Monday Morning Memo: Time to Adore

"I’m sorry to bother you. I’m sure you are probably really busy today, but I just have to tell someone. You see, just a few short hours ago, I gave birth to a beautiful baby boy. He’s the most gorgeous baby I’ve ever seen.  He has dark curly hair, chubby cheeks and ten fingers and ten toes!  I think he may even have my eyes!

It’s been such a long nine months. I’ve had so many different feelings and emotions. First, I had an angel tell me that I was going to have a baby and that I was to call him Jesus. The angel said that my baby would be great and he would be the Son of God.  The Son of God?  I was going to give birth to the Son of God?  How could this be?  I was still a virgin and I wasn’t even married yet.  

It didn’t take long for me to realize that what the angel had said was true.  I had terrible morning sickness those first few months, and then once I started showing, I was the talk of the village. I could feel people staring and whispering behind my back. There were days when I wondered why I was chosen for this and why people didn’t believe me when I told them that I was carrying the Son of God.  I guess it did sound pretty unbelievable. 

Then, we found out that we had to go to Bethlehem because the Roman emperor, Augustus, decided that a census had to be taken throughout the Roman Empire.  Oh, I really didn’t want to go but my fiancé, Joseph, said we didn’t have a choice.  So we started out on the long, almost 100-mile trip.  It was hard because I was so uncomfortable and just couldn’t wait to finally get there.  Then, to make matters worse, when we finally did arrive in Bethlehem, all the rooms were filled!  I started to cry but Joseph told me that it would be ok.  He finally found a place that had room in the area where the animals lived.  That was fine with me because it was at least a place where we could get some rest, plus it had a manger that I could lay my baby in once he was born.

But, when I held my baby Jesus in my arms for the first time, it made it all so worthwhile. Did I tell you how beautiful he is? He is absolutely perfect!  I can hardly wait to see him smile for the first time and see him take his first step and say his first word.

I do worry though about how you will treat my son. I wonder if you will love and adore him like I do. The angel told Joseph that Jesus was the Messiah and he was coming to save you from your sins. Will you listen to him? I wonder…will you realize how much God must love you to send my child into the world to save you?  Will you turn from your wicked ways or will you reject him?

Well, I hear my baby crying and I must go and see what he needs. I do want you to see him and know him personally.  I want so desperately for him to be a part of your life, but the choice is yours to make.  I know you are really busy today, but will you take some time to come and adore him with me?

By the way, did I tell you how beautiful he is?” 

“Oh come let us adore Him,

Oh come let us adore Him,

Oh come let us adore Him,

Christ the Lord.”

Monday Morning Memo: The Beauty of Christmas

I was reading some of my devotionals from years past, and I came across these words from several years ago:

“Ready…Set…GO!  Crank up your energy and dive into Christmas week.   Last minute shopping, wrapping gifts, grocery shopping so you can make all those recipes you’ve been saving for the holidays, empty out those extra bedrooms that you’ve been using as storage rooms so that your company will have a place to sleep, bathe the dog, clean the house, practice remembering names of distant relatives that you only see once a year, threaten your kids that they better be on their best behavior and say thank you for whatever grandma and grandpa give them…even if they don’t get what they wanted AND slap that Christian smile on your face even though you are exhausted and in desperate need of sleep.

Wow…sounds like fun week, huh?  I’m tired from just typing the words, let alone accomplishing the tasks.  We often talk about Christmas being such a wonderful, love filled holiday, but we often cram so much into this time that we end up just living in survival mode until it is all over.

What a shame.  I really doubt this is what God had in mind when He sent his Son into the world as a baby.  I don’t think He hoped that this miracle would send us into a frenzy each year as we clean, cook, purchase, wrap, threaten and then live behind a façade that everything is A-OK in our world.

I think many of us fall into this trap because we have made Christmas about US instead of about HIM.  We want everything to be just perfect and so we do what we have to do to make sure everyone gets what they want, instead of giving Him what He deserves.  As a result, we do what a sign that I saw tells us not to do:  “Don’t get your tinsel in a tangle”!”

Fast-forward now several years later to 2017, and I’m not sure we have learned our lesson.  Many of us are still allowing our tinsel to get in a tangle and then stress overwhelms us and we ignore the Christ of Christmas.  I understand that we all want our family to be happy and feel loved during this season, but let's make sure that our focus is on the One that made it all possible.  It is so easy for us to be more focused on presents during this time of year than on His presence.  As I'm sure we all know, but often ignore, is the fact that Jesus is the reason for the season and we need to make sure the tHe is the one That is the center of our thoughts and attention.  He really is the true beauty of Christmas.

As you go throughout your week and feel the tension rising, why not take a moment and say to yourself, “I am NOT going to get my tinsel in a tangle.”  Of course you might want to make sure your relatives don’t hear you say it, because they just might give you a straight jacket for Christmas!

“For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: 
and the government shall be upon his shoulder: 
and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, 
The mighty God, The everlasting Father, 
The Prince of Peace.”

Isaiah 9:6 

Monday Morning Memo: The Most Needed Gift

It’s so hard to believe that it will soon be Christmas!  We have had a very mild fall here in Indiana, so it hasn’t felt like December.  But all that changed this past weekend, with snow blanketing the ground, so now it’s easier to believe that Jesus’ birthday is just a few weeks away!

We often think of this time of year being filled with gift buying, gift giving, parties and the making of wonderful memories.  While this may be true for many, I think we need to remember that it isn’t true for all.  For some, this time of year only reminds them of what they don’t have, can’t give or the parties to which they won’t be invited.  Their days can be depressing and they can feel inferior to those whose Facebook posts tell a tale of Christmas perfection.

I just feel led today to make sure that everyone reading this knows that your worth is not related to how much money you have…how many gifts you buy or receive…or how many gatherings to which you are invited.  Your heavenly Father determines your worth and He created you in His image!  Genesis 1:27 says, “So God created human beings in his own image.  In the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.”  How amazing is that!  You and I were created to look like Him and as the saying goes, God doesn’t make no junk!

I just love the words on this graphic.  Before you were created, God created everything else we see in our universe.  The majestic mountains, the beautiful oceans, the sun, the moon, the stars, the trees, the flowers…even the animals…but He knew that the world was not complete without you!  He made you to be a “one-in-a-million” kind of person and He loves you more than you can imagine. 

Did you know that Jesus died for you, knowing that you might never love Him back?  That is true love.   His love is not based on how much wealth you have or how popular you are or on how many gifts you have under your Christmas tree.  There is nothing that you have done that can diminish His love for you.  He loves you for who you are right now, at this very moment.

If you are struggling this year with all the festivities going on around you, don’t ever forget how much you are loved.  Don’t ever weigh your worth based on what others say or think of you because your value doesn’t decrease based on someone’s inability to see your worth.  Also, your worth will never be based on what you have done, but on what He, Jesus Christ, has done for you.  Remember, He loved you enough to die for you, so don’t ever let anyone else tell you otherwise.

If this is a joyful time for you, make sure and be on the lookout for those who may need to know that someone cares about them this season.  It could be an overworked cashier, a mother trying to shop with young children, a co-worker whose family lives miles away or it could even be that person sitting next to you in the pew at church.  Your smile may be just what they need to get through their day and have a more positive feeling this Christmas.  So reach out and let someone know what his or her worth is in Christ.  It just might be their most needed gift this Christmas!

Monday Morning Memo: Life's Disappointments

This is the week that I look forward to all year.  It’s the week that I have written about every year for quite some time.  It’s the week where I know I’m going to laugh, build stronger relationships, work hard and feel so fulfilled.

This is the week that I am usually in Boone, NC working at Samaritan’s Purse, packing boxes for Operation Christmas Child.  If you have ever had the privilege of working for this worthy cause, you know exactly what I am talking about.  It’s an amazing opportunity to do something that is so worthwhile and impacts many children around the world.   I absolutely love going and even years where my health wasn’t the best, I have still been able to work it out so that I could go…until this year.

My surgery was ten weeks ago today and I thought for sure I would be recuperated enough by now to be able to go on this trip.  But, since riding in a car still causes me pain and since I still cannot stand for long periods or sit upright for more than ten minutes, it became evident that it just wasn’t going to be possible for me to go this year.  To say I was disappointed…is an understatement. 

But life is full of disappointments, isn’t it?  Some, like me not being able to go this week, aren’t really devastating but others can really be life changing.  The marriage you thought would last forever…didn’t.  The good friend you thought would always be by your side…let you down. The good health you thought you would always have…changed because of an unexpected diagnosis.  The new job that seemed to be the answer to your financial problems…was given to someone far less qualified.

So, how do we handle life’s disappointments?  How do we keep going when we would rather just hide under the covers and not face a new day?  Honestly, I’m not sure there is one, pat answer for these questions, but I like the advice on this graphic.  First of all, I think we do need to be patient.  The reason is that oftentimes, what seems to disappointing today may not seem so bad tomorrow.  Sometimes, after some time has passed, we are able to see why certain things happened the way they did and the reasons why God allowed changes to occur.

Secondly, we need to remember that even when we have things thrown at us that we didn’t expect, we need to keep living life.  It is so easy to just dwell on our disappointments and as a result, we become stagnant.  We get stuck in a rut and we spend all of our waking moments just focusing on our problems and we end up throwing a pity party for ourselves. As we know, that never solves anything.  We also need to keep in mind that when we sit and stew about our disappointments, we make Satan very happy.

Thirdly, we need to have faith in the One who created us and knows what is best for us in the long run.  What we can’t see…He can.  What we don’t know…He does.  The disappointment of today may just be the closing of one door so that another, better door can open.  Our current situation may make no sense to us now, but putting our faith and trust in our Jesus does make sense and that is what we are called to do. 

So if you are dealing with a disappointment right now, remember to be patient…continue living life…and put your faith in your Heavenly Father.  He loves you more than you can even imagine and He can turn your disappointments into something that will bring Him glory and honor.  And that my friend, will make it all worthwhile!

Trust God from the bottom of your heart;
    don’t try to figure out everything on your own.
Listen for God’s voice in everything you do, everywhere you go;
    he’s the one who will keep you on track.

Proverbs 3:5-6 (The Message)