Take Me Back to Bethlehem

I've been putting up Christmas decorations this week. The tree has become a chore because I like the end result to be a certain way. Other greenery and lights are not as time consuming, but they drain energy for regular chores. There is always something needing to be done. I suppose that is why my prayer over and over during this process has been "Take me back to Bethlehem."

It hasn't been a prayer thought out but a simple reactionary prayer of my heart. I want a humble place to sit and focus on the presence of God in my life. I want things to be simpler. I see my Christmas efforts as me throwing this and that into the manger along with Jesus. Hey, Jesus, do You need lights? What about a big fat guy to be a giver of gifts? Could You move over so the tree will fit? Oh, and I'll sing lots of songs about You while I fill up Your humble crib. Hmmm.

Jesus. He is everything Christmas. He is the Light of the world. The Giver of all good gifts and even the one most important gift of Himself was place in a feeding trough. The tree He rejoiced in was the tree He was crucified upon. His rejoicing was only for us who would be freed from sins bondage. We sing peace on earth goodwill to men along with the angels, but the God of the universe promises to rejoice over us with loud singing!

Yes, I want to go back to Bethlehem. I want to sit at the feet of my Lord and let Him fill my Christmas with His presence! I want to. I can choose this way. I will.

Heavenly Father, I whisper my prayer today, because I know You hear me loud and clear. You hear my heart before my words are formed. You set desires in me and delight to see me unwrap the gifts You know will please me the most. Forgive my efforts to fill up Your space with things of this world. Thank You for sending the real Christmas. Thank You for the perfect Christmas! Let me just sit here in Your presence awhile. I promise to sing only if You put the song in my heart!

Rehearsal

Today is rehearsal day for my son and his bride. Tomorrow is their wedding day. They have planned and made preparations for their special occasion. They have prayed and worked hard to prepare for the days that will grow into years after they promise each other their love in a sacred covenant. Today they rehearse for the vow making ceremony.

Rehearsals take place for many occasions. Most often for entertainment productions. I suppose even a wedding is some sort of show put on by the Bride and Groom. Rehearsals are meant to make sure no major glitches are made. The couple and their families want it to be a picture perfect day. But what about for every day life?

Life is lived in moments that can knock us off our feet and our foundation if we are not prepared. But how do we prepare for unplanned events? Sickness, health, riches, poverty, births, deaths, and a multitude of other circumstances change life in an instant. They cannot be rehearsed, or can they?

The best rehearsal for life interruptions is to live every day focused on the end. That is what Jesus did. He looked beyond the cross to the glory that awaited Him. (Heb. 12:1-2). Today you may be rehearsing for the grandest day of your life, the day you meet Jesus face to face. You must know who Jesus is before you can practice meeting Him. For me, it means staying near His people, praying, and reading His word.

Father God, You are the giver of the best gift. You gave Jesus to lead and guide us. You await our coming to join You. Thank You for the wedding feast that awaits us in heaven. Thank You for giving Jesus as an example of how to rehearse even in the midst of life's turmoils. Today I ask You to bless Joseph and Katie as they join together to give You glory in their marriage. Be our vision for the journey ahead.

Follow Me

"Follow me, Grommers!" Abi came searching for me. She wanted me to play with her. Her command was wreathed in a big grin, and as I stood to go with her, she bounced away saying over and over, "Follow me! Follow me, Grommers!"

Abi asks me to trail her everywhere; outside to play, dancing in the living room, or to the car for a ride to the store. She leads, and I tag along after that bouncing delightful imp. It is fun to follow her!

I think Jesus must have called His disciples with a smile. I can imagine Him say, "Follow Me," and then walk away with a spring in his step and an air of excitement for the adventure that lay ahead. No wonder they dropped everything to become His disciples. I don't think anyone would have kept in step with even Jesus, if He asked in solemn and serious tones. We Christians have proved that doesn't work!

Jesus knows the final destination is glorious happiness and joy for His followers. He leads us to a better place. Yes, He knows that the way will be difficult, but the final reward is worth it. That is why He asks us to follow him with joy! Can you see His smile at calling you to join him on the journey? I can!

Will you follow me? I am following Jesus. I am filled with excitement about the journey, because Jesus is with us in Spirit every step of the way. Let's go together! We can smile, laugh and maybe even cry, but always knowing that there are amazing things ahead!

Father, God, You sent Jesus to call us to follow Him back to You! I am excited to see You! You are so Good! Forgive me when I have not been the Christ-Follower that makes the trip back to You a delight for others. Thank You for spreading a path of joy before me when I see You in all things. Let my smile be a light for others to follow. Let them find You through me.

Proverbs Thirteen

Proverbs 13:20 Whoever walks with the wise becomes wise, but the companion of fools will suffer harm.

Friendship is a strong wind that guides our lives. No matter how strong we think we might be, we are influenced by the company we keep. The more friends going in a certain direction, the stronger the wind in our sails to follow them. It is wise to choose our company of friends by the destination for which they aim.

I cannot say that I have carefully chosen all of the friends I have had over the years. Most of the time I have simply let them happen. Friends have come to me through activities, shared interests and some through other companions. It may not have been the best way to find the wise and avoid the foolish, but once I learned about each person I was able to choose the extent of my relationship with them. I have been blessed with many wise friends. Though I have had a few foolish companions, they have not remained in my company as intimate friends, only acquaintances.

One friend I have known for over 50 years has proven to be wise. He has introduced me to many other wise friends too. Jesus has been a strong wind in my sails. He leads me to the right people and ultimately will lead me to an eternal destination that is heavenly! I can trust I will not suffer harm when I walk close to Him.

Friend Jesus, You are the perfect companion. Thank You for leading me to so many good friends. Forgive me when I let others lead me astray. Lead me in the right way. Teach me how to be Your friend and a friend to others too.

My Stuff

This morning our pastor spoke on The Theology of Stuff. Interesting title and his scriptures and insights made me think. The last point he made was that God is the owner of our stuff and We are the stewards. The most often word I heard today was the word "Willing." I love it when God takes me just a bit further in thinking about the sermon topic. Today, God again humbled me with the thoughts He gave.

God wants me to be a willing giver. It delights Him when I become hilarious over giving. That happened yesterday for me. I was so very excited to shop with my husband for our young boy who will receive our shoebox! I would giggle and tremble with excitement as I placed each item into that little box. We searched for a scripture to write on the box and chose Proverbs 3. It was our prayer for this young man. I was so very willing to give what I could. I could not help but be full of willing joy in giving! I felt God's pleasure too.

Before Sunday School I looked over the outline for the sermon, contemplating the points John would expound. "Who is the owner of my stuff," was one of the questions to be answered. I already knew that the answer was God. The interesting part was that God is the owner of ALL my stuff. Yes all of it! He even takes away our sin when we don't want to own it anymore! WOW! Now THAT is a God thing! He does not want us to own our sin and so He takes it. He owned it on the cross, paying the price that was rightfully mine to pay.

Lord God, Owner of all creation, You are the Good and Holy God who would own my sin so that I would be free to live. I bow my heart before You. I do not deserve what You did for me! Thank You for Your mercy that took my sin and owned it all the way to the cross. I want all that is mine to be Yours. I want to be willing to give You all: my sin, my things and my life. Today my hand is open. Remind me every day that You took the worst of me and You really deserve the best.

Judgement Seat

I had a day dream the other day. I guess I should tell you that my day dreams resemble night time dreams in that I imagine a story more than just letting my mind wander from this to that, like a butterfly flying from flower to flower.

This dream occurred after church last Sunday. I attended the marriage class and one of the points made was that our spouses are a gift from God to us. It made me think about my own receiving and enjoying the gift of Patrick in my life. That is where my dream took flight.

In my dream I stood before the Judgement Seat in heaven. God the Father sat on His throne, and I stood opposite Jesus facing the Father. Though it was a judicial setting, it also had the feel of a very intimate conversation. The Father and Jesus looked at me, smiled, and asked if I got the gifts they had sent me. I told them that I had received their gifts of Salvation and the Holy Spirit. They looked at one another and smiled knowingly and with a pure and holy joy. It made me happy knowing I had pleased them.

They then asked me about the other gifts they had chosen specifically for me. I was confused. They, looked again at one another with quizzical looks as if they wondered why I hadn't recognized their personal love gifts for me. It was Jesus who spoke directly to me saying, "Did you enjoy your husband, children, family and friends fully as gifts from Me?" I stood silent knowing that I often enjoyed my family and my friends, but never saw them as gifts from My Father and My Savior. I hung my head.

My dream ended there but the lesson, I hope, will remain with me. God has chosen specific people to be in my life. From the day I was conceived to my dying day, I am presented with gifts of people to share my life. These every day gifts can become ordinary if I forget that they are from God's hand.

Father and Dear Jesus, You are the most generous of givers! You bless me when I do not deserve Your blessings. Thank You for the gift of my husband, children , grandchildren, children through love, sisters, brothers, friends, neighbors. The list goes on and on. I feel as if I am a Christmas tree piled high with gifts, and it is all because of You! I am sorry that I sometimes don't recognize the gifts You give. I even wish You had given me gifts that were different sometimes. But, I remember Your smiles when I told You how much I loved Your gifts of Salvation and the Holy Spirit. I want to make You smile more! Remind me every day to see Your presence in the presents You give! Thank You!

Breathe !

My Mom has told me stories of when I was a little girl fighting an asthma attack. She would sit by my bedside and will me to "Breathe." I can imagine she would whisper "Breathe" over and over, watching carefully my little chest as it struggled to take in the air I needed to live. Now that I have been a Mom, I can imagine the terror it would bring to her as she waited those eternal seconds before another breath would fill my lungs. How many long nights did she sit watching? I don't know, but one would be enough.



Anyone who has sat near a loved ones bedside as they made their last few breaths before leaving this life behind, can also attest to the desire to be able to will them the next breath. There are times, however, when the desire is for it all to be over. for the next breath to be the last so the pain and agony would be finished.



I have felt the desire to stop the breathing. I was again attacked by asthma as an adult after many years of freedom from its torture. I waited impatiently for the doctor and silently prayed for the end of breathing because it hurt so much. I am glad that I did not succomb, but I know the feeling of wanting to give up the pain for peace.



I wonder if Jesus wanted the pain to stop as He struggled to breathe on the cross. Did He have to suffer a certain amount of time in order for the sacrifice to be accomplished? Could He have given up the Spirit sooner to stop the pain? Would He?



The torture of gasping for breath on the cross must have seemed far longer for Jesus than the three hours He suffered. Even from the cross, Jesus had things to say and work to do for the people He loves. He needed to forgive, provide, love and finish the work He was meant to do. Because of that, He continued to breathe. How many breaths did He struggle to take in those last hours? Each one was a precious gift to us, as precious as the first breath He took as a tiny baby from heaven. His life was lived so that He could die the holy sacrifice for our sins, for my sins.



Holy Jesus, Sacrificial Lamb of God, Your every breath on this earth was a gift to the entire world. Your life was lived with the purpose of loving mankind. Thank You for making it possible for me to believe in You. Forgive me when I forget that Your need for air and water and food, was all for my good. Help me to use my need for air,water and food for Your glory, Lord, it is the least I can do.

Jesus Sees Me

The other day while I was reading the devotion Patrick and I are doing for Lent, I began to weep. The words were so powerful and hit hard in my spirit.

The story was about Pilate asking the crowd who they wanted released for the Passover. They called for Barabbas' release so Pilate asked what to do with Jesus. They cried out as a mob to crucify Him. Walter Wangerin pointed out that Jesus heard it all. How sad! Then Mr. Wangerin noted that the religious leaders who had brought Jesus to Pilate wanted the crowd to unite and force the hand of the Roman Governor. They gave no thought to the persons who made up the crowd. But, Jesus did. He was concerned for each individual that was caught up in the moment and shouted out the death sentence for Him.

Jesus looked into the crowd and saw each person and knew them. He, as God, knew their names, their hurts, joys, trials and triumphs. He knew their hearts. He knew which ones would someday hear about His resurrection and repent of their part in this mob hanging, and all of their sins against the Holy God. It is that thought that made me cry.

Jesus sees me. He knows my failures and my successes. He is fully aware that I too, have a spirit that is willing, but a flesh that is weak. He stood quietly and let the mob demand His death. For each of us He stands and accepts our sentence. He accepted the price for each individual, for me.

Dearest Lord Jesus, Your love is overwhelming and again I feel tears welling up. I am painfully aware that I have been in the crowd of people who call for Your death, not knowing that it should have been different. You wanted me to choose the right way to live, but I chose the wrong path. You never stopped loving me, even when my heart rose up against You and wanted to do away with Your love and light for my dark soul. Forgive me! I pray that when You see into my heart, You know that I am one of the crowd that will find You and accept Your promises. Thank You for seeing and knowing me.

Thunderstorms Coming

Early this morning the news has issued warnings of severe weather coming our way. Possibilities of lightning with the storms as well as tornado watches. So far nothing has been seen at my house except for overcast skies. The cloudy skies make me sleepy, the warnings of coming storms keep me alert.

In the same way, God has given us warnings in the Bible. A tribulation will come (See Mark 13:24-27). We may or may not experience the Great Tribulation described in scripture, but in life we will confront trials that will shake us and cause us to seek shelter from the storm. Will we heed the warnings? Will we seek shelter in the strong tower or in some hastily built faith or good works hoping to make it through?

Storms can come through our lives quickly or linger for years. They can also vary in intensity. Whatever the storm, Jesus has proven to be the One we can turn to. He is our strong tower, our ark, our peace. I can sleep through the warnings or I can stay alert and be ready when the time comes. Jesus has made it clear that He wants me to stay awake and alert. We may need to ride out the storm to the end, but Jesus always brings peace to us if we let Him.

Lord Jesus, Calmer of the storm and Prince of Peace, Thank You for being my shelter and covering. Forgive me for the times I fail to seek You for protection from the enemy, the world and even my own sinful nature! I want to run to You every time, but I sometimes get tripped up and fall into so many traps from which I cannot free myself. I need You in every storm of life. I need You

A Shot in the Arm

Today I went to the allergist to get my monthly shots. I get one in each arm. It takes very little time and the needles are very small. However, sometimes they can hurt worse than at other times.

If the nurse moves the needle when it has pierce my skin there is quite a bit of pain. It can also hurt if she nicks a nerve. I know the nurses do not mean to hurt me, but I really want them to take their time and hold their hands steady. I want the least amount of pain. The allergy serum can make my arm swell, and if the shot giver adds to the trauma, I can find myself with tender arms for days.

Today's shots reminded me of Jesus. He was pierced with nails large enough to go through his hands and feet and then into the plank of wood. I imagine they must have been huge! The soldiers that pounded the nails were not sympathetic, nor did they care about anything other than getting the job done. I'd like to think that they detested their job, and so did it as quickly as possible. In the end it would not matter if they held the nail carefully, or tried not to hit a nerve. The man on the cross would be dead soon, and so they just did what had to be done.

Just what did have to be done? Jesus had to die in order for me to live. He had to suffer the punishment for my sin, even the sin committed just today. Jesus was pierced for my sins of thought, word, and deed. My tiny needle in the arm is nothing compared with what Jesus did for me, but it can help me to be grateful for what my Savior did for me.

Dearest Lord Jesus, You are my hero! You saved me from myself and from the Evil One! You gave me a chance to be free from sin and death! Thank You for enduring the pain that You did not deserve. Thank You for loving me that much! Forgive me all my sins, Lord. I have many. Teach me how to fight against my sin so that Your suffering would be worth it in the end. I bow my heart and my knee to You.

Teacher Appreciation

My husband is a teacher. He only began his teaching career recently. Though he has not been doing this long, he is one of the best teachers, not only because of students' scores, but because of his efforts.

Patrick works an average of 12 hours a day during the school year. He even works at home grading papers and planning. He is the tennis coach and may help with softball this spring. Like most teachers he has the students interests and best in the forefront of his mind. He looks for ways to motivate his middle school students to learn math. Not an easy task. He carries with him extra money to supply kids who forgot their lunch or do not have money to buy lunch. He is a disciplinarian, diplomat, manager, friend, as well as teacher. His reward is not monetary since his profession demands much but pays the minimum. He works hard and deserves his vacation, but needs to work his fireworks tents because we need the extra money.

These days, teachers are blamed if students don't learn. They are hard pressed to do more and more paperwork that takes them away from the task of teaching. Teachers don't love their job because of the pay, time away from family, or acknowledgment of their work. Good teachers love their job because God made them to teach. It is who they are and they love their students. Love motivates and sustains them when students rebel against their efforts.

Teachers should not be held responsible for all the problems in schools. Education demands a cooperative effort. Teacher, student, administrators and parents all have a vital part in helping a student succeed.

Jesus is our teacher. He should not be blamed for the lack of spiritual growth among His people. It takes a cooperative effort to help us grow closer to God and live an honorable life. We must cooperate with Jesus our teacher, the church which administrates and our fellow members in the Body of Christ. Learning to be like Christ takes time and the lessons are daily challenges. God sent a teacher and wants us to know that two are better than going at it alone. Three is even better!

Are we allowing others into our lives to help us grow? Do we have a teachable spirit? Are we blaming God for our rebellion to His teachings?

Rabbi Jesus, You are the one who offers us visual aids in creation and in Your life here on earth. You give us Your word and so many other tools with which we can learn about You and how to live rightly. Thank You for forgiving us in our rebellion to Your plan. Thank You for leading us gently and sometimes with extra discipline so that we can be more like You. Speak to us today Lord. We are ready to listen!

Comparisons

I wish I was...... There are many times I make that statement. I wish I was thinner, prettier, more organized, less messy, etc. etc. When I wish for a change in me I feel guilty for not being better. I can change. I've proved it in the past. Some things, however, still elude my self-discipline and so I go on wishing and feeling guilty for not being as good as someone else.

One of the calendars I bought this year is filled with beautiful photos of nature and thought provoking quotes by Roy Lessin. I am not too familiar with Mr. Lessin or his work so I spent some time going through the calendar pages and reading his quotes. One caught my eye. "Just think, He compares you to no one else."

I have been thinking on this and came to the truth that God does not compare me to other people, but He does compare me to His Son. If Jesus had not paid the price for my sin and stood in my place, God would have to compare my life to His Sons' life and I would fail miserably. However, God makes it clear that He does not want me to be judged without His Sons' covering. He made the comparison ages ago. Jesus stood in front of me, and all those who trust Him, and told The Righteous Judge that we are hidden in Him. No comparison need to be made because of Jesus' grace.

The quotation does tell the truth when it claims that God does not compare us with each other. When I think of this I get a thrill of joy inside. It is a relief to think that I stand before God alone, not with those who out shine me in so many ways! Well, I stand with Jesus, who out shines us all but makes me shine too!

Jesus, Perfect Son of God, You outshine us all and no one compares to You! Thank You for giving me the freedom to be myself. Thank You for doing a good work in me that will bring the changes needed to be more like You. Thank You that You never give up even when I miss the mark completely. Lead me, Lord. Change my wicked ways and purify my thoughts. Help me to leave the comparisons behind so that I might be more like You!

Communion

I've been thinking back over the past year today. I thought it interesting that my memories did not begin with events, but with people. I would think of someone and my mind would drift into a memory. I think God likes us to start with people, not events. Jesus wanted us to break bread and take the cup of wine in remembrance of Him.

Most often the word communion is used in the context of the Christian ritual of taking bread and grape juice (or wine) in remembrance of Jesus and His sacrifice on the cross for us. Communion to me is a sharing of thoughts, emotions and memories. In this context we can have communion with friends and family by sharing those times in our lives we remember together.

Making time to have communion with our loved ones is a nice way to end the year. I may just need to give some people a call!

God with us, You ask us to remember Your time here on earth through communion. You asked us to do this at dinner the night before You paid the price for our sins. You united Yourself with us in communion by Your death. We join in that communion through faith in You. Thank You for the communion we share. I love You. I will remember all that You have done for me!

Present

He is present with us......
walking the shopping malls,
trimming our tree,
baking cookies,
wrapping gifts,
going to parties,
and all other Christmas time activities.

In fact He is here with us every day and every hour.

He is here with us....
when we celebrate the milestones of our lives,
when we sit alone wondering if anyone cares,
when we are sick or dying,
when we have lost a coin or a loved one,
when we have found our way
when we need anything or when we think we need nothing,
He is here. He is present. He is Jesus God.

Where are you today? What do you need? He is the gift given that is ever present.

Thank You Lord for being the all present God. Thank You for being the gift that really does keep on giving! Thank You for always being with me!

A Broken Wall

There is a great divide between God and man. The divide was caused by sin. Christmas was God's wrecking ball on the wall that kept us far from Him. He broke down the barriers. He united us as one in Jesus.

I have often wondered if Jesus ever had a cold or the flu. Did He suffer any of the growing pains we feel or was His suffering delayed until His time had come to bear the cross? Because God came to be fully human in Jesus, I must believe that only those diseases and injuries that would have deterred Him from His mission were spared Him. I also believe that even with a headache, cold or the flu, He pushed onward toward His calling. Maybe the times we read about, where He went off by Himself, were the times He didn't feel well and needed to ask His Father to heal his body so He could go on.

It is my desire that Jesus did not suffer before His passion. He certainly suffered enough at that time! Whatever the situation was, it was meant to be a place of connection for us to our Father God who loved us so much to be one of us!

Father, Your love is so strong it broke down all barriers to our relationship with You. Your strength is never over powering to us, but the power to lift us and carry our burdens. Thank You for being eager to live in the midst of our sinful world so that You could set us free from its bondage. you are amazing to me! I need You in my life!

1st Sunday of Advent

It is time to prepare for the celebration of Christmas. In the tradition of the church, Advent is the time four weeks prior to Christmas. It is the time of reflecting on His coming as an infant to save us from our sins, rest in His presence now, and preparing for His return as King and judge of the earth. I love preparing my heart and renewing my mind in Christ for the celebration of Christmas. Will you join me as I blog each day my thoughts, questions and meditations?

Each year I choose a theme for my Christmas meditations. This year my theme is "God with us." My theme is my focus in my every day devotions and in my preparations of giving and planning the seasons gatherings of friends and family. I find choosing a theme helps me to make Christmas real. It draws me deeper into Gods' truth.

I love Christmas! I love the lights, decorations, songs, giving, and all the rest! I love it most because, for me it is all about Jesus coming to fix all that is wrong in me and the world! He promises that evil will someday be wiped out, and I trust His word. His promise will be made true.

Christmas is promise. God promised a Savior and Jesus arrived as a little baby. He lived among us and revealed the love of God to us. Jesus promises that He will be with us always. He lives with us every day in our hearts. He also promises to come again. The question is, am I ready? Will I give up all I hold dear in this life to meet Him in the air? My promise is that this Advent season I will make preparations in my heart, soul and life to give Him all I have when He comes.

Emanuel, You are the God of promise! You are faithful to fulfill Your word. You deserve my promise and my faithfulness, but I cannot do it without You! Thank You for sending Your Son, Jesus, and Your Holy Spirit who dwells within me! It is only because of You that I have hope to celebrate this Christmas growing deeper in You, and eternity forever giving You praise! I am Yours, Lord.

News

Every day is filled with news. We follow the news of family, friends, local and even world news. Some news is good. It often surprises us. Some news is bad and it, too, can surprise us even if we are prepared for the worst.

This evening, Patrick and I will be traveling to Ft. Meyers to visit family. We had planned to go later this month, but news of his Mom being in the hospital made a change in our plans. We are preparing ourselves for the news of what is causing Mom's symptoms, praying for the best and hoping that the signs we are seeing are not what they seem to be.

News of what might be or what actually is, brings me to my knees. Messages of tribulation happening in the lives of our loved ones or even in our own lives are a call from our Heavenly Father to come and receive strength, hope and comfort. In fact He sent a special messenger to bring Good News to all the world! Jesus held in His nail scarred hands the strength, hope and comfort we need for our every day news.

What news is confronting you today? Have you heard the good news? Do you know the one who brings good news? Do you believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and trust Him alone? If you know that He paid the price for every failure you have made, then you can live with Him forever in heaven!

We all have failed to live a perfect life. The good news is that God entered our world to live the perfect life for us. The good news is that we have been offered a free gift. God, the Son, took our place and our punishment. It is good news that we only need to believe and receive. Good news indeed!

Does this kind of news change your life plan? It should! It should bring a debt of love and gratitude to the One who made this news possible. Our lives can change when we hear and believe the GOOD news!

Lord and Savior, you are the source of all Good news! You even can make bad news work for our good. You deserve our trust and faith because You have done great things for us. Thank You for changing my life with the Good news. Thank You for changing the lives of my loved ones too. Thanks for letting me be a part of spreading the good news to others. Today i pray that You will be our good news when we see Patrick's mom! We trust You!

Laughing Out Loud

This morning I have been wondering when I last laughed out loud. Since I can't readily remember, I figure it is time to look for a laughing moment. To be honest, I am not looking for a little TeeHee or even a short HaHa moment. I want my next laugh to be a belly filled squeeze that makes my eyes leak and maybe get me close to wetting my pants!


In the past I've laughed like that over little bitty things. Sometimes it is something I say that made no sense or came out wrong. Sometimes it is someone else who has let go with just that little bit off kilter trivia that suddenly tickles me deep inside. It is always a surprise! It is those little things that can open up the lid with which I've kept my emotions in check. It is time to pop it off and give my tummy a workout, squeezing all the bottled up worries, confusion and fears out and fill me up with the simple pleasure of laughter.


I have a picture of Jesus laughing. It is an inspiration to me because thinking of Him enjoying a good laugh lets me know there is joy in this crazy mixed up world. Jesus came into the world to do serious business. He wept many times. I'd like to think He also laughed much! What do you think He laughed about?


Did Jesus laugh with the little children? Maybe the disciples disapproved of the children coming to Him because they were too serious minded to see the benefit of laughter. Did Jesus laugh at the wedding feast and maybe even chuckle at His mommas' request for help? Did Jesus laugh at dinner with Zacheus and his tax collector friends? In what does Jesus find delight? Does He laugh with me over the silly things I do? Well, maybe He just laughs. I can be too serious about my little missteps most of the time. :o) I think I'll read one of the Gospels and look for times when Jesus could have laughed.


Jesus, You are a Joyful Spirit. You are the fullness of Joy! Your joy gives me strength! I am too serious sometimes, Lord. I know there are times I must be sober, but these days are overwhelmingly trying and I see light in Your laughter! I want to run to You and be engulfed in your pleasure and Your joy! Thank you for filling me with good things. I pray that I will soon be surprised by Your deep joy that squeezes me to the point of tears! Would You let me share it with someone too? That will double my lasting happiness!

Testing

Whew! I passed the test! Forty questions and 80% needed to pass. I made an 87% only because there were a few distractions and questions with very reasonable and similar answer to which I chose the wrong one, with the right answer coming in as my second choice. Excuses! I wanted to ace the test. I was not happy with and 87%. How many other tests do I slide by and never fret over the less than perfect mark?

Every time I sin I miss the mark. How often does that bother me? I know there are many times I just say "Oops!" to my misdeeds. I never stop to think about my "score." Does it even matter what my score is, if I miss the mark? Can I be satisfied with less than perfect if eternity is at stake?

Jesus never missed the mark. He lived a perfect life. He made the 100% that we all are expected to make if we intend to enter heaven. Jesus then took my test grade and gave me His! Cheating? No. He came to do that for me! He is the tester, the teacher, the one in charge so He makes the rules! He hands His perfect test to me, and I need only take it and offer Him my failing grade. That is part of the test, too.

Lord Jesus, Perfect in all Your ways, You amaze me because I would never have thought of Your plan for my failures. Thank You for making my less-than-perfect life perfect in You! Thank You for knowing my heart and testing me with mercy and love, more than Your righteous judgement. Teach me how to do the same for others!

Solitude

I like being alone. I like to daydream and it is best done alone. I like to read, write and create. Those activities are also best done alone without the distractions of others. It takes some effort to get solitude for myself. My full house lends itself to much noise, and so finding a place where I am alone may be possible, but human sounds surround me and remind me someone is nearby. In truth I can never be totally alone.

God has promised that He will be with me always. I am glad He is. Even in my solitude I need His presence. Without Him solitude would be empty, painful and depressing. Solitude in his presence is fulfilling, joyful and comforting!

Solitude is the best way to find God. Jesus demonstrated that when He would go away to pray. Jacob went to be alone before meeting his estranged brother and he ended up wrestling with God. We can enjoy the presence of God in the company of other believers, but when we are alone with Him we receive special attention. It makes me want to find real solitude soon! How about you?

Ever present God, You are always with me! I never need to feel alone even in the solitude that draws me deeper into You. I need and desire those times when I am secluded from the world with only You by my side. Thank You for being near. Thank You for choosing to be in communion with me. Thank You for Your gentle presence. I love You!