Can you believe December is almost upon us? There’s no more denying that the shopping, wrapping, decorating, parties and Christmas programs will soon dominate are calendars, if they haven’t already! My son-in-law already attended his staff Christmas party!
It’s so easy for us to get caught up in the seemingly endless list of activities and traditions! The hurry scurry of the hectic schedule of Christmas can overtake not just our calendars but our lives. Let’s pause and take some time out of our schedules to reflect on the true meaning of Christmas.

As we enter the first week of advent, we focus on the arrival of Christ, the promised Son, the Messiah, the Savior of the world. Advent means the arrival of a noble person, thing or event. Do we truly pause long enough to take in the full extent of God’s immense love for us?
The true gift of Christmas is God sending His Son to be WITH US.

Another word for Jesus is Immanuel, meaning God with us. The true miracle of Christmas is that God didn’t just say He loved us, but He demonstrated it by sending His Son to be WITH US; to understand us; to be familiar with all of the issues, struggles, triumphs, failures, joys, pains and sorrows that we encounter, each and everyday.

If you have an acquaintance that tells you they like you, and speaks with you casually, they remain an acquaintance. But those we call friends, are the ones who spend time with us, who are with us when we succeed, and they share in our celebration! They are also with us through our struggles, our looses and our pain. They make the sacrifices to spend the time to have an intimate relationship with us.

God loves us so much that He does not simply remain the all powerful being, Creator God who lives in Heaven. Instead His love for us is so great that He humbled himself to be WITH US.

“For to us a child is born, to us a Son is given…” Isaiah 9:6a

As you prepare for this Christmas season and reflect on the arrival of Christ, I pray you will find ways to focus on God being WITH US.

This comes from being with Him first and foremost through reading His Word. Communing with Him through the pages of Scripture and through prayer. Through singing His praises with a joyful heart, grateful for the most incredible gift of Jesus Christ! It also comes through serving others gladly, and extending God’s love to them. A friend that needs a helping hand or an encouraging word; a child who needs to be sponsored or sent a special gift this season; a homeless person who needs a hot meal, or maybe a warm blanket. God will provide opportunities for us to serve others in His name if we are open and looking.

Truth Bomb

Advent is a time to reflect on Christ’s arrival, as God WITH US!

Jesus is the greatest gift the world has ever or will ever receive! His greatest desire is time WITH US. Let’s commit from this first week of advent on, to keep Jesus WITH US throughout this entire season.

Speak Truth Love

I apologize for the late post today, It’s moving day!

It has been an emotional week, filled with goodbyes, memories, prayers, and lots and lots of hugs!
It’s not easy to “MOVE!” No matter what context moving is used in, it is always an active verb!

It calls us to “do something!” And let’s face it, in this fast-paced, get up and go world we live in, moving can be one of the last things we feel like doing. Moving is not a “natural state.” The natural state of our being is to want to sit or lay down. There is no denying however, that our bodies were created to move! Our arms and legs bend, our head turns, our toes and fingers curl, and our knees and elbows are joints. In fact, without regular movement and exercise, a sedentary lifestyle leads to poor health, and can even lead to death. Movement is a necessity for physical health and well being! The same is true of spiritual health and well being!
Our natural reaction to change is typically negative. We love living in the comfort zone. The danger zone is only for those “bad boys” that you love to watch on the big screen and dream about. But you’d never want to live that reality for yourself.
We don’t only want our days planned, we buy calendars, to plan our weeks and our months. We pay financial planners to provide us with a false sense of security, for our future and retirement.
We like things to stay the same, but the truth is, our spiritual muscles need flexing and movement just as much as our physical muscles do.
A newborn baby, may be perfectly content to stay cuddled in a soft warm blanket, and be fed milk. If that baby celebrates its fifth birthday, or it’s tenth birthday, or heaven forbid it’s fifteenth birthday, still cuddled up and fed milk from a bottle, then that child will never grow and develop. Atrophy will set in and eventually all growth will cease. We must not allow this to happen to our spiritual bodies. God calls us to trust Him, and to step out in faith. Often He calls us to step where we cannot see the road ahead clearly.

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight.”
Proverbs 3:5-6

That is the true definition of trust.

Stepping out, knowing that the One who calls you will take you safely where He’s calling you to go.

So today, I find myself flexing those spiritual muscles, and MOVING!

As the end of one chapter, a good chapter, comes to a close and the beginning of the next chapter begins, I find myself thankful for where God has had me, and where He will lead me next. It is not an easy move, but I trust the One who has called me to move, to provide for all my needs, and to fulfill His will and purposes in me and through me. He is faithful, and I am thankful!
Nine months ago, my faithful God spoke a verse into my life as He called me to move forward and to trust Him with my future. Proverbs 3:5-6 has been my constant source of encouragement, strength, and confidence through these past nine months.
I anticipate great things ahead, in this new chapter and ministry, from my faithful, powerful, loving God!

TRUTH BOMB

Exercising your spiritual muscles requires you to MOVE!

Don’t be afraid to MOVE! Don’t be afraid to exercise your trust in God! He will never fail you! His ways are perfect! He will direct your paths!

Speak Truth Love

I am thankful for the right to vote.
In this month of giving thanks, and in our commitment to give thanks to God before we ask Him for anything, today on voting day, I am thankful for: the right to vote; a free democratic system; the men and women who dedicate their lives in military service to keep us free; the freedom of religion we have; and for the church, who reminds me that there is way more to life than what happens here on earth.
This same week in which we exercise our freedom to vote is the same week we honor the brave men and women who serve in our military service to ensure that freedom. I’ve been blessed to travel to many foreign countries where that freedom does not exist.
I was called to minister there, and I prayed every day for God’s protection, that wasn’t as secure where I was.
We live in America. It is still the land of the free!
Today we exercise our freedom to vote. I urge you to exercise that freedom and trust God to take care of all the details. And on Friday, we honor and celebrate those who give their lives in military service to keep us free. This week emphasizes the privilege of freedom we enjoy. It’s not a freedom to squander. It’s a blessing from God, and we ought to thank Him every day for it.
As my dad’s favorite,
“I’m proud to be an American, where at least I know I’m free; and I won’t forget the men who died and gave their life for me.”
So on voting day, I’ll proudly stand side by side with fellow Americans, and cast my vote. God calls me to do my part! And I will trust God for the outcome. I am thankful that my God is in control, and I am not.
We haven’t been here before, but God has been here before!
In the Peanuts cartoon, Peppermint Patty asked Charlie Brown to define security. Charlie replied, “It is sleeping in the back seat of the car, and your mom and dad are in the front seat, driving and taking care of everything.
We are God’s children. He is in the front seat, driving and taking care of us, our nation, and our future. Relax, trust Me. For the follower of Jesus, in Romans 8, God works together for the good of those who love Him. He is going to work it out, no matter the outcome of this—let me emphasize temporary—election. He will still be Lord of all in the days ahead!
So let God drive. Let Him fly the plane. You need to get in the car with Him. You have to get on the plane with Him. You need to show up at the voting booth and do your part. And above all, you need to pray, daily!
TRUTH BOMB

When God’s people humble themselves and pray, God will heal their land.
God says, when my people humble themselves before Me and pray, I will listen, and forgive, and heal their land. Regardless of who wins, let’s pray that our nation truly becomes a nation under God. In everything, God is working today together for good. He is in charge! You don’t have to worry. So have a thank-filled day today, thankful for this great privilege, and go vote.

Speak Truth Love

I love November!

The weather is colder, the days are shorter, the opportunities to wrap up in a warm soft blanket and cuddle up by the fire are more frequent…and the promise of homemade pumpkin pie made from my Grandma’s recipe are in my near future. Every one of these delightful things makes me feel thankful!
November is a month for giving thanks. So I’d like to start it off on the first day–today, November 1st–to a commitment to be thankful.
Thankfulness is a state of mind. It is a realization that although we may not have everything we want, we have an abundance to be thankful for.

“Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; His faithful love endures forever!” Psalm 136:1

If thankfulness is a state of mind, and I believe it is, and if God is faithful, and I know He is, then each and every day I have something to be thankful for. The sunrise in the morning; a new day; rolling clouds that some days look like big puffs of cotton, and the next day form animal shapes. Songs to sing and lessons to learn. I am thankful for all these things and so much more.
I want to dedicate my blog through the month of November to being thankful: to setting my mind to have an attitude of gratitude.

TRUTH BOMB

Being thankful starts with recognizing to whom the thanks is due.

I am challenging myself that on each day of this month, before I ask God for anything, that I first thank Him for five blessings in my life. I ask you to take this challenge with me. Let’s dedicate the month of November, not to just one day of giving thanks as we gobble down scrumptious turkey and delicious pumpkin pie, but to truly having an attitude of gratitude. Every day of this month let’s thank God before we ask Him for anything.

“Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; His love endures forever!”

Speak Truth Love