Advent Begins!

Tonight my family lit our first Advent candle of 2014. I don't know if you follow the tradition, but in our household we only loosely follow the usual "model." I don't stick with the candles' meanings of hope, joy, etc. I instead choose four topics to lead us up to Christmas. In the past I've focused on prophecies of the Messiah for example.

This year I wanted to tell the whole story. After all, how can we expect our children to feel "a thrill of joy" about Christ's birth if they don't have an existing understanding of our desperate need for a Savior? So my plan is as follows.

Week 1: Creation and the Fall
Week 2: The Effects of Sin
Week 3: Signs of His Coming
Week 4: Birth of the Savior

I intend to make these very very simple so my five year old can understand. But I think in so doing, the rest of us are blessed as well. Below is the message I prepared and read at our candle lighting tonight and I thought I'd share. I hope it blesses you.

****

When God made the world, a long time ago, He made everything very GOOD. There was nothing to complain about or be afraid of. People could hang out with wild animals without danger. [What’s a wild animal you’d like to play with if it wasn’t dangerous? A lion? A crocodile?] And growing food was easy because there were NO WEEDS. The Bible says there were no thorns even! So the rose bushes would never be sharp. Also, nobody got stomach aches or sore throats because there were NO SICK GERMS.

It was wonderful. Totally amazing. Perfect. And it would have stayed that way forever if the first people had trusted God when He told them that one single tree in all the huge garden they lived in would ruin everything if they ate from it. In fact, if they ate from that tree, it would make them start to die. So God told them about that dangerous tree and not to eat it. But all the other trees were healthy and yummy and they could eat anything else they wanted.

But they didn’t believe God about the bad tree. Eve and Adam hung around that tree looking at it, wondering what it tasted like. Satan hung out there too, in the form of a serpent, and he convinced them God was lying. That the tree’s fruit would make THEM like God too. And instead of believing what God said about the tree, they believed Satan and so they ate the fruit. And from then on, everything changed.

Sickness, thorns, pain, embarrassment, and death entered the world. Wild animals became dangerous and might bite. Adam and Eve could no longer live in the perfect garden (of Eden), they had to leave that place. And in fact, they began to grow old and eventually die. Their children were born this way as well. Every baby ever born from then on—all the way down to you and me—would have the same problem. Things were not perfect any more.

God punished the serpent making him slither on his belly, and He also gave a prophecy for the future. God told Satan that one day a child would be born who would “stomp his head” and undo the damage caused by Satan’s trickery. That child would be the one to save the world from the death that came because of SIN.

****

Next week when we talk about the effects of sin, I plan to share some easy illustrations to help explain how we've ALL sinned and have no hope of saving ourselves. See you then--and have a wonderful first week of December!

Strength For Today

Can you believe it's almost December? I love the holidays, but I always struggle this time of year. My heart aches for the Thomas Kinkade paintings, for smiles and laughter and goodwill toward man (especially between siblings in the house!), for snuggling by the fire, kisses under the mistletoe, all that good stuff.

Real life is not a painting. Or an old black-and-white movie. (That's often why we love escaping into our novels.)

Nope. Real life finds too many dust bunnies when it's time to move furniture to make room for the tree. Real life has pouting kids who don't want to help lug in the decoration box or be pulled away from their video games in order to just sit by the fire with mom. Husbands who tolerate, but don't enjoy, watching White Christmas, and who grimace and sweat--and possibly even swear--while wrestling with the Christmas lights.

Add to that the fact that I never got around to shedding that extra five pounds--and now feel it's too late to try--the constant pain in my neck, the myriad bills we aren't sure how to pay, a toddler in the throes of the "terrible two's" (to be fair, he's the sweetest boy in the world, just extremely rambunctious), and homeschool pressures...and each day starts to feel overwhelming. Beyond my ability. Sucking me under. Life does not meet my expectations. I'm failing.

And sometimes "failing" at something as simple and earthly as creating the "right" home atmosphere can lead to a depression that slips into spiritual darkness. Lies. All lies. But too often, I believe them.

Maybe you can relate. Or maybe your set of challenges lies elsewhere. Regardless, we all have seasons, or areas of our life, where we don't feel up to the task. And we grieve that ineptitude.

A dear friend recently gave me a gift--a daily devotional--and the first day's reading hit its mark in my heart. In essence, it reminded me that the measure of God's strength given to me on a daily basis is determined by two things:

The difficulty of my circumstances, and my willingness to depend on Him for help.

WOW.

This concept completely changed my thinking when it came to facing challenges. Demons. I don't need to assess the situation and measure it against my usual ability and strength. I need to depend on Him and believe that He can and will empower me that much more in order to handle the task. And tomorrow, when the challenge is not so great, He will give me just the strength I need for that day.

Today it might be preparing the house, encouraging generousity in my kids, and finding ways to trim the grocery budget so that we can get that tail light replaced.  Tomorrow it could be the death of a loved one, a falling away of a brother or sister, or the loss of a job. But the degree of His power available to me will match whatever circumstance comes my way.

And the same goes for you, too. So if there's any chance that one of you share this struggle of mine at this time of year, I pray this truth shines like a beacon in your heart and gives you hope. It did for me.

If you're interested in the devotional I mentioned, it's called Jesus Calling by Sarah Young. The entry I referenced was November 11th. :-) And if you want some great Christian novels to dive into or pick up as gifts, you always know where to find some winners. (There's always a contest going on at COTT, so I hope you'll join us this week for a look at a couple great cover images.)

Have a blessed week!

The Ultimate Romance

We all long to form deep connections. To be seen and known and loved for who we really are. We get a taste of it when our spouse brings home our favorite chocolate bar from the store--that hint they really "get us". We may be filled with it when our man actually expresses in words how he feels toward us. But we will only be swallowed up whole by it when we enter into the greatest romance in history.


It's a romance that has been unfolding since the universe was spoken. The one on which every other love relationship is based. And it's the romance which we authors are trying to recreate on paper, whether we know it or not. That romance is the one between the Creator and mankind. You.


You're either nodding your head or recoiling. You may feel offended that I equate God with a word which, for many, is synonymous with sex. Stick with me.


One of my favorite definitions:

• Romance (verb): to court or woo romantically; treat with ardor or chivalrousness.

This is exactly what the Lord does! He courts us, He woos us, He pursues us with His love. In Jeremiah 31:3 the Lord says "Yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore with lovingkindness I have drawn you."

WOW.


Almighty God loves ME with an everlasting (never-ending, continuous, nonstop) love! And He draws me, woos me, with that patient, gracious, gentle love. Has anyone else ever loved you that way?


The other thing I see here is His persistence, no matter how hard we resist Him. He waits for us to turn to Him, never forcing a relationship to happen. That's where His chivalry comes in. We read in Revelation 3:20: "Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me."


He knocks and knocks and knocks—never willing to lose a single one of us—but He waits for us to open the door. And notice, He doesn't sit in the car and honk the horn. He approaches and knocks. (Guys—especially those waiting to date our daughters—you taking notes?) He is a gentleman.


Another dictionary entry that caught my eye:

• Romantic (adj): displaying or expressing love or strong affection. ardent; passionate; fervent.

John 15:13 tells us "Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends."

We see this theme played out in our romantic books and movies. The hero gives up his life for the woman he loves, or vice versa. It is a tragic end, but proof of their love. Take the recent Disney movie Tangled for example. (spoiler alert) Flynn cuts off Rapunzel's hair to save her, knowing it means his own certain death. His love proven, Rapunzel's tears bring him back to life and they live happily ever after. That kind of love takes fervency and passion and an emptying of self. And what woman wouldn't want a man to love her with such abandon?

But even those love stories can't touch what Christ has done. Nothing could keep Him from rescuing His beloved, even when His beloved hadn't returned that love. He didn't just lay down His life for His friends. He died for us while we were still sinners. While we wanted nothing to do with Him, He passionately pursued and expressed His love on Calvary. Tell me—is there a fulfillment of the above definition any more complete and profound as this? Has love ever been displayed or expressed more ardently, passionately or fervently than on the cross?

And one last simple entry:

• Romance (noun): a love affair

As much as I enjoy going all tingly over a good romance in a movie or book (and believe me, I do!), the story of the Divine Love Affair surpasses them all. It's a story of betrayal (ours), a broken Heart (His), separation—followed by passion, zeal, and sacrifice. And it's an ongoing story, one we all experience uniquely and personally, whose ending is up to each of us.

My prayer is that every one of you reading this today will allow the God of the universe to woo you; that you will open the door of your heart to Him; that you will see the depth of love He has for you and swoon in His embrace.

After that, human romance—both real and fictional—will serve to compliment what is already overflowing in your heart. You'll come to see that the best romantic stories are those that most closely depict the eternal truths found in knowing Christ. With Jesus as your first love, every other human relationship will become deeper and more meaningful.

Do you know Him? Is He pursuing you? Has He wooed you? I would love to hear about it!

The Cardboard Box

 .

Guest Post By Beth Webb Hart

Every December 31st after the gloomy task of taking the ornaments and lights off of the tree, we pack them away in a large, tattered cardboard box. What leavens the moment is a simple tradition we’ve practiced for the last eight years: writing down the prayer requests for the coming year on the outside of the box.

I pull out a Sharpy pen, find a spot on the cardboard surface, write the new year down and everyone in our family of four discusses our hopes, needs and desires for the coming twelve months. We each get a turn to write something, and we all must agree on each of the requests. We usually come up with five or six, and they range from the specific (May Daddy make tenure – 2003 or May God give us a new child this year – 2007) to the grandiose (May we have a new house AND a puppy dog – 2010) to the general (May we remain in good health – 2009).

Then we lift each request up in prayer, ask God’s will to be done and finally hand the box over to my husband who carts it up the rickety attic ladder, folds the ladder up and snaps the ceiling door closed. We all take a deep breath as we walk back down the hallway and into our home which doesn’t seem quite so magical without the tree and the twinkling lights and the expectations of the Christmas season.

However, as we beat back the January blues we remind ourselves that Christ has been born, that He has put both evil and its most wicked sidekick- death – in their place and that He has redeemed us and promised us new life which we have stepped into and will remain in for eternity.

This becomes all the more clear when, eleven months later, giddy with bellies full of hot chocolate and a new tree in the stand, we cart the old cardboard box back down the rickety ladder and before tearing it open, read over the prayer requests of the last year, circling those he answered and starring those He either said “no” or “not yet” to.

It is a moment of pure joy and our Lord’s sovereignty over all the little details of our lives becomes abundantly clear. No, we didn’t get the new house and the new puppy this year, but we did get a new baby, we did become tenured and we remained in good health. More often than not, the answer is “yes”, and it has come about in a way far beyond our wildest imaginings or our feeble attempts at orchestrating the direction of our lives. Thanks be to God for His Almighty provision and, more importantly, for His love for all of mankind!
****

This article first appeared on She Reads and is reprinted here by permission.

Not A Dress Rehearsal

My pastor on Sunday used this phrase, "It's not a dress rehearsal", referring to life.  Whatever it is we want to do for Christ, we have one life to do it.

I really held onto that.  There's no do-overs, there's no practice.  This is it.  My husband, my children, my ministries, my role in these relationships- it's all a now-or-never/ do-or-die kind of thing. And time is ever slipping away.  So I've been pondering this the last few days...

The difference between a dress rehearsal and the real show is that the real show brings a sense of urgency; a sense of intensity, concentration, and focus. THIS IS IT, DON'T BLOW IT.  So these words bring with them the call to action- to not put off those things you talk about wanting to do, like daily devotions, weekly family times, volunteering, studying the Bible more deeply, or having a heart-to-heart talk with your kids/spouse/loved one about Christ.  Don't say "some day I'd like to do this".  Do it now.  The heat is on.

But you know what else is different between the show and the rehearsal?  Yes, there is more pressure during the show.  But there's another awesome difference.  During the live performance, the show must go on!  If you flub a line, hit a wrong note, or miss a cue, you don't cry or walk off the stage or even break character- you keep going.  You don't have the option of wallowing in self-pity over your mistakes- you're in the middle of a show!  Someone is watching!  In rehearsals you might stop and examine the mistakes and even berate yourself or others to getting it right next time, but when Opening Night arrives there is no time for that.  It's part of the rush of excitement that is experienced by performers.  There's urgency, focus, on what is coming, and freedom in forgetting, what is past.  It's the only way to make it through a show.  It's the only way to live for Christ. What a freeing concept!  Yes, I only have one shot to live this life the way I aspire to.  But sweating my mistakes along the way will only hinder me.  Focus.  Then forget.  Focus.  Then forget.  Repeat as necessary!

"Forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things wich are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus."
~Philipians 3:13

Buzz about 'Clash of the Titles'!

Hey everybody!  Roseanna White has posted about COTT on her blog today... cool! 

Bondservants of God

I was reading James today and didn't even make it past verse one without being knocked upside the head:

Paul, a bondservant of God...

... Am I a bondservant?

Well of course I am! I'm a born-again Christian, friend of J.C. I belong to Him and that makes me a bondservant... right?

But what is a bondservant? Is that all it means- that I am a believer in Christ? I've heard enough sermons in my day to know that in the Bible, a "bondservant" was not the same as a regular slave. In Deuteronomy 15 God lays out the rules for slavery. If someone sold themselves into slavery to pay a debt they were to be released after six years. But look at verses 16-17:

But if your servant says to you, "I do not want to leave you," because he loves you and your family and is well off with you, 17then take an awl and push it through his ear lobe into the door, and he will become your servant for life. Do the same for your maidservant.

So sometimes a slave would choose to stay and serve the family out of love. They would give up their freedom, their life, and be marked publicly as a forever servant. A servant, a slave. Not just the buddy next door, the fun-loving cousin who showed up and told the guests what great hosts the family were. He served. Every day. For the rest of his life.

Do I?

Now, I know that I love the Lord. But have I made myself his bondslave? Have I given up my freedom, my own agendas and plans, and devoted myself daily to His service? Sure, I try to live well, study God's Word, sing the hymns and pray. And it all has great meaning. BUT- is there an awl through my ear? Have I been nailed to His doorway, always living under His roof and not owning a place of my own? Do others see I am not my own, but His? When He calls me to service, do I get up and go, or cling to my freedom to do what I like?

I think there is a difference between being saved and being a bondservant. And I do believe that many of us in the church today are clinging to our freedom in Christ instead of giving it away for Him. Often it seems we give Him a portion of our freedom, but retain most for ourselves. We feel it is enough if we give up a couple hours per week of our "free time" to go to church. If we spend a few minutes in prayer before bed, if we read a Psalm to start our day, we classify this as Living For God. (Note the air of piety and grandeur with which this is said.)

But what about the rest of "our" time? (OUR time?)

Can't miss American Idol! I need my downtime! I better check my email/ facebook/ twitter/ forums/ blog comments again before dinner, after dinner, before bed. I'm in desperate need of a mani-pedi! When I'm interrupted for the umpteenth time, I often want to shout to my family "Can't I have just 5 minutes PLEASE?"..... Sometimes His answer is "No". Not all the time mind you, but probably more often than I care to think.

Did He ask you to do something today that you chose to push aside? Maybe it was picking up your husband's socks instead of yelling at him for leaving them on the floor... again. Maybe it was humbling yourself to be the first to say "I'm sorry". Or cleaning your house, or bringing a meal to your neighbor, or playing with your kids. Maybe it was smiling at the homeless man who was digging through the garbage rather than averting- or rolling- your eyes. Or maybe it was even saying 'no' to the job promotion that would interfere with your ministry at church.

Whatever it was that God whispered to you today, did you respond as His bondslave, or His buddy? Is He your Master, or just your Friend?

Tough questions to ask myself. Because I know the answer isn't what it should be. I don't even like to give up the last K-cup, or refold the blanket I wasn't the one to use. Log off the computer to spend time in the Word? My fingers are practically glued to the keyboard.

But the tough questions are the ones whose answers bring the most growth. They are the seeds planted by the Holy Spirit, and only by turning over the soil of my heart and watering those seeds with meditation and prayer will I see fruit.

And I desperately want to see fruit. Especially when I gaze across the room to the couch where my daughter reclines and think:

"When they say the apple doesn't fall far from the tree... I want that to be a good thing."

To Live Is...?

Stealing a few moments of quiet while my baby napped, I enjoyed a good cup of coffee and read through the book of Colossians. As I read Paul's familiar words "to live is Christ,..." I wondered... Could I say that? I mean, really and truly could I say that for me to live is Christ?

I had to admit that far more accurate would be the statement "for me to live is: to keep a balanced budget, to stay on top of the kids' schoolwork, to try and keep up with what is expected and to hide how short I come up". When I wake up in the morning these are the matters filling my thoughts. What do I have to do today to keep from drowning? I am reminded of a really good Nichole Nordeman song (aren't they all?) with which I can deeply relate:

It's a fear that keeps me wide awake
In the middle of the night
When the expectations are too great
And the bar gets raised too high
So I do the best with what I've got
And hope that no one knows
That I strain to see how high I can
Try to stand on these toes
Until I'm measured,
But You know better

Of course we all have responsibilities, and it is important to be diligent and to step up. But that shouldn't be what we (I) live for, it should be the afterthought. But so often these things monopolize my thoughts and my attention all day long and crowd out everything else; I am reminded of the promise "Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things will be added unto you." I don't think "all these things" is simply food and shelter, I think it also includes just making it through the day intact, being the wife and mom and friend (or husband or dad) we are called to be.

So now the question remains- what will I do to change this? And whatever answer the Lord whispers to my heart, will I end up putting it aside until after I've done the dishes, balanced the budget, helped the kids with their homework, filled out the high school registration packet, called my sister, uploaded my camera, vacuumed the living room......
***