Each and Every Day

Ecclesiastes 9:10 Whatever you are capable of doing, do with all your might because there’s no work, thought, knowledge, or wisdom in the grave, which is where you are headed.

Listening to a local talk radio host about recent events had me thinking, and quite frankly, it was sufficiently moving that I pulled off to the side of the road and contemplated and prayed about a few things.

How many times have you heard the phrase “you know, life is too short…” ?  I wish I had a dollar (used to be a dime or quarter but with inflation…) every time that phrase escaped my lips – let alone the times I’ve heard it. It is especially profound when attending a funeral. I guess the realization of death brings this idea to the forefront.

Here’s the thing, that phrase couldn’t be more right. Life on this earth is way too short. Too short to continue in the job that drains the life out of you every day! Too short to continue to simply exist in a marriage that lost its luster and love a half dozen years ago! I’m not telling you to quit your job and travel like you’ve always dreamed – there are still responsibilities to support yourself and your family. Likewise, I’m not telling you to file for a divorce on Monday – there was love and a sparkle and it’s time to start working to bring that back.

I remember a conversation with a friend at church. He was working a full time job, 45+ hours a week. On top of that, he was trying to keep up with a side business that he’d started a few years ago. As we were talking, he mentioned a couple of things:  first, he was tired between the 2 jobs because he had little time for rest or relaxation, and secondly, he expressed some frustration at not having time for his wife or kids. I looked at him and asked him if he “needed” to work both jobs, to which he responded that he didn’t – between what he made from his primary job and his wife’s income they were quite comfortable – it’s just that he wanted to…I cut him off and said, “wanted to miss a trip to the zoo with the family? Holding your wife’s hand or sharing time as a family?”  He shook his head, and I think at least a part of him realized, “you know life is too short!”

What I am saying is, life IS short so accept where you are, set goals, make changes and the next time you hear “you know, life is too short” you can respond with, “Life IS short and that’s why I’m living each and every day.” As a new year approaches, think about some things that matter to you – things that you want to do that you’re putting off because you don’t have the time or don’t know how to do them. Make yourself a goal and start to live each day with all you have, that’s what He wants.

“Father, our life here on earth is a gift from You! Each day is a new package wrapped and ready for us to open. Never let me take that present for granted. Amen”

He Will Bring Us Goodness and Light

Isaiah 9:6   A child is born to us, a son is given to us and authority will be on his shoulders. He will be named Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace

I have a few favorite movies, and this time of year I have the opportunity to see one of them.  “A Christmas Story” is so real-life, (ok, it maybe exaggerated a bit) but I don’t think there are many of us that don’t remember things exactly as seen in the movie at some point during Christmas.

There are a few scenes that really stand out, but by far for me, when the lamp is unwrapped and proudly displayed, I will literally laugh out loud and I know that some day I will too display a “leg lamp” in my rec room.  But as great as that lamp is, and as bright as that light shines, it can never compare to the love unveiled to us this time of year.

Our heavenly Father came to us in the flesh. He came to teach, to love and to eventually give His life for us. It all starts with that babe in a manger, weak, afraid and of the same flesh as we each have.

As we spend time with family and friends, remember how this amazing story began. Just as the great news spread across the land, you too, can bring peace to the earth by spreading that news today. If you’re reading this and you’ve not yet accepted Jesus as your Savior, bend a knee or bow your head. Look up to the heavens or simply as you’re sitting there, confess your sins to Him, ask for forgiveness and invite Jesus to come into your life and into your heart.

Merry Christmas to you all,

Rob, Jenny and Ray

Do You Know What I Know?

Luke 2: 15-17     When the angels returned to heaven, the shepherds said to each other, “Let’s go right now to Bethlehem and see what’s happened. Let’s confirm what the Lord has revealed to us.” They went quickly and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in the manger. When they saw this, they reported what they had been told about this child.

So the animals sensed it, and the Lamb came to tell the shepherds. The shepherds heard and saw it and could not contain the news and went out to tell of the birth.

In the song, it is a shepherd boy who tells the king of the arrival of Jesus. It makes for a classic song, but truly is that what happened. Imagine as an adult going to a king to tell him this news. I don’t know about you, but I have to think I’d struggle to get the words out – well maybe not – but I know I’d be nervous. Now, imagine a child telling someone that a lamb told him of this birth and moreover, that he must give him gold and silver. There’s no way!

That all said, let’s go with the shepherd boy explaining the birth of Jesus and telling the king that he should give the baby his silver and gold. These elements were as highly regarded then as they are today. What’s being said here is that we should give God our very best. In worship, our very best praise – hands raised and voices loud. Hearts focused and our minds undistracted.   Our very best of the harvest through our tithes and offerings.

We should go out and give our very best in our community – sharing His love through our actions. Share the amazing gift through our testimony, our words. Just to do our very best each and every day of our lives (to the best of our ability that day) keeping God in the forefront of our lives.

I pray that you remember God’s amazing gift during this season and share the news to the best of your ability. Go to someone today and ask, “Do you know what I know?!”

Do You Hear What I Hear?

Luke 2:10  The angel said, “Don’t be afraid!  Look!  I bring good news to you – wonderful, joyous new for all people.

I remember watching a few shows as a kid where the “star” was an animal.  In a couple, it was dogs, and in another, it was a dolphin. They’d wind up finding some kind of trouble where they needed a child (their owner or trainer) to help extricate the victim from the difficulty of the week.  Somehow those animals, through barking or jumping, would manage to communicate with their human counterpart the gravity of the situation.

I’d watch these shows on the edge of my seat – intently staring at the screen – looking away only long enough to find my dog and wonder or wish he’d somehow become the hero I saw on the screen.  Sadly, I never did rescue anyone on a broken down boat or pull someone out of a well.

In the Christmas classic; “Do You Hear What I Hear?”, there’s the line “Do you hear what I hear?, said the lamb to the shepherd boy”.  Biblically speaking, angels actually proclaimed the good news to the shepherds, but the symbolism of the lamb talking to a child isn’t lost.  Christ is often referred to as the Lamb, and we as followers, are referred to as children.  So what we have here is God incarnate talking to His people to announce His arrival on the earth.

God reveals His presence every day. The problem is, we’re just not listening.  As we approach the day we celebrate the birth of our Lord and Savior, let us never loose sight of the many wonders revealing His presence.  “Let me hear You Father, Amen”

Do You See What I See?

Matthew 2:2   They asked, “Where is the newborn king of the Jews?  We’ve seen his star in the east, and we’ve come to honor him.”

I have a friend who has long said that you could tell how much snow was going to fall for a predicted event by the number of hawks you see in the 12 hours prior to the storm.  The more hawks, the more snow.  His theory has proven out as long as I can remember him talking about it.  This isn’t the only proven theory of animals sensing an upcoming “event”.  There are dogs that can sense a seizure coming on in its owner, or cats that predict earthquakes.  I can generally figure out the intensity of a storm by the reaction of cows in a field and/or birds in a tree.

I’m not, by any stretch of the imagination, an animal behaviorist, but it’s clear that an animal (both wild and domesticated) can sense much more than most of us.  Think about when you’ve gone to visit a neighbor and their dog is going crazy, or the reaction of your dog when you come home after work.  Now imagine the excitement if it could sense that the Creator was about to return – can you imagine the buzz in the air? Can you imagine the little lamb, heart racing, probably breathing quickly.  It couldn’t stand still and then to see a star high in the sky with a huge tail announcing the birth of the King.

In these days leading up to the birth, be open to all that’s going on around.  There is evidence of God and His love all around, signs of His great gift and unselfish grace surrounding us every day. “Father, open my mind and every sense You’ve given me so that I might see and rejoice at Jesus’ birth.  Amen”

Is It Christmas Yet?

Luke 1:41  When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the child leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.

I’m quite certain most, if not all, of us have experienced the anticipation of Christmas through the eyes and lives of a child. As days get crossed off a calendar, or doors opened on an Advent calendar, the excitement builds.

My son, now 15, plays it pretty cool, but every once in a while I can still see that spark of Christmas anticipation twinkle in his eye.  When he was a little man, we’d play this game every Christmas Eve night of “I’m thirsty”, “I’ve got to go to the bathroom”.  He would fight the urge to go to sleep, in hopes of catching a glimpse of Ole’ Saint Nick sliding down the chimney (ok, walking through the door) to deliver packages.  There were times he’d almost be visibly vibrating with excitement and there were times I thought he’d bounce right out of the bed as excited as he was. I too, can remember almost being sick I was so excited for Christmas morning – and I’m sure each of you have similar stories.

The funny thing is, that excitement didn’t start with us.  It didn’t start 4 or 5 generations ago.  It began over 2000 years ago.  John the Baptist could sense, even in his mother’s womb, the amazing gift that would soon be coming.  As Christmas approaches, we too should be filled with excitement as we  remember the birth of the Savior, born to die for each and every one of us and our sins.  “What an amazing gift, thank You Father.  Thank You, thank You thank You!!! Amen.”

Speak Easy

In the 1920’s, speak easies were much more common than anyone realized.  Likely part of the reason they weren’t as known as they could have been is because of the secrecy that surrounded them.  Countless people worked in this commercial enterprise to support the good time joints, delivering supplies, running the front of the house – even making the booze that was served.

Here’s the thing – no matter what their role, unless they owned the place, they couldn’t get in if they didn’t know the password.  Didn’t matter if the guy at the front door was your next door neighbor, if you didn’t know the word or phrase, you could only imagine how much fun was going on inside.

If you think about it getting into our Father’s heavenly house is similar.  Ephesians 2: 8 – 9 says: For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast

Imagine if confronted by God and He asks, “why should you enter My house”, how would you answer?  Maybe something like: “Well, I faithfully tithed every week and attended service every time I could.  I was a good father or mother; I was always good to others.  Oh and I went on that mission trip to Africa, helping all those children.”  That’s a wonderful life spent helping others and supporting the trip, but His answer would be “I’m sorry but that’s not the right answer”.

The correct response is along the lines, “I’ve accepted Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior.  He died for my sins upon the cross and it is through His sacrifice, by Your grace that I may enter”.

Over the next few days consider, have I truly accept Jesus Christ as my Lord, my Savior?  If the answer is no, please take a few moments and pray.  It’s as simple as…God, I am a lost child, a sinner imperfect.  I’ve made so many mistakes ,but I know I am forgiven.  Father, I open my mind and my heart and I accept Jesus Christ as my Lord and as my Savior.   I know because of Your grace I am forgiven and accepted as one of Your children.

An Invitation

Luke 14:23 The master said to the servant, ‘Go to the highways and back alleys and urge people to come in so that my house will be filled.’

They sat in the booth – the restaurant was crowded.  People were laughing and talking, and several people as they left, stopped by the booth behind the couple and talked with an older man and his wife.  Each time as the groups walked away from the booth, they had a smile on their face and acknowledged that they’d see each other in a couple of days.

The couple talked a bit about their plans for the evening, and for the weekend.  They talked about the people who were stopping by the booth behind them and wondered what was going on in a couple of days.  They were new in town and hadn’t seen or read about anything happening.  They shrugged their shoulders and ate their meal in relative silence.

The next morning, he was up early and left to run a couple of errands.  Again, he heard people talking about how they’d see each other tomorrow.  He was really confused, and at one of the stores he asked the clerk what was going on tomorrow.  She replied, “Christmas Eve”.  The man said, “Well, where’s everyone going?” and she replied, “to church” and rushed him along to help the next person.  While he was out, his wife ran into a neighbor and she asked about the interactions she’d witnessed last night.  She got a similar response.

The sun came up on a brisk day the following morning.  The wind wasn’t blowing, but the cold that had moved in from the North was still very evident.  As the morning progressed, the couple talked briefly about Christmas and what they were going to do.  Neither could come up with something to do.  Family and friends were now a day’s drive away, so going home was out of the question.  They watched a couple of movies, but began to get a bit stir-crazy.  They decided to take a walk.

As they strolled, bundled against the cold air, the faint sound of a choir became more evident.  Soon they could hear an organ playing from another direction, and yet from another direction they heard some bells.  They came upon a brick building.  They could hear some laughing and then singing coming from the building.  As they got closer, they looked through one of the windows.

Fresh green garland decorated the pews.  A tree lit up in white lights and gold and silver ribbon stood at one end.  There was a warmth visible in the room. Now maybe it was the candles, but I suspect it was something much greater.

How can we keep secret the amazing gift given us by the Father?  Who are we to hide it within and not share?  I think back to some of the conversations I’ve had with folks I attend service with, and wonder if maybe I’ve missed this couple.  Let’s all go to the highways and back alleys and invite people to come so that His holy house is full.  “Father, I cast my fears away and ask for courage to step up and step out to spread the wonderful news of Your Son.  Amen” 

Distorted Hearing

Proverbs 12:1 – Those who love discipline love knowledge and those who hate correction are stupid

I think back to my youth, well actually mid-to-late teens.  I’ll tell you what, I am shocked I didn’t win the Nobel Prize in each category yearly.  I knew that much – or at least I thought I did.

After dad passed, I grew up quickly and in my mind, I was much more mature and had a great deal more knowledge than what my mom gave me credit.  She would make suggestions on a course I should take, and I’d puff up and tell her (in no uncertain terms) that I knew exactly what I was doing and would proceed down that road only to find potholes and umm… dead ends.  I sure did make some really stupid mistakes. Sadly, I find myself even today doing the same thing – maybe not to the extent I did back then, but on occasion, my pride gets in the way of my hearing.

Now, I don’t think I am the first teenager to go through this, nor do I think I’ll be the last.  Further, I suspect that I’m not the only one who still experiences pride-distorted hearing.  The thing is, if we close ourselves off to suggestions and corrections of others, we are in no way showing His love and openness to one another.  This goes further though – if we close ourselves off, we may very well be closing ourselves off to the very voice of God speaking through others.

It can be a difficult thing to let go of our pride and admit we may be wrong, but the other options seem to be more difficult to accept.  “Father, remove my pride and allow me to hear others, allow me to hear You. Amen”

Alone In a Roomful

Isaiah 41:10 Don’t fear, because I am with you; don’t be afraid, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, I will surely help you; I will hold you with my righteous strong hand.

I’m quite sure most of you can relate to this at some level – some more readily than others. I was talking to a friend a couple of nights ago and we got on the topic of the holidays. He talked about the excitement of the holidays and the time spent with family and friends. We moaned a bit about scheduling time for our wives, family, school, church, shopping and all the decorations, but then he went on to say it is in this time of year that he feels most alone.

I asked how could that be? While both his parents have been gone for some time, he has a wife, a child, and in-laws that treat him truly as a member of the family. He couldn’t put a finger on why.  Maybe it was the busy schedule and the scurrying everywhere that prevented the opportunity for him to have the long relaxed interactions that he needed, or maybe it was because he didn’t have a place he could go to celebrate some of the traditions he remembered as a child.

He went on to talk about the only way he really got through the season was through consistent conversation with God. He said that his “prayers” in no way resembled anything you find in church. It was just that – a conversation – talking about his day, the activities, recalling past times with his family, sometimes laughing and sometimes crying, but most importantly, always trying to listen.

I have to admit that the holiday blues creep up on me sometimes, and for reasons I can’t explain. I listened to him that night and took to heart his plan to not only survive the season, but to really enjoy it. Whether you’ve got something creeping up on you or not, find some time to talk with Him, it is always time well spent.