Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the LORD is risen upon thee.

For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people:

but the LORD shall rise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen upon thee.

And the Gentiles shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of the rising.

Lift up thine eyes round about, and see: all they gather themselves together,

they come to thee:

thy sons shall come from afar,

and thy daughters shall be nursed at thy side.

Then thou shalt see, and flow together, and thine heart shall fear, and be enlarged;

because the abundance of the sea shall be converted unto thee,

the forces of the Gentiles shall come to unto thee.

The multitude of camels shall cover thee, the dromedaries of Midian and Ephah;

all they from Sheba shall come: they shall bring gold and incense;

and they shall shew forth the praises of the LORD.

Isaiah 60:1-6

 

Light of the world, we hail thee,

Flooding the eastern skies;

Never shall darkness veil thee

Again from human eyes;

Too long, alas, with-holden,

Now spread from shore to shore;

Thy light, so glad and golden, 

Shall set on earth no more.

 

Light of the world, thy beauty 

Steals into every heart, 

And glorifies with duty

Life’s poorest, humblest part;

Thou robest in thy splendor

The simplest ways of men,

And helpest them to render

Light back to thee again.

 

Light of the world, illumine

This darkened earth of thine,

Till everything that’s human

Be filled with the divine;

Till every tongue and nation,

From sin’s dominion free,

Rise in the new creation

Which springs from love and thee.

Amen

John S. Monsell 1811-1875

William Walker 1809-1875

 

Luke 2:10-14

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. 

 

Christmas !

The first moments of Christmas Day  and I am remembering the services at the church in Magnolia, DE where we welcomed Christmas with the bell ringing out at midnight.

Families were encouraged to bring their children in their PJ’s so they would be ready for bed. There was a loose format. The Holy Spirit seemed to have a surprise for us each year. One year our pianist and organist were both sick and a gentleman from New York City who had performed on Broadway came and played the piano and sang for the service. Another year it was family members from out of town who added to our service. But always Rick would play his guitar and sing “Christmas In The Trenches” and the choir would sing “Whisper” as a gift to me. Oh how I loved that service.

Tonight I am a thousand miles away in Missouri. I am greeting Christmas in my living room. I can enjoy Rick on YouTube but sadly, I cannot find the song “Whisper” anywhere on the internet. But I can hear them in my heart.

Thank You, LORD,  for the people who have blessed my life over the years.

Thank You for the miracle of Christmas, God in human flesh, come to earth to live among us, to teach us how to live, to die for our sin, to conquer death and rise from the grave, to make it possible for us to have a relationship with our Creator. Praise God!

 

We light this Christ Candle in celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ. May Christ be birthed within us this day, that we may be witnesses of His coming. O God, grant that His light may shine through us, and that the world will come to the Light.

And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen His glory.                [John14a]

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.

Of the increase of His government and peace there shall be no end,

upon the throne of David, and upon His kingdom,

to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice

from henceforth even for ever.

The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this.                                  Isaiah 9:6-7

 

Peace!

 

Last Sunday I wrote of joy:

My joy is not dependent upon my circumstances

but instead comes from my relationship with my Creator,

and that never changes.

God is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow.

 

The same must be said of peace.

My peace is not the absence of conflict

but the presence of my LORD

and He is with me always.

 

My father died last spring,

a friend in Delaware is mourning the death of her husband this fall

while yet another is grieving the death of her son.

On Thursday we suffered the loss of a dear friend and neighbor.

So how do we celebrate Christmas in the midst of such hurting?

Where is our peace?

 

For me it is in God’s Word.

 

Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on Thee;

because he trusteth in Thee.                          Isaiah 26:3

 

I am reminded that God is my peace and I choose to trust in Him.

 

And the work of righteousness shall be peace; and the effect of righteousness quietness and assurance for ever.

And My people shall dwell in a peaceable habitation, and in sure dwellings, and in quiet resting places;                                           Isaiah 32:17-18

 

O that thou hadst hearkened to My commandments! Then had thy peace been as a river, and thy righteousness as the waves of the sea.     Isaiah 48:18

 

I choose Christ,

I choose to live under God’s law.

I choose to submit to the leading of His Holy Spirit.

Therefore God is my peace.

 

And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.                            Philippians 4:7

As I write this the snow is falling

– a perfect beginning for the morning of Christmas Eve.

We will attend a worship service and praise the LORD.

I will give thanks

for those whose lives have touched and blessed mine in some way

and who are no longer with us.

A father who did not know the LORD

but was an example to me of what a father should be.

Because of his love for me

I was not afraid to trust in my heavenly Father.

 

A man I never met who brought joy to the life of my friend.

 

A young man

whom I had the privilege of knowing as a child in our church

and watching grow into a man, a husband, and a father.

 

A friend and neighbor who cared for our critters

when we traveled to Delaware for visits with family.

Who came with his wife

and spent the morning harvesting our corn crop – by hand.

Who sat on our front porch eating fried chicken –

sharing food and stories.

 

I will remember these lives that have touched mine and I will have peace

– a peace that is not based on my circumstances –

a peace comes from trusting in God.

Jesus said it best –

 

Peace I leave with you, My peace I give unto you;

not as the world giveth, give I unto you.

Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.     John 14:27

 

My prayer for you this last Sunday of Advent:

 

The LORD lift us His countenance upon thee and give thee peace.

Numbers 6:26

 

We light this candle as a symbol of the Prince of Peace.

May the visitation of Your Holy Spirit, O God, make us ready for the coming of Jesus, our hope and our joy.

O come, O come, Emmamuel.

And the ransomed of the LORD shall return,

And come to Zion with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads:

They shall come obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.

Isaiah 35:10

 

 

JOY!

Marva J. Dawn writes in her book Joy In Our Weakness, “Joy is the deep sense of God’s sustaining Presence, the realization that divine light is greater than any darkness that might temporarily assail us. Thus, Joy does not mean “happiness,” which is dependent upon human circumstances.”

My joy is not dependent upon my circumstances but instead comes from my relationship with my Creator, and that never changes. God is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow.

In these days of much uncertainty there is one thing for certain, and that is the God we serve.

What brings you JOY?

For me it is my family –

 

Including our furry ones –

 

 

The breaking of a new day –

 

The setting of the sun –

That first crop of spring – Asparagus!

Our church family –

 

As you light the third candle – the candle of JOY –  let us remember that because Jesus Christ was born in Bethlehem, walked this earth in human form experiencing everything we experience, died on a cross at Calvary, rose from the grave defeating death, and now sits at the right hand of God our Father, we are redeemed. We live in the Joy of the Lord for Christ is our JOY!

 

But let all those that put their trust in Thee rejoice: let them ever shout for JOY, because Thou defendest them: let them also that love Thy name be joyful in Thee.

                                                                                                            Psalm 5:11

 

Thou wilt show me the path of life: in Thy presence is fulness of JOY;

 at Thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.

Psalm16:11

 

Rejoice in the LORD always; and again I say, REJOICE.

                                                                                                Philippians 4:4

 

These things have I spoken unto you,

that My JOY might remain in you,

 and that your JOY might be full.

John 15:11

 

 

We light this candle as a symbol of Christ our JOY.

May the joyful promise of Your presence, O God,

make us rejoice in our hope of salvation.

O come, O come, Emmanuel.

 

 

 

The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.

As it is written in the prophets,

Behold, I send my messenger before thy face,

      which shall prepare thy way before thee.

The voice of one crying in the wilderness,

          Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.

John did baptize in the wilderness,

     and preach the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins.   Mark 1:1-4

 

 

The baptism of repentance – do these words make you uncomfortable?

Repentance admits I cannot do it on my own.

Repentance says I am a sinner and only by surrendering my life to God can Christ be formed in me by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Repentance lays it all at the foot of the cross.

 

 

Oswald Chambers writes :

The entrance into the Kingdom is through the panging pains of repentance crashing into a man’s respectable goodness; then the Holy Ghost, Who produces these agonies, begins the formation of the Son of God in the life. The new life will manifest itself in unconscious holiness, never the other way about. The bedrock of Christianity is repentance.

From-My Utmost For His Highest

 

There is only one way – Jesus Christ –  and that requires repentance.

God has given us His Word in the scriptures and they are our roadmap.

God has given us the Holy Spirit to guide us along the way.

Spend time in prayer and Bible study.

Equip yourself for your journey.

 

    

We light this candle as a symbol of Christ The Way.

May the Word sent from God through the prophets lead us to the way of salvation which is Jesus Christ.

O come, O come, Emanuel.

 

HOPE

Isaiah 60:2-3

Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee.

For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people:                    but the Lord shall arise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen upon thee.

We light this candle as a symbol of Christ our Hope.

May the light sent from God shine in the darkness to show us the way of salvation.

O come, O come, Emanuel!

Having

One

Purpose

Eternally

 

A life lived with Jesus Christ

That is my HOPE

That is not a “maybe . . . someday . . . somehow . . . wisp of a dream”

NO it is a “God said it and I believe it” certainty in my life.

And so on this first Sunday of Advent I light the candle of HOPE.

I celebrate by remembering that time long, long, ago when God chose a newly betrothed couple to be parents. God chose Joseph, a compassionate man, a hard working carpenter, a man obedient to the Holy Spirit, to be His earthly father; to teach Him and guide Him through His childhood. God chose Mary, a young lady with a heart to serve. Even though she was young she accepted the role God had chosen for her. She risked censure from her family, her friends and neighbors to bear a child. Not just any child but God wrapped in humanity.

God with eyes and ears, fingers and toes, skin and bones, a belly button and nose!

Immanuel – God with us.

But we must not fragment God.

We cannot accept the baby Jesus without also accepting the man who walked this earth, ate with sinners, healed the sick, fed the hungry, brought living water to the thirsty, and challenged those who talked faith but did not live it. The man who suffered and died on a cross so that others might find life.

While we are listening to songs about the baby Jesus I would suggest a song by the Gaithers about the One who died for you. “Then Came The Morning.”

They all walked away, nothing to say
They’d just lost their dearest friend
All that He said, now He was dead
So this was the way it would end

The dreams they had dreamed were not what they’d seemed
Now that He was dead and gone
The garden, the jail, the hammer, the nail
How could a night be so long?

Then came the morning
Night turned into day
The stone was rolled away
Hope rose with the dawn

Then came the morning
Shadows vanished before the sun
Death had lost and life had won
For morning had come

The angel, the star, the kings from afar
The wedding, the water, the wine
Now it was done, they’d taken her Son
Wasted before His time

She knew it was true, she’d watched Him die too
She’d heard them call Him just a man
But deep in her heart she knew from the start
Somehow her Son would live again

Then came the morning
Night turned into day
The stone was rolled away
Hope rose with the dawn

Then came the morning
Shadows vanished before the sun
Death had lost and life had won
For morning had come

 

So while we celebrate the birth of Jesus, the ministry of Jesus, the death and resurrection of Jesus, let us not forget the promise of Jesus’ return.

This time He will not come as a helpless baby but as the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

The first time He came quietly, almost unnoticed.

But not so His return.

 

 

My brother tells me that our road isn’t wide enough to qualify as a “road” so I guess it we should call it a “lane.” I’ll look up the definition of a lane when I can find my dictionary. (I’m still unpacking after our move – November 2012!)

Don’t remind me that I can look it up online – there is something about holding a book in my hand that makes a difference to me. I love my Kindle for convenience when traveling but it will never replace my library shelves.

But I digress.

I like that we live on a quiet country “lane” – something that requires cooperation with our neighbors. For when we happen to meet someone coming in the opposite direction then one of us must yield, for there simply isn’t enough room for us to pass each other. Someone has to yield.

And that is true in life – someone has to yield. There is give and take. Problems arise when you find the person who always gives or the one who always takes.

No one likes the person who always takes without giving for they are selfish, with no thought for others. Not someone we want to hang around with.

But the one who always gives has a problem also. For they must learn how to accept gifts graciously, be it actions or words, lest they rob another of the joy of giving.

All of us need the others. God created us to live in community.

Now, how did I find myself on a quiet country lane in Missouri?

That is a story for another day!

 

“What’s in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet.”                                         William Shakespeare – Act II, Scene II Romeo and Juliet

 

When my youngest son would get into mischief – as all little boys are prone to do – there were some who said to me, “You should never have named him Jason!” Inferring that all little boys named Jason were mischievous.

 

In the book of Acts we find three men with the same name – Ananias – and yet they are very different men at heart. The Ananias we meet in chapter five is a man of means, a property owner, a man of faith, or so he claims. He wants to support the church by selling a piece of property and giving the money to the church. But God knows his heart. God knows that Ananias cares more about appearances than he cares for God. Instead of being honest, Ananias pretends to give all the money when he actually keeps part of the proceeds for himself while telling everyone in the church he was giving it all. His sin wasn’t that he kept part of the proceeds from the sale of his property. His sin was in pretending to be something he was not.

 

The Ananias we meet in Chapter nine is a very different man. He is not just a follower, he is a disciple. Paul says of him in chapter 22, verse12 of Acts: He is a devout observer of the law and highly respected by all the Jews in Damascas. And he has heard of Paul. He knows that Paul is coming to Damascus on a mission to arrest all the followers of Christ. When God calls on him to go to Paul and lay hands on him to restore his sight, Ananias questions the wisdom of that assignment. However, when God says go, Ananias goes. He lays his hands on this man that he fears and he prays for him. Ananias trusts God. He is obedient when God calls him.

 

In chapters twenty-three and twenty-four we meet Ananias the high priest who sought to destroy Paul. This priest who was supposed to serve God was working his own angle for his own benefit. He never considered what God wanted. He was doing what he thought was best for his career. He couldn’t allow the followers of Jesus to gain public support because that would undermine the system that he had put his faith in. Ananias the priest had forgotten Who was really in charge.

 

Three different men with the same name but with very different hearts.

 

When the Ananias from Jerusalem was given the opportunity to tell the truth he persisted in his deception and paid a heavy price – his life. The Ananias from Damascus questioned his assignment at first but when God said “Go!” Ananias went. He trusted and obeyed. As for the high priest, here was a man who was supposed to be serving God but evidently wasn’t listening to God but doing what served his own interests.

 

God knows our heart. No matter what happens we can be honest before God, trusting in His grace. There is nothing that we can do that will cause God to stop loving us. Because He loves us we can trust that He will keep us headed down the path He has for us. He will let us know if we start to stray from that path. We will be given the opportunity to repent, to confess, to turn back. Our task is to keep our eyes on Jesus, to read and study God’s Word, and to spend time in prayer, seeking His direction for our lives. God desires a relationship with His people. Do you want a relationship with Him?

 

 

Give ear to me words, O Lord, 
          consider my meditation.
Hearken unto the voice of my cry, my King, and my God:
          for unto Thee will I pray.
My voice shalt Thou hear in the morning, O Lord;
in the morning will I direct my prayer unto Thee, 
          and will look up. 
                                         Psalm 5:1-3



I love mornings on the farm!


And this morning was beautiful even in the rain.
Or maybe because of the rain.

The dogs took me for my morning walk.

Halley and Hobby ran off to the pond. But they came back. 
It was raining - whats a little more water! 
Ms. Pepper stayed with me because she wanted back in the house.

 
It was a nice walk. A good time was had by all!


When morning gilds the skies, 
          My heart awaking cries:
                    May Jesus Christ be praised!

Ye have sown much, and bring in little; ye eat, but ye have not enough; ye drink, but ye are not filled with drink; ye clothe you, but there is none warm; and he that earneth wages earneth wages to put it into a bag with holes.     Haggai 1:6

We like to believe that we are in control. Helpless is not a state we enjoy.

Sometimes we are reminded that God is in control and we are not.

Gardening is one of those reminders for me.

I can prepare the soil.

I can plant the best seed.

I can water and fertilize.

But I cannot make the plants grow or produce.

Only God can do that.

Last season I had a beautiful row of lima beans. They were loaded with blossoms that became pods but very few developed into beans that could be harvested. Why? I have no idea.

This season we put in a raised bed garden.

I prepared the beds.

I planted the seeds and watched for them to emerge.

I was expecting a bumper crop!

But sometimes things don’t go the way you plan.

One of the tomato plants developed strange fruit, really deformed.

So I pulled the plant.

The yellow squash and zucchini produced but then the plants wilted and died.

Then there were the critters!

Hungry grasshoppers.

And whatever is eating my tomatoes just when they are ripening.

Raised bed gardening still has its challenges but we have enjoyed the fruits of our labor just the same.

And there is always next year!

This experience has served to remind me that I’m not in charge.

But I do know the One who is and I trust Him.

Although the fig tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines; the labour of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat; the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls:                                    Yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation.                                          Habakkuk 3:17-18