Thanksgiving? Advent? Christmas? Bah Humbug!!

I’m still in the thanks-giving and gratitude-living afterglow. BTW, I’ve loved seeing your Thanksgiving family photos. Beautiful families. Incredible displays of tables set with perfection. But, you may be one saying “Pleassse, no more Thanksgiving talk! No more cozy family photos.” I know not everyone can join the thanks-giving bandwagon!

You may be one not-so-invested in the holidays when it seems everyone else gets their holly-jolly-selves on! They're cheerful, happy, all caught up in their blessing moods while you are in the middle of bailing water out of your boat. You’re holding your breath that one more thing doesn’t capsize your boat and you go under. You may be one who dreads this time of the year as it holds so many memories past and you’re so very lonely. Or it is the season that reminds you that you don’t have very much or nothing at all to buy gifts for others – though you’re a “giver” and it breaks your heart that you can’t give.

I know not everyone is able to get into the “It’s the most wonderful time of the year” singing, dancing and ringing jingle bells or dreaming of a white Christmas. Your hope has been lost from the heaviness of the weight you are carrying. I know that because I know what those weights look and feel like. I’ve been there. Even as I type this blog today, I’m thinking of some dear family members and friends who are carrying, what seem to be, enormous weights of hopelessness.

Here comes the lessons we learn again from Paul the Apostle who had the right to tell us what gratitude and hope looks like because he sure knew heavy weights. He said: “We rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. We also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. Hope does not disappoint us, because God poured out His love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, Whom He has given us.” Romans 5:2-5

We can be thankful, even in hardship, because our future is based on God’s love, not on our present situation. We may experience temporary hardships but they all came TO PASS. The phrase “it came to pass” occurs again and again in the Old Testament. “It came to pass” describes events in history and even our own experiences. “It came to pass” reminds us that these tough times are soon over; they come, but they "come to pass." We may not always realize it, but it is always true. I know this scripture is true – I lived it. "Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning." (Psalm 30:5) Some of those nights were long, long nights, but they came to pass and they did pass. Wounds heal. Heartbreak mends. Tears cease. A new day dawns. A new sunrise dispels the darkness. Despair loses its hold. Grief is replaced with hope. It came to pass.

Being positive and faith-filled takes discipline. Can I hear a big “AMEN”? We can do this. Gratitude is in us. Let’s not waste this season with worry. Let’s not live in regret. Let’s not miss out on THIS day that He made with you and me in mind. Because this day – came to pass. We’ll never get this day back. And this Advent and Christmas will never come again. This is our opportunity to look up with hope and expectation that something good is about to happen. As we embrace the journey of a young, courageous girl and a supportive, noble man to the town of Bethlehem, may we too, take a journey of faith and hope that “Joy to the World” and joy to you and me dispels the darkness around us and the brightness of the Star of Bethlehem brightens our own little world with hope and joy. Isn’t it worth the effort to take the journey that might change everything?

“This is the day the LORD has made; We will rejoice and be glad in it.” Psalm 118:24

Please, God! Take This Baggage!

BAGGAGE: past experiences that are regarded as burdens, cares and weights (i.e., emotional baggage).

I made it home from Tulsa in time to quickly change clothes and head to my church for our annual 3-night Lenten Mission where we intentionally set aside the time to dive deeper and lean in closer to God. It’s about going to a place of introspection and renewing our hearts to purposely enter into a deeper relationship with our Lord. It’s as though we’re at the doctor’s office and he’s using his stethoscope to check our heart beat and condition. Then he gives us the “prescription” for healing our heart.

Last night’s message focus was on our relationship with Jesus Christ who is our Face of Freedom. He sets us FREE which implies that we have been BOUND by stuff. We’ve become stuck in our issues and clutter and all that BAGGAGE in our lives. Jesus gets us because He came to earth to be one of us and experienced what we experience. Hebrews 4:15 “This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses since He had the same temptations we do, though He never once gave way to them and sinned.” We experience temptation, rejection, betrayal, disappointment, discouragement AND, so did Jesus. Jesus came to give us freedom. Freedom from anything that holds us bound: bad attitudes, addictions, fears, guilt, despair unforgiveness, anxiety, worry. All of that “stuff” is BAGGAGE that Jesus came to free us from. It’s time to ask God to free us of baggage that our soul cannot afford to lug around anymore. Jesus came to give us abundant life but we can’t live in that abundance as long as we don’t let go of the stuff.

Once we are willing to let go of all that BAGGAGE that we’ve carried far too long, Jesus will free us of the weight of so much baggage. We did that in a symbolic way last night as we wrote on an index card the names of the BAGGAGE that was weighing us down and then, where four tall crosses were at the front of the sanctuary with a basket beside them, we processed forward and gave those cards that contained our “BAGGAGE” to Jesus -- once and for all. All that “baggage” will be burned so there's no need to ever take it back on.

Now that we’re free of all the stuff – we can be FREE to give our full attention to Jesus – to make Him the Savior and Lord of our life. This question was asked “Where is God in your life on a scale? Is He #1 or #3 or #8? When we were dating our wife or husband, we couldn’t think about anything or anyone except them. We couldn’t help ourselves. We thought about them and even talked about them incessantly. That’s how our relationship with Jesus should be. What if we incessantly thought about Him, talked about Him and talked to Him, the more in love with Him we will become. When we’re that much in love with the Lover of our Souls – the cares of this world (the BAGGAGE) will no longer weigh us down and have us bound. I’m ready for that FREEDOM. How about you?

Time to Get Out the Weights!

Just Checking Out My Wardrobe!
Yesterday, I was with a dear friend who was simply worn out from life and all that it entails. You know….family health issues, responsibilities of being a homemaker and caregiver, having to make some very serious decisions that could mean a positive or negative outcome, as well as those questions that come from others “How do I do this? How do I tell them that?” And then being expected to have the answers to it all.

Asking God for a response to try to lighten her load just a bit, I heard “Tell her these words from Proverbs 31:25....'“She is clothed with strength and dignity and she laughs without fear of the future!” That whole 31st chapter is notably called by many as the Proverbs 31 Woman. That gal is a tough cookie and trying to live up to her standards sure seems like a lofty goal. But her example wouldn’t be in the Bible, were it not a message God wanted to get through to us.

I heard that scripture for my friend AND me. First of all….I get that my daily clothing attire should first, and foremost, be that strength and dignity that only comes through trusting God and His Word, and that comes from spending time with Him. I told my friend “When life seems unbearable. It’s time to steal away and go to the strength BEARER and strength GiVER.

God has given us a strength all our own. But what kind of strength is it? Does the fact that we can make dinner, talk on a phone call, put a bandaid on a boo boo, be a nurse, counselor, accountant and can even change dirty diapers, with one hand – ALL at the same time -- mean we are Wonder Women? Of course not!

Our strength and power doesn’t not come from how much we can accomplish in one day. It flows out of our relationship with our Heavenly Father. Jesus taught that same truth to Martha over 2,000 years ago. But it is just as true today. Martha was in the heat of preparing a gourmet dinner for the Guest of Honor, our Lord. As she hustled around to get it all done with her culinary best, she became frustrated that her sister, Mary, was just hanging out with Jesus instead of helping her.

When Martha questioned Jesus about it, she didn’t get the response she anticipated. He said, "My dear Martha, you are worried and upset over all these details! There is only one thing worth being concerned about. Mary has discovered it." (Luke 10:41,42).

How often do we get all flustered by the have to’s, must do’s and are loaded up to the point of exhaustion? How often do we get so busy running around doing things FOR God, that we forget to spend time WITH God?

Just prior to the "She is clothed with strength and dignity" verse I mentioned above, was verse 17 that says “She girds herself with strength (spiritual, mental and even physical fitness for her God-given tasks).” The oftentimes-overwhelming-tasks that face us could be handled so much better if we would spend more time girding ourselves up spiritually while sitting at His feet like Mary, spending time in His Word AND laughing in the face of the enemy because we are assured that He holds our tomorrows. So taking the advice I gave my friend….I think it’s time for some girding up myself with strength and dignity, because when the weight seems too heavy to bear, it will be no problem – my strength AND dignity that comes because of His "work-out" program will help me not just handle it, but to laugh my way through it.