This Christmas Day

One lone star
amid the black sky of night
shining bright
leading us
to the Holy One
The Christ Child
asleep in manger bare

The shepherds
watch their flocks
One lone star
upon them
an angel before them
fear grips tight
but “Do not fear”

 Come
Follow the star
Good News awaits
Great Joy to all
for today
this Day
this Christmas Day
a Savior is born
His name is Jesus
and He is
Christ the Lord

Praise and glory and honor
unto Him
and on earth,
peace, good will
to all
who receive His grace
to all
who are called.

(c) December 25, 2014

A new day rises

A new day rises

Is it as dismal as days before
with our eyes of sight to see only pitch black darkness
our ears of sound to hear only unending silence
our hands of touch to feel nothing … no one
our minds of thought to think only selfishness
our mouths of words to speak only discouragement, defeat, complaints

A new day rises

every day
a new start, another chance

Is it the sun
that brightens your day
that clears your thoughts

or would you still live
in darkness
in silence
in selfish indignation

A new day rises

All
we are
creations
of God
Our physical birth
gives us life

and choices
as each new day rises

God
who rules the heavens
the earth
all everywhere
He is merciful
filled with compassion
and everlasting love
“They are new every morning.”
(Lamentations 3:23)

God is our Hope
as His Son, Jesus
He is our Savior

In Him, With Him,
Through Him
we are made new
Our spiritual birth
gives us new life

A new day rises

Fill your hearts
and what you see
hear
feel
think
speak
with love and peace
and joy and kindness
and goodness
and compassion

As each new day rises
the new you
will also rise
and Jesus’ love
will shine forever bright.

© December23, 2014

The Gift of God

The message comes   – It is given to all people

“… I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.”                   ( Luke 2:10-11)

The gift arrives   -- It is delivered to all who call upon His name

“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”   (John 3:16)

The promise foretold   -- It is unveiled to all who abide with Him

Isaiah 9:2-7 shows us the promises of Light, of Gladness, of Liberty, of Peace, of an Extraordinary King, of an Everlasting Reign.

In awe and wonder,
we praise and worship
Our Lord and King

 The Holy One

 whose birth
 is celebrated
on Christmas Day

whose death and resurrection
is commemorated
on Easter

 whose life
guides us
Every Day

Jesus Christ!

Our Immanuel – God with us

(c) December 22, 2014

Love came down as Jesus - the Light of the World

“To give light to those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.” – Luke 1:79

“We walk by faith, not by sight.” – II Corinthians 5:7

Jesus is the Light of the World
sent down
to Earth
from above
by His Father.

Jesus -- a babe born
into a world filled with darkness of soul and mind,
endless pain and destruction
yet surrounded by the Light of God’s Everlasting Love

Jesus is the Light of the World
We, receivers of His Light
who once sat in darkness
to share with others,
who remain in darkness,
the Good News of His Coming
and the Gift He Brings.

Woe to you,
You who the darkness constrains
You who do not see the Light
You who fail to heed the Light
You who turn from the Goodness of God
and the faith once carried
to a place of wrongdoing and evil.

Jesus is the Light of the World
He shines into the hearts
of men and women and children
everywhere
He guides our feet
our hands
our words
our every action
into the way of peace, and love, and joy and hope

Abundant blessings flow
when we are one with The One
who is greater, greater still,
Greatest of all, over all.

© December 21, 2014

Turn. Turn.

You accepted Christ
a born-again believer
obedient
to the call of Christ

Until one day
an encounter
changed your thinking
No longer awake to His teachings
Small steps become giant strides
distancing yourself from all
that is God

Your newly chosen path
not pleasing to Him
not bringing eternal rewards
only temporary pleasantness

Is that enough?!
To be given new life only to waste it?
To live like the prodigal son (see Luke 15:11-32)
whose desires stronger;
and overcome,
he took and went
far away
and squandered
his livelihood.
Later, realizing
the error of his ways
returned
to his father
seeking repentance
asking forgiveness.
His father,
overwhelmed with love,
said,
“my son was dead and is alive again;
he was lost and is found.” (Luke 15:24)

Turn. Turn.
Turn away from.
Turn to … return to
The One
whose life was given
for yours

He took the old
and made new.
He is always with you.
He waits
in anticipation
of a joyful reunion
with a child
gone astray.

© December 17-18, 2014

“Therefore, since we have this ministry, as we have received mercy, we do not lose heart.”  ~ 2 Corinthians 4:1

“…For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness …” ~ verse 6

“We are hard pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down but not destroyed.”  ~ verses 8-9

“The things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal.”  ~ verse 18

“For we walk by faith, not by sight.”  ~ 2 Corinthians 5:7

“Therefore, we make it our aim, whether present or absent, to be well pleasing to Him.”  ~ verse 9

“For the love of Christ constrains us, because we judge thus; that if one died for all, then all died. And He died for all, that those who live should live no longer for themselves, but for Him who died for them and rose again.”  ~ verses 14-15

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.”  ~ verse 17

Saved, but

“Arise, shine; For your light has come! And the glory of the Lord is risen upon you. For behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and deep darkness the people; But the Lord will arise over you, And His glory will be seen upon you.”   ~ Isaiah 60: 1-2

“For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted the heavenly gift, and have become partakers of the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come, if they fall away, to renew them again to repentance.”  ~ Hebrews 6:4-6a

It IS impossible
Yes
It IS.
Jesus
died once
for you
for me,
Not over and over again,
repeatedly,
every time you fall away
and come back.

You soul be saved
but your life …
you’ve missed the boat
disobedient to His teachings.

No time do you make
to open His book
to read and study His Word
You may attend church
You may listen to the preacher
But do you apply what you hear to your life
Do you consider the consequences of every thought and action you partake
Do you pray

Do you seek God’s goodness all around you
or only folly

Be still
Hear My voice
Surround yourself
with My Presence
Do not dwell on that which you find wrong
with your surroundings
Seek My Presence
and My Glory will brighten the world around you
and you will see
and hear
and smell
and touch
and speak
an abundance of good things

When you refuse to come
into My Presence
I am grieved
but you too,
are filled with a sadness
unable to define

I offer you so much

But until you turn the page,
live life moving forward rather than backward
learn from the errors of your selfish ways
Until you want more of My Goodness,
more of My Love
More of My Joy
More of Me
Until you hear and obey My Voice,
you do not really know Me.

Your soul be saved,
but your life is being wasted. 

(c) December 16, 2014

Remembering ...

I was 10 years old.

Going back
in my mind
I can remember ...
that crisp cold December day

It was the 9th
the year was 1961
and I was 10
my sister, 7

We lived on 80 acres,
land farmed
first by my grandpa
and later by tenants
hired by my mother

My parents,
married 18 years,
split two years before,
The year I was 8

Childhood fragmented
Schooldays difficult
Yet only a few
saw my struggles
and even fewer cared
and reached out to me

One I remember, always remember
Though his name long forgotten
I see his face
his offer of friendship
someone to talk to,
to confide in
He was a school counselor
He helped me conquer hurdles
often too big and cumbersome
for me to handle alone

The year I was 7
1958

The following year

Two years later
I was 10
The Christmas season upon us
One more grief to bear
in too few years gone by

It was morning ...
the day my grandpa died

Forever missed
Forever remembered

George Arthur Stoner
July 20, 1880 - Dec. 9, 1961

Psalm 23:4 says,
"Yea, though I walk
through the valley of
the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil;
For You are with me;
Your rod (protection)
and Your staff (guidance)
they comfort me." 

I wish
it was the Lord
I had known then
I wish
it was His Presence
I had felt
many years past
He may have been
but so unaware
was I
Yet I am grateful
for His Love
and His Mercy
now upon me
and I pray
for His protection
and His guidance
in the days
ahead.

I pray the steps I take
gazing backward
and marching forward
are those
He desires.

(c) December 9, 2014

Where am I?

The Lord is present
Where am I?
He does not leave
He has not departed
He is not absent
His promises are true
He said, He will not leave us,
He will not forsake us

Where am I?

Am I on the outside looking in?
Did I travel
the valley of despair
and release my grip on Him?

The Lord is present
So is Satan
But I gave my life to Jesus
not the devil!

Where am I?

I was lost
and then I found ... Him -- You
and now,
Where am I now?
falling, falling

Catch me Lord
Hold me Lord.

I reach out
The air so thin
a part of the greater good
yet separated
from that goodness

Hold me Lord
Wrap Your mightiness
lovingly around me

Take me away
The griefs of this place
too much, too much

Bring me back
Renew in me
the Spirit of love
and gentleness
and kindness
and patience

Bring all of me to You Lord
Return me to Your fold
so I will know
where I am

I do not like the paths traveled
yet I cannot turn around
unless it is You
who guides me,
who leads the way.

(c) December 8, 2014

Dear Lord: here I am, here I pray

Dear Lord Jesus,

Here I am today
thinking of that
which perhaps
should not
have been spoken
Concerns voiced
perhaps belonged
to Your ears alone
I am unsure

Dwelling
on insecurities
not useful for me
focusing on You
and your direction for me
much more fruitful

Lord,

I pray You keep me
always connected
to Your way
so I do not wander
this way and that way

I want to be
Your messenger,
and do Your will
for all it takes

Keep me ever mindful
of You
so I
will know the way
I go
is the way
You desire

For all I share
or show another
decisions made
choices chosen
belong to each one
separately

It is not for me
to choose
or decide
for another

We each pay
the consequences
whenever
and wherever
they come

Yet, I pray
You will intervene
Keep us all safe and secure
amid the wrongs
of what we say
and don't say
and what we do
and don't do
and bring us back home again.

I pray when judgment comes
it is on familiar ground
and the fire
we play with now
will not become full blown
but lessen, died out

I play the Holy Spirit's nudging
will be effective
upon us
and the ways we go
will be glorifying to You
always.

Amen.

(c) December 6, 2014 

"You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your might.
And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart; you shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up." (Deuteronomy 6:5-7)

"You shall not tempt the Lord your God ... You shall diligently keep the commandments of the Lord your God ... You shall do what is right and good in the sight of the Lord, that it may be well with you." (Deuteronomy 6:16-18)

"And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; for you serve the Lord Jesus. But he who does wrong will be repaid for the wrong which he has done, and there is no partiality."  (Colossiand 3:23-25)

Surely, He is

"Surely the Lord is in this place, and I did not know it." - Genesis 28:16

I do not understand
what God is showing me,
where God is leading me
as excruciating pain radiates

The Lord says
to let Him, His Presence
override everything
every experience
to concentrate, focus on Him
not on the current situation -
the pain
the depressed feelings
that overwhelm

Do not let situations
of any kind
draw you away from Me

Pray for awareness
of My Presence,
and know
My comfort
My love
My mercy
My protection
My shelter
My strength
My promises
My peace

Remember,
"I am with you
and will keep (protect) you
wherever you go,
and will bring you back
to this land." (Genesis 28:15abc)

Know - without any doubt or question
The Lord IS in this place.
In the midst of all,
He IS ...  surely He is. 

(c) December 5, 2014

a lesson to be learned

"For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places." 

- Ephesians 6:12

The darkness of the night
troubled my ability to see
and direction was almost lost
as steering took me (and others)
down wrong ways
and across bumpy median strips

What was going on?!
Was talking to others
a distraction from focusing,
from concentrating
on what was before me?

What was God showing me?
Was this an example
of how Satan enters our lives unaware?

God was with me
And then I was turned around
and I had no way
to remove myself.
The consequences were before me
I wanted to hide,
crawl under a barrel
and not have anyone see my stupid actions.

But God sees our every move,
stupid and foolish
smart and wise.
Oh my!
A word flew out of my mouth
not spoken in many decades
a word that didn't belong
but said nonetheless
Why that word?!
Why then?!
Why repeat it?!
Why remind myself of it?!

... to keep Jesus closer to me
so I do not unravel

The road God leads us on
is narrow
right in the midst
of the opposition

I look up and see
and wonder
more
why

The wrong way
can seem so clear
yet it is
rather fuzzy.

Have we stepped outside
of God's guidance
Do we not see
nor utilize
the protection
and security
He offers?

Do we fail to move
past ourselves and see only me?
My woes
My mistakes
My headache
My pain
My depression
My sorrows
My misery
My longings
My complaints
My worries
It is all about me

But it isn't.
It is not all about me
It is about God
It is about Jesus
It is about what He teaches us,
what we learn,
what we do with what we learn,
who we follow - are obedient to

The wrong way
is as clear as mud
Why do we go there
or stay there
stuck,
pulling us down continually

God's way opens doors
showers us with blessings
disciplines us to make us better,
more productive
He is always with us
loving us

We must step beyond
each of us
individually
go where He leads ...
into the Light
so when the darkness
of the night
comes upon us
we remain safe
and secure
in His loving embrace.

December 3 and 4, 2014

"that good part"

(Jesus speaking) "...Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things. But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her."  - Luke 10:41-42

That good part

What is it?
Do you have it?
Do you utilize it regularly?
Is it about you?

Martha
and you
and me
and many others too
often worried
and troubled
about many things

For Martha,
it was about food preparation and serving
but it could easily be |
about financial woes
health
lodging
clothes
transportation
education

Jesus tells us
only one thing is needed.
and Mary
and some of us as well
have chosen that good part
which will not be taken away

That good part
always present

is our relationship
with Him - Jesus
our Savior and Lord
He will guide us
for every way
we should go 

Are you connected to Him?
He is the answer
to every moment
of  life
Whatever comes our way
reach out to the Lord
first and foremost
and go and do
where He alone directs

All the fixings
we think we have the power to accomplish
only weigh us down

Let the thoughts of your mind
stay on Jesus. 

So easy
it is
to be
swallowed up
by discouragement
discontent
distress
divisions
desolation
defensiveness
doubts

Our mind, instead of focusing
on that which is good
and kind,
patient and faithful,
gentle, loving, joyful,
on that which is Jesus,
we travel down roads
that speak of stupidity
and foolishness

The devil looks
for ways to bring us down
and we fall prey to it

We look for easy fixes
We think we have all the answers
when in retrospect
it is God
who knows all
who has all
who is all 

He created us
not vice versa

It is easy
to take our focus off 

The One
who is everything we need
and all that we desire
and put it
on ourselves

The "Me" syndrome
is childish behavior
but it is not solely
a child's thinking

Adults are
just as much
into themselves
as children,
sometimes more so.

Children learn
from their parents
and other caregivers

As adults,
we stay stuck

Too hard
we often think
to get out from under,
so why bother
Let's just focus
on me

Why get into His Word,
Why pray
Why pay attention
to a better way shown,
when 

Satan
has you believing
it is useless,
it is confusing,

it is too much work
to have a plan
and to stick to it

Focusing
on that good part
is hard to do
Hard to stay there
day in and day out
Hard to start over
when mistakes
and errors in judgment
are made

Life is not easy
God never said it would be

What do you look for?

Is it
the Light of God's Son
rising and shining upon you?

or
is it
the cunning, deceiving ways
of Satan infiltrating
every part of your life
and darkening every corner, 

taking you places you
should never go?

There are blessings
to be had

Choices


By focusing on God
and Him alone,
The Way to go
will be clear

Satan's plan
is always
to keep you way
from that good aprt

Christians are not free
from poor choices
nor
from the consequences
of those poor choices

Do you seek God's best,
God's blessings for you
or
do you settle for a whole lot less? 

(c) November 30 / December 2, 2014

Psalm 25: 1-21

"To You, O Lord, I lift up my soul, 

O my God, I trust in You; 

Let me not be ashamed;

Let not my enemies

triumph over me.

Indeed, let no one who 

waits on You be ashamed;

Let those be ashamed who 

deal treacherously without cause.

Show me Your ways, O Lord;

Teach me Your paths,

Lead me in Your truth and teach me,

For You are the God of my salvation;

On You I wait all the day.

Remember, O Lord, Your tender mercies

and Your lovingkindnesses,

For they have been from of old.
Do not remember the
sins of my youth, nor my transgressions;
According to Your mercy remember me,
For Your goodness' sake, O Lord.

Good and upright is the Lord;
Therefore He teaches
sinners in the way.
The humble He guides in justice,
And the humble He
teaches His way.
All the paths of the Lord
are mercy and truth,
To such as keep His covenant
and His testimonies.
For Your name's sake, O Lord,
Pardon my iniquity, for it is great.

Who is the man that fears the Lord?
Him shall He teach in the way He chooses.

He himself shall dwell in prosperity,
And his descendants shall
inherit the earth.
The secret of the Lord is with those who fear Him,
And He will show them His covenant.
My eyes are ever toward the Lord,
For He shall pluck my feet out of the net.

Turn Yourself to me,
and have mercy on me,
For I am desolate and afflicted.
The troubles of my heart have enlarged;
Oh, bring me out of my distresses!
Look on my affliction and my pain,
And forgive all my sins.
Consider my enemies,
for they are many;
And they hate me with cruel hatred.
Oh, keep my soul, and deliver me;
Let me not be ashamed for I put my trust in You.
Let integrity and uprightness perseve me,
For I wait for You."