I was able to accompany my husband on a business-related trip last week.  This was the amazing view from our hotel room balcony.

“Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.”  ~ Galatians 5:1

As my thoughts go, so goes my day many times.

I don’t expect that everyone has this struggle, but at times my mind seems to get stuck in a certain gear.  I will find myself dwelling on what someone has done or said, or a problem I’m facing, or a relationship issue – the list could be extensive.  Let’s just say that it’s usually not things that are “true, honest, just, pure, lovely, or of good report.”

I had fallen into this trap again one day last week.  It was as if my mind refused to dwell on anything but a particular problem.  Suddenly the thought hit me – I have the freedom to not think about this.  I’m not in bondage to this thought; I am free to think about anything else that I want to.

What a joy it is to know that whatever sin we may struggle with, we don’t have to be enslaved to it.  Through the power that is ours through Christ, we can be free, no longer serving that sin, but choosing to live in freedom.

I’m trusting that this truth will continue to lift me above my thought problems!

 Heaven is real.

The older we get, the more we see the reality of death as loved ones go before us into eternity.

I was inspired to think more about this transition to our heavenly home while reading the following passage in Randy Alcorn’s book, Heaven.

“Five months before he died, C.S. Lewis wrote to a woman who feared that her own death was imminent.  Lewis said,

‘Can you not see death as a friend and deliverer?  What is there to be afraid of?  Your sins are confessed…Has this world been so kind to you that you should leave with regret?  There are better things ahead than any we leave behind…Of course, this may not be the end.  Then make it a good rehearsal.’ [Emphasis mine.]

Lewis signed the letter, “Yours (and like you, a tired traveler, near the journey’s end.)”

Life here is good.  I just spent several days with family visiting our home and it was a joyful time.  Yet even the best of these days here on earth are tainted because of the curse of sin.  One day, however, we will live forever in the perfect presence of God and with all others who love and worship Him.

No matter what trial today brings, let’s take a moment to think about what awaits those of us who are saved and savor the thought of a place Jesus is preparing for us.  And for those of you that I may never meet here, I anticipate a happy “getting acquainted” session there!

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Valentine’s Day is about celebrating love.

You and I are blessed if we have people to love and people who love us.

Yet we know that the greatest love of all is the love that our Heavenly Father has for us.  It’s a perfect love and it’s extended freely to all.

Today I’m meditating on these three truths about love.

1.  God’s love is everlasting.  Jeremiah 31:3, “The Lord
hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an
everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee.”  While the quality of my human love is certainly not on par with God’s love, I’ve made it a point lately to tell my daughters that they can never do anything that will cause me not to love them.  They are my children and always will be.  So it is with me as God’s child.

2.  Love is not dependent on another person’s response.  Romans 5:8, “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”  Despite the fact that mankind had sinned against God, He still sent Jesus to die for us.  He didn’t wait for some action on our part; He initiated the act of love.  In the same way, I can love another regardless of whether or not they respond immediately in kind.

3.  Love is demonstrated by actions.  I John 4:9, “In
this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent
his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him.”  God did so much more than just saying He loved us; He proved it by sacrificing His Son.  I can say, “I love you” all day long, but if I never show it by the way I act, it’s very hard for someone to believe it.   The “little things” I do every day can show my family I love them – preparing meals, doing laundry, giving hugs.  Sometimes I need to recognize those same “little things” that are being done for me – my husband doing repairs around the house, my daughter putting things away without being asked.  It’s okay to show love in “big” ways, too!

On this Valentine’s Day, I’m thankful for God’s love and for the promise of spending an eternity experiencing it.

Do you pray Scripture?

I recently finished reading Beth Moore’s book Believing God.  I found her commentary on John 15:7 quite thought provoking.  The verse says, “If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.”

Here’s what Beth had to say.

“According to John 15:7, the key to answered prayer is sharing the mind of Christ over any given matter through His words actively abiding in us.  The more His words roll around in our heads, the more likely we are to think with them….When I use Scripture, I in effect transfer the burden to God’s Word rather than my ability to pray correctly or adequately.”

I have prayed Scripture in the past, but this encouraged me to get back into the habit.

There are certain areas in which we know what the will of God is.  For example, when I pray for my unsaved neighbor, I can use 2 Peter 3:9.  “The
Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some men count slackness,
but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish, but
that all should come to repentance.”

James 1:5 is a wonderful verse to pray when I need to make a decision and am unsure of what to do. “If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.”

At times, I have prayed for a particular answer to prayer for a family member, a request that would bring a blessing in their lives, and have quoted the last part of Psalm 84:11, where it says “…no good thing will He withhold from them that walk uprightly.”

In difficulties, I can tell God that I know His grace will be sufficient (2 Corinthians 12:9) or “…my God shall supply all [my] need…” (Philippians 4:19)  If I’m fearful, I know that God has told me He has not given me the spirit of fear (2 Timothy 1:7) or if I don’t feel up to a task, I know that “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.” (Philippians 4:13)

Using promises from His Word is powerful.  I can remind God of His promise that He “will never leave me nor forsake me” (Hebrews 13:5) and that if I acknowledge Him, He will direct my paths. (Proverbs 3:6)

The more that I read, study, and memorize Bible passages and meditate on them, the more Scripture I can find to address prayer concerns and needs that I have.

A similar practice is to use God’s Word to praise Him. The Psalms are perfect for this!  Last year, I memorized Psalm 145 and it works well here.  I take the verses and put them into my own words as I pray.  For example, verses 8 and 9 could be prayed like this.

Lord, I praise you because you are gracious and full of compassion toward me.  I thank you that you are slow to anger and show such great mercy.  You are so good to all of us and everything You do is covered by your mercy.

I am taking the words that God had the Psalmist pen and praising Him with them.  This is something I want to do more of as part of my daily prayer time.

Do you ever pray Scripture?  Is there a favorite Bible verse or a particular promise that would make a good prayer or praise to God?

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I am really enjoying focusing more on the advent of Christ this Christmas season.

Earlier in December, I shared my project Words of Advent.  Reading the devotional seems to get my thoughts moving in the right direction each morning.  Sharing what I’m learning with the girls during our morning Bible time makes it even more special.  Now they sometimes try to guess what the word is when I read the Scripture passage for the day!

I wanted to share a few more of the words we have studied in the last week.

• Purpose.  God’s purpose for Jesus was Calvary.  Every event in His life -including the birth in a stable in Bethlehem – led Him to that destiny.  So God has a purpose for each one of us to fulfill.  We can trust Him as He leads and works in our lives.
• Shadows.  The Old Testament system of priests and animal sacrifices was a shadow of the real thing that was to come.  Christ came to remove the shadows; He is the real, atoning sacrifice for our sin.
• Life.  In John 10:10b, Jesus tells us why He came.  “I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.”  He came to bring life – life eternal and abundant life in the here and now.
• Gifts.  The wise men brought gifts worthy of a king – gold, frankincense, and myrrh.  Surely this was an act of worship, humility, and love.  Yet it reminds me that no material possessions can ever bring true satisfaction.  That comes only through my relationship with Christ.

I’m so excited about an idea I’m going to share on Monday! It’s a neat way to really bring the best gift of all into focus during this season.

Hoping you’re able to take some time to meditate on the real meaning of Christmas in the coming week.

The only Advent tradition we’ve had in our home in previous years has involved a cute calendar and candy. While it’s fun to see the girls get excited about the coming festivities, I was convicted this year about focusing more on preparing our hearts for the true meaning of Christmas, the birth of our Saviour.

During our morning Bible time each day, I’m choosing a word that relates to the season for us to discuss.  I’m loosely basing it on Good News of Great Joy:  Daily Reading for Advent.  Here are the words we’ve used so far this month.

• Hope.  I recognize that I am a sinner and need a Saviour.  While I deserve eternal punishment – separation from God – I can have hope because God loved me and sent His Son. 

• Expectation.  Zacharias and Elisabeth waited expectantly for John to be born.  Mary awaited the birth of Jesus.  The Jewish people anticipated the coming of Messiah.  In the same way, I, as a believer, anticipate His second coming.  The days of anticipation leading up to Christmas remind me to always have in the back of my mind the expectation that Christ could return at any moment.

• Faithfulness.  Beginning in Genesis 3:15, God promised One Who would “bruise the serpent’s head.”  Through the prophets of the Old Testament, God promised a Messiah.  His promises all came true, beginning with the birth of John the Baptist, then in the birth of Christ.  Likewise, I can claim the promises in His Word – such as ” I will never leave thee nor forsake thee” and “My grace is sufficient for thee” – and know that every one will be fulfilled.

I’m excited about continuing our study over the next three weeks!

Do you practice any Advent activities in your home?

Since reading Ann Voskamp’s book One Thousand Gifts earlier this year, I’ve tried to be more intentional about incorporating gratitude into my day.  I’ve mentioned keeping a journal in which I record at least five things I’m thankful for each morning.  This practice has caused me to focus on what we tend to think of as “little” gifts, the small moments that so quickly pass us by if we’re not watching for them.

There are the physical blessings of good health, the financial provision that meets our needs and allows us to give to others, the blessings of family and friends, and the spiritual blessings, beginning with salvation and expanding to so much more.

I’m finding that making gratitude a daily practice gives me a proper perspective and helps me spend time meditating on answered prayer.

I want to continue this “journaling thankfulness” next year.  This diary of God’s constant and continuing goodness in our lives causes me to look for the good for which I can be thankful.  I’m ashamed to say that there are mornings when it takes longer than it should for me to think of five things to write down.  In that case, I know I need to re-focus my mind and count my blessings.

Beyond cultivating my own grateful spirit, I want to help our children learn to be thankful. Rehearsing God’s blessings aloud and often – and in every situation – seems to be a good place to start.  Moving it from words that we speak in praise to God and down into their hearts to produce a thankful spirit is something for which I really want to strive.

Happy Thanksgiving to you and your loved ones!  With Paul, in Philippians 1:3, I can say, “I thank my God upon every remembrance of you.”

For all of us, may this season of giving thanks last well past a day and into the weeks and months to come!

A few nights ago I was talking with one of my daughters who was worried about going to the dentist the following afternoon.  She was afraid she might have a cavity, which could lead to having a tooth pulled.  I explained that what she was fearing might not even happen.  I reminded her of Philippians 4:6, which says, “Be careful [full of care] for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.”

How ironic it was, then, that the very next day I found myself worked up about some decisions we’ll need to make in the coming weeks and months.  I was stressing about possible scenarios and outcomes that might play out in those situations.

Then it hit me – how dare I counsel my daughter about her worries and then become mired in my own?!  Just as with her circumstance, some of the things I was worrying about may not even take place.

I was convicted; the answer to my worry is prayer, making my concerns known to God and then leaving them with Him.

This was not a one-time conversation for her or for me.  I know that both of us will be tempted to worry again, but with God’s help, we can remember to take every care to Him.  As I Peter 5:7 reminds us, we can cast all our cares upon Him, because He cares for us.

“Worrying is carrying tomorrow’s load with today’s strength- carrying two days at once. It is moving into tomorrow ahead of time. Worrying doesn’t empty tomorrow of its sorrow, it empties today of its strength.” ~Corrie Ten Boom

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Mark 4 gives us the parable of the sower and the seed.  In verses 18 and 19, we read the meaning of what happens to the seed that fell among the thorns.  “And these are they which are sown among thorns; such as hear the word, And the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in, choke the word, and it becometh unfruitful.”

Does this describe me?  I’m afraid that it feels that way sometimes.  When the Word of God is not producing fruit in my life, it’s often because I’m allowing it to be choked out.

Here’s what the verse says chokes out the seed of God’s Word.

1.  The cares of the world.  There are many of these in our lives, aren’t there?  This can be the day-to-day tasks that we must accomplish – the cooking, cleaning, errands, homeschooling – all good and necessary, but not to the detriment of reading and meditating on the Bible.  We could also include bigger cares – stresses and worries that we can’t control, but that we allow to take over our thoughts and minds.

2.  Deceitfulness of riches.  This reminds me of materialism.  When our focus is on making money or accumulating possessions, we can ignore the necessity of grounding ourselves in God’s Word.  If we think that being rich or buying what we want will make us happy, we are deceived.  However, it’s easy to get caught up in work and achieving success and allow our spiritual life to suffer.

3.  Lusts of other things.  Certain accomplishments for ourselves or our children, sports, hobbies, physical fitness – the list of things that can distract us from God’s Word can be quite long.  These are things that may not be wrong unless we allow them to choke out God’s Word in our lives.

I struggle with all of the above at times, and I need to yield to the Holy Spirit and ask for His help in rooting out the thorns so that the seed of His Word can produce fruit in my life.

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“And if any man say ought unto you, ye shall say, The Lord hath need of them; and straightway he will send them.” ~Matthew 21:3

I’m guessing it’s not my donkey that the Lord needs.

As Matthew 21 begins, Jesus sends two of His disciples into a nearby village to locate a donkey and its colt and bring them back to Him.  If they’re questioned about taking the animals, their answer is to be that the Lord needs them.

What might I have that the Lord needs?  Admittedly, the God of the universe doesn’t “need” anything from me, but there are things I have that He can use if I will let Him.

Maybe He requires my service in a particular ministry, either at church or in the community. Could it be extra time reading my Bible, more moments of just being still before Him?  Perhaps it’s a talent I have that I’ve not been using.  Could it be releasing my expectations for what life holds for my children?  Or is it a possession or habit that I’m unwilling to give up?  Only His Holy Spirit can reveal what God wants from me.

The second question I have to ask myself is whether or not I willingly give it up.  It says that the man with the donkey will straightway – as in immediately – send it.  If I have something God can use, may I offer it to Him without a fight.

Ultimately, the donkey was used to glorify Christ as He rode the animal into Jerusalem before the multitudes who were crying “Hosanna.”  So, if I will let God use all of me, it will bring glory to Him.