Sale....

Sales...this time of year everything is 'on sale'.

Want a costly item? don't want to pay the price?...wait til it's on sale.




What we need most is something we can't purchase...never could, never will be able to.

It will never be on sale...in fact it's the most expensive thing to ever exist.

And whether you know it or not...it is the only thing that will fill your need, bring you comfort, contentment, and total peace.

It is right standing with God, paid for in full by the blood of Jesus Christ. (Rev.1:5)

It is the greatest need you will ever have. Jesus offers to fill that need for us completely. You need only accept the gift.

It is the deal you can't afford to pass up.... if you do, you will never know the joy of His salvation and you will regret it for eternity.

Now...

Now...

Time is not new...but it is important. Now is all we have. Live fully in it.

Not in the past.

Not waiting for that perfect time yet to come.

Now.



"Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom." (Ps. 90:12)

Oh Lord, help us to be wise in our 'now'.


Grief...yes, I've tasted it, but have never had to drink the cup that has been to the lips of so many. Again today, some drink of it.

I have no help...nothing to offer...no way to take it away.

I think again of Job's story.."If only my anguish could be weighed and all my misery be placed on the scales...it would surely outweigh the sand of the seas.."(Job 6:2)

I can not imagine the heaviness of the sorrow some bear at this moment. I can only offer myself to God and ask Him to use me in some small way to bring His comfort. He is the only answer.

"In my distress I called to the Lord. I cried to my God for help From His temple He heard my voice. My cry came before Him, into His ears. (Ps.18:6)

I purpose to live in my 'now'. It is all I have. And I purpose to live it as God leads. He has brought me to this place, He will lead me forward from here.

New....

New....

We're about to enter a new year.

But is anything really new?

Solomon says no.(Ecc.1:9)

Time is not new. Measuring it is not new.

Filling it is not new...no matter what you fill it with.

Measured time...hours, days, months, and yes...years...is not new.

But eternity will never be old.....

Things that have eternal worth are the only things that matter. The only way this coming year will be different from the last will be determined by our relationship with The Creator.

Not stuff.

Not image or appearance.

Not information and knowledge.

"Fear God and keep His commandments..."(Ecc.12:13 )

Solomon should know, He tried it all...and found success in his efforts but found no fulfillment from the success...no value.

Make it your business to know His will for your days and years. Seek Him with an undivided heart, and He will be found. (1 Chron. 28:9)...

Imagine and expect...

Imagination... does anyone else play out the day in your head before it happens?

How perfect it will be? What might go wrong?

I do it because I am selfish. There, I said it.

I might as well admit it,"The Lord searches every heart and understands every motive behind the thoughts.("1Chron.28:9)

I want things how I want them.... but God doesn't always work the way I imagine....even when He wants the same things I do.

Expectations...did you have them?

Were they met? Disappointed? Pleasantly surprised?

Were you properly prepared? If so, what did you do to prepare?

Jesus said when we put His purposes first, He takes care of the rest.(Matt6:33)

I struggled to depend on Him, trusting Him to tend to the details...and He did.

Magnificently.

As ...He always does.

For once, I didn't look at the storm...

White....

♫•*•♫♪♫•*•♫♪....I'm dreaming of a white Christmas.... ♫•*•♫♪♫•*•♫♪

Did you get your dream? Anybody have that much sung about 'White Christmas'? Did you see snow fall on this Christmas?



"Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be white as snow".(Isa.1:18)



Snow may fall on you this Christmas. I've seen no snow, but I am reminded of my cleansing. I don't know of anything that's whiter than snow. It's about as white as it gets I think....


"Cleanse me and I will be clean, wash me, and I will be whiter than snow"(Ps.51:7)


Whiter? I can be whiter than even snow?

It all began when God left the perfection of heaven, stepped off His throne and into the flesh of an infant human.

Just to make me whiter than snow.

THAT is something to make merry about.

Thank You Jesus.

Happy Birthday Lord.

Ponder...

"Twas the night before Christmas, when all thru the house..."


"...the time came for the baby to be born"(Luke 2:6 NIV)





This Eve of Christmas, what will your activity be?

Both of my sons were born around 9a.m. after a night of labor. Every year, I remember the day and the evening before that night of labor. I recall the activities of the day.

I especially recall the emotions of that first birth...the un-known..what will it be like...will everything be ok...can I do this...should I have accepted this responsibility...

"Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart." John 2:19 NIV ...


I have no doubt that every Eve of Christ's birth, Mary re-lived the trip to Bethlehem on that donkey.

Every closed door and every 'sorry, we don't have room for you'. Every scent of that barn. Thankful for Joseph, who could have walked away but didn't. Going over the labor..the pains, the blood, the pushing. No proper way to bathe the newborn, no family to 'OOOooooo, and aaaaahhhhh'

Pondering..certainly lots to ponder.

And the face of the Child, the first cry, the first suckle... the thoughts and wonderings of what the future held for her baby. Ponder indeed.


We too have much to ponder. May we all ponder this Eve of Christmas.

Immanuel, God with us.

Child...

Child. What can a child do? What power could a child possibly wield?

“From now on, you and the woman will be enemies, and your offspring and her offspring will be enemies. He will crush your head, and you will strike his heel." (Gen. 3:15)

A Child was God’s answer for humanity. All mankind was touched by the stain of sin, no longer innocent, no longer perfect, the relationship between man and The Perfect One forever broken.

Until The Child.

“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.” (Isa. 9:6)

Hard concept. A Child will bear the responsibility of governing me? A Child will be the One to give me advice and counsel? A Child will somehow be in charge of my peace?

“For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.”(Luke 2:11)

“And the child grew, and waxed strong in spirit, filled with wisdom: and the grace of God was upon him.”(Luke 2:40)

“And he preached in the synagogues of Galilee.” (Luke 4:44)

“….you are to give him the name Jesus.

He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High.

The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David,

and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever;

his kingdom will never end." (Luke 1:31-33)

Hallelujah !!