Langford Market

This is a local store where I live, but they have an online shop, as well. I LOVE their tops - they're not the ordinary thing you'd see in department stores.   They're not cheap, but if you feel like a bit if indulgence for you or a friend, check it out! Langford Market.  And their jewelry, if you have one of these stores near you, is affordable and will brighten up your winter outfits!

Tis the Season

Deck the halls with boughs of holly, 
Fa la la la la, la la la la. 
Tis the season to be jolly, 
Fa la la la la, la la la la. 

Don we now our gay apparel, 
Fa la la, la la la, la la la. 
Troll the ancient Yule tide carol, 
Fa la la la la, la la la la. 

See the blazing Yule before us, 
Fa la la la la, la la la la. 
Strike the harp and join the chorus. 
Fa la la la la, la la la la. 

Do you like this familiar tune? Just the fa-la-la's are bound to make you smile.  Is your home filled with holly leaves and berries?  Do you enjoy dressing up in your finest, for the holidays? What about a fire in the fireplace?  All of that sets the scene for a glorious Christmas, doesn't it?  

However...without the "jolly" part of the season, Christmas is just a bunch of leaves, trees, flickers, and glitter.  After all, "tis the season" for smiles and happiness.

So, if all you've got is the outward appearance of Christmas, but the laughter and smiles are missing, read this verse:

Psalm 68:3 But may the righteous be glad and rejoice before God; may they be happy and joyful.

God wants you to be joyful this season.  Fa la la la la, la la la la!

The Manger

Away in a manger,
No crib for His bed
The little Lord Jesus
Laid down His sweet head

This is a song sang by children, just for children, right?  And it's a sweet lullaby, all about the baby Jesus...totally irrelevant for adults, right?

No way.

God sent his son to come to earth, and it's super significant that he was born as a lowly baby on a bed of hay. He could have sent him as a lofty King, born in a palace on a bed of velvet.

Jesus started out connecting with humanity and all of the suffering that we experience on this earth, as humans.  He became acquainted with everything that we encounter from birth to death...on this earth.  And that's important, because we have a Savior who became the least among us, in order to show true greatness.

Away in a manger - Jesus was born - and yes he's still sweet.

Thank you, Sweet Savior, for choosing to obey your Father in love, to bring us hope this Christmas season.

Here We Come

Here we come a-wassailing among the leaves so green;
Here we come a-wandering, so fair to be seen.
Love and joy come to you, and to you our wassail, too.
And God bless you and send you a Happy New YearAnd God bless you and send you a Happy New Year

Wassailing just means going house to house singing Christmas carols, and it can mean drinking and toasting friends as well!  I love some warm wassail on a cold night!

Again, this carol is bringing love and joy to those who hear it's melody.  There's a blessing in this song to send those who hear for a "happy" new year. 

One of my favorite verses in the bible is Jeremiah 29:11 

For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. 

So, when we sing carols of love and joy and hope, we are actually agreeing with God's word. His plans for us are to prosper us, not harm us.

God sent his Son to bring restoration to a dying world, restoration of life, restoration of healing, restoration of hope.

I can't promise that God will answer all your prayers like you demand him to, but I can sing of hope in the promise that whatever comes your way, if you follow after God with all your heart, you can rest in the fact that your future includes prosperity and hope, not harm and destruction.  

Your future is secure, and it's good, because God says it is.

Good Tidings We Bring

We wish you a Merry Christmas; 

We wish you a Merry Christmas; 
We wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. 
Good tidings we bring to you and your kin; 
Good tidings for Christmas and a Happy New Year.

I suppose this is the catchiest, easiest, most commonly sung Christmas carol there is!  It’s such a merry tune, and full of good will to those to whom you are singing!

Did you know that in the Bible the writers in the New Testament greeted their audience with blessings and good will?  Many times, “grace and peace” was offered as a way of introduction. (Romans 1:7)

There’s real power in singing this carol to a family, as we stand on their porch.  As we sing, we are offering good “tidings” or good “news.”  What is the good news?  That Jesus loves them and has a wonderful plan for their lives!

And we can offer this good news to the members in our own family, our friends, and even those whom we’ve yet to meet – and all of their relatives!

When you hear this tune this holiday season, join in, and realize what the lyrics are saying.  And when you see a friend, a neighbor, or a stranger, offer them something good – the love of the Father – and extend grace and peace to them and all those they love.

It’s more than a catchy tune that’s easy to memorize.  It’s truth, and when we sing in faith, a merry Christmas can be theirs, indeed!

Here We Come a Caroling....

It’s one month until Christmas.  For the next four weeks+ I’m going to write about a Christmas carol each night.  Why? It’s because every year I hear of another person who “hates” Christmas songs, and I wonder if it’s because they’re played too often in a concentrated amount of time, or if the joy and hope expressed seems unreal…or what?

As we look at the carols together, I hope we all become enthralled with the message in each one…or perhaps realize that some of them indeed are hokey and not worth listening to!

Did you know the word “carol” means a song of praise and joy?  I didn’t.

I happen to love carols and caroling.  I love the whole idea of gathering with friends to visit neighbors and sing at their front doors, songs of hope and good cheer.  I love the idea that singing Christmas carols signals to those who hear that something is coming…a time of celebration and joy…a time of giving.

Many people don’t like Christmas, they despise caroling, and they can’t wait until the season of “joy” is over, because the pain in their lives is so much stronger than the joy…at the moment.

So for those friends and neighbors, I pray that this season renews the joy and wonder of the Christ child who came to save the world from sin.  Because I am one of those sinners, saved by grace, and I can’t help but sing about it, loud and clear on a cold winter’s night…because the Son of God lives set me free.

Psalm 108

Give Thanks

Psalm 106 says, “Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever.”

The reason we can give thanks, even in the most difficult of situations, is because he is good and his love never ends.

Because God is good, if we love him, he makes all things (even the bad stuff) work together for good in our lives.  What an amazing God we serve, one who is powerful enough to change darkness into light.

Because God’s love lasts for eternity, we can give thanks for all things, knowing that all that we endure and go through is for a purpose – an eternal one – and nothing or no one can keep God’s love from fulfilling what he has planned for us.

Is this week of Thanksgiving looking ominous to you?  Perhaps part of your family is missing.  Maybe the family you have is distant.  Or your funds may be low, making your table less than a full spread.

Whatever your situation, give thanks to the Lord because the truth is that he’s a good father and he will always love you. Period.

It's Required

Micah 6:8 He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.

I got to be a part of the Market of Hope today, where we volunteered to sell products that help rescue women from poverty and trafficking.  It was all part of a team called "Seek Justice" and we were pumped to participate.

People showed up in droves, believers and non-believers alike, to shop "with a purpose," something that drew us all together for a cause.

This passage says it is good and required of the Lord to "act justly" and to "love mercy, " and to "walk humbly."  

I believe when we do these things it shows the world that we love like Jesus does - and we want to make things right - like Jesus can.

What better witness can be to a dying world than to be kind to those in need? The world sees and takes notice of that more than they do our cars backing out of our driveway every Sunday morning to go to church....

What a good day.

Pray with Thanksgiving

Colossians 1:3 says, “We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, because we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love you have for all God’s people.”

When you pray for your friends, do you give thanks? 

We need each other.  And we need the prayers of our friends, as they need our prayers, too. 

Those who have faith in Jesus are family.  And families pray for one another.

Next time you pray for friends/family, give thanks for their faith.  Give thanks that they are part of your family.  And pray that their faith remains strong.

Prayer is effective, and it’s our privilege to pray for one another.  And prayer can sustain friendships, strengthen families, and lift up the downcast.

Evidence

Philippians 4:  Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

One of my favorite passages in the Bible!

It’s hard to do, but this is really one of the things that sets those who believe apart from those who don’t. Because we believe in a God who is in control of our lives and loves us, we don’t have to worry about a thing.  We can pray for what we need, with thanksgiving, knowing that He hears us and answers us.

And when we do this, the peace of God (that makes no sense to those who don’t believe) will guard our hearts and minds.  Guard us from what?  Anxiety.

Are you anxious about tomorrow, about your future? 

The Lord is near.  In every situation.

Give thanks today because He is good, not because your situation is good.  And present what you need to Him.  Then visualize yourself guarded and protected by his goodness and grace.

And rest in his peace.

Every Time

Philippians 1 says,  I thank my God every time I remember you.  In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy.

What if each day until Christmas we give thanks for someone we remember?  

We could start with our parents, and remember and give thanks for the things they did for us and taught us.

Next, we might thank God for a teacher who had great influence in our lives.

Thanking him for a boss or a co-worker might be next on our list, someone who has blessed us with kindness or a promotion.

We might even give thanks for a stranger who motioned to let us enter the traffic ahead of him, smiling as he waved.

And what about the babies in the world who bring us so much joy with their infectious smiles?

This verse says that Paul thanked God every time he remembered this certain person, and then he prayed for them.

What a great practice and ritual to begin…and never end!

Great Idea

Ephesians 5 says, But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God’s holy people.  Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking, which are out of place, but rather thanksgiving. For of this you can be sure: No immoral, impure or greedy person—such a person is an idolater—has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.

I don’t like filthy talk, in person, on the big screen, or in the lyrics of music.  It makes me feel sad, and sorry, for those who feel it’s necessary to degrade their bodies and minds by talking “out of place.” 

So what should we be talking about?

These verses say that instead of all that filth spewing out of our mouths, we should be spilling out thanksgiving.

Let’s challenge each other this Thanksgiving to only give thanks at least on that one day.  Let’s not say one foul word about another person, let’s not ask for anything, and let’s not think or talk of anything foul or improper.  Instead, let’s try to fill one day with nothing but thanks.

We can thank him for the food, for those we love, for those who love us, for air to breathe, for our health, for his word, for our children, for our parents, for homes and a roof, for a clean bed in which to sleep…

Get the idea?

Communion

I Corinthians 10 says Is not the cup of thanksgiving for which we give thanks a participation in the blood of Christ? And is not the bread that we break a participation in the body of Christ?Because there is one loaf, we, who are many, are one body, for we all share the one loaf.

Consider over the next few days having communion with your family.  Set out a loaf of bread and juice, and pass it around, giving thanks to Jesus as you tear off a piece of bread and sip a drink.

As we remember the great sacrificial love of our Savior this time of year, we are offering up thanksgiving.  Because of his love, we are able to participate and be a part of the family of God – his sons and daughters.

And because we are his sons and daughters, we are heirs to all that is ours because God is our father.  Every good thing comes from his hand.

And because the gift of salvation is for anyone who asks, this  makes us family with a diverse group of people across the world – no matter their race, religion, or status – but only because we all believe and serve Jesus.

Salvation – Thank you, Jesus.

Provision – Thank you, God.

Family – Thank you, Father, for my brothers and sisters who are many.

Enjoy your communion time with him.

Stir It Up

2 Corinthians 9 says  ^“Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness. You will be enriched in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God. This service that you perform is not only supplying the needs of the Lord’s people but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God.

Did you know that when you give to others, it not only supplies the need of that person, but it stirs up thanksgiving in their hearts?  Pretty cool.

When we receive gifts on our birthday, at Christmas, or any time at all, our hearts are full of thanksgiving at the generosity of the giver.

We can cultivate and encourage thanksgiving in others by being generous this season.  In fact, these verses say that as we give, we will be given more, so that we can be generous “on every occasion.” 

There’s nothing wrong with giving your kids gifts at Christmas.  There’s nothing wrong with giving other things for Christmas instead of spending money – like time, handmade gifts, or something baked.  It’s the giving, the selfless act of caring for another person and showing them that you care, that evokes thanksgiving in their hearts.

Lavish your kids with love and giving to meet their needs this year.  Spend time with them, offer them unconditional love, surprise them with fun, and affirm them with your words.

In heaping your generosity upon those you love, they will return to God and to you with expressions of thanksgiving, and He will be most pleased.

Thanksgiving

Psalm 69 I will praise God’s name in song and glorify him with thanksgiving.
This will please the Lord more than an ox, more than a bull with its horns and hooves.

It is less than two weeks until Thanksgiving, and even though we all learn to say "Thank you" with our lips,  I believe a thankful heart has to be cultivated.

We have to teach our kids by example to say, “Thank You” to those who bless us.  We all have to realize how blessed we are, by actually seeing God’s provision in our lives, in order to give thanks.  And we have to choose to say, “Thank You,” when we don’t feel thankful at all.

One of the ways we can offer thanksgiving is through song.  It pleases the Lord to sing to him.  In fact, he will join in and sing right back to you!  He’d rather have a song of thanksgiving, than constant sacrifice and mourning in your prayers.

Singing is a universal language, and it’s in the heart of every man, woman, and child.

Sing your thanksgiving to God today.  Sing it loud.  Sing it bold. Sing like no one is listening…except Him.  

Too Wonderful

The end of the book of Job contains Job’s reply to all of God’s questions:

Then Job replied to the Lord:

“I know that you can do all things; no purpose of yours can be thwarted.
You asked, ‘Who is this that obscures my plans without knowledge?’ Surely I spoke of things I did not understand, things too wonderful for me to know.”

Do you know, are you convinced, and are you confirmed in the fact that God’s purposes in your lives cannot be thwarted? To thwart something is to prevent it from being accomplished.

Surely Job thought his life was over, there was no reason for his existence, and God was far from him.   But just the opposite was true.  God reminded him of his great power and wisdom in several chapters by having him observe all of his creation.

We all wonder why, when tragedy and heartache is ours.  But when we question God to the point of deciding in our hearts that he’s not the great God we thought him to be…we’re speaking of things we do not understand. 

We will never understand God’s ways.

But we can understand, believe, and accept his great power and his great hand that holds us, accomplishing every single purpose he has for us.  

Nothing can stop that. 

And that is knowledge that brings life, even in the middle of the darkest of times…

Like Clay

More questions from Job 38:

Have you ever given orders to the morning, or shown the dawn its place, that it might take the earth by the edges and shake the wicked out of it? The earth takes shape like clay under a seal; its features stand out like those of a garment.

I’d like to sit and learn at the feet of this great writer!  What personification and imagery!

How would you like to get up and order the heavens to do what you tell them to do?  Where would you choose to send rain?  Over what area would you breathe a fresh blanket of snow?  And at what time would you cause dawn to show its face?  What a great responsibility!

God set every feature upon the earth (like clothing it with a garment – so personal!) from the mountains, to the rivers, to the oceans, to the valleys.  He shaped and formed the earth, and he gives orders to the skies.

I don’t know about you, but I want to live atop a place that he uses as his footstool, and under a blanket of protection where he breathes.

Even if the mountains move and fall into the sea, which happens sometimes, God has me pinned in between the care and oversight of his amazing stewardship.

And I’m part of that creation that groans to be ordered and shaped into his image, because that is why I exist on this earth.

Tell Me...

Job 38 tells us of God speaking to Job, after Job questions all of the trials and sorrow he is experiencing in his life.

Where were you when I laid the earth’s foundation? Tell me, if you understand. Who marked off its dimensions? Surely you know! Who stretched a measuring line across it? On what were its footings set, or who laid its cornerstone—while the morning stars sang together and all the angels shouted for joy?

Let’s try to answer some of these questions.

We were not present when God laid the earth’s foundation.  And we certainly have no understanding of how he laid out the earth in perfect form, setting everything in motion.  We can never comprehend it because it’s too far above our understanding. 

We do believe God created the heavens and the earth by his words.  He spoke and it happened.  It was that easy and that simple for him, because he’s the great Creator.

We cannot comprehend how the planets hang together in the universe, in movement, and how they keep their bearings and stay put.

And how can we even begin to count or observe every star hanging in space, or hear the songs they sing?  I didn’t even know the stars sang!

The point of these verses is that God is God, and we are man.  And that fact alone should bring us great peace in order to rest at night, knowing the creator of the earth is our father, our savior, and our Lord.

Swept Clean

The end of Job 37 is just as great as the verses we’ve read before:

Now no one can look at the sun, bright as it is in the skies after the wind has swept them clean. Out of the north he comes in golden splendor; God comes in awesome majesty. The Almighty is beyond our reach and exalted in power; in his justice and great righteousness, he does not oppress.

The past two daily devos were about the storm clouds and how God is in control of them; in fact, the clouds are poised, only waiting to move or pour – at his command.  Awesome!

Now that the storm has passed, these verses remind us of the blinding brightness of the sun in the sky, “after the wind has swept them clean.”  Can you picture the wind being a giant broom and showing up in the sky as if to say, “Clouds, be gone!” And then with one huge sweep, the clouds move and the sun reappears.  The sun was never  gone, it was just covered up momentarily.

The sun is indeed spectacular, full of golden splendor, and majestic.  We cannot even look at it with our eyes.  It’s too bright.

The almighty God is also all of these things and more – beyond our reach and more powerful than any force on the earth. However, in his great love he sent his son Jesus so that we can behold his face; we can admire his beauty, and we can bask in his goodness.

Storm clouds do show up from time to time, but the presence of the sun is never affected by the clouds.  And the sun always burns through the clouds, as the wind sends them on their way…

Look at the “son” because he has made a way to the father for you…where his face shines on you today through every threatening cloud that hovers over you...

He says...

More great verses from Job 37:

He says to the snow, ‘Fall on the earth,’ and to the rain shower, ‘Be a mighty downpour.’So that everyone he has made may know his work, he stops all people from their labor. The animals take cover; they remain in their dens. The tempest comes out from its chamber, the cold from the driving winds.The breath of God produces ice, and the broad waters become frozen. He loads the clouds with moisture; he scatters his lightning through them.  At his direction they swirl around over the face of the whole earth to do whatever he commands them. He brings the clouds to punish people, or to water his earth and show his love.

I’m fascinated by the weather. I love listening to the forecast, especially if I’m awaiting a good thunderstorm or a rare snowfall in my area. But in real life, I don’t look forward to stormy weather, just clear, cloudless days. 

These verses remind us that God inhabits the heavens and all that falls is under his command.  He ultimately controls the rain, the snow, the wind, and the ice.  It even says sometimes the heavy downpours occur to “stop people from their labor.”  Or perhaps clouds show up when we’ve disobeyed and need correction.  And soaking, healing rain falls for days to cover us with his love.  And ice?  It comes from when he breathes….

I love this!  

Weather can be so unpredictable, and storms of destruction can wipe away entire communities and cities and sometimes even countries.  But God’s “weather” has a purpose, a meaning, a direction, and great power.  God is not out to destroy us, but rather to demonstrate his love and awesomeness in our lives.

This is why even when our skies are full of ominous clouds that surely mean destruction, if we know Him and obey Him, whatever falls from his hand will be for good…not evil.