Jesus - God With Us

In foretelling the birth of Jesus, the prophet Isaiah wrote. “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.”

Colossians 1:15 describes Jesus as "the image of the 'invisible' God." Indeed, the Creator, God Almighty, had revealed himself in flesh, coming to live among his creation. Not so he could better know us, but so we could better know him. Not so he could feel our pain, but so we could know that he felt ours. And not to condemn us for our sins, but to redeem us once and for all. What a glorious gift to mankind!

I hope you and yours have a merry Christmas filled with love, peace and good will.

Away In A Manger

While watching my precious granddaughter napping today, I thought of that first Christmas in Bethlehem, when God became flesh, bringing hope to a sinner like me. It is a gift money cannot buy, and my heart is ever grateful.

The Rippling Effects of Dressing Down

Source: Google

As painful as it is to say, America the beautiful has become a nation of sloppy slobs. Nothing merits fancy attire these days. Weddings. Graduations. Funerals. You name it.

I attended a wedding a while back and was stunned to see some guests looking like they were going to a backyard BBQ. Uh, hello. Didn't you know that formal gowns and tuxedos are part of this event? What makes you think your tee-shirt and rumpled jeans are appropriate on any level?

My niece's graduation from college a few years ago was no different. A crowd of slobs for the most part.

And who could forget the images of American citizens filing past President Reagan's casket under the Capitol Dome in their Hawaiian shirts, flip-flops and baseball caps? I kept asking: Who raised these people? It was a moment of national embarrassment for me.

But I think what troubles me most about America's cavalier way of dressing is that it has infected the Christian community as a whole. Not only do people show up for worship in slapdash form, common-sense modesty among Christians (especially females) has gone completely out the proverbial window. And not just in church, but everywhere.

Some tell me they've been "set free" from all things that bind, and I agree with them 100 percent. They are free, indeed.

Others say that God doesn't care. Wear whatever floats your boat. Daisy Duke shorts. Skin-tight jeans. Low-cut dresses. It's all good, girl. God's easy, and he only sees my heart. I might dress differently for an audience with the Queen of England, but hey, Jesus is merely the King of Kings. If I want to approach his throne in my underwear, no disrespect. God's cool with it. Understand?

Actually, no. I don't understand. Certainly I agree that sinners can come to God however they are. But God has always cared about the details of anyone who proclaims righteousness. Always.

When Jesus rebuked the Pharisees for "appearing righteous" in Matthew 23, he wasn't rebuking them because they appeared righteous. He was rebuking them because they weren't righteous.

He said they were like "cups and platters" that had been washed on the outside but contained dirty things within. His words of admonishment were: "Cleanse 'first' that which is within the cup and platter, that the outside of them may be clean also." He didn't say, "Cleanse the inside, but the outside can be dirty if you want it to be, because I really don't care." His only point was that their outward appearance (which he referred to as "beautiful," by the way) was not an accurate reflection of their inward condition.

What that scripture has always said to me is this: It's possible to look righteous and not be righteous, but it isn't possible to be righteous and not look it. That doesn't mean that, when you're righteous, you'll be inclined to wear a long robe and carry a cross when you go to the mall. It just means you won't be inclined to look like a hooker, when you're a true child of the King. ♦


"Enter through the 'narrow' gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it." - Matthew 7:13-14

I'm linking to Spiritual Sundays.

Loving as He Loves - A Tall Order to Fill

February is here, and that means love is in the air.

Quite frankly, I don't know how people get through life without the love of someone. A mother, father, sister, brother, spouse, sweetheart, friend. Someone who loves them...regardless.

Thankfully, I am blessed with a loving family. My parents, sisters and I don't always agree, but when the dust settles, we love each other...regardless. I hope our children keep that commitment alive when our voices are dead and gone. It is a special thing, and not all families share it.

Loving someone isn't all roses and sunshine, of course. Putting your heart in free fall can be a gut-wrenching experience. Yet, Jesus commands us to love one another—"as I have loved you."

That is a tall order to fill, and it makes me wonder what Jesus would do if he were here in bodily form, handing out boxes of chocolates on Valentine's Day.

Would he focus his attention and affections only on those who love him—as you and I usually do— or would he also give to those who hate him, and hurt him, and use him, and curse him?

We all know the answer to that: He would seek out those individuals who don't love him, and who don't "deserve" chocolates, some might say. Those people who bring him pain. And he wouldn't shove the chocolates in their faces and say, "Here! You know you don't deserve these, but you can have them anyway."

On the contrary, he would extend his offering of love and say,"These chocolates are just for you, my dear child. I bought your favorite kind, and I hope you enjoy every piece. Please remember that I love you to the cross and back, and I always will...regardless."

Loving others as God loves us is a tall, tall order, indeed. But if we choose to only love those who love us, who root for us, and who think we're the best thing since sliced bread, we shouldn't expect to receive a reward of any kind—not even on Valentine's Day.

♥ ♥ ♥

"If all you do is love the lovable, do you expect a bonus? Anybody can do that."
Matthew 5:47 (The Message)

Linking to: Spiritual Sundays

2011 ~ The Year In Pictures

This has been a year of unexpected struggles for me. A year of dealing with what is and what won't ever be again. Some of the struggles I thought were behind me. Others have been new skirmishes on new terrain. However, where shadows are, sunshine is, too. Overall, it was a good year and one of the fastest ones that I can recall.

2011 - Looking Back



January - Holding Ainsley for the first time.





February - Showing off my first painting after my first (and only) class.



March - Getting ahead of spring-cleaning.

 April - Watching the waves on Galveston Island.

May - Making memories on Mother's Day weekend.

June - A month of sun, fun, fresh veggies and lampshades.

July - Babysitting Miss Ainsley.

August - Nana house-sits and Ainsley entertains.

September - Birthday month for Nana and "official" picture time.

October - A road trip to the Smokies with Twin Sis.

November - Seeing what the Nutcracker Market is all about.



December - A month of giving, receiving and special birthdays.

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Happy New Year to you and yours. I hope 2012 is a year of prosperity, promise and peace.

Give and Receive

The story of Jesus feeding five thousand is one of my favorites in the Bible. What a miracle! And so many life lessons there.

When the disciples told Jesus that a little boy had five loaves and two fish, Jesus said, "Bring them here to me." Notice, he didn't ask for what they didn't have, or for what the situation required. He only needed what they had.

I wonder how many miracles we've forfeited because we didn't bring what we had to God. Instead of giving in the offering Sunday morning, we clung to our cash, knowing a bill was coming due and funds were already too low to pay it. The little boy's lunch-for-one was multiplied thousands of times over, of course, but only after he surrendered it to the Master.

Food for Thought: When placed in God's hands, what you have can become much more than you need.

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