On life's busy thoroughfares
We meet with Angels anawares-
But we are too busy to listen or hear,
Too busy to sense that God is near,
Too busy to stop and recognize
The grief that lies in another's eyes,
Too busy to offer to help or share,
Too busy to sympathize or care,
Too busy to do the Good Things we should,
Telling ourselves we would if we could...
But life is too swift and the pace is too great
and we dare not pause for we might be late
For our next appointment which means so much,
We are willing to brush off the Saviours's touch
And we tell ourselves there will come a day
We will have more time to pause on our way...
But before we know it"life's sun has set"
And we've passed the Saviour but never met,
For hurry along life's thoroughfare
We passed Him by and remained unaware
That within the VERY SIGHT OF OUR EYE,
UNNOTICED, THE SON OF GOD PASSED BY.
Helen Steiner Rice
My mom used to read me The Story of the Christmas Guest every christmas season when I was a child. The book now belongs to me and I read it with my children every Christmas season.
May you be blessed this Christmas, and may the Lord give you new revelation of His Love for you, and may you respond with this same kind of Love.
Friday, December 25, 2009
Sunday, December 20, 2009
How could He love us so?
How could He love us so?
How could He love us so?
How could He love us so?
How could He leave His throne in Heaven, to be born into the filth of mankind? How could the Creator, choose to be the creation? When we had hurt him so... The first man and woman that he created, chose disobedience and touched what they should not have touch, tasted what they should not have tasted. There fist born son murdered his brother because of jealousy... and it goes on, and on, and on....
We are such a selfish people! Bent on getting our own way, not counting the cost of our selfish ways. We place ourselves on a throne, We exalt ourselves up in our own eyes, wanting to be our own gods. We say, " Oh look at the sovereignty of might man" With our heads lifted up, and our chest puffed out, we walk around in arrogance. We hold on to our pride, like it is our treasure, it is our right.
Why did he not just put an end to our selfishness? Do away with mankind once and for all... In the time of Noah, he was the only righteous man in all of the world. Why didn't he just pull him up to heaven and do away with the rest? Why did he bother with our selfishness?
Why did he lower himself? Why did He choose a stable to be born? Why did he choose a teenage mother, and a humble carpenter for a father? Why did he choose to be born in such an insignificant town as Bethlehem? Why did he choose to hang out with the lowly people... the sick, and the needy? Why did he choose fishermen, and tax collectors to be his best friends? Why was he willing to die on a cross, meant for the worst kind of criminals? Why did he remain silent, when Pilot asked him to plead his case? Why did he allow them to beat him, and spit on him, and pound nails into his hands, and ridicule him, and laugh at him, and tear his clothes off of him? He didn't have too! He could have had his angles carry him away, but he didn't... He chose to die on the cross, just like He chose to come to earth... Why?
The only thing that makes sense is so that We would learn to walk in Love, as He walked in Love. So that we could learn to sacrifice for other peoples good, and not our own. So we could be made right in God's sight, by His blood. He gave us Love! He laid down His life so that we could have life in Him!
What is our response to Him? What is your response to Him? What do you choose to do with what He gave?
I pray you choose love in every situation, in every relationship. He loved us when we were ugly and nasty to him. He loved us when we put Him on a cross, and He prayed, "Father forgive them for the know no what they are doing." I pray you choose love today. I pray that you will walk as Jesus walked. Even when people don't receive you like you think they should. Even when people have hurt you, and said all kinds of evil against you, I pray you can find it in your heart to forgive.
Psalm 34:13-15 (New International Version)
13 keep your tongue from evil
and your lips from speaking lies.
14 Turn from evil and do good;
seek peace and pursue it.
15 The eyes of the LORD are on the righteous
and his ears are attentive to their cry;
I pray this finds you well, and if it doesn't then maybe it will in time. The Lord reconciled us to Himself, because He chose to lower Himself. Will you?
Peace to you.
How could He love us so?
How could He love us so?
How could He leave His throne in Heaven, to be born into the filth of mankind? How could the Creator, choose to be the creation? When we had hurt him so... The first man and woman that he created, chose disobedience and touched what they should not have touch, tasted what they should not have tasted. There fist born son murdered his brother because of jealousy... and it goes on, and on, and on....
We are such a selfish people! Bent on getting our own way, not counting the cost of our selfish ways. We place ourselves on a throne, We exalt ourselves up in our own eyes, wanting to be our own gods. We say, " Oh look at the sovereignty of might man" With our heads lifted up, and our chest puffed out, we walk around in arrogance. We hold on to our pride, like it is our treasure, it is our right.
Why did he not just put an end to our selfishness? Do away with mankind once and for all... In the time of Noah, he was the only righteous man in all of the world. Why didn't he just pull him up to heaven and do away with the rest? Why did he bother with our selfishness?
Why did he lower himself? Why did He choose a stable to be born? Why did he choose a teenage mother, and a humble carpenter for a father? Why did he choose to be born in such an insignificant town as Bethlehem? Why did he choose to hang out with the lowly people... the sick, and the needy? Why did he choose fishermen, and tax collectors to be his best friends? Why was he willing to die on a cross, meant for the worst kind of criminals? Why did he remain silent, when Pilot asked him to plead his case? Why did he allow them to beat him, and spit on him, and pound nails into his hands, and ridicule him, and laugh at him, and tear his clothes off of him? He didn't have too! He could have had his angles carry him away, but he didn't... He chose to die on the cross, just like He chose to come to earth... Why?
The only thing that makes sense is so that We would learn to walk in Love, as He walked in Love. So that we could learn to sacrifice for other peoples good, and not our own. So we could be made right in God's sight, by His blood. He gave us Love! He laid down His life so that we could have life in Him!
What is our response to Him? What is your response to Him? What do you choose to do with what He gave?
I pray you choose love in every situation, in every relationship. He loved us when we were ugly and nasty to him. He loved us when we put Him on a cross, and He prayed, "Father forgive them for the know no what they are doing." I pray you choose love today. I pray that you will walk as Jesus walked. Even when people don't receive you like you think they should. Even when people have hurt you, and said all kinds of evil against you, I pray you can find it in your heart to forgive.
Psalm 34:13-15 (New International Version)
13 keep your tongue from evil
and your lips from speaking lies.
14 Turn from evil and do good;
seek peace and pursue it.
15 The eyes of the LORD are on the righteous
and his ears are attentive to their cry;
I pray this finds you well, and if it doesn't then maybe it will in time. The Lord reconciled us to Himself, because He chose to lower Himself. Will you?
Peace to you.
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
Thankful for the little things
When faced with writing my Christmas letter this year, I was a bit apprehensive. I felt like there were so many negative things that happened, and I thought to myself there is just nothing good to write. But, then I realized I was looking at the glass as half empty instead of half full. So I wrote my letter, and it was OK, but then when I went to print it out... the printer is out of ink. So, I will not be sending out a letter this year like I normally do. I thought it was funny in an odd sort of way, symbolic of how this year has been.
John 16:33
"I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world."
What a wonderful verse! This year we have lost three loved ones in our family. Work has been slow, bills have been large and late, but even through our heartaches and our frustrations, God is faithful! We see his hands upon our lives, and we are comforted by his love. He is our provider, our strength, our peace!
This year has made me even more thankful for the simple things in life. A small humble garden, a homemade compost container, a clothes line that hold two large load of laundry, special moments spent with those I love. It is the simple things in life that I hold most dear, a warm smile, a cheerful embrace, and holding of hands, a kind word shared. These are the things that make life most sweet! I am thankful for each and every one.
Most of all I am thankful for a loving Savior, who came to earth, and taught us how to love, and died on a cross that he did not deserve, and went up into heaven to make a place for me. I am thankful most of all for my Jesus! I am thankful that I know my Grandpa and my Nana are there with him, and I hope my uncle is as well. I am thankful that goodbyes don't have to be forever.
John 16:33
"I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world."
What a wonderful verse! This year we have lost three loved ones in our family. Work has been slow, bills have been large and late, but even through our heartaches and our frustrations, God is faithful! We see his hands upon our lives, and we are comforted by his love. He is our provider, our strength, our peace!
This year has made me even more thankful for the simple things in life. A small humble garden, a homemade compost container, a clothes line that hold two large load of laundry, special moments spent with those I love. It is the simple things in life that I hold most dear, a warm smile, a cheerful embrace, and holding of hands, a kind word shared. These are the things that make life most sweet! I am thankful for each and every one.
Most of all I am thankful for a loving Savior, who came to earth, and taught us how to love, and died on a cross that he did not deserve, and went up into heaven to make a place for me. I am thankful most of all for my Jesus! I am thankful that I know my Grandpa and my Nana are there with him, and I hope my uncle is as well. I am thankful that goodbyes don't have to be forever.
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
Teach your children well
Psalm 78: 1-8
O my people, hear my teaching;
listen to the words of my mouth.
I will open my mouth in parables,
I will utter hidden things, things
of old-
What we have heard and known,
what our fathers have told us.
We will not hide them from their
children;
we will tell the next generation
the praiseworthy deeds of the Lord,
his power, and the wonders he has done.
He decreed statutes for Jacob and established
the law in Israel,
Which he commanded our forefathers
to teach their children,
so the next generation would know
them,
even the children yet to be born,
and they in turn would tell their children.
Then they would put their trust in God
and would not forget his deeds
but would keep his commands.
They would not be like their forefathers-
a stubborn and rebellious generation,
whose hearts were not loyal to God,
whose spirits were not faithful to him.
Deuteronomy 11:18-20 (New International Version)
18 Fix these words of mine in your hearts and minds; tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. 19 Teach them to your children, talking about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.
I believe these words are just as relevant today, as they were thousands of years ago. I believe when God gives you a child, you have a wonderful and great responsibility to teach that child about God, and how God wants us to live for him.
I believe this is a command to parents, not to churches, not to schools. God placed this child in your arms, and gave you the responsibility to teach them about Him.
I believe the churches responsibility is to come along side the parents and back them up, but not take over. Church should never be a drop off zone for tired, selfish parents. Children are a blessing from the Lord, they are a gift to you from God, they are an amazing miracle... but they are a lot of work.... If you take the time to spend with them, and take the time to teach them, and take the time to encourage them, then you will reap a harvest of good fruit.. but if you see them as a burden, or is you are naive and give them over to the state to teach, and the church to teach, and spend your time in selfish ways... well then.... your missing your calling, your missing the blessing.. and scripture give you all the warning you need. Psalms 78:8 says they will become a stubborn and rebellious generation! Look around you, at this generation, and what do you see?! Maybe look in the mirror, and look the person looking back at you.... Please do not harden your hearts....God's word is sharper than a double edged sword, and it hurts at times, but it is meant for your good, and the good of your children.
O my people, hear my teaching;
listen to the words of my mouth.
I will open my mouth in parables,
I will utter hidden things, things
of old-
What we have heard and known,
what our fathers have told us.
We will not hide them from their
children;
we will tell the next generation
the praiseworthy deeds of the Lord,
his power, and the wonders he has done.
He decreed statutes for Jacob and established
the law in Israel,
Which he commanded our forefathers
to teach their children,
so the next generation would know
them,
even the children yet to be born,
and they in turn would tell their children.
Then they would put their trust in God
and would not forget his deeds
but would keep his commands.
They would not be like their forefathers-
a stubborn and rebellious generation,
whose hearts were not loyal to God,
whose spirits were not faithful to him.
Deuteronomy 11:18-20 (New International Version)
18 Fix these words of mine in your hearts and minds; tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. 19 Teach them to your children, talking about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.
I believe these words are just as relevant today, as they were thousands of years ago. I believe when God gives you a child, you have a wonderful and great responsibility to teach that child about God, and how God wants us to live for him.
I believe this is a command to parents, not to churches, not to schools. God placed this child in your arms, and gave you the responsibility to teach them about Him.
I believe the churches responsibility is to come along side the parents and back them up, but not take over. Church should never be a drop off zone for tired, selfish parents. Children are a blessing from the Lord, they are a gift to you from God, they are an amazing miracle... but they are a lot of work.... If you take the time to spend with them, and take the time to teach them, and take the time to encourage them, then you will reap a harvest of good fruit.. but if you see them as a burden, or is you are naive and give them over to the state to teach, and the church to teach, and spend your time in selfish ways... well then.... your missing your calling, your missing the blessing.. and scripture give you all the warning you need. Psalms 78:8 says they will become a stubborn and rebellious generation! Look around you, at this generation, and what do you see?! Maybe look in the mirror, and look the person looking back at you.... Please do not harden your hearts....God's word is sharper than a double edged sword, and it hurts at times, but it is meant for your good, and the good of your children.
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