Joy of Christmas

     Christmas is about Jesus and being joyful, but to have joy we need to let go of sin.
     Sin as defined is "an immoral act considered to be a transgression against divine law."  And, that divine law is the very Word of God.  Scripture tells us how to act, how to love, how to forgive, how to share, and how to control our speech.  Scripture further tells us much about the results of sin in our lives.
     Yet, have we ever considered what really causes us to sin?  The cause of my sin is "me."  In order to control my sin I have to lend my thoughts away from "me" and toward those things which don't wrap around the "me factor."  Proverbs 30:15 talks about the leech who had two daughters, "Give! Give! they cry."  In other words "Gimme! and Gimme more!"  The "me" factor is the very reason we see greed, cruelty, hatefulness, envy, murder, and unforgiveness in our land. 
     When I live in such a way that life is not about me and dwell on life being about God, my Father, Jesus, His Son and my Savior, and the Holy Ghost who dwells within, then, and only then, do I find contentment, peace, and joy.

One God

     Proverbs 14:34 KJV reads, "Righteousness exalteth a nation but sin is a reproach to any people."  The NLV reads, "Godliness makes a nation great, but sin is a disgrace to any people." However, The Message version puts it as simple as, "God-devotion makes a country strong.  God-avoidance leaves people weak."

     Face it, our nation was built on God.  There are those who want to take God out of everything.  I believe the beginning of God-avoidance began when God was taken out of our schools.  There are those who want the name of God left out of our prayers; it is offensive to them.  There are those who want to take God out of our Pledge of Allegiance.  There are those who want to remove our Christian values.  They want churches to institute their own immoral living standards into their church doctrines.  There are those who want to remove God completely from our speech.

     What we have to remember is that there is only one God and only with our one God and Creator are "all things possible".

    I pray we keep God in it ALL. 

Being Wise

     Proverbs is full of what it takes to be wise.  Some of my thoughts on being wise are as follows:

W -ant wisdom which by my scriptural interpretation is the very fear-of-God.  That is not to be afraid of God but rather to be fearful and respectful and in awe of His almighty power and omniscience.

I -ndulge in the Word daily, learning and gaining insight in order to find truth.

S -eek God first in every area of our lives

E -nter into a daily walk with God and weigh every word and action, making sure it is pleasing to our Creator. 

A God "Shaped" Life

In order to be safe on the roads we travel, we need to know our signs.
     Red means stop
     Green usually means go
     Yellow is for caution
     Black and White are usually speed limits
     Orange is caution
     Brown is for recreation
     Blue is for Assistance
Not only do the above have meaning, but the shapes also carry directional guidance:
     Diamond shape warns of hazard ahead
     Upside down triangular is for yield
     Pennant shaped warns of passing zones
     Round is for railroad crossings
     Horizontal is directional and informational
     Vertical is regulatory

     We could very well use signs in our Christian walk to keep us safe, as well.  As we endeavor to live a God shaped life there are many stumbling blocks.  The best help we have are "signs" - the words of wisdom found in scripture.  Just as we have to learn the safety and directional signs for driving, we need to learn the signs which help us "detour" from sin and "yield" to God's ways.  Often we have to "stop" and think before we "go" - act and speak.  There may be a "4-way" option.  It is up to us to determine the correct route along with "assistance, direction, and information" from God as we allow Him to take the steering wheel.

Life Happens in Small Things

     So far this morning I have enjoyed my early quiet time with God.  And, in the moments, I found a meaningful verse in Psalms 127 of  The Message version.  "It's useless to rise early and go to bed late, and work your worried fingers to the bone.  Don't you know He enjoys giving rest to those He loves?"  In our busy schedules, we often forget to simply take life as it comes and enjoy the moments of the day.
     It is interesting that just after completing my Bible reading, I picked up the book, When I Relax I Feel Guilty, written by Tim Hansel.   I could not help but underline the following sentences:
     "Learning to let life happen rediscovers the importance of small things.  It relishes childlike joys of the everyday wonders of being alive...If you cannot do great things for God, do small things in a great way...Can you find joy in a paper cup of time or a thimbleful of love? ...Each day is a gift...Each breathe is a gift...Sing because you have a song....The mark of a believer is not only love, but joy, wonder, appreciation, surprise, creativity, peace, tenacity, hope, simplicity, and even play."
     Wow! Here were 2 pages chopped full of restfulness.  It is the kind of rest God wants us to enjoy.
We don't have to rise early or go to bed late to find it; we just need to find a few carefree moments of the day to open our eyes and see and open our ears to hear.  By doing so, we can discover, in the words of Tim Hansel, "more of ourselves, of life, and of God."   We can truly seize the day!
     Beginning the chapter of Let Life Happen, Tim further provides the quote by Walt Whitman, "To me, every hour of light and dark is a miracle, every inch of space is a miracle."
     I truly give God the credit for every hour of light and darkness and every inch of space.  I praise God that I don't have to rise early or go to bed late to find the miracles of life, and I thank Him for giving me rest and a song in my heart. 

Canning For the Spice of Life

     Canning has become a rare art.  Few do it anymore; however, if you can read a recipe and cook, you can turn garden vegetables into long term pantry commodities even though there is a slight learning curve.  The fruit needs to be good and not beginning to spoil.  It needs to be sterile and clean and, once packed into the jar, sealed properly.  One rotten vegetable or fruit can turn the whole jar sour.  Yet, seasoned just right a jar of pickles, relish, or tomatoes can provide the freshest of flavors throughout the winter.

     Christians are much the same.  We are fermented with the essence of the Spirit.  We are flavored with faith.  We are sealed!  We overflow with the presence of the Spice of Life, and we need to season over time.  The Christian family needs to soak in the whole realm of seasonings, changing the one individual into a full well-blended mixture of unity. 

    That being said, Christians also need a slight learning curve.  Although sealed, we aren't immediately seasoned.  We need to delve into the scriptures to enrich our lives and learn about the full love of Christ.  We need to season ourselves with love for others.  We need to overflow in the treasures of His promises as we join the family of His believers and become one in Him.  Only with Christ, can we develop and provide the true flavoring needed to enrich our lives.

Halloween - In Costume

     I don't live in an area where I have many Trick or Treaters, but as I thought of all the costumes and the dressing up for trick or treating, my thoughts led to one who is in disguise all year long.  He dishes at flavorful treats with intensions of pulling people into his deceitful ways.

            In Costume

He dresses in fine clothes everywhere he goes,

Only to deceive and thieve.

The finest of costume, he wears, while disbursing his wares;

Worldliness, anger, and lies; things attractive to the eyes.

His dressed-up silky clock;

A sham, a disguise, a screen of smoke, a joke.

No joy, no blessing will be found

When this deceitful fellow is around.

Run, hide! Do not partake of his tasteful prize.

He wants your demise;

Your life, you wandering lonely and alone.

He wants to hear you groan.

He wants your soul!

That is his goal. 

Only God can make you whole.

Beware the treats the devil gives;

In him evil truly lives. 

                    Mary Crisp Jameson 11/1/2019