Keeping Christmas

A whisper of wings … and other things

If we take the time to ponder the events of one night more than 2,000 years ago, we often find elements of the extraordinary, the inexplicable, and the most astonishing surrounding the announcement of a baby’s birth.

It would seem
the supernatural world came down and danced with us mere mortals.

The true wonder is that the same miraculous things happen today. No, not angelic beings or spiritual anomalies that sometimes capture our attention.

Our Savior’s birth was just the beginning of the eternal love story between the Creator and His creations.

Oh that we would slow down long enough this Christmas season to truly comprehend the true gifts Jesus wants each of us to receive … to supernaturally love, forgive, sacrifice, and believe so that we may grow in our faith. And then, to look to the heavens in wonder and awe of the
most perfect love story ever created.

Suddenly an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the radiance of the Lord’s glory surrounded them … “I bring you good news of great joy for everyone!” Luke 2:9-10, NLT

Shepherds and wise men

One group followed a star and the other followed the angelic announcement. Yet, both were being obedient to the Heavenly realms.

Shepherds were on the bottom rung of Jewish society. They were both physically and ritually dirty, which kept them isolated – outcasts. They certainly had no gifts for this new born king. The wise men, on the other hand, were depicted as educated, respected and wealthy, bringing lavish gifts.

The disparity between a wise man and a shepherd is more than just life style or ethnicity. The differences actually show the
vast expanse of God’s invitation – it truly is for all.

Regardless of their diversity, they followed the call – from a far off place and from around the corner.

The truth is the most amazing journeys all begin with just one step. A more wondrous truth is that
when we seek Him, God is faithful in leading us to find Him.

No room

Most are familiar with the Nativity story. Jesus was born in a stable among farm animals because there was no warm room for Mary and Joseph in Bethlehem that night.

The reality is that many find Jesus but some don’t have room in their hectic schedules to accept the gifts He wants to give us. A deeper truth may be that we have no room in our hearts.

In order to experience a personal relationship with God, we not only need to invite Him into our lives, but we also need to make room in our hearts.

Keeping Christmas in our hearts all year long is as unadorned as a manger filled with hay, as natural as a mother giving birth, and as down-to-earth as shepherds keeping watch over their flocks. It’s unpretentious and clear-cut. These are the ordinary things God used on one extraordinary night to bring forth the Hope of the world.

Our desire shouldn’t be to put Christ back into Christmas, but instead put Him back into our hearts. Imagine the remarkable lives we would live if we remembered.

And suddenly there appeared with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased.” Luke 2:13-14

Christmas Blessings, Francine
SPECIAL NOTE: I pray that each commentary I write here will bless you, but please understand that some are built on previous entries. I use a Biblical basis from which my thoughts are developed. It’s important that you understand my words aren’t the end of the story, so to speak. I would encourage you to check out the archives if you have questions concerning what I’ve written. Also, I’ve included links to several web sites that can provide much more detailed guidance than I’m able to do here. Check out “Running Empty” or “Power to Change” (see list of links to the right). For more in-depth study, you can visit “Now Try God” at http://www.nowtrygod.com or “New Christian Life” at http://newchristian.com as additional resources. The bottom line – don’t accept what I say as gospel. That’s what the Bible is for. An excellent on-line resource is BibleGateway.com at http://www.biblegateway.com.

Another good site is Crossmap, at
http://crossmap.com and not just because my inspirational messages can now be found there. This organization, which has been running since 2000, serves the Christian community as a web portal. There are great columns by talented nationally known writers and pastors, a wide variety of other Christian sites, news, and commentaries.
As always, I welcome your comments or you can contact me at
tenderheartaz@yahoo.com

Living Water

“… but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him shall never thirst; but the water that I will give him will become in him a well of water springing up to eternal life,” John 4:14, NAS

Living in the desert gives a new perspective on the importance of water. Even in the high desert of southeastern Arizona, water is precious. As towns grow into cities, this necessity drives just about every aspect of development. This is particularly important as the region is in the middle of a drought.

The abundance of ground water can turn a backyard or park into a mini-oasis. Nonetheless, as the drought continues, the lack of rain takes its toll. Certainly proper cultivation and fertilization helps green up the grass, trees, and flowers.

However, there’s something about rain that truly brings the desert to life. It’s as if grass grows by the hour and flowers pop open overnight providing a Technicolor landscape. Hues and brilliance provide a beautiful contrast while the dusty brown terrain so normal here disappears. All of nature instinctively draws closer to the natural drenching of the desert.

It’s the same way for us. Without the living water of Christ, we can wither and turn into dusty Christians, parched and empty – a drought unto ourselves. Try as we might to water ourselves by artificial means, we never reach the full beauty our Creator intended. Imitation only brings temporary joy, if even that.

Many are familiar with Jesus’ words to the Samaritan woman in this verse. The Life Application explains that while Christ did not come to take away the challenges we face in the circumstances of life, He can change us on the inside so that we can live life from God’s perspective.

Without the living water Jesus talks about, we will continue to thirst and continue to seek, filled only with short-lived satisfaction and long-term disappointment.

Consider how things look after a refreshing rain – vibrant and alive. The same transformation can take place in each of us if we seek and drink the living water of Christ.

Blessings, Francine

Desires of the Heart

Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart, Psalm 37:4, NIV

I sometimes wonder what God has planned for me in the next step of my life. I say this with excitement and anticipation. Although I am often heavy laden with the work at hand, I believe God blesses each of us more abundantly in the things that make our hearts sing.

It's not that He withholds blessings from His children. But if we truly delight ourselves in the Lord, we more easily hear and follow Him. God wants to give us the desires of our heart and when we have an intimate relationship with Him our hearts are exactly where He wants them to be.

The human side of me – that which Satan loves to tamper with – tries to convince me that the direction I’m walking is purely of my desires. But, that isn't true.

When I know God has led me to a certain place or His intervention has taken me away from the tangible, fruits of my labor for Him, I’m to respond obediently. I can’t let myself become so regimented to schedules and deadlines that I cannot recognize the times when God steps in.

It may be ministering to a friend or family member going through a rough time. It may come in the form of taking time to enjoy my grandchildren. It may even involve some alone time with my husband. Regardless of what it is, I know that God orchestrates my life. All I’m responsible for is joining my Father in His work. True, we can use these things as diversions. However, if we are close to God and meet Him daily, we can usually sense in our spirit what we’re to do.

These interruptions truly bring us to the next step on our spiritual journey. I think that is what faith is. We take a step but it isn't linear ... it's a vertical step and from this higher vantage point we gain new perspective. We are able to see above our circumstances and glimpse the Creator of the universe being creative in our lives. Every step of obedience, regardless of how small, brings us to a higher place where we will find the desires of our heart.

Blessings, Francine

Fellowship of the Rings

For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Ephesians 6:12, New International Version

I recently watched the first movie in the Lord of the Rings trilogy – Fellowship of the Ring. The movie is rich with meaning and this first one begins a tale of friendship.

We all have friendships. Some span a lifetime. Some are based on mutual interests, family, career, social, or based on other reasons.

I like the word fellowship because it conjures up something active – the idea of people responding to and caring for others.

Those friends in LOTR were brought together during a time of danger. They didn’t know each other but the bond of a common faith, desire, and goal cemented them, one to another. They were as diverse a group as one could find in demeanor, appearance, and background. Yet each had a unique strength and when combined together, they faced evil that gave every indication of overpowering supremacy. Their fellowship accomplished the unthinkable.

It was their faith in overcoming darkness, their trust in the light of truth, and their belief in the fellowship of the ring that ultimately brought victory.

Too often, we see our faith as something less. It’s not. We battle unseen forces. I’m not talking so much about demons, although Paul tells us our battles are not with flesh and blood but with demons over whom Satan has control.

True, these are grand challenges that we usually recognize and, in so doing, we realize our need of God’s power. Nevertheless, our giants can be as innocuous as the worry and fear that plague our every day lives. Our sight isn’t always as clear in these personal battles. Yet, our God can strengthen us to live victoriously in the small things.

What does all this have to do with the fellowship of the rings?”

I’ve joined a group of Christian writers in a web ring, Lindenville CafĂ©. Visitors can easily click to another blog of inspirational words. It is my hope that by joining together, as those characters did in LOTR, we can encourage others with the hope found in the Creator’s light and truth.

I invite you to browse the ring. I think you’ll find a diversity of talent. I know you’ll find people just like yourselves who share God’s truth in the realities of their own lives.

Blessings, Francine

Homecoming

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, Jeremiah 29:11, New International Version.

For those of you who have visited my blog in the past, you know that there’s not been any activity for the past six months. I returned to my home in the United States in February and have been in the process of catching up. It’s been a homecoming in one of the truer senses of the word – returning to my family after a three-year stay in Germany.

Since then, my husband and I have been refurbishing our home, reacquainting ourselves with friends, and re-establishing ourselves within our church and local community. It’s been full of hard work, laughter, and bittersweet memories. Most importantly, it’s been a time of new spiritual directions and growth.

There were times when I worried over my inactivity here but I try not to do things based on my feelings or emotions. There would be a time when God would lead me back.

It’s funny how God works in our lives, using anything and everything to speak to us. As a writer, one of my greatest pleasures is writing. Yet, I sometimes life gets in the way. That’s when the Creator of the universe steps in and gently reminds me of His plans for me. Moreover, each time is like a homecoming.

This verse from Jeremiah has brought me hope over the years … kind of like a light in the darkness of confusion. It also has given me reassurance. If I’m attuned to God’s moving in my life, He makes those plans known. Maybe not the whole picture but certainly the direction I should take. As my trust and faith grow, so does my ability to take just one step into the plans my Father has for me.

You may notice something new on my blog. In all honesty, it’s only through the help of a dear friend that I’m now “connected” to a web ring of other Christian bloggers. God used one friend’s obedience to reach out and show me it was time to take that one step.

I pray that He might speak to each of you.

Blessings, Francine

Do you remember?

The older we get, the more there is to remember. The passage of time can blur or distort past events, softening the heartaches and from time to time shifting the facts. As a person who keeps a journal, I am occasionally surprised when I revisit an event and realize there’s more, or less, to the story than in my memories.

I think it’s vital that we remember special events, especially as they relate to our spiritual growth. It’s not an easy thing to do and it isn’t something that can be completed in a short amount of time. Yet, the hard work is worth it.

You see, even documenting painful experiences can give us a glimpse of how the Creator of the universe comes close to the brokenhearted. For me, it’s been during the most heartbreaking times that I’ve discovered just how much God comforted me and how much I grew spiritually.

Everyone will face the death of a loved one, the threat of disease, and all kinds of losses. We wonder how we will carry on. I can share from personal experience – I believed I couldn’t cope with those things, but I did. Certainly, I felt grief and suffering but God gave me strength to not only survive the deep darkness of immense sorrow, but a supernatural peace.

And those sorrowful experiences where God stepped in have been crucial in strengthening my faith. Let’s face it, if our Creator can get us through devastating loss, He can guide us in day-to-day living lives full of stress and anxiety.

The important thing is to remember.

I would encourage you to take the time and develop what I call life markers. I started with major milestones, so to speak, and then filled in other things in as I remembered.

I must confess, I was amazed to
see God’s footprints more clearly in the landscapes of my grief-stricken darkness.

The more I worked on my life markers, the more I saw God’s presence in my life, and the more I trusted Him.

There are plenty of scriptures encouraging us to remember God’s laws, words, and comfort. Learning about different people in the Bible shows how others were able to reflect on all that God had done for them. One of the more interesting, and possibly less known, is Asaph. You’ll find him in the Psalms.

Asaph was one of David’s choir leaders and is credited with Psalms 73-83. The first psalm he wrote is one many could probably identify with. I particularly like him because
he’s brutally honest in asking why life is so unfair.

His words in Psalm 77 are a beautiful reminder that even in the darkest of times, God’s footprints across our hearts and lives brings us to a place of refuge and sanctuary.

“I recall all you have done, O Lord. I remember your wonderful deeds of long ago. They are constantly in my thoughts. I cannot stop thinking about them. O God, your ways are holy. Is there any god as mighty as you? You are the God of miracles and wonders!” Psalm 77:11-14, NLT.

If you remember nothing else, remember this:
Satan would like nothing better than for us to forget God’s presence in our lives.

Blessings, Francine


SPECIAL NOTE: I pray that each commentary I write here will bless you, but please understand that some are built on previous entries. I’ve tried to build a Biblical basis from which my thoughts are developed. It’s important that you understand “my words” aren’t the end of the story, so to speak. I would encourage you to check out previous entries if you have questions concerning what I’ve written. Also, I’ve included links to several web sites that can provide much more detailed guidance than I’m able to do here. Check out “Running Empty” or “Power to Change” (see list of links to the right). For more in-depth study, you can visit “Now Try God” at http://www.nowtrygod.com or “New Christian Life” at http://newchristian.com as additional resources. The bottom line – don’t accept what I say as gospel. That’s what the Bible is for. An excellent on-line resource is BibleGateway.com at http://www.biblegateway.com.

Another good site is Crossmap, at http://crossmap.com and not just because my inspirational messages can now be found there. This organization, which has been running since 2000, serves the Christian community as a web portal. There are great columns by talented nationally known writers and pastors, a wide variety of other Christian sites, news, and commentaries.
As always, I welcome your comments or you can contact me at tenderheartaz@yahoo.com

Looking for God in All the Wrong Places

If we want God’s presence in our lives, we won’t find it in religion. It begins with a relationship.

We spend huge amounts of money, time, and effort trying to find God. Roam the aisles of any bookstore in the Religious section and you’ll find hundreds of books. Unfortunately, unless we start with The Book, we may find ourselves lost in all the how to’s.

There are many excellent authors whose books are planted firmly in God’s truths. Often, their words help guide and direct us in our search with encouragement and inspiration. Still, if we don’t understand that God’s word is the only Truth, we will continue looking in all the wrong places.

It’s easy to tell others to read the Bible but a lot harder to actually do that. Where do you begin? What version should you use? How do you understand all that stuff?

Jesus knew how hard it would be for us and when He arose to the Father, He left us with a comforter – The Holy Spirit.

Jesus first told the disciples of the Holy Spirit in the last hours He spent with them.


“I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever; that is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not see Him or know Him, but you know Him because He abides with you and will be in you. I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.” John 14:16-18, NAS.

So many of us are heartbroken because we fail in our desire to follow Jesus. And therein lays the key. We do not have the power to follow Christ in our own strength.

All you have to do is look at Peter. He loved Jesus, proclaimed he would die in his devotion, and yet, he denied Christ three times. How often have you come across the verses describing Peter’s denial and wondered, “How could he do that?” If you search the scriptures, you will discover that Peter said what he said and did what he did in his own strength.

Look closely again at Jesus’ words, “but you will know Him because He abides with you and will be in you.”

It wasn’t until the disciples were pretty much at the end of their ropes, so to speak, that they were able to comprehend these words. They’d watched their Lord beaten and crucified and saw His lifeless body removed from the cross. Then they ran and hid. It’s hard to imagine the loneliness, anguish, and fear they experienced. I think they probably felt abandoned as well. Then, Mary Magdalene comes and tells them she’s seen the Lord.

As they are hiding behind locked doors in fear of the Jews, Jesus appears to his beloved disciples. His first words to them still take my breath away, “Peace be with you.”

As the disciples rejoiced, Jesus then told them,
Receive the Holy Spirit,” John 20:22.

We cannot receive the Holy Spirit if we are living by our own strength. Usually, it’s only when we come to the end of our rope that we are ready to enter an intimate relationship with Jesus.

Blessings, Francine

Scripture quoted from the New American Standard Bible

CHANGES

Dear Readers:

For those who are returning guests and to those of you new to my blog, you will note an absence of posts between Aug 3 and November 29. There were 20 posts on the Beatitudes, part of the Sermon on the Mount, Matthew 5:3-8. I’ve removed these posts and they can now be found in my column on Crossmap (http://www.crossmap.com/). I invite you to visit Crossmap – it’s filled with a variety of columns, information, and news of particular interest to Christians.

I began posting a new series of inspirational commentaries on my blog this month. They focus on what it means to abide in Christ and will continue with encouraging inspirational messages on how to have a closer relationship with our Creator.

As always, please feel free to contact me at tenderheartaz@yahoo.com with thoughts or questions.

Here’s information from the Crossmap website about their columns:

“Crossmap Columns was launched in June 2004 to showcase uplifting and encouraging columns from Christian writers.”

“Crossmap posts columns with the young to mature Christian in mind. Although we will have some articles written about the very basics of faith, and several about more mature ideas such as Christian philosophy, the majority of columns focus strictly on how to be better Christians. For young and growing Christians, these columns should be invaluable – they are insights into the daily lives of Christians who have already walked the path of the Lord for years, and in some cases, decades. Columns are written by husbands and wives teaching how to be more loving and considerate, by fathers and mothers explaining how to best raise children, and by pastors whose writings are extensions of the sermons they have lived preaching.”

Blessings, Francine

Abiding in ...

If we want to have God in our lives, we must first learn to abide in our Creator.

The word abide has several meanings, usually beginning with the negative connotation of “to put up with or tolerate.” A second definition is “to wait patiently for.” I like that one, but if you do a little research, you’ll find another meaning that I believe more clearly illustrates what I think Jesus meant when he was instructing His disciples.
“To continue to be sure or firm or to dwell or sojourn.”

I sometimes think we see God almost like the great and powerful Oz – impossible to approach without performing some heroic feat. The truth is we can’t perform heroic feats without intimately knowing our Creator. If you don’t believe me, just think about David and Goliath. Most of us aren’t even thinking about performing daring deeds; we just want to get through each day with some sense of peace.

But how do we do that?

As Jesus was talking to his closest friends during his final hours on earth, he told them,
“If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.” John 15:7, NASB.

The Message gives an even clearer picture:
“But if you make yourselves at home with me and my words are at home in you, you can be sure that whatever you ask will be listened to and acted upon.”

These verses are within the context of Jesus’ teaching about the “Vine and the Branches.” Earlier he says he’s the vine and God is the vinedresser who takes care of the branches –
that would be us.

In verse 5, he tells us that those who abide or, make themselves at home with him, will bear fruit, but without this kind of connection, we can do nothing.

It begins with a relationship that requires active interest, care, and love between God and us through Christ.

I am sometimes amazed when I read the Bible.
It truly is like a love letter … from the Creator of the universe to His beloved creations – each of us.

Blessings, Francine

If God Isn't In it

I used to have a popular saying tacked up to my bulletin board … “If God isn’t in it, it won’t get done.”

I smile when I think back to how many times I looked at that saying and prayed that God would be involved in whatever project I might be working on.

Needless to say, it usually didn’t work.

The truth is, if God isn’t in our life, then much of what we try to do won’t get done … at least not the way God intends it and probably not the way we hoped for.

We struggle, sacrifice, and work hard towards a goal we’ve set for ourselves. Many times, it’s something we believe God wants. Unfortunately, the fallacy is that it is something we want and God’s involvement comes after we’ve made a commitment, started a project, accepted a new job, or begun a mission.

We must first seek God’s will, not our own.

We love to quote various scriptures from the New Testament claiming the promises Jesus spoke about. There are at least fourteen instances where He spoke about asking and receiving. We like to end our prayers by saying, “… in Jesus’ name,” and think that covers our requests. After all, we have scripture that tells us so. “If you ask Me anything in My name, I will do it.” John 14:14,
New American Standard

Of course, the verse is taken out of context. John 14 is part of the intimate time Jesus spent with his disciples during the Last Supper. Jesus spoke lovingly and tenderly to those who were closest to him. And he had a lot to say. If we base our actions on this one verse, we’re going to be disappointed … over and over again.

If we want to claim a scripture as a promise of Jesus working in our life, maybe we should quote a different verse that is both a beautiful and concise promise Jesus left for all of us:


“If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.” John 15:7, New American Standard

In the next few days, I’d like to look at how we can have God in our life and be confident of the things we ask.

Blessings, Francine

SPECIAL NOTE: I pray that each commentary I write here will bless you, but please understand that some are built on previous entries. I’ve tried to build a Biblical basis from which my thoughts are developed. It’s important that you understand my words aren’t the end of the story, so to speak. I would encourage you to check out previous entries if you have questions concerning what I’ve written. Also, I’ve included links to several web sites that can provide much more detailed guidance than I’m able to do here. Check out Running Empty or Power to Change (see list of links to the right). For more in-depth study, you can visit Now Try God at http://www.nowtrygod.com or New Christian Life at http://newchristian.com as additional resources. The bottom line – don’t accept what I say as gospel. That’s what the Bible is for. An excellent on-line tool is BibleGateway.com at http://www.biblegateway.com

As always, I welcome your comments or you can contact me at
tenderheartaz@yahoo.com
 
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