The older I get,
the more I appreciate the breath of life. Having reached my mid-sixties, I find
myself filled with gratitude. So many friends and family members are in heaven. The loss of loved ones reminds us of the fragility of
life and reminds us to savor the time we have now, and reminds us to tell
others how much we love them.
Others have told me
about the joys of being a grandparent and, oh my goodness, were they right!
What a gift to be able to care for our almost-two-year old grandson. He is
filled with personality, with action and with snuggles (once in a while when he
stops for a minute)
He has developed a
few minor fears; i.e. the garbage truck, any loud noise, along with the
“eeshies” he spots on the floor. And often, we will respond, “Do you want me to
hold you?”
Now, when he is
scared, he will look up at me and say, “Hold you, Nana!”
The cutest! Maybe we
can say to Jesus, “Hold You, Jesus,” when we are scared or worried or anxious
or facing a fear. Just as Gavin relies on his mommy and dada and his
grandparents to protect and hold him, we can always go to our protector and
hang on for dear life.
He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will
rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge
and my fortress, My God in whom I trust.” Psalm 91:1-2
We hope to be here
for all of our grandkids, to assist in teaching, to find delight in playing and
in loving them into adulthood. We savor it all, understanding the passage of
time. And we hold You, Jesus to help us through each day.
Father,
Thank You for the lessons we learn from the young children
around us. Teach us to love and find joy and rely on others to help us through,
too. We have You.
In Jesus name,
Amen
Watch the children around you during the holidays. Look at the
magic in their smiles and the light in their eyes. Make sure you tell them
about Jesus. A friend of mine reminded me, “Santa gives you what you want and
Jesus gives you what you need.”
The magic of
Christmas needs the Christ child, the baby born to save the world. Children
understand Him better than we do. Just let them know, He is their God. He will
never leave them. He will be there beside them for the rest of their lives. The
Bible lets us know how important it is to train our children in the faith.
Train up a child in the way he should go, even
when he is old, he will not depart from it. Proverbs 22:6
Be shepherds of God’s flock that is under your
care, watching over them…1 Peter 5:2a
“These commandments that I give you today are to
be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit
at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.”
Deuteronomy 6:6-7
Let them believe in
the magic of the season and let them believe in Christ!
Amen
It is tough to lose someone around Christmas. It can also be
comforting to know that the anticipation of celebrating the birth of the Son of
God, can be remembered as the time that our loved ones found their way home.
Home. I pray you
are safe and protected and live with loved ones this season. I pray your
memories bring smiles and warmth and laughs. How wonderful it is to share life
with people we care about, to share stories, to share joys and sorrows, to
experience all of life together.
If you are lonely
this Christmas, remember you have brothers and sisters surrounding you in
Christ. Church can bring fellowship and love, can offer others to pray with you
and for you and can provide a home away from home.
Church is meant for
the lost, the forgotten, the weary and the guilt-ridden people of the world.
Christ came for all of us lost souls, to save us and give us new life. Let Him
comfort you, bring you hope, and help you find peace in your soul.
He works in the
deep recesses of our hearts, the spots where it is difficult to bring others
in, the dust-filled, dirty corners of our past, the broken parts where our
loved ones used to reside, the parts we need to share, but don’t have the
courage to do so.
Pour it out. He
came to heal us all.
Jesus answered, “It is not the healthy who need a
doctor, but the sick.” Luke 5:31
We are all lost and
forlorn without Jesus. Let Him hear everything, all of it and let the great
physician heal you from the inside out.
Lord,
Thank You for taking us just as we are. We all need Your
healing power in our lives. Bring the right people around us to learn more
about You and what You can do. Comfort the lonely and bring joy to the
burdened.
In Jesus name,
Amen
A card and heart-felt letter was mailed off to my last
surviving uncle immediately after speaking with my cousin last week. My
one-of-a-kind, larger-than-life Uncle Paul was about to be moved from the
hospital to hospice care at home.
The call came as a
complete shock. My Uncle Paul and Aunt Mary Ellen, 92 and 91 respectively,
sounded great on the phone just a few weeks ago. They have been married for
seventy-two years and have led an active and healthy life for all of those
years.
My uncle’s eyes
were watering and one lid was drooping, but other than that, all was well.
After a CT scan on his head, the doctors discovered a mass behind his sinus
area that was pressing on his nose and eye, another mass on the back of his
skull, and they believed both to be cancerous. After moving him to the neurological
wing of the hospital, an MRI came back with more shocking news. His entire body
is filled with cancer, from his bones, to his lungs to his spleen.
God has blessed him
with the absence of pain, a miracle! I always tell him how much he means to me,
in every letter, during every conversation. You see, this man has been a role
model and gift to me since childhood. He and my aunt have lived all of their
married life in Oregon. When they came for visits, it was as if the clouds
parted and the sun came out for all to see.
This talented
athlete, all 6’3” of this delightful man, filled those visits with the most
amazing feats. He walked on his hands
down the block, held this delighted toddler in the palm of one hand, his arm straightened
to the sky above, dove off cliffs, made us laugh until we cried with his corny
jokes, and left us speechless with his escapades and love.
Most of all, he has
lived by his life by faith. Our phone conversations always end in the same way:
“Jesus is coming soon, Judy,” and “Shine your light,” followed by, “We sure do love
you and your family and pray for you each and every morning.” What a gift to be
savored. I can’t express how much I will miss his voice, his light, his
testimony, his love and his faithful prayers covering me and my family.
My mom and her
sister and another uncle were all born in Sweden, Paul was born here a couple
of years after the family arrived. Swedish was spoken fluently, and a large
group of Swedes would often gather around the piano and sing Swedish songs.
In the letter to
Paul last week, I said to “Greet the Folks at Home.” In Swedish it translates
to “Halsa Dem Darhemma,” one of the songs I still remember so clearly. My Uncle Paul will soon greet the folks in
heaven, our forever home. Paul has been
ready to go home to Jesus for some time. His beloved son, Dan, is there along with his
parents and siblings. He is at peace and I know the Holy Spirit will surround
their family as they wait for the angels to escort him home.
I hope you all have a larger-than-life person to
bring wisdom and joy to your days, one not ashamed to speak loudly the word of
Christ. Paul has touched many lives and I am more than blessed to have known
him.
I thank my God every time I remember you. Philippians
1:3
Dear God,
I do thank You for the long and amazing life of Uncle Paul. I
pray his entry into his heavenly home will be soon and that the journey will be
pain-free. And I know he will hear the words he has longed to hear, “Well done
good and faithful servant.” The folks at home are waiting for a joyous reunion.
Amen
I pray you will
find joy as you continue to anticipate and prepare for this Christmas season. We find it in
the eyes of our young children, in the hearts of family and friends, in the
memories we savor and the memories to come. Treasure each moment.
Ponder the ways of
God over this time and picture His majesty. He offers new life now
and forever and all He asks is that we believe in His Son, Jesus, in his birth,
life, death and resurrection from the dead.
One perfect man
took the blame. He suffered the consequences of a fallen world. He took it all
on the cross, over many hours of excruciating pain and agony. And He lives
today. I pray you will give Christ a chance and open your hearts to Him. The
gift is there waiting for you. Is it time to receive it? The answer waits in
your longing heart. The fear of death can be vanquished forever and your life can
be transformed with renewed peace and joy.
Ponder. Treasure.
Marvel. Pray. He is real and He is waiting for you.
For God so loved the world that He gave His one
and only Son, that whoever believes in Him will not perish but have eternal
life. John 3:16
Jesus,
Thank You for Your saving grace that offers us eternal life. I
pray for each person reading this to feel the presence of Your Holy Spirit and that their hearts will be opened to Jesus.
Amen
The guarantee of our heavenly home should provide all we need
to get through all that life gives, the good, the bad and the ugly. Remember,
we live in a fallen world. Even with our sins wiped clean in God’s sight, we
will remain fallen, frail human beings until we receive our new bodies and live
forever in heaven.
The earth is
deteriorating along with humanity. The Bible describes all that is happening
right now, in our world, in great detail. None of it surprises God. The earth
groans right along with us.
For the creation waits in eager expectation for the children
of God to be revealed. Romans 8:19
We know that the whole creation has been groaning,
as in the pains of childbirth, right up to the present time. Not only so, but
we ourselves, who have the first-fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we
wait eagerly for our adoption as sons and daughters, , the redemption of our
bodies. Romans 8;22-23
The creation waits
eagerly. We wait eagerly. Some days seem impossible to navigate. But,
wait! We have hope. Always hope. And our
Savior offers all we need to get through each and every single day.
The older we get,
the more we anticipate heaven, but even the younger generation should keep an
eternal perspective. The end of this short life is only the beginning of all things
new and perfected. Wait in eager anticipation. He is coming again to set up a
new heaven and a new earth for you and for me.
Lord,
The anticipation continues throughout our lives as we draw
ever nearer to heaven. We eagerly await seeing those who have gone before us.
We miss them deeply. But one day soon, we will see You and we will see them and
the reunion will never end.
In Jesus name,
Amen
If you haven’t listened to the song, “Mary Did You Know?” I
highly encourage you to do so. Mary could not possibly know all that her precious Son would mean to the world.
Mary had an
unexpected visit with an angel. Gabriel gave her the news straight from the
mouth of God. This young girl was highly favored in God’s sight and would
have the privilege of carrying the Son of God and raising Him. It was
impossible for her to comprehend this message, nor understand all that was to
come
. Can you imagine
her thoughts as this precious child grew within her womb, as she raised her
face to the sky above the manger brightly lit by the star, witnessing the
worship of the shepherds and the wise men,
along with the full glory of the angelic host?
But Mary treasured up all these things and
pondered them in her heart. Luke 2:19
It is
hard to fathom the thoughts and ponderings of Joseph and Mary as they raised
their young Son. There is little written about the childhood years of Jesus,
but as they traveled among their community from Jerusalem to Nazareth, Jesus
stayed behind.
When His parents
realized the twelve-year-old was not among them, they were worried and went
back to find Him. Jesus told them they should not be surprised that He needed
to be in His Father’s house. The others in the temple had been astonished at
His maturity and understanding.
The child’s mother and father marveled at what was
said about Him. Luke 2:33
Let’s take time
over this season of anticipation and hope, to treasure all of these things in
our hearts and ponder them, to marvel in all of God’s ways. How can we possibly
comprehend all of the marvelous works of our God? After all, His own mother and
father, His sisters and brothers, and His disciples could not anticipate all
that was to come.
Jesus continues to
provide moments to be treasured, insight to be pondered, and acts in which we
can marvel. Treasure the moments He gives you today.
Lord,
We can’t thank You enough for the Word of God that brings all
of our human frailties into focus. As we ponder Your birth, and treasure the
truths of who You are, as we marvel at our salvation and all that is to come,
let us praise You from the mountaintops!
Jesus Christ is born! Hallelujah!
Amen
