old cartoons and the 3 Stooges.  I loved the 3 Stooges, but apparently many moms wrote in to tell Captain Penny that watching the 3 Stooges made their kids start to act out the Stooges comedy routines which were pretty violent against each other at the time, but they sure made us laugh.  Captain Penny continued to air the 3 Stooges, much to my delight and prefaced it by saying “Don’t try this at home.”

Captain Penny also had a special line at the end of each show.  He would say;

“You can fool all of the people some of the time, and some of the people all of the time, but you can’t fool mom.”   She’s pretty nice and she’s pretty smart. If you do what Mom says you won’t go far wrong.” 

Then there was the Barnaby show.  He dressed as a woodlands Elf with pointy ears and a straw hat, and he had an invisible parrot in an empty bird cage. Hey, it was the 60’s with no special effects.

His special line at the end of each show was;

“ I think you are the nicest person in the whole world, just you.” 

He meant it and each kid believed it.

And then there was Romper room, a syndicated preschool classroom where Miss. Barbara would look through her special magnifying glass and see all the kids in television world and call them by name. She would say, “I see David, and Bobby, and Laura, and …..”, but she never saw me.  She must have had a faulty mirror.

Well enough of reminiscing about my childhood. I’m looking forward to 2024 and new beginnings!  There’s something about the beginning of a new year that comes with promise.

I don’t usually make New Year’s resolutions but this year I’ve decided on a few.

The most important of which is not to be a people pleaser.  This will be difficult because I’ve been a people pleaser my entire life.  I learned as a child that pleasing people made them happy and then they liked you, well usually.

Well, I’m old enough now to know better and instead of people pleasing I’m going to be God pleasing. 

This is something I try to do all the time but then I let the people pleasing slowly creep back until I’m thinking about what others would think and expect of me.

Galatians 4:7 tells us that We are God’s children and God will give us the blessing he promised to us simply because we are His children.

Imagine that! A blessing you didn’t earn and don’t deserve but you get it anyway.

When I’m tempted to let old habits creep back in, I have this prayer to pray:

Search me, O God and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts.  See if there is any offensive way in me and lead me in the way of everlasting. Psalm 119:23-24

God has a special blessing for His children. 

What is this special blessing?

It’s Jesus.

He didn’t send Jesus to be a people pleaser.  In fact, very little of what Jesus did was pleasing to the people of His day.

Jesus was a fact checker and a truth teller.

So, if you haven’t heard the whole truth, and nothing but the truth maybe this year will be the year for you to read God’s word and discover this truth for yourself.

Why, even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not; you are of more value than many sparrows.  Luke 12:7

Seemingly Inconsequential

I’m sitting on my patio with a cinnamon stick in my shoe and another in the buttonhole of my shirt.

In fact, I did this yesterday as well and then unaware of the one in my buttonhole, wore it for the rest of the day.

New fashion trend you might ask?

No, new mosquito repellent.

The mosquitos have been especially bad these past few days.

I expect it in the evening but now there is no time of the day that they aren’t active.

Yesterday morning when walking the dog, a mosquito landed and bam, I got it before it got me.

As I sit here, I see a very small insignificant bug buzzing a few feet away from me.

And I wonder how does something so small cause such a skin reaction.

I can get a seemingly small bite one day, and by the next day it’s red and raised and grown a size and half! 

And the itching, oh the itching is so very disturbing.

I can try to ignore it, but it doesn’t alter the fact that it’s still festering and pestering me.

Which reminds me of another seemingly inconsequential thing that gets under our skin, specifically words.

Just a few days ago a coworker in an effort to defend another coworker lashed out in an e-mail that caused another coworker to lash back.  Being on the e-mail chain I was privy to it all and yes it was offensive to all of us.

Mind you the coworker who was initially being defended didn’t ask for any such thing.

Why do we take it upon ourselves to do these things that no one is asking us to do but which snowball into misinterpretations and disagreements?

When I was a kid we had a saying, “sticks and stones can break my bones, but words can never hurt me.”

What was that all about?

Of course, words can hurt you!

But that was our default to say your words don’t matter, I can ignore them.

We can try to ignore them, but we can’t really forget them.

And there lies the problem.

These words, small as they are, bug us. 

And the more we think about the words, the more we rehearse the words, and allow them to grow into something more.

It’s like that mosquito bite.

Small at first, then gradually growing bigger, and becoming more and more of an annoyance until we just want to scratch the darn thing!

Often, I’ve scratched around an insect bite because it provides a little relief, but I leave the actual bite alone.  This never helps. It only seems to inflame the skin around it and make the bite itch even more.

With words, it’s the same.  We want to say something. Sometimes we beat around the bush about it at first and then bam, we let them have it!

So there lies the dilemma of the snowball effect, but what is the solution?

If we know ignoring the words doesn’t work let’s try something else.

Ask a question.

When someone says something that is hurtful, rather than to become defensive, ask them a question.

“Why did you say that?” 

 “Why did you do that?”

“Why do you think that?”

“What do you mean?”

I think if we asked people questions rather than just stating our own opinion or retaliating, we might just learn something about those folks and a little something about ourselves as well.

But when we question we must be willing to listen to the answer even if we don’t agree with it.

Oh, and if you’re coming to my house next weekend, don’t worry, I’ve got cinnamon sticks!

Philippians 2:3-4 Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.

What do we do with Easter?

We celebrate many different Holidays in the United States.  In fact, I often track the months of the year based on the Holiday associated with them.  But the three major Holidays we celebrate are Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Easter. 

The first president, George Washington, declared a day of thanksgiving and prayer in 1789, partly to honor the new U.S. Constitution.

It took the trauma of the Civil War to make Thanksgiving a formal, annual holiday.

Lincoln issued his proclamation on Oct. 3, 1863, three months after Union Army victories at Gettysburg and Vicksburg.

Writing that the nation’s many blessings “should be solemnly, reverently, and gratefully acknowledged” by the American people, Lincoln declared: “I do therefore invite my fellow-citizens in every part of the United States, and also those who are at sea and those who are sojourning in foreign lands, to set apart and observe the last Thursday of November next as a day of thanksgiving and praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the heavens.”

It seems that Thanksgiving is now celebrated more as a time to gather with family rather than to offer praise to our Father in heaven.

About a month after Thanksgiving, we celebrate Christmas.

Since the early 20th century, Christmas has been a secular family holiday, observed by Christians and non-Christians alike, devoid of Christian elements, and marked by an increasingly elaborate exchange of gifts. In this secular Christmas celebration, a mythical figure named Santa Claus takes center stage.

The early Christian community distinguished between the identification of the date of Jesus’ birth and the liturgical celebration of that event. 

During the first two centuries of Christianity, church Fathers were against the pagan custom of celebrating birthdays and believed saints and martyrs should be honored on the days of their martyrdom—their true “birthdays,” from the church’s perspective.

So, we arrive at Easter, Resurrection Sunday, which is Jesus true Birthday.  While the Easter Bunny is a secular component of Easter a fictional bunny can’t take center stage on Easter.

The center stage for Easter is Jesus and his resurrection.  

So, what do we do with Easter? 

We either ignore it or celebrate it.

And if we choose to celebrate it, we celebrate the true birthday of Jesus.

The day Jesus rose and conquered death not just for himself but for all who would believe.

Believers believe that Jesus, the son of God was sent as an atonement for our sins so we may be forgiven of our sins and have eternal life.  That forgiveness came at a great cost. On our own there is nothing we can do to be “right” in the eyes of a holy God.  But when God looks at us through the filter of Jesus, he sees not our sin but our righteousness in Christ.  It is as if a cloth covers us making us white as snow. We are no longer stained with the sins of our past or any future sin we may commit. God looks at us covered in the righteousness of Christ and give us Grace. This is not grace we have earned. It is Grace bestowed upon us as a gift.

This is why the early Christians would dye eggs bright red.  The bright red represented the blood of Christ shed for our sins.

What a picture that represents! 

Not the picture of pastel eggs that we color today but blood red eggs. His blood covers us.  His blood redeems us!

So, when we celebrate the true birthday of Jesus, we also celebrate the true birthday of every believer.

The birthday that leads to eternal life! Praise God! Thank you, Jesus!

1 Peter 1:3: “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.”

Looking for Answers

When I first started this blog I started it as a journal of how God displayed himself in my life.

I never thought anything happened by chance. I saw God’s hand in everything in my life and I needed to write it down.

I think this started many years ago when I was headed to a local bookstore with my two young kids.

For some reason we were delayed in leaving the house.

When we arrived at the bookstore there were police cars all around as a car had driven right through the front door of the building.

Needless to say, we turned around and went home that day.

But that day has stayed with me.

If only we had been a few minutes earlier we might have been going through those doors just as the car blew through the parking lot and then what?

God was watching over us. Nothing happens by chance.

Whether we revere God or not, God does see us.

How could he not? He created each one of us.

Think about something you’ve created and how happy and pleased you were with it.

When you create something, you create it because God has give you the talent and expertise to do so.

But God’s expertise is so much more than ours could ever be.

He created man and woman to be a living representation of who He is.

Think about that for just a moment.

You were created in the image of GOD.

Some religions say we cannot put a face on God.

But Christianity says, you are the face of God.

Wow!

We are the face of God. We are God’s ambassadors to the world.

When I think of Jesus in the manager I see a little baby, but God sees the man who would go to the cross for the sins of humanity.

God sees in Jesus the face of man, but the holiness of God.

We can never be perfect like God but we can reflect his perfect love to others.

But we can only do so when we are filled by his presence, the presence of the Holy Spirit.

And we can only be filled by the presence of the Holy Spirit if we believe God’s promise of a Messiah, Immanuel, God with us, and in us, is Jesus who came as a baby to all mankind to be a propitiation for sin.

Through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit we can be a light that reflects the love of God to those around us so they see not the face of a man but the face of God.

God chose you and created you as his very own.

God wants to live in your heart and allow you to be a reflection of him to others.

Will you choose this Christmas to accept the gift of salvation through Jesus and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit of God?

How do you do it?

Just by saying a simple prayer.

“Dear God, I know I’m a sinner, and I ask for your forgiveness. I believe Jesus Christ is Your Son. I believe that He died for my sin and that you raised Him to life. I want to trust Him as my Savior and follow Him as Lord, from this day forward. Guide my life and help me to do your will. I pray this in the name of Jesus. Amen.“

And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit. 2 Corinthians 3:18

House or Home?

It’s been about 10 years but the house at the end of our street was finally sold!

10 years ago, the owners moved into a larger house in our neighborhood and being unable to sell their house at the time they began to rent it.

The first renters did not take care of the yard, but they only stayed for one year and left.

Another family moved in on a rent to own basis and they did some amazing landscaping.

They removed some trees and planted some ornamental topiary shrubs.

The yard looked amazing, but the deal fell through, and they moved.

So, for the last 8 years another family had taken up residence.

The yard slowly became overgrown.

The house was not taken care of and was put back on the market.

It took a while to sell because the renters became squatters and wouldn’t let the realtor in to show the house.

Once they gained access to the house it sold in less than 2 weeks.

The new family moved in a week ago and the transformation from the outside is amazing.

In one day, the shrub borders were restored to their original beauty and the weeds were cut down.

The lawn was mowed and weeded and just this morning the home, owner was edging the lawn along the sidewalk.

What a difference it makes!

Years ago, while at a craft fair with my parents I was purchasing a decorative sign to hang on my house.

It would have our name painted on it and “Bless this House or Home” whichever we wanted since it was painted in front of us.

At the time I didn’t know which I wanted the lady to write on the sign.

“Bless this House” or “Bless this Home”?

So, I asked my folks and my dad said.

“A house is the structure in which you live, a home is the people inside the house.”

What words of wisdom!

Yes.  “Bless this home.” 

When you own your home, it makes all the difference.

The renters down the street had no vested interest in the house in which they were living because they didn’t own it.

But the home, owners, already they have shown they have an interest in taking care of their home.

It’s that way with the body as well.

We nourish and take care of our body when we respect our body and the creator who made us.

Scripture says our body is a temple for the Lord and we are to treat it as such.

When the Holy Spirit indwells in us, we want to show reverence for the Spirit by taking care of His home which is in us.

If the Spirit indwells in us, we choose the right foods, we exercise, we keep our thoughts and body pure out of respect for God our creator.

And that’s what makes the difference, a parallel between a simple structure and the embodiment within it which makes it eternal.

Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own? You were bought at a price. Therefore, honor God with your bodies. 1 Corinthians 6:19-20