Most Wonderful Time of the Year!!

I absolutely LOVE Christmas and the whimsical/magical feeling that lingers in the air all around us each day of December.  It makes my heart glad each time I smell pine and cinnamon in a craft store, see the sign for peppermint mochas at Starbucks, and I squeel with excitement each time I notice new shimmering Christmas lights wrapped around houses and trees in our neighborhood.  I'm drawn into the sparkling christmas trees in every store and it takes every ounce of self disciple for me to wait until after Thanksgiving to start playing Christmas music.  There is sheer joy in my heart almost every moment to be honest.  Joy that I am anxious to share with everyone around me.

However, in the midst of all the "commercial/manufactured" joy that comes along with this season, the greatest possible joy any person can have is a lifelong personal relationship with Jesus Christ, the Savior of the World!! I was contemplating what a special time of year this is for most people but especially for believers. This a chance to openly celebrate and praise our Savior.  I've decided to make it a top priority for me to share share share the GOOD NEWS of Christ this holiday season because He is the true Joy of the season.  I believe that during this time of year people's hearts are softened and more open to hear about Christ.  So look for every oppoortunity to tell the people in your life what you are really celebrating during the most wonderful time of year! 

How do you plan on sharing the Gospel of Christ this Christmas season??

Wait, How Long??!

Today, I would like to discuss patience, everyone’s favorite word! Patience is defined as bearing provocation, annoyance, misfortune, delay, hardship, pain, etc., with fortitude and calm and without complaint, anger, or the like. The Lord calls us to be patient not only in the small things (ie: traffic!) but also in the big things.  I think Abraham is an extraordinary example for us to study in this area.  First, let me say that summarizing Abraham’s journey does not do the story justice.  I encourage you to go and read Genesis as soon as you get the chance. Until then, here’s a quick overview:

In Genesis 15, the Lord promises Abraham he will have an heir, a son, and that his descendants would be as numerous as the stars in the sky. Despite his old age, Abraham believed. God revealed that Abraham’s descendants would be slaves for 400 years and the 4^th generation would receive the blessing of the promised land.  Finally, Sarah gives birth to Isaac, the son that God promised Abraham, in Ch 20 when Abraham is 100 years old!

Often, I grow impatient just waiting for the red light to change on my way to work but Abraham waited until he was 100 years old for the Lord’s promise of a son to be realized.  In addition, he never personally saw the promised land, that blessing came 400 years later.  My question to you is… how much do you truly trust God’s timing?  As we approach the end of the year, many of us will be reflecting on the goals we set for the year, what we have accomplished, and where we feel that we have fallen short.   I would like to encourage you not to grow discouraged in the blessings you are still waiting on but to rejoice in the blessings that the Lord has bestowed on you in the past 12 months.  Don’t forget to also cherish God’s promises, because they will be fulfilled in His perfect timing.

Prayer:
Lord, I praise you for every single blessing you have bestowed on me in 2012.  I thank you for your kindness, your grace and your perfect timing.  Please help me to stay focused on your word and your promises.  Amen.

Identity: What Defines You?

Today, I would like to share with you a message that God has been reiterating in my life for several weeks! Finally, I have embraced the message and want to share it with you. I say the Lord has been sharing this with me for weeks but in reality it may have been months or even years. However, my husband’s words seemed to come out of the clear blue sky and smack me in the face, “You find your self-worth in busy-ness.” I was stunned for a moment and although, my initial thought was, “No I don’t!” I couldn’t bring myself to deny his accusation out loud, so instead, I pondered his statement. Could this be true? In the following weeks, it seemed like every sermon and devotional I read was pertaining to this topic in some way or another. Clearly, the Lord was speaking straight to me. Josh, my husband, was correct. I do find fulfillment in completing my checklist and getting as much productivity out of a day as humanly possible. This is not necessarily the problem. The problem is when the desire to complete a task turns into a need to complete that when unmet creates frustration and stress. That need, when unmet, leaves me feeling defeated and sad.

So, what is the lesson that God is teaching me? MY WORTH AND VALUE ARE FOUND IN CHRIST ALONE! My worth is not based on how many tasks get accomplished in a day or how many daily goals I meet. 2 Corinthians 5:17 says, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold the new has come.” The word new in the second portion of the verse is from the Greek word Kainos, meaning something just made which is unlike anything else in existence. Therefore, I am unlike anything else in existence! I am unique and precious to God and so are you because when we accepted Christ as our Savior, we became NEW creations. Why would I measure my value based on what I get accomplished in a day, when God says, prior to any of my checklists, I am precious! Goals and productivity are certainly good things, but it is critical to remember that there is nothing on this earth that can determine your value. Your value has already been established and does not require a specific job, social circle, or accomplishing any tasks. 

I challenge you to ask yourself the question, How do I define my value?? Pray over the answer and then take action to change any unbiblical thinking in this area of your life.

Prayer: Lord, I pray that my daily focus would be to glorify you in everything I do. I pray that you would reveal to me the things in my heart that are not pleasing to you. Please help me to always remember that my true identity is in you alone. Amen