Wednesday, November 28, 2012

Empty Manger - a short Christmas Devotional



Text:  Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of a great joy which shall be for all people; for today in the city of David, there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.”

            ‘Tis the season to be jolly!  Can it really be that it’s time again for the tinsel, carols, parties, candy canes and a Santa on every corner?  If the ‘man on the street’ reporter were to ask the passersby if they knew what Christmas was all about, they would say with assurance, “Of course!  It’s Jesus’ birthday!”
            I find it strange and sad that the same people who believe in the BABY Jesus refuse to believe in the MAN Jesus  – Christmas without Easter.  They can easily accept the birth in the manger and the fulfillment of prophecy - a humble birth, etc.  But the subject of His death and resurrection is another matter completely.  To believe that He died for us individually so that we might live forever takes a lot more faith.
            Statistics prove that there are more suicides, depression and crimes during this season than any other.  Can it be that, for whatever reason, too many people never take Him out of the manger?  Never follow Him through the miracles, the garden or the tomb? Never realize that He can live in their hearts and meet their deepest need?
            This is the Christ of Christmas fulfilled to become the Christ of Easter.  They cannot be separated.

                                                         Christmas Nativity with Wise Men     
                                 HD Christ Cross against sky tilt up & time lapse
            Lord, our lives miss everything if we leave You in the manger.  Thank you for coming to us that way…but remind us often not to leave You there.  Amen.

Tuesday, November 27, 2012

Are There Bethlehem Stars in Your World?

 
I love Christmas....Christmas music...Christmas stories...Christmas memories ...Christmas lights...and Christmas treasures that I come across when I look back through the chapters of my life. It is my joy to share some of them here...
 
Nativity Scene
It was a treat to have little Miss Michal sitting by me in church.  She lives so far away, and there are never enough chances for this Grandma to snuggle her first grandchild.

Michal was drawing quietly while I was trying hard not to apply the pastor’s words to my own life; words about priorities… and busy-ness… and the tyranny of the urgent… and stress.  Michal tugged on my arm to show me her picture.  I looked at what her little five-year-old fingers had drawn and whispered, “Oh, honey, that’s a beautiful flower!”  Her chin dropped at my obvious lack of art appreciation as she said, “It isn’t a flower, Grandma; it’s the Bethlehem star over the baby Jesus.”  I looked again.  Of course!  There it was – the manger, Mary, Joseph, the baby, and the star! How much more obvious could it have been?

I wondered then how many other things I miss because I’m not looking for them…blessings that get pushed aside because of the very things the pastor was talking about.

 I vowed to myself and Miss Michal and our Lord that I would diligently seek to find the Bethlehem stars of my world….that I would try to keep my priorities straight…that I would try to spend my energy on things of eternal value and that I would try to look at life with the innocence of a child.

My prayer for you at this Christmas season is that you will do the same and that you, too, will see the babe in the manger as “the one who came to seek and to save that which was lost” (Matthew 19:10) and most of all, that the Bethlehem star will light your way.

                                                  ~  ~  ~  ~  ~  ~  ~  ~  ~

That was one of my favorite Christmas Sundays. In fact, I was so anxious to share the profound simplicity of a child’s heart that I wrote that little memory in the shape of a Christmas tree, then copied and shrunk Michal’s drawing and used it as the topper on the tree.  Set on colored paper and decorated with (what else?) stars, it became my Christmas card the following year. To this day, my favorite Christmas decorations, cookies and music are all a variation of the Bethlehem star. Thank you, Michal.

Friday, November 9, 2012

Out of the mouths of babes.....


As a kid, my dream was to live in the country and raise horses, kids and dogs (not necessarily in that order). For several years, I lived out that dream in rural Plainview, MN.  I also worked part-time at the local newspaper, The Plainview News, as the Social Editor and authored a column titled Reflections.  It was a short inspirational piece that was very well received and very much a joy to write. Today my lovely Sissy reminded me about one of them and in a world that is racing along at the speed of life, I think it bears repeating. 


Any picture I had about this story would have gone up in a house fire in 1977 (blog for another day) but my Tina would have been about the same age as my Jessi is here and riding a horse with similar markings. 


 Text: Psalm 8:3-4 (NIV)
“When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him?”

Donning jeans, boots, and saddle bags, we left for a three-hour trek on horseback to a place we called ‘the canyon’.  It wasn't really; it was just a wooded valley in its natural state - totally untouched by man.  It amazed us that we could be less than a mile from home and yet feel like we were in the wilderness. We had only been there a few minutes when 11-year-old Tina held up her hand in a ‘stop’ position and whispered “Listen!”  We all stopped and waited, expecting to see a beaver or deer or snake - who knows what.  Had something scared her? I whispered back, "What are we listening to?" She was quiet for a few seconds then smiled and said, “To the nothing."

She was right. The absence of noise was startling.  The sounds to which we were so accustomed were replaced by the songs of birds and bullfrogs.  The beauty of the sparkling clear brook and the sunlight filtering through the trees left us nearly speechless (note I said 'nearly'). We were so overcome by God's fingerprints, we did what we always did - starting singing praise and worship songs (no doubt chasing all the critters away).  God didn’t have to do this for us; but he did.  He wanted us to see it, to enjoy it, preserve it, and to thank Him for it.

 Prayer:  Thank you, God, for the simple things in life.  Help us to appreciate them, to work with You to preserve them and to know that You are the giver of all good things.  Slow me down and open my ears once again today to let You speak to me through ‘the nothing’.   Amen.

Thursday, November 8, 2012

It's All in the Way You Look at it...

Over the years we have all heard  stories and jokes about the difference between an optimist and a pessimist...

One sees the glass half full; the other sees the glass half empty.

One gets up and says, "Good morning, Lord!" The other one says, "Good Lord, it's morning!"

The best one I have ever heard was told by our pastor this last Sunday.

There was a set of twin teenage boys who had been assigned to help a neighbor by cleaning his barn. The first twin walked in and said,"Oh, man, look at that stack of manure - it's almost to the ceiling - we'll never get done!"

The other twin ran over, picked up the shovel and started digging away. The first twin said, "Dude, what are you doing?!?" The second twin answered, "With all this manure, there's gotta be a pony in here somewhere!"

I love it.

The thing about life is that it's so ......daily.  How we survive it is largely determined by the way we look at it. Hmmm....do I see a bridle hanging over there?

Sunday, November 4, 2012

Action Required - No Excuses

The American Heritage Dictionary.....

probe>n.  A thorough examination or investigation  ...v. To explore; delve into; investigate
resolve>v.  To make a firm decision about; to dispel, resolve a doubt.

Psalm 17:3 - David's words...

"Though you probe my heart and examine me at night; though you test me, you will find nothing. I have resolved that my mouth will not sin." NIV

Gotta say here, I don't care much for this verse because it means that I have to decide not to slander, gossip, complain, grouse, retaliate, whine, curse, etc.  It's so straightforward and simple, I can't even claim ignorance or misunderstanding. Ouch.

It only takes one reading of the third chapter of James to be reminded of the damage that the human tongue can do.  James is quick to point out the parallel of a ship's small rudder controlling a huge vessel to a 6-inch bit directing a 1000-pound horse; or a small spark igniting a huge forest fire. Yet no one and no thing can control the tongue, small though it is.  James says it is set on fire by hell itself and with it we both bless God and curse man. Yet we continually make excuses, don't we?

I have often heard people say, "I'm really sorry; I didn't mean it. It was the alcohol talking." (Fill in the blank with whatever you choose to blame.) To that statement, I say, "Yes, you did and no it wasn't."  Before the words could come out, they had to be in.  And again I say ...ouch.

In the New Revised Standard Version, the words carry a little less sting. "If you try my heart, if you visit me by night; if you test me, you will find no wickedness in me; my mouth does not transgress."

The version doesn't matter - the message is the same; I and I alone am responsible for what comes out of my mouth.  Going forward, I resolve to choose my words carefully for some day I may have to eat them.

Blessings,
Rosi