The First Christmas

Wishing you and yours a very Merry Christmas as you celebrate the birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ!

Luke 2:1-20 (KJV)

And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed. (And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.) And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city. And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Beth-lehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David): To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child. 

And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered. And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.

And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.

And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. 

And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men. 

And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Beth-lehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us. And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger. 

And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child. And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds. But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart. And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them.




*I'm hosting over at Living by Grace today. Merry Christmas!

Taming the Worry Monster

Worry. A short, five-letter word that can cause colossal problems when put into practice. Health concerns, financial pressures, relationship issues, and a whole host of other situations, can cause the worrywart to surface in me. I have to admit, when a situation is out of my control, I have a tendency to leave the door wide open for Worry to waltz in and command center stage.

Worry lives up to his definition, causing me to become anxious, distressed, and troubled. Instead of providing solutions, Worry invites irrational thoughts to surface and pretty soon my heart rate is elevated, my stomach is in knots, and I'm forced to count sheep in an effort to get some sleep. Can anyone relate?

Fortunately, the Worry monster CAN be tamed. God's Word sheds abundant light on the subject of worry. The words 'fear not,' appear 62 times in the Bible! God's trying to tell me something! What's He saying? Don't worry! He shares the futility of worrying with a lesson from nature:

"Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature? And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith? Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek): for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof," (Matthew 6:27-33; KJV).

Point? He cares about my every need. Simply put, worry accomplishes nothing. More seriously, worry is a sin. The Lord wants me to trust Him with my life and all it includes. The big things, and yes, even the small things. He instructs me to trust in Him with my entire heart and refuse to lean on my own understanding. To acknowledge Him in all my ways, knowing that He WILL direct my paths (Proverbs 3:5-6).

As I put this principle into practice, will my life be problem-free? Absolutely not! But I have my gracious Heavenly Father's promise, "Be careful (anxious) for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God," (Philippians 4:6; italics mine). Like a child, confident that her father will take care of the problem, I can approach my Savior knowing that He will deal with my difficulty in His perfect will.

The result? Look at the promise: "And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus," (Philippians 4:7). Perfect peace in the midst of my storm. A peace that calms my anxious heart and assures me of my Heavenly Father's care. Now that's what I need! How about you?

Do you have a tendency to worry? Are you willing to trust God with your concerns? What will you do today to tame the Worry monster?

Prayer: Heavenly Father, forgive me for worrying about things I have no control over. Open my eyes to see that worry doesn't accomplish anything constructive, and in fact, can be very destructive. Help me to trust in You completely and to bring my concerns to You, so I can experience Your peace. In Jesus' name, Amen.

Panic Or Peace?

Today is her birthday. She's four years old. We've had the pleasure of raising her from the tender age of six weeks old. She's our Golden Retriever, Precious. We couldn't comprehend all the fun that was in store for us, when we brought her home. And yes, she certainly has lived up to her name!

This past weekend, we decided to take her out on the boat for a little pre-birthday celebration. The sky was bright blue and the air was thick with humidity - the perfect day to enjoy Lake Lanier. She sat at full attention, eagerly taking in the sights and smells of her new surroundings. She was ready for an adventure. And what could be better than sharing the adventure with her 'people'?

After cruising around the lake for awhile, we dropped anchor in a cove, sheltered from the traffic of the main channel. With a heat index topping one hundred degrees, the lake offered cool refreshment. Even Precious seemed eager to put on her float coat, the equivalent of our life vests, and clamber onto the inflated tube. The tube provides a great platform for lounging and later, rolling off into the water when the heat gets too intense. Precious had the lounging part down pat.

With my husband, daughter, and I, lazily floating around the tube, coaxing her to jump in, Precious edged closer and closer to the water. Although she clearly wanted to join us, she was unsure of herself. This was new territory for her and she wasn't convinced that she should leave her comfort zone. After several unsuccessful attempts to get her to jump in, my husband finally lifted her into the water.

Panic overtook her. Precious dog-paddled furiously to get back to the tube. Legs thrashing wildly, she didn't realize that the float coat was providing the buoyancy needed to keep her head above the water. She refused to relax. In a desperate attempt to reach safety, she literally wrapped her front paws around my husband's arm and refused to let go. He reached the rear deck of the boat and carefully lifted her back to solid ground.

Sometimes my Heavenly Father coaxes me to leave my 'comfort zone. ' Maybe it's moving to a different location, starting a new job, or developing a new friendship. Whatever the case may be, it's unfamiliar territory to me, and may even prove uncomfortable. I see how the Lord has blessed others in similar circumstances, but I'm too comfortable with my familiar routine to step out in obedience to His call.

He continues to beckon until I can no longer refuse. I step out of my comfort zone to unfamiliarity. The choice is mine: panic or peace. The Lord is my divine 'life jacket' - providing safety and guiding me every step of the way. His word offers reassurance, "Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid" (John 14:27; KJV). His presence, a lifeline, "...and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen" (Matthew 28:20b).

When you're challenged to leave your comfort zone, step out in confidence knowing that your Father's presence and peace are there to accompany you on a journey that is sure to increase your faith, and draw you closer to Him!