Soar

  Have you ever been to the circus?  I have a few times in my life and one of my favorite acts to watch is the trapeze act.  I am always amazed at how these artists can fly through the air with what seems like the greatest of ease (to quote an old song!).  They spin and turn and flip and fly and have enough trust in their partner to catch them from the other side.  It's always an amazing thing to watch but I have to admit there's always this trepidation inside me.  I fear that something not so good just might happen.

  I find my life to be like that trapeze act.  Sometimes the ups and downs of life seem just like those acrobatic moves.  There are even days when I feel like perhaps things are spinning out of control. Many times this happens when I am tired and have allowed too much on my plate.  Or when bad news knocks me off my routine and I can't seem to get back on track.  There are also those times when I allow pride, envy or my inability to forgive someone throw off my daily performance.  Time after time I can point to the reason why this is happening.  I have not taken the time to speak to God or to listen to him.  When I take my eyes off him, doubt and fear and separation start to seep in.  In the same way that loss of concentration can mean disaster for the trapeze team it can also spell disaster for us when we lose focus on Jesus.  

 God desires for us to trust him in all things.  This is because his love for us is unconditional. 

     Find rest, oh my soul, in God alone; my hope comes from him.  He alone is my rock and salvation; he is my fortress, I will not be shaken.  My salvation and my honor depend on God, he is my mighty rock, my refuge. Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge.                                                                                      Psalm 62:5-8

I don't know about you but there have been days in my life that I was so weary I did not know whether I could go on.  The only way I made it through was to do just this- pour out my heart to him and accept his refuge.

  It is important to note that trapeze acrobats have become more sure of themselves because they have practiced- a lot!  They have worked with their partner day after day to ensure the success of their act.  In the same way, we can see ourselves working together with God as we go through life. In my mind one way we work and practice with God means that we spend time with him every day through prayer and by reading his Word.  There are many stories there about the people who have trusted God and the results because of their trust.  By reading these stories we become more aware of God's ability and his desires for us.  One of the greatest examples of trust in the Bible is the story of Joseph.  Like us Joseph's life is filled with mountain top experiences (being a very important and trusted part of the Egyptian pharaoh's house and being able to help his family in times of drought) and the lows of the valley (being sold into slavery by his own brothers and spending time in prison). You can read all about the life of Joseph starting in Genesis 30:22.

  Another way to build your trust relationship is to meet with other believers.  By attending worship each week and other activities of the church or spending time away from the church with other believers I believe our trust in Jesus and what he has done for us will grow.


     For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.  He died for us so that, whether we are asleep or awake, we may live together with him.  Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.   
                                                                                                           1 Thessalonians 5:9-11

  Sometimes in life we might feel as if God has not been trustworthy-perhaps we feel, as a partner, he has let us down or dropped us in the middle of practice or the performance.  We don't understand why certain things have been allowed to happen and or why we didn't get what we wanted.  As humans we want to know all the answers and usually we want things our way or the highway!  But here is the truth.  God loves us without end.  Sometimes there are things in his plan that we could never even imagine!  Things that we could never even dare to dream.  Because this is a fallen world, though, there is sure to be trouble  That does not mean we can't make it through the journey though.


     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 a hope and a future.                  Jeremiah 29:11


  It is in this trust that we can live fully.  I imagine us flying together as the trapeze team in the way Hillsong United sings these verses in their song Power of Your Love. 


Hold me close, let your love surround me.  Bring me near, draw me to your side.  And as I wait.  I'll rise up like the eagle. And I will soar with you.  Your spirit leads me on. In the power of your love.






Listen to Hillsong United's song Power of Love at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pQg6sk5B3qY





  

A Decision for the New Year

     One of my favorite things to do is to get up early and sit in the quiet of the house before anyone else is awake.  I love to read God's Word or a good devotional book.  I like to pray and think about different topics.  I also find this is my best time to write a new post on my blog.  I love the absence of the television or other noise that starts after other family members begin to wake.  During the Advent and Christmas seasons I also love to sit and think beside our beautifully decorated tree. Each tiny light shines through the dark and reminds me of the light that Jesus brought when he was born.  So today, on the last day of this year, I am sitting in my place near the tree contemplating the things that have happened over the course of the last twelve months.  In the still of this morning I am also wondering with great anticipation what the new year will bring.  

     

     There is something about a new start that fills us with hope.  The whole slate-wiped-clean idea really appeals to most of us.  It is kind of like my love of opening a brand new box of crayons.  All the tips are perfect.  The paper that wraps them is clean and crisp.  They are all uniform in their size as they sit there in their beautiful box with no tatters or rough edges.  There is still a lid to open and close.  The bottom is not covered with tape to keep the brilliant colors from slipping through.  The potential of what these crayons can do is limitless!  But, as we all know the crayons do not stay this way if they are part of the bigger picture.  They get dirty and broken.  They are stepped on.  The lid of the box gets torn off and the rest starts to lose its shape.  Some of the crayons are lost when the bottom of the box falls open.  The broken pieces won't fit together in the ratty box anymore so it gets thrown away and the crayons are tossed together into another type of container.  Pieces of crayon without their outside covers begin to bump against each other.  They leave part of their color on other ones so sometimes the original hues are full of streaks.  They are changed.

     I often think about a year filled with only pleasant things and no hurts- a year in which everyone is happy and content. However, I would say if we took a look none of us would be able to find a year in our lives that didn't contain both the good and the bad.  That is the truth of this life here on earth.  The truth of a fallen world is that it cannot be good all the time.  Well.. that's enough to make you want to crawl back into bed and not come out again!  You might be done reading because you are thinking you already have enough negative and doom and gloom on your daily news! But wait!  Listen to what God wants you to hear!

Number 1-God wants a relationship with you! 

     This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only son into the world that we might live through him. This is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.                                     1 John 4:9-10

God loves you, even if you have not loved him!  No matter where you have been in life or where you are now he wants you!  No matter what you have done or have not done he still wants to share in your life.  The thing is he already knows everything about you and he still wants to form a relationship with you that will change your life. 

 

Number 2- He makes everything new! Including you!

     This is what the LORD says— he who made a way through the sea, a path through the mighty waters, “Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland."                                                                       Isaiah 43:16, 17-18

     Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come:  The old has gone, the new is here!

                                                                                           2 Corinthians 5:17

The Bible repeatedly uses the example of God being a potter and making us into a vessel that he can use.  He has fashioned you already and will continue to make a beautiful thing out of you!  If only you let him, you will be amazed at the things he can do in your life.

Number 3- There will be good times in your life.  There will be bad times in your life.  He will stand by you through it all!

     So do not fear, for I am with you, do not be dismayed for I am your God.  I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. 

                                                                                              Isaiah 41:10

     The Lord your God is with you, he is mighty to save.  He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing.

                                                                                              Zephaniah 3:17

God's love for you is unconditional.  He will not give you every desire of your heart or what the world considers to be important.  He will give you exactly what you need when you need it.  He will never leave you or forsake you.

  

Number 4-God has given you everlasting life!

     For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life, in Christ Jesus our Lord.

                                                                                               Romans 6:23

   That if you confess with your mouth "Jesus is Lord"and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.

                                                                                                Romans 10:9

Friends,on this last day of the year I pray that you will carve out some quiet time and think about these things.  I pray that God will move you to believe the things you have read.  If you already have a relationship with our Lord, then today at the dawning of the new year I pray he will bring you to a new commitment to that relationship.  I cannot tell you what will happen in your coming days but I can tell you that making a choice for God will never be a decision you regret.  Happy New Year!!  

     

     

Christmas Hope

     When the terrible tragedy of Sandy Hook Elementary first reached my ears I was sitting in a classroom of five and six year olds.  The first reports told of the unimaginable happening.  The deaths of young children in a school shooting.  My eyes traveled around the classroom taking in the children I had come to know and love. The thought of one of them.....  my brain had to shut that thought off instantly.  It was too painful.  If there is one thing that I have learned in this era of instant news, Facebook, Twitter, blogging and all the other social media/technology out there it is to wait. Wait until the emotional roller coaster has started to wind down.  For you see, if I don't there will be things that I write or say that I might regret later. Still on this day, one day before Christmas, my heart breaks for those who have buried their family or friends.

      Today I am not writing in support of new or different gun control laws.  I will not throw in my two cents worth on the need for better mental health care.  I won't speak on the many tirades and ideas that have flown around since that day occurred.  What I will do, though, is write about what God has put in my heart at this time about grief.  Mere words of mine can't describe the thoughts and feelings of those affected by this tragedy.  But I will borrow some from the famous writer C.S. Lewis, who lost his wife to cancer over fifty years ago.

     No one ever told me that grief felt so like fear. I am not afraid, but the sensation is like being afraid. The same fluttering in the stomach, the same restlessness, the yawning. I keep on swallowing. At other times it feels like being mildly drunk, or concussed. There is a sort of invisible blanket between the world and me. I find it hard to take in what anyone says. Or perhaps, hard to want to take it in. It is so uninteresting. Yet I want the others to be about me. I dread the moments when the house is empty. If only they would talk to one another and not to me . . .   
     An odd by-product of my loss is that I’m afraid of being an embarrassment to everyone I meet. At work, at the club, in the street, I see people, as they approach me, trying to make up their minds whether they’ll say something about 'it’ or not. I hate it if they do, and if they don’t . . .    
    And grief still feels like fear. Perhaps more strictly, like suspense. Or like waiting; just hanging about waiting for something to happen. It gives life a permanently provisional feeling. It doesn't seem worth starting anything. I can’t settle down. I yawn, I fidget, I smoke too much. Up till this I always had too little time. Now there is nothing but time. Almost pure time, empty successiveness . . .  

                                                                                                 A Grief Observed (1961)

     I have felt this grief that Lewis talks about but there is good news!  Christmas is all about hope.  When the Son of God, Jesus Christ, was born it gave hope to the world!  He would grow up to fulfill a plan so amazing that humans still have trouble believing!  When Jesus took on the sins of the world and died for us he gave us the hope of eternal life.  We are no longer separated from God but can live with him forever.  Grief is never easy.  But I have seen grief without hope and it seems unbearable and never ending.  The words describing God's hope are found in scripture.

     And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying,"Look! Now God's dwelling place is among the people and he will dwell with them.  They will be his people and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death, or mourning, or pain, for the old order of things has passed away."         Revelation 21:3-4

     It is inevitable that all of us will grieve at some point in our lives. My prayer is that you will be able through God's grace and mercy to be able to grieve with this comfort.  May you see this Christmas as a plan of hope fulfilled for all!

     Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you, he is the Messiah, the Lord.
                                                                                             Luke 2:11

Untangled

  I don't know about you, but I am not a super organizer.  Our house would be a big hit on a new reality series-"Clutter Busters"!  It will never appear in those beautiful photography shoots in Better Homes and Gardens but it is home. I have long ago given up the idea that my skills would ever earn me the best housekeeper award but I am okay with that because it is not big on my priority list.  As you can imagine, when I put away our Christmas decorations for the year I don't have any lights that are wrapped neatly and stored in their original boxes.  So each year I have to go through the process of untangling the sets of lights.  The other day as I was doing this task I was thinking about how our lives can be just like that tangled mess.  

  I don't know if you've realized this but life is complicated.  Even when we are enjoying what we consider to be a good life there are bumps and twists and knots along the way.  I feel extremely blessed in my life right now but here is an example of how just a small hour of time can go awry. My teenage daughter wakes up late and realizes how little time she has to get ready.  The toast almost burns while putting a dog outside. After trying to find something to bring for lunch I am resigned to having to eat a school lunch not knowing what is being served. I put out dog number two and let dog number one in.  I try to finish getting ready as dog number two is barking to come in and dog number three is whining to go out.  I slap on some makeup and put out dog number three and wonder why they can't all go out at the same time.  I yell upstairs that it's time to go and hear that my daughter is not ready.  Trying to remain patient I put all three dogs in kennels. I run out to get yesterdays forgotten mail and come back in to hear my daughter screaming to turn on the breaker that has been knocked off by her hair dryer.  I go flip the switch and go to the car and try to breathe normally while the kid is rushing around the house trying to find everything she didn't pack up last night.  We leave ten minutes late and I listen to a very unhappy girl describe to me all the way to her school why it is my fault that this has happened.  As I drop her off I slump in exhaustion thinking about the work day looming ahead of me and how I'm going to get through it!

  Could you tell a similar story?  In the past a less patient, less wise self might have spewed hateful words at my young daughter.  Unfortunately my oldest daughter and husband could tell you about some of those times when I handled some tangled messes of life in a bad way.  Instead of trying to untangle them carefully like I have to with my strings of lights I would try to bull my way through not caring who got knotted up, squeezed or crushed in the meantime.  Over the years,though, God has shown me better ways to handle these jumbled situations with many nuggets of wisdom in his Word.  These are just an example of some of those.

      But the fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control.      Galatians 5:22

     A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.     Proverbs 15:1

    The words of the reckless pierce like swords, but the tongue of the wise brings healing.    

                                                                                                                        Proverbs 12:18

     "Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?"  Jesus replied, "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.  This is the first and greatest commandment.  And the second is like it. Love your neighbor as yourself."  Matthew 22:36-37

     Love is patient, love is kind.  It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.  It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.  Love does not delight in evil,but rejoices with the truth.  It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.                                                                                     1 Corinthians 13:4-7

  This transformation of being able to handle life's stresses and demands and to act in a more Christ-like way did not happen over night.  God, like a potter molding his clay, has molded me.  Through prayer, faith and thanksgiving I have become a kinder, wiser and more gentle person.  I have learned to look at the race marked out for me and the prize--eternal life-that I will receive. Life's mangled paths become easier with the help of God, his Son and the Holy Spirit.  Every one of us can experience this life through Him.  So give him a chance and join me to get Untangled.    

What Christmas is All About

     When I was young one of my favorite holiday specials on television was "A Charlie Brown Christmas". This special first aired in 1965-the year I was born.  In the special, Charlie Brown is fed up with the commercialization of Christmas and sets out to find its real meaning.  I wonder what Charlie would think about the holiday season in 2012?  His anger over pink aluminum Christmas trees drove him to pick out the tiny real tree that nobody else could love.  Would he be disgusted by the air-powered blow-up Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer standing twelve feet tall?  Would he say "Good Grief!!" when he saw the thousands of lights blinking in unison to a sexy version of "Santa Baby"?  Would Linus still be able to stand on the stage and tell everyone what Christmas is really about or would he be filling out his list of the top five electronic devices available on Black Friday--woops! I mean the Black Friday Eve super sales on Thanksgiving night?!    

     Here are some questions you need to start asking yourself.  What does your holiday season look like?  Do you find yourself stressing about if you have enough money to buy what the kids want?  Is your To Do list going to do you in?  Do you find yourself being grouchy and yelling at others in the spirit of Christmas?  Does the inside and outside of your house look like an explosion of Pinterest decorating ideas gone bad?  Are you finding yourself kicking plastic reindeer across the yard when they don't light up?  Are you and your spouse looking up counselor names and phone numbers after you put up the Christmas tree?  Would you be willing to run over the back of someone's foot in Walmart just to get that $5 video while the store's intercom is playing "It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas"?  If you can answer yes to any of these questions or others you personally can come up with I would advise you to yell at the top of your lungs "Isn't there anyone who knows what Christmas is all about?!"

     And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.  And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.  And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy,  which shall be to all people.  For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.  And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,  Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.
                                                                                               Luke 2:8-14
                                                                                               (recited by Linus)

     God's son in the form of a baby.  A baby that would fulfill scripture and forever change the world.  A baby that would one day do the will of his Father and take on the sins of all people.  A baby that would one day be crucified and conquer death three days later.  The one who would bridge the gap between a fallen world and God.  The one that can give us everlasting life if only we believe. 

     So, this year as we head into the holiday season I have a prayer for all of us.  A prayer that each one of us will slow down and remember those words recited by Linus to his good friend Charlie Brown.  And that is what Christmas is all about, my friends.



  

Looking for Light in the Darkness

     If you would ask my kids they would tell you that I don't use my I-Phone to its potential.  I don't talk much on it and compared to the three of them my texting is almost nonexistent.  I occasionally add and use apps on it but I probably really don't need all the bells and whistles that this phone has. But there is one thing I love about my phone. When I push that button at the bottom of it there is instant light!  I love that it does that because I have to be honest here...  I really don't like the dark. In the darkness, all of my worries and troubles seem to build like a thunderstorm on a humid, spring day. In the darkness, a night of sickness seems to tick by second by second at the pace of a snail. In the darkness, my body craves light like a plant that turns itself towards the warmth of the afternoon sun. In the darkness, hope seems to slip away from me.  So if I find myself in the dark I find myself pushing that button. It's not a huge amount of light but it comforts me.  It can also guide me to a place where I can find more light.

     Of course the kind of light I am talking about in the previous paragraph has to do with what physicists call   "electromagnetic radiation to which the organs of sight react".  Whoa! that's a mouthful!  Today, though, I want to focus on another way we can talk about light and darkness. When Adam and Eve lived in the garden of Eden with God they were told not to eat of the fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.  But the serpent deceived them and made them doubt and they made a bad choice.  Their choice separated all of us from God. We are in darkness because of our sin. I heard an excellent example of this the other night at church from one of our pastors so I am going borrow his example and put it into my own imagery and words.  Imagine that this separation is like you and God standing on opposite sides of the Grand Canyon.  You can try to build a bridge back to God with good things that you do or the way you treat others but you will never be able to get to that other side because we are all sinners.  No matter what we do we can never mend that separation.  God's word says "for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." (Romans 3:23)  So no matter how hard you are out there working on that bridge it will never make it all the way across that wide canyon.  But, God had a plan.  Even in our wildest dreams we could not have imagined a fix like this one.  When Jesus died on the cross it was like God used that cross as a mega-bridge. The vertical portion became a strong girder into the canyon and the horizontal section became the span of a bridge across that large canyon back to God.  We can now cross from darkness into the light.  Jesus has said, "I am the light of the world.  Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life." (John 8:11-13)  When you hear this story of light and darkness you have to decide what to do with it.  Are you going to take this gift of light and salvation and accept what Jesus did for you or are you going to run the opposite way back into the darkness? 

     Now, let me tell you, there is a lot of darkness out there in this fallen world and you don't have to look very far to find it.  It is creeping around you this very moment!  Immorality and addiction run the streets.  Hopelessness and despair curl up in the dark corners of rooms.  Fear and disillusion crowd the hearts of many.  The pain and suffering of sin blots out the life of those who choose not to believe.  "For the wages of sin is death -separation from God from all time, "but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Romans 6:23)  This is good news for those of us who don't like the dark!  If you feel like the darkness has already swallowed you up and there is no way out, let me tell you that is a lie!  That is a lie perpetuated by Satan himself just like he did in the garden with Adam and Eve.  There is nothing that you can do that will separate you from Jesus' love if you believe in what he did for you. "For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels or demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Romans 8:38-39)

     Does this mean that our lives will become a cakewalk?  Does it mean we won't ever meet with trouble?  Will all our problems disappear?  Of course not.  But what the light does is give us hope.  It challenges us to rise up to fight the lies perpetuated by Satan in so many ways here on earth.  God gives us the tools to defeat the darkness. "Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of  God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes.  For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the power of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.  Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when that day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.  Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.  And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests."  (Ephesians 6:10-18a).

     So here it is--your chance to get out of the darkness!  Start moving toward the light now!!


If you are looking to get out of darkness click on any of the buttons above for more information on how to find the light!  Plus here is a great song from Sanctus Real about God's light and what he has done for you!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iOvX0aADP0M

Content In All Things

  The child on the video held the shoe box as though he had just been handed the world.  One would think that the greatest treasure of all was in the box he held.  But in reality the box had some simple toys- a Matchbox car and a rubber ball.  Nothing that ran on batteries or electricity!  Also in it were toiletry items such as a wash cloth, soap, toothbrush and toothpaste.  The remaining contents were school supplies like paper, colored pencils and a pencil sharpener. The box the boy held was a Christmas gift given to him through a program called Operation Christmas Child.  This program started by the ministry,Samaritan's Purse, has given nearly 1 million Christmas boxes to children since its inception in 1993.  I thought about how different this scene was from the ones that would occur around the world every Christmas season.  Crowds of pushing, rude people running to get the "best" sales on Black Friday, expensive toys with all the newest bells and whistles, ungrateful family members rushing back the day after to exchange a gift they just can't stand were scenes that ran through my mind.  How different from this small boy whose face beamed as he held his small treasures!

  Over the past couple of weeks God has been continually bringing the word contentment to my devotional time and to my thoughts throughout the day.  Being content in this world can be very difficult and I struggle with this concept.  I am sure that many of you have struggles with this, too.  It's hard not to buy into the world's ideas on what should make us content.  We are bombarded with messages that tell us what the best things in life are.  Greed and want seem to crowd out clear thinking while millions go into deep debt.  We are led to believe that lots of money and a big house will get us there.  We are shown how the newest piece of technology can make our lives so much easier.  Athletes, actors and actresses are splashed across the television and in magazines showing us the "good life".  If only we had more, more, more or different, different, different then we would have contentment.  Many of us spend so much time in our lives trying to find, buy or work our way there that we never have time to actually think about what it is to be content.  Here is what God says about these things.

     But godliness with contentment is great gain.  For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. Those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.  But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness.     1 Timothy 6:6-11

  The more we pursue a godly life these other things fall away as unimportant and the more content we can become.  We can see the blessings in our lives more clearly and be happy with who we are than what things we have.  Timothy specifically says "godliness with contentment" will give us great gain.

   I have looked deeper into what God wants for us in the area of contentment and this is what I have found. After receiving gifts from the people in Phillipi the Apostle Paul sent this message, 

     I rejoiced greatly in the Lord that at last you renewed your concern for me. Indeed, you were concerned, but you had no opportunity to show it.  I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances.  I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.  I can do all this through him who gives me strength.     Philippians 4:10-13

Sometimes when I read this passage I think how amazing it is.  Paul was in prison at this time for sharing the story of Jesus.  I am sure this was not a place of comfort but yet Paul says that he has learned to be content whatever the circumstances.  But I want you to focus on the last line in this passage.  He gives God the glory for helping him to be content.  Once again we see that gaining full contentment is only possible with the help of God.

  I think emotions can play a big part in this.  For example, the past couple of weeks I had a few rough days at home and at school.  I was tired and feeling a little blue.  My emotions told me that what I had in life was not good  enough.  My brain started to think in a negative pattern.  Instead of being content I started to complain to anyone who would listen.  If only I had....,  If only my husband would....,  If only I could...., If only my children realized....  But then in my quiet time with God he spoke to me through a devotional book I had been reading.  These were the exact words, "You have been on a long, uphill journey and your energy is almost spent,  Though you have faltered at times, you have not let go of My hand.  I am pleased with your desire to stay close to Me.  There is one thing, however, that displeases Me, your tendency to complain."  (Jesus Calling, Sarah Young)  Talk about being stopped right in my tracks! God knew exactly what I had been doing! Letting your emotions rule is dangerous.

  So during this ongoing journey to discover more about contentment I have learned a few things.  I need to focus on what God has given me already and what he has done for me in the past.  It's even helpful to write down all your blessings and pull that list out from time to time to remind you of what you do have!  Being truly content does not come from the world but from God.  If I am not content I need to talk to God about it not just complain to others around me.  They cannot fix my situation.  If we allow God to help us pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness then we can learn to be content in all things, too.  Then, just like that small boy with the Christmas shoe box, we will be beaming with contentment, too!



If you are interested in taking part in Operation Christmas Child this year click on this link: http://www.samaritanspurse.org/index.php/OCC/ .You will never regret the decision to send a gift to one of these children!