What obstacles do you need to tackle in the New Year?  I have been trying to make some breakthroughs in my writing and speaking.  Some involve facing my own fears; some hurdles include budgets, some involve things I need to learn on the internet and some are caused by things over which I have no control.  But all affect my ability to see myself moving on to the next level.

Have you ever found yourself facing what seemed to be insurmountable obstacles?  Joshua did.  He led the Israelites to take possession of land that had been ruled by great kings.  Five of those kings banded together in Joshua 10, and went to destroy the army Josh led.  But it was Israel who defeated their enemies that day.  God did the winning through supernatural means.  10:11 says God sent hailstones to defeat the enemy!

Maybe your enemy is fear of failure, financial obstacles or time management.  Do you need a victory?  In 10:8, “The Lord said to Joshua, ‘Do not be afraid of them…Not one of them will be able to withstand you.’”

The Lord will be your Victorious One!  Maybe He won’t send hailstorms, but He will help you to take your position and tackle your problem.  10:34 is an important verse in Josh’s story, because it shows his frame of mind.  He didn’t hide in his tent.  He went out and faced his problems!

I’m going to tackle the former things of 2008 so that I can move forward to claim new territory in 2009. 

Will you make a list of your obstacles and join me on the frontlines?  We need each other for moral support!  And we need to remind each other that the battle is the Lord’s.  In 10:25 “Joshua said to them, ‘Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.  Be strong and courageous.  This is what the Lord will do to all the enemies you are going to fight.’”

Don’t you want to know what the Lord will do?  Let’s watch Him defeat our obstacles as we place our complete trust in Him!

Happy New Year!

Sally

The Birth of Jesus

 1In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. 2(This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) 3And everyone went to his own town to register.

 4So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. 5He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. 6While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, 7and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

The Shepherds and the Angels

 8And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. 9An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. 11Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ^[a] the Lord. 12This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger."

 13Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,
 14"Glory to God in the highest,
      and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests."

 15When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let's go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about."

 16So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. 17When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, 18and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. 19But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. 20The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.

Footnotes:

1. Luke 2:11 Or Messiah. "The Christ" (Greek) and "the Messiah" (Hebrew) both mean "the Anointed One"; also in verse 26.

Luke 2:1-20 (New International Version)

Happy Birthday, Jesus!

And Merry Christmas to All!

Sally

68"Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel,
      because he has come and has redeemed his people.
 69He has raised up a horn^[a] of salvation for us
      in the house of his servant David
 70(as he said through his holy prophets of long ago),
 71salvation from our enemies
      and from the hand of all who hate us—
 72to show mercy to our fathers
      and to remember his holy covenant,
 73the oath he swore to our father Abraham:
 74to rescue us from the hand of our enemies,
      and to enable us to serve him without fear
 75in holiness and righteousness before him all our days.
 76And you, my child, will be called a prophet of the Most High;
      for you will go on before the Lord to prepare the way for him,
 77to give his people the knowledge of salvation
      through the forgiveness of their sins,
 78because of the tender mercy of our God,
      by which the rising sun will come to us from heaven
 79to shine on those living in darkness
      and in the shadow of death,
   to guide our feet into the path of peace."

Footnotes:

1. Luke 1:69 Horn here symbolizes strength.

New International Version  Luke 1:68-79

Have you squeezed yourself into a corner with your Christmas festivities?  As I was getting the turkey to the oven for our staff party, I kept thinking, “Why didn’t I get up earlier?”   “Why didn’t I go to bed sooner last night?”  “Why didn’t I…”

Oh, it makes me feel so grumpy to find myself in a rush.  And then I yell at my kids. 

Jesus said, "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."  Matthew 11:28-30                           

His yoke is righteousness by faith, not works.  He knows we want things to be nice.  But He also wants us to rely on Him for our inner peace.  He can give us a calm and gentle spirit in spite of the frenzy.

Lord, may Your righteousness replace my inclination to snap at my family today.  Thank You!

Sally

How are you coming along with your Christmas rush?  I forgot to make cookies for the children’s program and had to scurry to get it done Sunday afternoon.  Do you ever feel like your brain has turned to mush?

I crashed on the couch this evening.  Sandra Lee had her Semi-Homemade party on The Food Network and I marveled at how easy she made it look.  I wonder if she has a maid.

After school I waved a $5 bill at my daughter and told her it was hers if she would vacuum the stairs and her bedroom.  How pathetic is that?  But it worked.

Tomorrow night, we’re having a cookie exchange with the gals at church.  Guess what I haven’t made yet? 

Rhonda Rhea says “We do put a lot into preparing for Christmas.  We list, we cook, we decorate, we buy, we assemble.” (I’m Dreaming of Some White Chocolate:  Christmas Reflections with a Little Holly & a Lot of Jolly, p. 56)  But the most important assembly is the part that brings our families together and shares the true meaning of Christmas. 

“Even in the busiest part of the season when assembling isn’t particularly easy, we’ll find that making family memories will give us something distinctively extraordinary to tuck away and treasure, just as Mary did in Luke 2:51 when she ‘treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart.’

Let’s include plenty of the right kind of assembly in our Christmas season.  We can assemble meaning, joy, and peace into a Christmas that’s centered on the love of our Savior.”  (p. 57)

I wish for you lots of fun while you eat cookie dough together, and hope a few even make it to the oven.  I wish for you moments of peace when you can reflect on God’s goodness.  And I wish for you a song in your heart that stays all season long.  Make some memories with your family today!

Sally

The firewood is crackling.  The smell of banana bread fills the house.  The decorations lend an air of enchantment, and it’s one of those nights you want to hang onto forever.

How does God provide that contentment when the storm rages outside?  When your world has turned upside-down?  No matter what our political, economical or spiritual climate, God is still on His Throne!  He has a haven where He shelters His own.

I once heard Patsy Clairmont speak at Women of Faith about Moses being sheltered in the cleft of the rock.  I was so intrigued that I looked it up in the dictionary when I came home.  A cleft is a space or opening made by splitting:  Fissure.  God protected Moses by putting him in a cave-like area that was the result of a traumatic change in the rock’s surface.  Do you have places of trauma in your life?  Let the Lord make Himself known to you in your place of brokenness.

Fanny Crosby penned a song called “He Hideth My Soul.”  A phrase that captures God’s intent is:  “He hideth my life in the depths of His love, and covers me there with His hand.”

Let the Lord show you how much He loves you by sheltering you in a place of peace and protection.  He’s waiting right now!

Sally

 

It’s been fun highlighting the five senses this week.  Today, we’ll look at the fifth:  the sense of touch.  In what way can you add your personal touch to Christmas?  Make an extra effort to send cards?  Or add a distinct flourish to packages?  Even putting in attention to detail on the gift card can make someone feel special because their name has been emphasized.

What makes you feel cherished?  Chances are, sharing that gift with someone else will bless them too.  I grew up in a home where we held hands around the table as we prayed for God’s blessing on the food.  We are passing that gift of touch on to my family, even though it is a stretch for the teenagers.        Be generous with your hugs.  We all need that contact!

Terry Willits pulls it all together by saying “The God of all Comforts came to this earth as a child and experienced for himself loving human touch.  Christmas is about giving.  Touch is about giving, too.  And touch is a precious gift to give in our homes at Christmas.  Just as Mary gave Jesus her tender touch, we can share loving touches to make our homes a place of comfort this holiday.”  (Simply SenseSational Christmas, p. 91)

Let the touches you add to your home say, “You are welcome here!”

Sally

What are the sounds that sing of Christmas for you?  The choir practicing?  The bell-ringer standing at The Salvation Army bucket?  A favorite carol?

One of my favorite albums is Amy Grant’s  A Christmas Album.  And I love the day after Thanksgiving, when our radio station plays non-stop Christmas music!  However, Terry Willits says “At least one night this Christmas season, when the kids are in bed, turn off the television and enjoy the precious sound of silence.  Take in the beautiful silence of a snowfall or a quiet, starry night.  Sit on the sofa and talk with a loved one, or read a book in front of a crackling fire with no more sound than the turning of a page.”  (Simply SenseSational Christmas, pp 76-77)

I have to admit that the silence of Christmas is just as precious as the music.  I love that time of the evening when everyone else is asleep and I can sit in front of the tree with all the rest of the lights off.  The popping of the firewood casts images across the ornaments and settles me into a reflective mood.  Yes, there are wonderful resolutions made in those quiet moments.  Maybe that’s why God chose a silent night so long ago to announce the birth of His Son!

Lord, fine-tune my hearing, that I might be receptive when you speak.  Amen

Sally

When you look at Christmas treasures and smell the beautiful aromas, your mouth begins to water!  Aren’t you ready for some of those family recipes that are especially pulled out at Christmas?!  Two of our must-haves for the holidays are my Mom’s homemade Eggnog and Monster Cookies with red and green peanut M&M’s!

Terry Willits reminds us that we need to be sure to serve up healthy but simple meals during this season of sweet temptations.  Our immunities need an extra boost when we’re sampling all of that extra sugar.  

Aren’t you glad the Lord gave us taste buds?  We have the ability to experience flavors because we have 10,000 taste receptors in our mouths! 

The Bible also tells us to taste and see that the Lord is good.  ( Psalm 34:8  )  How do you taste His goodness?  Make time to read His Word.  The Bible is filled with good morsels to chew and ingest.

Did you know that people get a taste of what’s inside of you when you speak?  What rolls off of your tongue?  Do your words build up or tear others down?  Look for ways to soften stress in someone else’s life by encouraging them today!

Here’s another Christmas decorating tip from Terry Willits:  “A wooden bowl filled with a variety of nuts invites anyone to sit down and crack open a healthy holiday snack.  For function as well as a festive look, have a nutcracker soldier stand guard beside the bowl.”  ( Simply SenseSational Christmas, p. 64)

Happy Decorating!

Sally

Terry Willits says “Smell is the most influential sense we possess.  God wired up our noses to our brains so that the slightest smell can affect us.  Fragrances stir our emotions and affect our behavior.  The smell of peppermint perks us up and enhances concentration; the scent of pine or cedar soothes and calms.  The more pleasant our environment smells the more pleasant we are – reason enough to make our homes smell heavenly this holiday season!”  (p. 36, Simply SenseSational Christmas)

I’ve been thinking about the smells I love to have coming from the kitchen…warm cookies, fresh rolls baking, a turkey roasting.  I guess anything from the oven can create an enticing smell in the house!  What about when you’re not baking?  Flavored teas, coffees and hot chocolates can do the trick.  Candles also come in many aromas, and pinecones thrown in the fireplace give off a woodsy bouquet.

Yesterday I hunted all over the office for the source of someone’s snack left behind.  I finally realized it was the vanilla-scented candle that I had gotten out with the Christmas decorations!  It wasn’t lit, but still created an incredible smell that filled the whole room.

Today when the kids got home from school, they popped some popcorn.  Wow – does that ever smell good!  It’s amazing how little it takes to alert the nose.  But it gives great benefits to the brain as those fragrances register!  Go ahead and look around the house for items you can use to tickle the nose.  You probably have some on hand right now!

Join us tomorrow when we taste (hint! hint!) Day 3 of The 5 Senses of Christmas!

Sally

Boxes of Christmas decorations come down from the attic and create havoc in my home.  But the treasures that emerge overrule my dismay.  Joy of joys, the kids are eager to help this year, and I am letting go of dictating where things must go.  Their excitement at being involved is a greater gem!

One of my favorite jewels to unpack is a book by Terry Willits, Simply SenseSational Christmas.  It provides candy for the eyes as you saunter through the pages.      Today, for Day One of Five, I want to highlight what she says about the Sights of Christmas. 

Terry says “Beauty attracts.  Making our homes visually appealing for Christmas will hopefully draw others in so relationships can grow.”  (p. 15)

The idea that your home is a place for relationships is a motivator to make it charming!  As people feel cherished, they will relax and connect.  But Terry warns against making it complicated.  Keep it simple!  Here are four areas she suggests to highlight:  the front door, the mantel, the Christmas tree, and the table and chandelier where you will serve your holiday meals.

It perks me up to dress up the house!  Setting up various nativities, greenery and candles builds anticipation and entices me to make more time for hospitality.  Did you know that people enjoy being invited into your home?  It gives them a chance to see you in your natural element.  At the holidays, it lets them observe your favorite traditions and to feel included in your life.

So bring out the twinkling lights, the colors of Christmas and the treasures in your attic.  It’s time to prepare our hearts and homes to celebrate the birth of our King!

Sally

 

Happy Thanksgiving!