Christmas Special

Merry Christmas

Many years ago, on a Christmas Morning, I sat opening gifts. Slightly less gifts than in years before, but I didn’t care because right in the middle of all the wrapping paper and boxes sat my very own Television! It was the best Christmas ever and probably one of the few gifts I remember. My mother, however, had a concerned look on her face as she kept watching me. She came over and ask, more than once, are you happy? Of course I was! A TV!! That many years ago, it wasn’t common for every room to have a TV, so this was a really cool gift. My Mother, however, was so concerned that I had less gifts under the tree. She tried to explain that the TV took most of the money they would have spent on me. Again, I was fine, because, I got a TV and could not begin to tell you what else I got. Unless that was the year they bought me, The Little Mermaid, on VHS?

Now, years later, I find myself counting gifts under the tree, adding the money we spent, and worrying that it is not enough. It’s always too much and way more than any child should get. Maybe I should have started with the, Jesus got three gifts, and that’s all you are getting rule? Seriously, I know people that do it and they don’t seem to be as stressed at Christmas as I am.

For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon

His shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty

God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.

Isaiah 9:6

It is so easy to get caught up in finding the perfect gift that we forget about The Gift. The Good News, of our Savior, whose birth we celebrate. Take a moment or two and remember the reason you are gathering this season. Hope was born on Christmas Eve. New Life for all that accept Christ as their personal Savior. Grace came down with a promise of eternal life. It’s not the gifts that matter this season, it is The Gift.

Precious Lord, who gave his only son, Holy Holy Holy are you! We give you praise and glory forever! Let all remember the reason we celebrate. This is a season of miracles and Father, you know my heart and the miracle I pray over all gifts under the tree. For others that need a miracle, I pray they receive. For those that do not know you, my prayer is that the gift they receive is one of eternal life, secured by the very Saviors birth we celebrates, death on a cross. Amen.

Repost from April 30th

Blessings

Philippians 4:6

 Don’t worry about anything, but in everything, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God.

As anxiety found me again, I walked up the stairs to my prayer room, determined to hear from God. With expectation, I laid my bible and journal on the bed and I lowered to my knees. I said, as humble a prayer, as possible, with no emotion. I challenged God, by telling him I would not leave that room until I heard from him. All while my brain played all the things I had to do that day. Once my prayer was complete, I rose from my praying position, sat on the bed, armed with pen and journal and began to flip the pages, looking for a clean sheet to start.

Instead of beginning a new page, I began to read all of the old pages. It did not take long for the humbleness I had lacked during prayer to overtake me. How long had I begged God? How many times had I promised to leave my request at the cross? Oh God, I know you can do this, I trust in you and I leave it to your will? A sadness hit my soul as I realized I had allowed myself to turn God into a sounding board for my pain with expectation of my prayers being answered in my time and in my way.  I began to hear myself asking God why he was punishing me and if He can, why won’t He ease my pain?

I searched the scripture I had wrote and realized that I had a good foundation, but I had filled the journal with begging instead of faith and belief. Where was my praise and thanksgiving for all of the great things my God had done?

With that, I began to write out all of the things I was thankful for. The list continued to grow and my hand grew tired. I did hear from God within those moments. He reminded me of all of times He had seen me through. I felt shame in my lack of trust. I speak to friends in their times of need and tell them to trust in God and know that He will see you through. Know He has a plan, yet I am not living the very life I tell those around me to live. How easy I fell victim to the enemy and his pain.

As I was reminded of all of the times God has blessed our family and turned hardship into testimony, I began to feel strong. I still do not see how this season of hardship will work or how we will make it through. I do not know what will happen of my top three prayers. I do know that God has a plan and I will keep that faith. I pray that when I start to beg for answers that God continues to humble me, after all, I am but flesh.

Matthew 7:7

⁷ “Keep asking, and it will be given to you. Keep searching, and you will find. Keep knocking, and the door will be opened to you.

I love this scripture and at the same time I find it gives me false hope. Let me explain. When I read this, my human self takes it to mean that whatever I ask for, will be given. So if I ask God to fix this situation in my life, I should look up and it is fixed. Right? God is telling us to come to him with our needs and he will open the door. The other side of that door may not be what you had planned out in your mind, but it will be much better. We have all heard that the grass is not greener on the other side, well with God, the grass is always greener.

I don’t know who this was for but I do know it was for me. I pray you were blessed by reading this and I thank you for humbling this Christ follower by reading what the Lord has ask me to do. I pray he continues to give me words to write and people to read them.

Lord, I pray for everyone reading this today and throughout the week. If they are struggling with a need that seems so far out of reach or if they question why they cannot see your hand in a tough situation, my prayer is that your give this peace by reminding them of all the times you have blessed them.  Amen.

Repost

Jehovah-Rapha: The Lord who heals

The only sound I could hear was the pounding of my own heart and that still small voice pushing me forward. I questioned it shaking it off and ignoring it as I watched 9 people make their way to the front of the church. I watched confused as I heard that urging to walk forward and stand at the front of the church. It was so odd for our Pastor to call people to the front, even the day I accepted Christ I had raised a hand in blind view of a congregation. Now, as 9 others stood I knew I was number 10, as  her name came in audible sound and I realized with humbled understanding, that I did, in deed hold anger in my heart and I needed to release it by forgiving her.

For God was pleased to have all His fullness dwell in Him, and through Him to reconcile everything

to Himself by making peace through the blood of His cross- whether things on earth or things in heaven.

Colossians 1: 19-20

Right after church I drove to her house with a peace I had not felt since the day I accepted my Savior. I walked with boldness to her door and she opened it as if expecting me. I sat with her and apologized for the anger I had, explaining why and releasing a weight I never realized I held. She looked at me astonished and only said she had no idea I was angry. She never acknowledged her part, but that was okay. I was not there to hear an apology, only to give one.

Therefore, God’s chosen ones, holy and loved, put on heartfelt compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience,

Accepting one another and forgiving one another if anyone as a complaint against anther. Just as the Lord

has forgiven you, so you must also forgive.

Colossians 3: 12-13

We, as followers of Christ, as expected to forgive others. The harsh reality of it, as flesh, we expect to receive the same from the person we are forgiving. We see this in movies and TV shows as the characters all huddle in a hug of compassion, forgiving each other and going off into the sunset to live happily ever after. The truth is, in life that is not always the case. Christ does not ask us to forgive so we can watch as the other person realizes their wrong and ask for forgiveness, instead he ask us to forgive, so that we can be realized from the anger it causes us.

Do you ever find yourself thinking about a person that wronged you and having a heated conversation in your head, proving over and over again why you are right and they are wrong? Do you find that you feel better when that imaginary conversation is over, or do you find that you are angry, sad, or just defeated? Holding on to that does nothing but hurt you. Not everyone needs to have a moment like I had, for some of us the person we need to forgive is gone or unavailable. Find a way to forgive them. Write them a letter that you never mail, go to your knees in prayer and tell God all that you wants to say and then succumb to forgiving release.

I realize that some wrongs are too hard to forgive and go back to a loving relationship with someone. There are those situations where you forgive someone, but due to the circumstances of the wrong doing, it is better to forgive and then let God do the rest.

I know that the day I forgave, was a turning point in my life. I was able to move past a part of my life that had so much control over me. The really scary thing is, I never realized how much control that part of my past, controlled.

Above all, put on love-the perfect bond of unity. And let the peace of the Messiah, to which you were also called in one body,

Control your hearts. Be thankful.

Colossians 1: 14-15

Jehovah Rapha, my Father who heals, I pray you heal the wounds of those reading this. Give them the ability to lay it at the cross and let go of anger in their lives. I lift up each person that is reading this and pray it finds the right audience, for your glory, not mine. Amen.