Willing Surrender

Pregnancy. The anticipation of motherhood. In our culture, pregnancy outside of marriage doesn't carry the same impact it did centuries ago. Travel back in time to a city of Galilee, named Nazareth, where a young lady named Mary was preparing for her marriage to Joseph.

Mary had been taught the importance of purity. The law which had been given to Moses by God was clear, "Thou shalt not commit adultery" (Exodus 20:14). The consequences were severe: death by stoning. She had willingly remained a virgin.

How startled she was when the visitor arrived! Like no other visitor her parents had entertained, this visitor was none other than Gabriel, the angel of God. In her astonishment, she heard him speak, "Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women" (Luke 1:28, KJV). She was frightened. She didn't understand. She was highly favoured? She was blessed? Before she could formulate a single word, the angel continued, "Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God. And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS. He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end" (Luke 1:30b-33).

Unbelievable! She had been chosen to be the very mother of the Messiah! It still didn't make sense to her. She wasn't yet married to Joseph. She verbalized the question that had been troubling her, "How shall this be, seeing I know not a man?" (Luke 2:34b). The angel's reply shared God's brilliant plan, "The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the son of God. And, behold, thy cousin Elisabeth, she hath also conceived a son in her old age: and this is the sixth month with her, who was called barren. For with God nothing shall be impossible" (Luke 1:35-37).

She was a young lady engaged to be married. Her plans were turned upside down. How would Joseph respond to the news that she was expecting? Would he believe that an angel had appeared to her? Would he believe that she was of child by the Holy Ghost?

Instead of selfishly holding on tightly to her plans, Mary sacrificed them to the Lord. Her response stands out as one of willing surrender to the will of God: "Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word" (Luke 1: 38a).

No indication is given that Mary bemoaned her circumstances. She had every reason to be terrified of being stoned. If Joseph didn't believe her, she would face a death sentence. Surely she would be ostracized and looked down upon. Everyone knew she wasn't married yet. Imagine the scornful glances cast Mary's way as she went about her daily chores. The rumors that circulated about her.

Oh, to adopt Mary's spirit! A spirit of unreserved surrender to the will of our Master. Even when it involves hardship and ridicule. Even when the rumors are flying. Christmas is the perfect time to reflect on God's amazing love for us. After all, "God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life" (John 3:16).

God gave us the ultimate 'gift' of His Son that very first Christmas. Living for Him is a small 'gift' we can give in return. Will you surrender to His plans for you?

Shining Brightly

Nothing. I plugged my Christmas tree lights in, anticipating the beautiful sparkle and glow, but was greeted with - nothing. Time to try a different outlet. Still nothing. Maybe I had plugged too many strands of lights together and it had overloaded the circuit. These were not commercial Christmas lights, so what was the rule? Was I only supposed to connect two strands? Or was it three? I think I had connected about five...most likely what was causing the problem.

An extension cord, a new fuse, and half an hour later, our tree was once again shining brightly. Ornaments once again catching the ethereal rays of hundreds of small lights. Lights bright enough to dispel the room's darkness. Lights that made me think of the unusually bright star that had appeared in the east, and been a guide to the wise men who were seeking baby Jesus.

I allowed myself to be transported back in time some two thousand years ago. I imagined myself as a wise man arriving in the bustling city of Jerusalem...

How exciting that my fellow travelers and I would actually be allowed an audience with King Herod! We inquired of him, "Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him" (Matthew 2:2; KJV). Unbeknownst to us, King Herod didn't share our enthusiasm for this new king. He was greatly troubled and quickly gathered together the chief priests and scribes, demanding to know when Christ was to be born (Matthew 2:3). "In Bethlehem of Judaea: for thus it is written by the prophet, And thou Bethlehem, in the land of Juda, art not the least among the princes of Juda: for out of thee shall come a Governor, that shall rule my people Israel" came their reply (Matthew 2:5-6).

King Herod appeared fully composed when he called us back into his presence. He seemed extremely interested in knowing when the star had appeared that had led us thus far. He sent us to Bethlehem with the words, "Go and search diligently for the young child; and when ye have found him, bring me word again, that I may come and worship him also" (Matthew 2:8). Our journey was once again under way.

At dusk, we peered up into the evening sky. What we saw nearly took our breath away. The star. We had seen it in the east, and now it went before us, "till it came and stood over where the young child was" (Matthew 2:9). When we saw the star, we rejoiced with great joy (Matthew 2:10)! But the star was not the object of our worship, it had merely been used of God to lead us to the Christ-child. What a time of worship followed! We presented Jesus with our gifts: gold, frankincense, and myrrh (Matthew 2:11).

God warned us in a dream that we were not to go back and tell King Herod that we had found Jesus. We returned to our country by a different route (Matthew 2:12).

As I continued to gaze at our Christmas tree, I realized the similarity between the Christmas lights and my life as a Christian. Just like that star of old pointed the wise men to Christ, and the lights on my tree illuminate the darkness, I'm meant to 'shine' and point others to Jesus.

In His sermon on the mount, Jesus speaks bluntly to believers, "Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven” (Matthew 5:14-16).

Will I take the opportunities placed before me to point others to Christ this Christmas season? Will I embrace Christ's mandate to 'shine' for Him wherever I go? The cry of my heart is echoed in Paul's epistle to the Philippians, "That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world; Holding forth the word of life;" (Philippians 2:15-16a).

Will you decide to let your light shine? Hold the 'word of life' out to someone this Christmas season!

Time: A Special Gift

The Christmas season is upon us. A time of giving. A time to reflect upon the greatest gift ever given to mankind: Jesus Christ. The God-man whose life is the perfect example. The One who reminds us that, "It is more blessed to give than to receive" (Acts 20:35b; KJV).

This weekend, as I contemplated the perfect gift for each family member, a student from our Sunday School class allowed me to see that sometimes the best 'gifts' aren't the ones festively wrapped and tied with a bow. Sometimes the best gift we can give someone is - time.

Our daughter, Riley and her friend Kristin (www.chics4christ.blogspot.com) had begun an afternoon Bible Study with one of our Sunday School class members. Because she lives quite a distance from us, we came up with a plan. With her parent's permission, she could come over to our house following church, have lunch, participate in the Bible study and any other activities we'd planned, then return to church with us for the evening service. Following church, we'd drive her home.

After only a couple of weeks, the three girls had developed quite a bond. Because Riley is an only child, she and our Sunday School student unofficially 'adopted' each other as sisters.

With our evening service being re-scheduled for an hour later, we thought this would be the last week that we would be able to spend the afternoon with her. With a later dismissal time, we were reluctant to still have to drop our student off before making the long drive home.

After lunch, my husband, Steve, and Riley took our guest to the mall. With Riley leaving for college next fall, a laptop computer ranks high on her Christmas wish-list. A visit to the Apple Store would be fun. A trip to Starbucks for some delicious, hot coffee drinks rounded out their afternoon. When they got home, it was clear that big fun was had by all.

The highlight of the day, came when the evening service ended with a time of family prayer and we were privileged to include our Sunday School student in our "family." Although we're not her parents, I was struck by the opportunity that the Lord has given us as her Sunday School teachers and role models. And how the Lord has allowed Riley and Kristin to further encourage her through a time of Bible study. What an awesome responsibility to be "an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity" (1 Timothy 4:12b).

When Riley and I dropped her off at her house later that evening, her gratitude was evident from her cheerful, "Thank you for everything!" Already I was regretting that this was our last Sunday to spend extra time with her. But wait, did it have to be? Her parents had given her permission to stay out an hour later, and as I glanced at the clock, it was only 8:35 p.m. We would arrive at home around 9:15 and still have time to grab a bite to eat, and get ready for Monday's events. Maybe, just maybe...

As Steve and I discussed it later, we agreed that we would make this adjustment to our schedule and be willing to continue to drive our student home following the later service, because it was definitely worth it. Without realizing it, she had given us a special 'gift.' Her grateful attitude reminded us that tangible gifts aren't necessarily the only things we can give. Oftentimes giving the gift of 'time' is much more special.

In addition to those beautiful gifts you wrap and give to your loved ones, be sure you give the gift of 'time' this Christmas season! You'll be so glad you did!

The Real Courtney

We knew she was the right one. She was named Courtney. Beautiful green eyes. Long, powdery-gray, silky fur. A two-year old feline, with "Adopt me!" written all over her adorable face. What were we waiting for? Lots of paper work and three days later, we carried our newest family member out of the pet store.

In addition to my husband, daughter and me, our family also included a very handsome Maine Coon, named Nathaniel. His birthday was fast approaching and we thought it would be nice to give him a present. Little did we know that giving him a playmate would not rank very highly on his gift list. We had our first indication of trouble when we set Courtney's carrier on the living room floor, opened it and invited Nathaniel to come over and greet his sister. Courtney exploded out of the box with claws at the ready. Nathaniel's low growls let us know that he disapproved of his 'present,' and we quickly whisked Courtney off to another part of the house.

After a rocky start, our two cats eventually got to the point of tolerating each other, and over the years even seemed to develop a genuine affection for each other, despite different personalities. We had always referred to Nathaniel as our 'lap' cat. Anytime we would sit down, he was right there ready to hop up and join us. He was really more like a dog than a cat. He'd come when you called him, and he thoroughly enjoyed being around people. Courtney, on the other hand, displayed more of the typical feline tendencies. She was much more aloof and tended to hide when people would visit. She decided if and when you were allowed to pet her, and would nip your hand to let you know your attention was no longer appreciated.

This past May, after eighteen and a half wonderful years, our Nathaniel died. Through our sadness, we all wondered how Courtney would respond. We were amazed. Our once aloof Courtney, now leaps up onto the couch to sit on our laps while we watch TV. She loves being petted and even enjoys being brushed. And talk about social! What a transformation! Perhaps she stayed in the background because Nathaniel was the dominant male and had been in our household for many years prior to her arrival. Whatever the reason, although we miss Nathaniel, it's been a treat getting to know the 'real' Courtney.

The same principle is often true with people. How often do I have a preconceived idea about someone, only to get to know him/her, and find out I was entirely wrong? Maybe the girl I labeled a 'nerd' in high school would have become a lifelong friend had I made the effort to get to know her. My perceptions may be far from reality. Even well-established relationships can suffer when I start to second-guess people's intentions. How important it is to refrain from judging others.

In the book of Matthew, Christ couldn't have been clearer, "Judge not, that ye be not judged. For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again" (7:1-2; KJV). Tough words. But oh, the wisdom when we put them into practice!

We can avoid judging others by acting on Paul's words to the Philippians, "Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves. Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others. Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself," (Phil. 2:3-8a).

Am I willing to humble myself, admit that I may have been wrong in my perception of someone else, and take the necessary steps to esteem that person more highly than myself? If so, I'm following the example of the Lord Jesus Christ, and I'll be able to love others through Him. That's my desire today! Will you follow His example?

Lessons Learned from the 'Dawgs,' Georgia Bulldogs, That Is!

The second quarter ended with a Bulldog lead. The score favored Georgia with a 20 to 6 lead over the Kentucky Wildcats. The fans were enthusiastic as the marching band, color guard and majorettes took the field. After 'wowing' the crowd with amazing talent and choreography, the performers exited, and the players once again took the field.

Within minutes of beginning the third quarter, Kentucky scored a touchdown to bring their score up to 13 points. Not to be outperformed, Georgia answered back with a touchdown for the Bulldogs. The score was now 27-13. But not for long. The Wildcats scratched and clawed their way to the end zone for another 7 points.

As the fourth quarter play began, fans from both teams were going ballistic. As we stood among the Bulldog fans, we thought our eyes were deceiving us. Could it possibly be that Kentucky had just scored another touchdown? The truth was revealed on the scoreboard, which now read: 27-27. How was it possible? The Bulldogs had held a handy lead throughout the first three quarters.

Chants of, "Go, Georgia Bulldogs!" echoed throughout the stadium. Midway through the quarter, an amazing play by the Wildcats catapulted them into the lead. The scoreboard flashed the score, 34-27, for all the fans to see. Everyone was on their feet, as the Bulldogs reclaimed the ball one yard from Kentucky's goal. A poorly-timed fumble sealed the fate of the Dawgs who ended up bowing to the Cats with a 34-27 loss.

Despite the games' outcome, it was exciting to actually be a spectator at Sanford Stadium. Thousands of fans focusing their attention on a handful of players with one goal - to win the game. As I thought about the game over the next few days, I noted a couple similarities between the game and our lives.

In this 'game' of life, there are others who are watching us. How will we respond when we get overlooked for that promotion? Will we spew harsh words when someone is rude to us? How do we treat our neighbors? Are we a good example? Will we 'fumble' when the pressure is on? I think about Paul's reminder in Hebrews 12:1, "Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us," (KJV). Jesus is the author and finisher of our faith (Heb. 12:2). As life's players, are we focused on Him and the goals He has for us?

At the end of the third quarter I would have assured you of a Bulldog win. After all, they held a healthy lead over the Wildcats until the fourth quarter. Beginning well isn't the only thing that's important. Perhaps ending well is even more important. The same is true in life. We can begin well as a follower of Jesus Christ, but end our life having shifted our focus to self. In Paul's first epistle to Timothy, he charged him to, "Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses" (1 Timothy 6:12).

As I entered Sanford Stadium a week and a half ago, little did I know that I'd be learning lessons from the Bulldogs! I am much more aware that others take notice of my actions, and I desire to live my life in such a way that I end well. My prayer is to be able to say with the Apostle Paul, "I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith" (2 Timothy 4:7). What do others see in you? Will you determine to finish well?

Every Day Thanksgiving

Blessings galore. The weather couldn't have been more beautiful. The delicious food tantalized our taste buds. We gathered with family members to create yet another precious memory. A portrait of Thanksgiving.

In retrospect, I can wholeheartedly echo the words of the Psalmist, David, "Make a joyful noise unto the Lord, all ye lands. Serve the Lord with gladness: come before his presence with singing. Know ye that the Lord he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name. For the Lord is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations" (Psalm 100: 1-5; KJV).

I'm so grateful that years ago, our nation's leaders elected to set aside a day to give thanks for the many blessings we enjoy on a daily basis. On Thanksgiving, I tend to reflect on all the many ways the Lord has blessed me and my family throughout the year. I realize that the things I so often take for granted, like health, a job, freedom to worship, salvation, the opportunity to send our daughter to a Christian school, to name but a few, are all extraordinary blessings from the Lord.

Today is the day after Thanksgiving. For many, just another day. Why restrict our giving of thanks to just one day a year? Our God blesses us daily and is truly worthy of all of our praise. Take note of His activity in your life, each and every day and you'll be able to say, "For the Lord is a great God, and a great King above all gods. O come, let us worship and bow down: let us kneel before the Lord our maker. For he is our God; and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand" (Psalm 95:3,6-7a). How has He blessed you today?!

Closet Cleaning

The month of November is quickly passing. Next week we will be celebrating Thanksgiving. This year, our family, my in-laws and two of my husbands’ sisters and their families, will be getting together in Georgia for the traditional turkey with all the trimmings. An excellent time to give thanks.

Preparations for our family’s anticipated arrival can be a bit daunting. Because they haven’t visited in some time, we like to get the house and yard looking their best. Our ‘To-Do’ list reads something like this:

*clean out and organize the garage
*pressure wash the porch and deck
*finish planting the succulent garden
*complete repairs to the waterfall
*clean the screen room
*organize the closets
*clean the refrigerator and pantry
*touch up the scuff marks on the walls

And of course the normal cleaning, laundry and food preparation has to fit in there somewhere too! Can anyone relate? With only two days until our company arrives, I’m doubtful that all the items on our list will be checked off. The more important things have made it to the top of the list.

As I sorted through the coat closet, weeding out summer jackets and flip-flops, I got to thinking about the ‘closets’ in my life. I have a special ‘guest’ who occupies my heart – the Lord Jesus Christ. Am I diligent to keep my heart’s closets clean? Or are there those closets that I post a “Do Not Enter” sign upon?

Some of the closets may look like they’re neat and orderly. Just don’t look too closely or you may see the layer of dust. There’s the closet of ‘Good Intentions.’ All of those things I plan on doing one day. Going to visit the elderly shut-ins. Taking that counseling course. Writing that devotional series. I know they are things God wants me to do, yet I allow distractions to keep me from opening this closet door and getting busy.

Too often the “Do Not Enter” sign hangs above the closet that, should it be opened, would empty its contents onto the floor in an unorganized heap. Areas in my life that I need to yield to the Master. Things that I may not even realize I’m holding onto: anger, bitterness, envy, criticism, pride.

How appropriate to say with the Psalmist, “Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting” (Psalm 139:23-24; KJV). If we are still and listen closely, He will be faithful to reveal those things that are not pleasing to Him. After all, “O Lord, thou hast searched me, and known me. Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising, thou understandest my thought afar off. Thou compassest my path and my lying down, and art acquainted with all my ways. For there is not a word in my tongue, but, lo, O Lord, thou knowest it altogether. Thou hast beset me behind and before, and laid thine hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high, I cannot attain unto it” (Psalm 139:1-6).

God is intimately acquainted with all of our ways, and loves us in spite of them! That is truly a reason to rejoice. He loves us enough to patiently point out those ‘closets’ in our lives that need to be opened and cleaned out.

Is there a ‘closet’ in your life that needs to be opened? Your Heavenly Father already knows what’s in there. Allow Him to help you begin the cleaning process today!