Time to Unleash the Lion Within

Time to Unleash the Lion Within
It's the 365th day of 2018. I made it -- 365 days of posting a positive word each day to, hopefully, bring inspiration to others. I've had to make sure to stay "in the zone" by seizing the moments, noticing little and big God-encounters, and recognizing that God is always speaking. I just had to tune in to His still small voice, and, often, His big booming voice as I witnessed His object lessons to me through nature, His Word, His kids, and His embrace. I showed up for my daily appointment with God, and He was faithful and ALWAYS showed up for me. And, please trust me, my meditations have increased my desires to grow even stronger in my faith and witness.

I was deeply inspired by the message my daughter spoke at Dwell Church yesterday. “It’s time to stop with the labels of abused, broken, sick, defeated, divorced, too old, too young, too fat, too thin, too afraid and realize WHO lives in us. It’s time for us to GET UP and pick up our “mats” and turn those labels into stories of strength and redemption and conquerors who change the world.” Her message made me start to think about how we keep Jesus in the manger way longer than we should. He is no longer there. He is the great “I Am”, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords and it’s time to unleash the LION of the Tribe of Judah Who lives in us and let Him out. I love that song, "My God's not dead; He's surely alive. He's living on the inside; Roaring like a lion."

Revelation 5:5 “But one of the twenty-four elders said to me, “Stop weeping! Look, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the heir to David’s throne, has won the victory…..”

We’ve kept sweet, meek and mild, little baby Jesus in the manger long enough. We’ve set limitations on what we should or shouldn’t say about Who He is and what He has done in our lives which means as long as we keep Him caged up, we are keeping others from coming to know Him as we do. It’s time for the boldness and courage of the LION to come out of us to a hurting and dying world.

I don’t want to tame the LION in me and become a pious little old lady that looks the part and doesn’t display the strength of the Lion of the Tribe of Judah that lives in me. Jesus certainly isn’t a household pet that should be caged up and let out occasionally for a walk around the block with us. He IS the LION of the Tribe of Judah and as I go into this new year, I want to put the key in the lock and let Him out more in my life than ever before. Won’t you join me in that commitment? To free the Lion to do the things that only He can do if we will just let Him out? Being bold enough when a friend is in pain, that we remember WHO it is that lives BIG in us and we say “Can I pray for you?” Being courageous enough to invite a lonely friend to church or a Bible Study. To gather our family around us and boldly speak to them about our faith and God's love and amazing grace.

Listen to the roar! Let the LION out! Dear Lord Jesus, I truly desire to set You free from the limits that I’ve put on You as to what I’m willing for You to do in and through my life. I pray that you will stir others to join me and to set You free in their own lives, too! May 2019 be the year when the "Lion" was set free in our lives! In Jesus’ name, I pray, Amen.

Mary, Did You Know?

My claim to fame....if it weren't for me -- my children wouldn't be. And God needed a vessel -- one He favored above ALL women -- to be the Mother of Jesus. He chose Mary to BE the First Lady of our Faith. She was found faithful. And what faith she had! She was the first to believe in Jesus as her Savior and Lord -- while she still carried Him in her womb.

This photo is one of my Christmas favorites. It brings Mary right to where we are. It helps us to know she was one of us. She was a woman with real emotions, real challenges, and real love for her baby boy. "Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart." (Luke 2:19) "Ponder" is a great word and a great idea for us, too! Christmas should be all about "pondering". Mary treasured the events of Jesus' birth. She thought deeply about all that took place. She would need to remember all that God had done, in order to trust what God would allow when Jesus grew to manhood. Can you just imagine the bedtime stories she told her boy?

My all-time favorite Christmas song is Mark Lowery’s “Mary Did You Know?” for many reasons. It momentarily shows Mary more than the lovely woman in blue and white clothing, radiant face, and a halo affixed perfectly above her head. She really was one of us. Like us, she held her baby, she cared for him, she thought about his future -- just like we do. I relate to her.

Mark wrote the lyrics in 1984 in response to his Pastor’s request to write the script for their church's Christmas production. Twelve years later, Buddy Greene put the script to music. When Mark was asked to write the script, little did he realize that little "seed" would bring about an abundant harvest. That script was one of those Jeremiah 29:11 moments “For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Mark had no idea of the anointing of the Holy Spirit that was on him for that significant moment in time.

What do you think? DID MARY KNOW that He was her Creator, that He would walk on water, that He would heal the blind man, that He would raise the dead? Did she know that when she kissed her little baby boy that she was kissing the face of God?

We'll ask her that question one day, but one thing's for sure, she was the vessel God chose to bear His Son, and I believe she was chosen because He knew she would be the role model, the caregiver, the teacher/trainer, the spiritual director, and the guardian that caused her son to “grow in wisdom and stature with God and man" (Luke 2:52). I believe she recognized that her boy's talents would "take Him places" and that He would do great and mighty things, because she was "tight with God" and she held His promises close to her heart.

The question for us is "Do we believe as Mary did?" What God's Word says about Jesus is true. And her example for being that role model, caregiver, teacher/trainer, spiritual director and guardian, is one we should follow in raising our children and grandchildren to "grow in wisdom and stature and favor with God and man".

I love this beautiful song, and this amazing rendition by Pentatonix. I share it as a gift for you to realize that Mary's faith and reality is our faith and reality, too. "This little child that Mary delivered, delivered her and us!"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ifCWN5pJGIE

Stop, Look and Go Tell

For a short while on Friday, I allowed myself to get caught up in the holiday traffic frenzy and search out Christmas sales that included long check-out lines. I really endeavored to be “holly jolly" with my best attitude while keeping “all is calm, and all is bright” in my heart!

We’re officially in the countdown to Christmas! We’re making our lists and checking them twice. We’re scanning the deals on Amazon and other online sources. We have already hung the stockings on the fireplace mantel, started our Christmas baking….and somewhere in the mix, we ponder our upcoming family times together. Perhaps we’ll soon be headed over the river and through the woods to Grandmother’s house!

But, please STOP and remember the trek to Bethlehem. If we choose to keep Christ in Christmas –- no matter what else we need to make happen, it is essential we include the storyline of the newlywed couple, Joseph and Mary, their journey to Bethlehem, and, ultimately, the night their baby boy was born.

Today, the second Sunday of Advent, the second purple candle on the Advent wreath will be lit. It represents faith. It is called the “Bethlehem Candle” as a reminder of Mary and Joseph’s journey to Bethlehem and the preparations they made for Jesus’ birth.

Can we even imagine the faith it took for them to set out on a 90-day trip to Joseph’s hometown, Bethlehem, to register in the Roman census? Joseph and Mary undoubtedly had the “essentials” together. After all we know there were swaddling clothes on hand. Talk about responsibility! Imagine the weight on Joseph’s shoulders of taking care of Mary and their soon-to-be-born Son of God.

A 90-mile journey! WHAT? Obstetricians don’t want women to travel by air if the expectant mother is more than 7 months pregnant. Imagine Mary – nearing the end of her pregnancy and having to ride a donkey from Nazareth to Bethlehem.

As awful the journey with the discomfort and difficulty, no doubt it was all a part of God's plan given in Jeremiah’s words in verse 29:11 “Oh the plans God has for you, plans to prosper you (think about the gold, frankincense and myrrh wealth they received from the three kings) and not harm you (think about how God ensured Jesus was safe when King Herod put out the edict for the baby boys to be killed), but give you hope and a future.” Think about the hope and future Christ’s life, death and resurrection presented to us!

For many of us, the days leading up to Christmas are among the busiest of the year. We don’t relish interruptions to our plans at any time, and especially not now. Like with the birth of Christ in less than perfect conditions, God uses “stuff” and "situations" to accomplish His purposes.

May I suggest that we purpose to slow down and breathe in the Reason for this Miracle season – stopping, looking and listening for gentle nudges of Father God Who desires for His kids to breathe in the beauty of our Lord’s birth story, and then GO exhale Him to our world that needs His hope, faith, love, joy and peace so very much.

This second Sunday of Advent encourages us to STOP, if only for a few minutes during this busiest time of the year, to think and be thankful for the ONE we are celebrating. Anything that causes us to STOP and think and be thankful is a good addition to Advent, since that’s what Advent is, of course: a time to stop and wait when the world is telling us to go faster and faster!

It will soon be Christmas Day when we will celebrate our Lord’s sacrifice of coming to this earth as a baby AND His coming back to take us home to live with Him throughout all eternity. May we STOP and know the baby in the manger is the Great "I AM"!