Celebrate Family at Christmas

   It is true that Christmas is a time of celebration. There is the celebration of Christ's birth, the coming of God in flesh into the world with the purpose of redeeming mankind to Himself through the blood of His Son. This is the major emphasis of the holiday, and it should be.

   There is another time of rejoicing during this season, and it is a time of family. The older I get, the more I cherish the opportunities to gather with family, even if it is just to remember what has gone on in our lives together.

   This year the clan gathered in a rental house here on East Beach. It takes a pretty large house with a lot of beds to sleep our whole family. We eat, sleep, play and talk together. We are so separated geographically in our daily lives that these special times of gathering seem to take on a life of their own.

   There is talk about the past, especially the funny things that have happened to us, and there is talk about the future revolving around the things that are important to each one. There we see how the kids are growing, how their individual lives are changing, and how roles are changing within the group.

   For me it is a chance to just live in the moment that we are all together for a couple of days. Ours is not a perfect family, not by a long shot, but there is a lot of laughter between each other, a sharing of lives, a catching up with events that happen to others, others that we love, but do not interact with on a continual basis during the busy days of a year.

   What memories will each take away from this time, I don't really know. For me it will probably be sitting down together around a table that seats 15 and sharing meals. It will be playing games with kids of all ages, walking on the beach with an individual child, or the whole group, sleeping with 3 kids in a room with bunk beds, talking with my offspring about their lives and hopes, and just listening to them talk to each other.

   This Christmas was for remembering and also for projecting, but I tried to make it one of sharing the present with those that I love. Capturing the short time we could spend together, making memories for the future, but relishing those few moments in time, just to be in one place at that one time.

   Jesus came to give us life, a life to be lived abundantly. What better way to live it out for a couple of days in December, that to live it in family?

   Celebrate!

"What Do I Do Now?", they asked.

   I woke up this morning thinking about the shepherds that had participated in the Christmas story. What had their lives been like in the days following that eventful night? They had a major part in the plot of the story on that Christmas night, but were they able to let all of that affect the way they lived in their days and years beyond that? As the years passed, did those memories grow dimmer until they wondered if it had really happened?

   There is no way to know. They were probably illiterate peasants and would have had no way to preserve any record of the angel's visit and the trip to the manger stall. I'm sure they would have told the story to all who would listen in the days that followed, but, when nothing else happened, would they have been believed in the long run?

   Were they still in the area a couple of years later, when Herod had all the babies in the area killed, trying to get rid of "the new king"? Did they perhaps have a little boy who was murdered in that awful time? How would they have put those two events, one holy and the other horrific, together in their story?

   Then there come the quiet years. Years with no word, no angels, no manger, no news of a great man arising in the land, one who comes in the name of the Lord. Jesus grows up in a town far from Bethlehem, and they can't even watch those years unfold. Thirty years from the manger to the days of John the Baptist. They probably did not even live to see any of these ministry years, and would they have even put those events into perspective with that first Christmas?

   The question must have come to them, in the days immediately after the birth of Jesus, "What do I do now, with this experience that I had?"

   But did that same question linger in those years of silence, until they passed away? Did they continue to wonder and to tell the story? Would anyone listen? Belief in that miracle might be possible for others in those first days, but, when nothing else came, would those shepherds become a laughing stock, until they just quit talking about it?

   God gave them the privilege to be there on that night. No doubt He could keep that memory alive and let them relive the miracle for years to come, telling the story over and over again. They could have spoken with such conviction that, for them at least, the actuality of it stayed fresh and exciting but, when nothing happened, what about their reputation?

   How does all of that relate to me? The shepherds did not have another Christmas a year later to remind them, like I have to look forward to. But, even for me, what do I do in the period of time between the celebrations of the Day?

   This Christmas season was great. The music, the services, the opportunities of giving and receiving, the quiet times of reflection, and the walks of remembrance all made it special. But how now do I live? Do I file those memories away and wait for some more next year?

   I wonder about those shepherds, and God knows their impact and their story, but I still have the opportunity to live mine, this day and those that follow.

   God, help me to do just that.

   Maybe one day, in the eternal future, I'll get a chance to ask one of those Jewish shepherds and get "the rest of the Story", but, in the meantime, let me live it.

Could He?...... Could I?

   I saw the morning break a few minutes ago. The sky started out with an orange glow, then became brighter as the minutes passed. There were some scattered clouds, and then they too began to get some color.  Orange clouds, light blue sky, a waiting world. Waiting for what?

   I saw lights come on in houses as folks awoke to begin a new day. I saw cars on the road as people left for work, I saw a couple leave their place for an early morning walk. I thought of kids still in bed, enjoying a time of added rest because there was no school. I thought of people out on the highways, hurrying toward somewhere, and others preparing for their arrival, on this day before Christmas.

   For over 2,000 years people have spent Christmas Eves in many different ways. This particular day has come and gone so many times, but is it just another day in a calendar? Could it be any different in 2012 than it has in the past?

   I think of the wise men. Had they any notion about a star that would guide them on a long journey? Would they not even be aware of it until tonight? How would their lives change, and the lives of those around them, because of this day and those that followed?

   I think of shepherds, going out to do their menial jobs, perhaps complaining that the coming night would be a cold one, and that they had to spend it outside in the fields "watching their flocks by night". Had they any inkling that tonight would be any different?

   Then there is the innkeeper in Bethlehem, and there is Herod and the palace staff in Jerusalem. There are people on the road, people in the towns and cities, doing what they needed to, preparing for just another day. They did not know.

   I think of Mary and Joseph. Did they know when the day began, that this was IT? They knew it would be the end of a trip, and Mary surely recognized that the time was close, but did they realize it would also be the beginning of another journey, one into the wonderment of God's revelation to man?

   This particular day and night in history changed the world.

   At the end of December 24, 2012, will the world have changed for me in any way? Will it be just like a calendar page, torn off so that another one can take its place on top of the stack, or will I let God break into my plans and make it special?

   Sure, I look forward to Christmas Day. I look forward to our whole family coming in a couple of days, and I know the fun we will have together, but I don't want today to just pass by, a day to just happen, a day to be gotten out of the way, so the real stuff can begin.

   December 24th has come and gone through a lot of calendar years. Could I open my eyes, ears, heart and life so that God could make it a special one? Could I wrap my mind around His Special Plan?

   He is waiting to do just that, am I?

Anticipation

   We watched a movie last night. It was the one where the boy wanted so badly to receive a Red Ryder BB gun for Christmas. It was the "you'll shoot your eye out" movie, and we had both seen it several times before. Ralphie tried every trick in the book to get his parents to buy one for him, and hoped against hope that he would find one under his tree on Christmas morning. His anticipation was great, and, after being disappointed at first, he gloried in his ultimate gift, and even succeeded in not shooting out his eye, although he came pretty close.

   As  a child growing up, I remember those Christmas mornings when we could hardly wait to see what "Santa" had left for us. The common expression in our house on those mornings was "I guess Santa must have stumped his toe and spilled out his whole bag", as we looked at the stuff under the tree. I'm sure others had more presents, but we always thought we had got it all. Even though these times were the tail end of the Depression and the years of WWII, and in spite of hard times and rationing, we had plenty. At least I did not get coal and switches, not all of the time anyway.

   I remember a bike, new to me and reconditioned by a friend of the family, a basketball that I discovered one day in a closet before Christmas and almost forfeited by looking in there, clip on skates so that I could zoom around the basement and fall in the coal pile (fun), and an assortment of things that I knew I needed then, but have now forgotten. Christmas was a day to be anticipated, and I cannot remember being disappointed.

   In the reading this morning, from John 3, in the Message, I read:

   “The One that God sent speaks God’s words. And don’t think he rations out the Spirit in bits and pieces. The Father loves the Son extravagantly. He turned everything over to him so he could give it away—a lavish distribution of gifts. That is why whoever accepts and trusts the Son gets in on everything, life complete and forever! And that is also why the person who avoids and distrusts the Son is in the dark and doesn’t see life. All he experiences of God is darkness, and an angry darkness at that.”

   Lavish gifts. All the stuff we humans get on this special day is really child's play when compared to God's gift to us. The Babe in the manger grew to become The Savior and poured out His life for each of us. A lavish gift indeed.

   And do I anticipate this Christmas? Sure, but I really don't need a bike or a basketball or skates. I need the things that God will let me have this time. Time with my kids and their spouses and families after the holiday will be the highlight. I never tire of seeing and being with all of them.

   And I anticipate the service in our church tomorrow, when we will hear testimonies of those helped by the generous outpouring of funds from their brothers and sisters inside this congregation. Perhaps even a camel or two will show up and add their blessings to the service.

   It is a blessed time of the year. I am lavishly blessed, I know, and I look forward to all the things that God will show me during these days.

   Most of all, I remember, the lavish distribution of God's gift, the presence of Jesus, not only at Christmas in the manger, but throughout the year.

   Thank You God

A Song For Christmas

   There are a multitude of songs that apply to this Christmas season, from the silly secular to the holy hymns. There are new songs as well as the old and familiar, but, as I walked this morning, one tune kept running through my head.

   It could have been one of those from the post yesterday, one that I had listened to as I scrolled through the ones recorded on Youtube by Sissel. But it was not. It was an old one, actually the last verse of a longer hymn, which we know of as The Doxology.

   Praise God, from Whom all blessings flow;
   Praise Him, all creatures here below;
   Praise Him above, ye heavenly host;
   Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.
   It may have just been my mood as I walked, but I kept thinking of the many blessings that were mine right now. I thought also, of how many people could pray that simple chorus as they thought about how they had been blessed in this season, because of the generosity of others. I thought of the many folks who had not only been generous with their money, but with their time also, to help those who needed so much.

   Christmas is truly a time of giving and receiving. Blessings pour out on both recipients and givers. Giving God the glory for all He has done is our privilege and our responsibility, and we are blessed as we do just that.

   That simple chorus is an awesome testimony, especially when sung from deep in the heart, not only at Christmas, but all year long.

   I pray that, as it has been in my heart this morning, it will be all year long.

Christmas and Music

   If there is one thing that I can pick out that moves me during this Christmas time, it is the music. Those old familiar carols strike a chord within me, and I look forward to hearing them.

   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e-GFQ_liezU&feature=endscreen

   When I think of music, my mind and ears turn to a singer that I stumbled upon this year. I had never heard of her before, and I cannot even pronounce her last name. She is from Norway and has the most incredible voice. One of the comments below a Youtube posting reads: "Not since the angels sang over Bethlehem over 2,000 years ago, has the world been privileged to hear a voice like hers".

   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ed5_T0H9uuw

   Once I get started watching the various videos posted online, the time just gets away from me. She is that good, even if the song is not in English. God has blessed her with such a voice, and we are blessed from hearing it.

   So this is a listening post, not too much to read, but a lot to listen to, and if you are like me, the rest of the day might just be taken up listening to this voice and watching the expressions on this face.

   If it puts anyone else in the same Christmas mood as it does me, then Christmas can come into your heart in a very melodious way.

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

   So have a very musical Christmas, and may the messages in the songs fill your heart, now and forever more. Amen

A Camel Christmas Story

   Back in the old days, when our kids were small, one of our happy Christmas times each year was to make some ornaments. A couple of years we painted and made shrinky-dinks, those plastic pieces that we hung on the tree for years, and I think we still have a few even today.

   I remember one year in particular when we put together and painted wooden ornaments. There was one special one that turned out very well, a camel, with its many colored saddle blanket fringed with glitter. He was quite the handsome animal and for years thereafter, when the camel came out of the wrapping paper in the ornament box, voices would be heard around the room, "that was the one I painted", or "that one is mine". I think all 5 of us claimed the workmanship on that one.

   Fast forward to 2012. In the series that we are in at church, that of giving and receiving, one of the messages focused on the shepherds and wise men. In the account of the magi from the east, they rode in on camels to see the Christ Child. I suppose that camels were also used to carry all the stuff that they had to have for their long trek. We were encouraged to be camels in our community, carrying the love of Jesus to those around us, particularly those hurting at this time of the year.

   As the needs came in, and then the funds to take care of those, people who took on the responsibility to be the bearers of the gifts came to be designated as camels. It was an apt description, for, just as those beasts of burden did their work in the background of the story, so would those of us in our Body do the same. We would represent the love of Jesus and of our church as we made visits to those that had been identified.

   I got to be a camel today, to be the bearer of this love to a man and his family that were struggling. Both the parents had experienced job losses over the past couple of years, and, although they had been at work for most of this year, it was hard for them to catch up on all the bills that had been postponed or shuffled around in that out-of-work time. They were trying, but their new jobs could not take up the slack because of salary reductions. It looked like, if they could just take care of some past due stuff, they could make it on what they now made. A father, a mother and two kids in need of a little bit of love from their Lord and their church body, and I got to take it to them.

   The father and I had a great time sharing about lives, hopes, dreams and the awesome blessing that a few dollars had brought into that home. It was not the money that made the difference, it was the love of the people who had reached out and given. I suspect that 99% of the people who gave last Sunday, did not even know this man, although he and his family attended regularly. The same thing could be said about almost everyone that received. Some people sitting around each of us on a given Sunday morning, were hurting, and we did not even notice. Sometimes it was because those in need put on a good front, but at other times it was probably because we did not take the time to know them.

   So, today, I know at least two things:

   1. The Camel was blessed, and

   2. I painted that ornament

Light Up The Tree

   As I walked this morning, I could not help but notice that people, who had arisen already, were showing their Christmas trees to the outside world with their lights. A lot of the houses that I passed were still asleep, but there were several that had their lights blinking into the darkness of their world.

   Through the years of decorating Christmas trees, both as a child and as an adult, there is still the anticipation and the joy of plugging in the lights and seeing the tree come alive. The house is much warmer, and the smiles come easier when we are around that tree.

   What do I most remember about those times of long ago? Well, the one memory that still comes to mind, even though it is not very awe inspiring, is when we lived on Tunnel Blvd. in Chattanooga. The house I grew up in had a coal furnace, way back before electric and gas heat pumps, and the heat from that furnace was distributed throughout the house by a system of ducts that fed to a metal register in each room.

   We had a special spot for our Christmas tree, and that spot in the living room was right next to the metal heat outlet. When you would stand on the grate and plug in the lights to the tree, you would get a mild electric shock. I guess there was a short in the cord or something, but we would take turns standing and plugging in the lights and thought it was great fun. A little sadistic perhaps, but that is the "fun" that I remember.

   It is said that, from the earliest time that people started putting candles on Christmas trees, the light pointed to the light from the star that God placed in the sky to light the spot of the birth of the Christ Child. The darkness of a hurting world was dispelled by the Light of God, at least to those who saw it shining.

   There will be individuals and families this Christmas who may not even want to turn on the lights on their tree. Their world has crashed around them, and their thoughts may be far from the joy of the season. They need what the lights have to offer, but just can't seem to find that way to turn them on.

   Then there will be those, who may have been facing a situation where their power would be turned off completely because of a lack of money to pay the bill to keep it on. Because someone stepped in and paid their debt, they could plug in their lights with a sense of great joy and thankfulness.

   We all live on that great continuum, somewhere from the depths of despair to the heights of intense joy. We all live.

   There are lights to be turned on. The multicolored lights of our trees shining into the darkness can be a symbol of hope for those hurting and those in joy. Those of us who can, have one responsibility:

   Turn on our lights, the lights of our trees and the lights of our lives.

   Jesus said, "I am the Light of the World", and He also stated:

   "Let your light so shine before men that they....."

   If you still need a shock to your system in order to see all of this, just find a metal grate and a cord with a short, stand on the one and plug the other in. You may light up...

Tears Again

   The other day, I was moved to tears as I wrote about the parents of the children in Connecticut who would not have a very good Christmas because of the school shooting up there. It was even hard for me to focus on the page as I wrote because of the emotion that filled me during that time, and it is still that way today as I remember what happened. How much more it will be for those folks.

   But there was another tearful moment for me yesterday. Not one of complete sorrow for those people up north, but one of gratitude to God for an outpouring of His great love as shown through the actions of His people.

   Let me set the stage for this. A few weeks back, our pastor had an idea that he felt would bless our congregation, to bless the folks who were hurting this season of the year and bless those that were not, all within our church. After a testimony from a couple who had been blessed by friends in the body at Christmas time, in a financially stressful time in their lives, two different groups in the church were challenged.

   The first group were those who were in need at this time. Their challenge was to swallow their pride and let the church know what their individual needs were. It would be anonymous, but they needed to let others know their true situation and not be afraid to admit to their need. It could be physical, emotional or financial, but the emphasis was on the monetary aspect.

   The second group to receive a challenge were those that had the means to help these others, especially in a financial way. Would they step up and dig deep to meet the needs of people in distress, not just a faceless mass of humanity "out there", but individuals and families that might be sitting on their same pew in the church?

   Three Sundays have come and gone. On the first one, the couple gave their testimony, and it was a powerful one. The second Sunday, at the end of his message, our pastor gave the first challenge. "If you are in need, especially financially, in this season right now, would you make your needs know to the church during the coming week. We would not publish any names, but just compile the needs and let the body know the results. Over 50 people responded to this, and the church kept a listing.

   On the third Sunday, after the message of the morning, the pastor related some of the situations the prior week had uncovered. No names, just the facts of people's lives where those specific needs resided. He invited those sitting in the congregation that morning to bring an offering to the front of the church while the lights were turned down and a carol was sung. If someone sitting there had no way to help financially, they were encouraged to write a prayer on something and bring that as their gift. There was really no pressure to act, but one by one and then almost in mass, people came forward.

   I sat in the back and watched as hundreds of people, young and old, came quietly to the front and returned to their seats. Even now, as I think of that scene, my eyes again fill with tears of gratitude. If I felt that way, think of how the people who had turned in those needs felt as they watched. It was quiet, it was done in reverence and it was amazing. I can't even come close to expressing the mood. God was there.

   This coming week, needs will be met, and next Sunday the people that responded with prayers and offerings will be reminded that, sitting right there with them, will be folks that they have helped. The people and families that have had their needs dealt with are sitting right there with those who have met those needs. The Body of Christ functioning as it should.

   I can't wait to see and feel that.

   Praise Be To God

What Can I Do?

   As I walked this morning, I looked at the Christmas tree lights as they shone through the windows of a darkened house. I imagined the family inside, still asleep, comfortable in their beds, thinking and dreaming good thoughts, anticipating this day, looking forward to Christmas Day, 10 days in the future. Presents under the tree are calling out, "Look at me, wonder what I contain, think how much fun we will have 10 days from now when you get to open me".

   I think of the delight the parents in this house will have as they watch their kid's eyes, wide open in amazement at the bounty put before them. I can see the parents, even now, 10 days before the big day, as they look into the kid's rooms and see the smiles on their sleeping faces, and they smile too, knowing what is in store for those little ones that they love. Life is good. God's in His heaven, all's right with the world. Or so it seems.

   But my mind will not let me stay in this perfect world. Just a few minutes before, as I picked up the morning paper to put it inside as I prepared to walk, one word jumped out at me. "Horror". I know the story on the front page is about the school shooting up in the northeast, and I begin to think of the parents of those kids up there, even as the new day dawns in the east, and I see the colors of a God-painted sky begin to appear.

   I am sure that they too may look into a kid's room, hoping against all hope, that they will find them there, asleep with smiles on their faces also. What a shock and horror to find that they are not where they should be this morning, that everyone in that home will not spend this day, looking forward to a Christmas that will not come, at least not in the way they imagined yesterday.

   How will everyone feel as they look under a Christmas tree, perhaps unlit this day, seeing packages with names of little ones that will not be there to open them. I know in my heart that their eyes will fill with tears, as mine do right now, as I try to put myself into a place that I cannot even imagine, no matter how hard I try.

   I want to know what I can do in this situation . Can I help in some way, to alleviate the pain and suffering in those homes up there? I know I can pray for them, that God in His mercy and grace, will comfort them in their time of sorrow and loss, but, forgive me God, that seems lame right now. I know, deep down, that it is not that at all. It is right to pray, and prayer does work miracles, but somehow I want to do more.

   I cannot go to Connecticut and put flowers at the school site, but my heart says, "do something", so, as I walk, I think, and I think of something I wrote into my prayer this morning, even before these events came to my mind, and I see at least part of my responsibility in this matter.

   My prayer was, as it often is, to see the day ahead as a brand new opportunity, one that has not come my way before. I will have the chance to treat my family in a way that says "even if one of us does not have a tomorrow here, I'll do my best for you today". Not a fatalistic thought, just a challenging one. Not a macabre thought, but an uplifting one, and not only for my family, but for those others out there whose lives may intersect with mine today, in any way.

   And I can pray for those who are hurting, those that are far away and those right around me. God knows and God cares, even when I cannot see His hand in the affairs of men. I can see what the Psalmist wrote in Psalm 55:

"My heart is in anguish within me;
the terrors of death have fallen upon me.
Fear and trembling come upon me,
and horror overwhelms me."

   And I can live my life, even in this one day, like He has pointed out to me this morning, so as to honor Him in the way I treat all those "others" in my life.

 
 

Thoughts on a Monument and Life

   While we were out last weekend visiting various county courthouses here in Georgia, I came across this monument on a square in one of these towns in the southwestern part of the state.

   So you won't have to strain to read the words at the bottom of this stone memorial, this was erected in 2002, so it is not an old idea or thought that has been resurrected for some occasion. This is a "Save your confederate money, boys, the South will rise again" thought.

   How do I square the sentiment of this stone marker with the verses from Psalm 50, part of the reading for this day?

   "The one who offers thanksgiving as his sacrifice glorifies me;
to one who orders his way rightly
I will show the salvation of God!”

   "An offering of Thanksgiving" combined with a realization that God is in control and the need to  line up my will with His, gives me the best chance to be in fellowship with Him. If I want to order my way rightly, I will bow to His way and His control of the events of man. Do I understand all that those words imply? No way, but I believe it is true nonetheless.

   "All races and religions joined together...". There might be some truth-stretching going on there.

   God, help me to walk in your truth today and offer my thanksgivings to you for all you have done, for me and throughout history.

Regardless...

   After spending the morning in meetings at church, most having to do with a benevolence project for this Christmas season, I sit down to think for a few minutes.

   My prayer as I begin this time, becomes my prayer for the part of he day that I have left, and, after I reflect on it again, it is a good one for the rest of my days as well.

   Father God,

   Help me to have my attitude on straight,
   regardless
   Help me not to just adhere to a pithy saying, but to live out its truth,
   regardless
   Help me to be truly compassionate, not just tearful at the heart-wrenching stories,
   regardless
   Help me to see others through Your eyes and feel what You feel for them,
   regardless
   Help me to not just speak a good game, but live it out every day,
   regardless
   I know it is not just the knowing of what is right in life, but having the will to live it,
   regardless.

   Thank You God

   Amen

  I know not what lies just over that hill, but, with God's help, I'll live it out in faith, regardless

Are There Degrees of Denial?

   In the Gospel reading for yesterday, one of Jesus' disciples acted to defend his Master with his sword and succeeded in cutting off the ear of one of the arresting party. Since Peter was usually the one disciple who acted impetuously, he is the assumed attacker, although the text does not identify the man.

   As I read further on in that same text, the reading for today, we see Peter in another light. In Luke 22 I read:

   "Then a servant girl, seeing him as he sat in the light and looking closely at him, said, “This man also was with him.” But he denied it, saying, “Woman, I do not know him.” And a little later someone else saw him and said, “You also are one of them.” But Peter said, “Man, I am not.”  And after an interval of about an hour still another insisted, saying, “Certainly this man also was with him, for he too is a Galilean.” But Peter said, “Man, I do not know what you are talking about.”

   Peter the denier, the one who earlier had spoken up to confess Jesus as the Christ, now gives an outright denial. The question is asked, the only answer needed was a simple yes or no, and Peter gives an emphatic "no". There is no doubt of the denial, it is absolute.

   Are there other ways of denial? Could some of my actions yesterday, even after I had felt so much that God had spoken to me, be classified in this way?

   I felt a conviction about some things in my life that were not right, or maybe not appropriate in light of what I had sensed was God's will in a matter. As I spoke to some others about these convictions, I was hesitant to say that "God told me". It seemed presumptuous to say for certain that I could hear these words, especially if others had not felt the same compunction about the subject. The prophets of old had proclaimed boldly "Thus saith the Lord", but who was I to give out that word?

   Was this a form of denial?

   Then there was the word from the Psalm 41 reading from yesterday:

   "Blessed is the one who considers the poor!
In the day of trouble the Lord delivers him;
the Lord protects him and keeps him alive;
he is called blessed in the land;
you do not give him up to the will of his enemies.
The Lord sustains him on his sickbed;
in his illness you restore him to full health."

   I concentrated my thoughts on the part about the poor, but was there more that I should have taken to heart? If there are promises that follow obedience to a certain precept that God puts forth in His Word, and if I fail to claim them, is that a form of denial? Do I pick and choose what part to emphasize and not follow through to the period at the end of sentence?

   So there appears to be denial in several forms. One is an outright "no". One may be an incomplete rendering of a situation, and another may be a sense of unbelief, or at least the denial to a possible connection in what has been proclaimed.

   Perhaps I am much more like Peter than I thought, at least in one of his bad moments.

   Help!

Seeing in the Fog

   As I sit here in the quiet room this morning and think over the things that have run through my mind, even in the short time I have been awake, I have to wonder how it all fits together. God knows how disjointed this all is in my thoughts, but He also knows why I have had the images and ideas run through during this time.

   Take for example the situation outside as I walked and thought. It was a foggy morning, and it was pretty early, and the world outside my condo was not really awake yet. The sounds were muted, and when I would stop to listen hard, the only thing that entered my ears was the soft dripping of water from the leaves of the trees onto the dead leaves on the ground. It was as if God said "Listen". So I did, but not only with my ears, with my mind and heart also. Was there something that He wanted me to hear, not only from the muted silence, but from what I had already read in the Bible this morning? Did He take this very quiet time in nature to get me to reflect on what I had seen with my eyes earlier?

   The first thing that I had seen as I read earlier was these verses from Psalm 41:

    "Blessed is the one who considers the poor!

In the day of trouble the Lord delivers him;
the Lord protects him and keeps him alive;
he is called blessed in the land;
you do not give him up to the will of his enemies.
The Lord sustains him on his sickbed;
in his illness you restore him to full health."

   There is that thing about "the poor" again. My eyes have been drawn to those words over and over again over this past year. Perhaps it is because the phrase is used so many times in the Psalms, the book I have been reading in this calendar time period, but perhaps it is because He wants me to really see and feel what I am reading. Am I still in a fog about this?

   Then I read at the end of Psalm 52, these words:

   "I will wait for your name,"

   I have seen that admonition to wait again and again in Scripture. It is a theme that cannot be ignored, but is there a time to quit using the "waiting" excuse and get on with whatever it is that God says? The answer to that is obvious, but how do I know when I have the answer I seek?

   In the Gospel reading today in Luke 22:

   "And when those who were around him saw what would follow, they said, “Lord, shall we strike with the sword?” And one of them struck the servant of the high priest and cut off his right ear. But Jesus said, “No more of this!”

   The disciples asked Jesus what to do, and then without waiting for His answer, did what they thought anyway, only to be rebuked for their error. They asked the right question, but then acted out of what they thought was right. Better to have acted out of what His answer was, for sure.

   What would my friends and others think if I take the answers that I receive from God and act on them? Would they think that I was weird and going overboard?

   But are those the right questions to ask? Does Jesus say "No more of this"?

   I see that the fog feels secure and anonymous, but, is it time to come in out of the fog and quit waiting?

It's Friday...It Must Be Miller (County)

   Don't look for any great revelations of truth today, if you were so inclined. This is a travel journal  for the last couple of days.

   We wanted to go to the funeral of a dear friend of many years over in Blakely, which is near the Alabama border, in the extreme southwestern section of Georgia. In looking at the map of possible ways to get there (no interstates here), I noticed that there were several counties on the routes that we had not visited in our quest to photograph older county courthouses in our state.

   So we set up travel routes to hit as many of these as possible, considering that you really have to have a reason to be in that area. By going west to the funeral site, we could get several county seats covered, and coming home by another route, there were some more.

   Friday, going over, we hit Nashville, Adel, Moultrie, Camilla, Newton, and ended at Blakely.

   Coming home on Saturday, our stops were: Donaldsonville, Colquitt, Bainbridge, Cairo, Thomasville, Quitman, Valdosta, Statenville, Lakeland and Homerville.

   Sixteen county seats, sixteen courthouses, many photos later, we finally got home. We remarked that we probably should not be having so much fun coming and going from a funeral. It did not seem right, somehow.

   Looking back, even though it was only yesterday, it is hard to keep the counties and courthouses in some kind of order, but we found that we could remember the people that we met.

   In Moultrie, we stopped at the courthouse, toured around and then decided that, since it was already 2:30 in the afternoon, we should find a spot for lunch. Surely there would be something right on the courthouse square. M. L. saw a man approaching, looking for all the world like a native, and stopped him for some information.

   All it took for her to get into a longer conversation was finding out that he was a pilot, and all the restaurants closed up. He was not even a native, but his wife was from there, and he had flown her down for a get together with some old high school classmates. Knowing that the eatery that he had just visited for lunch was closed, he suggested a bakery across the square. As we walked in, the girl informed us that it was 3:05 and they closed at 3. Interestingly enough, she was from Australia, had married a boy from Moultrie, and they settled back in his hometown.

   We got lost in the town of Newton, looking for the county courthouse. We could not even find the town, it was that small. We took the right road in, even found the city limit sign, but missed the town entirely. After driving through and seeing the speed limits gradually increasing, we knew we had missed it. In turning back the way we had come, on a different road, we spotted an old building with the name Newton Precinct. Going in we found we had entered the old courthouse, which was now the library. Here was another stranger in our path:

   This good Samaritan wanted to show me how to find the new courthouse, so we went outside to better understand his directions. He then wanted to tell me about the flood that had almost wiped out the whole town. The courthouse and one store building was all that once had been a thriving courthouse square. At least that is what he said. Since he never gave me the same date for the flood twice, I haven't been able to ascertain the history of that event. If anyone knows where the courthouse is in Newton, GA, let me know.

   On Saturday, we left our motel pretty early to begin the trip home. At Colquitt, county seat of Miller County, I walked around the square, looking at murals and just sightseeing. I saw a man. standing outside a store, and walked across to talk.

   This man had come to the United States 20 years ago from Vietnam. I realized later that I had forgotten to ask him how he happened to end up in Colquitt, but I'm sure there is a good reason. Regardless, he had opened a small business on the square and we talked business and the economy for a few minutes. Customers were few on that Saturday morning, but he did let me know that the courthouse that I had been taking pictures of was a newer vintage, that the older one had burned down a few years back, not an uncommon thing to happen to those old buildings from the turn of the century.

   When we pulled into Bainbridge and found the courthouse, (by the way you can almost always spot the courthouse from the outskirts of town, because the clock tower can be seen over the top of the other buildings), we parked on the square and spent some time listening to a choir from the Morningside Baptist Church practice for a Christmas program they were to give that evening. They were quite good, and we enjoyed chatting with the narrator of the event.

   Sixteen courthouse, almost all with stories, all important in the lives of the people who lived in those places, but the most important statistics have to do with the individual men, women, boys and girls who grew up around them, some of which I met.

   I didn't have time or room to show shots of all the people that I had to stop and ask directions of, that would take entirely too much time, but I will show The Lowndes County seat of government.

   Merry Christmas from Valdosta, GA

Over the River and Through the Woods to.....

   Today we go a traveling, traveling toward a reunion with old friends , traveling toward a celebration of a life lived for God and family, traveling a new route on the map, toward new sights and new experiences. In short, we are moving toward living a day that we have not done before.

   I guess each day that we live is one of those new days. No matter the routine, the sights that we see each and every day are brand new. Sometimes it is only in the planning for a completely new set of circumstances that we begin to realize the uniqueness of the day before us.

   The purpose of the day's travel is to go to a funeral over in the western portion of our state, but there is also a side purpose, to visit some county seats and take some photos of courthouses. These will be places that we have never set foot into before. There will be roads that we have not traveled before, people that we have never seen, and opportunities for God to work in our lives in some way, as we try to keep our eyes and ears open for His leading.

 

   If I can keep this thought in my mind as we travel, no telling what might happen. Are there people out there in these towns that we can encourage, maybe just with a smile or a word? Are there sights that God can use just to refresh our souls and give our lives purpose and meaning? Can God use our time on the road to help us see His plans, both in the past and for the future?

   I can see the possibilities as I sit here waiting to begin. God help me to remember to look as we travel the backroads of Your landscape today. Open my eyes, I pray, to what You have done in the past, what You are doing right now, and what You can do in the future, and help me to be a part of all of it. The Scripture from Psalm 31:

   " I trust in you, O Lord;
I say, “You are my God.”
My times are in your hand;"
   Amen....

 

Fretting...

   I must have needed this statement badly, because it came up at least 3 times in the Psalm for today. This from Psalm 37:

   "Fret not yourself; "

   Then I got to thinking; what do I have to worry about?

   I am not a worrier. I guess I tend more to the "it will all work out" model. I know who is in control, and it is not me, so when I start to list some things that are worth worrying about, I include:

   Our country, our leaders in the political realm, the weather, the church, family health issues, education or lack thereof for our society's kids, the recession, government controls, loss of freedoms, jobs and the economy in general. Then I can look at the issue of sin, personal and corporate, global warming, the Middle East and my golf game. There is just no lack of things that I can fret about.

   So why do I have to be reminded not to do this?

   Our culture puts a high value on being sure, of saying that I know how something will pan out, that the end of any process will be good, but underneath are their sneaky little ideas floating around that ask the question, "are you sure?"

   We got an email yesterday, telling us that an old friend from Chattanooga days, had passed away. The funeral is to be on Saturday over in the western part of our state. The drive is long, but we wanted to show our concern for the family and our appreciation of the friendship that our families enjoyed together, so we are going on Friday.

   But all that got me to thinking about death and dying. I remember that that my folks, in their latter days, spent a lot of time going to hospitals and funeral homes, because they were outliving their friends.  If that is to be our lot, we too will face this end of life thing several times in the years ahead.

   I don't much worry about the end of my life. My trust is in Jesus Christ and His Word tells me that when I pass on it will be to an eternal land with Him. But I do think about, not fret about, what will become of my wife without my help. I have the assurance that we will be together again one day, but for the days in between, I want to know that she will be OK.

   Fret, no, but concern, yes.

   God, please help me to do all I can to prepare us for that separation, whichever way that it happens, and to rest in the assurance that You have it all under control if we only trust You.

   "Fret not yourself; "

Routines and Priorities

   This morning my routine was interrupted by a 7AM meeting. I guess I am a creature of habit and, although I have plenty of discretionary time on my hands each day, I feel better doing some things at the same time each day if possible. That fact pertains especially to my study and meditation time. I like it early so my mind is not so easily distracted, and my focus seems to be better.

   The meeting this morning at church was primarily devoted to prayer. Individual prayer in a corporate setting with others doing the same. The time was filled with prayers to God for the church in this particular season of the year, Christmas, and with all that goes on with that.

   One of the other men in the group told us about a mother and son that he had talked to last Sunday before the 11AM service and the problems they faced in their lives right now. As I listened, my mind wondered how many of the people who came into our church on any given Sunday were weighted down with cares and problems, some seemingly insolvable. How many went away as they came, burdened with that same sense of foreboding, hearing words of encouragement from the Christmas story, but still seeing no practical way out of their mess.

   On the Sundays that I count the offering for both services, I have a routine in going through the foyer of the building, emptying the boxes that contain the tithes and offerings. I do this one time after the early service has begun, then again after that service is over, repeating this procedure for the later service at 11. There are 6 boxes around the back and side of the auditorium, and each is emptied and recorded after each pickup time.

   I see people coming into the service when I pick up early and leaving the service when I pick up the later times. I try to at least nod and say hello to those folks, but then go on and do my business. Some I know, but many I do not.

   Then when I take these same tithes and offerings back upstairs to record them for the deposit, I see the names on the envelopes and on the checks, but again, some I know and most I don't. With the ones whose names are recognizable to me, their private lives are, for the most part, still a mystery.

   Each of those people that I see and each of the names on the checks that I record, are lives that are important to God. Important to Him because He cares for each one. He cares about their joys and their heartaches, their struggles and their victories.

   Could my routines be interrupted so that I might take time to notice the individuals in the masses? Could that be a beginning of caring about them as He does? Is the routine the priority or are they?

   I know the answers, whence cometh obedience?

The Thrill of Victory and the Agony of Defeat

   Back in the dark ages of TV, ABC used to have a Saturday afternoon show called Wide World of Sports. The opening clip showed some athletes on top of their game, and then one wiping out on the ski jump. The audio talked about the "thrill of victory and the agony of defeat".

   I have given a lot of thought about those concepts since I wrote of the high school football game of last Friday night. (if you missed that one, scroll back a couple and catch up) What was God's role in the outcome? Now, I understand that the only people I heard were those on the winning side, so my sample is definitely skewed, but here are some:

   "God truly showed up on Friday night"

   "I felt a holy shift in the air"

   "There are lessons to be learned in winning and in losing"

   "I give all praise and thanks to Jesus Christ, He alone gets all the glory for this"

   Most of the above could have been uttered in truth regardless of the outcome, but remember that all came from the victor's side of the field.

   What about the other side? Especially in the trauma of the moment, did they think that God abandoned them in the 4th quarter? They might have realized that there were lessons in losing that might really help them and their team, and they might have praised God for all the good things that went on during that game and its aftermath, but right then it was hard to even think that way.

   It is much easier to step back and take a look at the supposed "big picture" when you are smiling with victory than the other way around, when in truth it will take till the end of time for the impact of one small event or word to manifest itself. We don't really know what God purposed in all of that. We may just know that, at the moment, it was a pretty good time for some and pretty bad for others. The long term "pretty good and pretty bad" are unknown to us, regardless of which side we were on.

   What if a parent or a team member from the losing team happened to stay on our Island for the weekend and visited a church where several of the winning players attended? What if the statement was made "God really showed up on Friday night"?

   I went to the game. I came away thrilled with the resulting score. I celebrated with parents and team in the victory, but as I look back I wonder if I saw the whole picture, even the "whole picture" of that one night.

   It is right to be thankful for blessings that He gives us, but not to say that He was wearing green that night.

   God help me to not prejudge any of Your actions or motives, but just be aware that You are concerned about all of us and our lives. May I serve you knowing that You love each person and plan for the best for them, regardless.

Waiting...

   Sometimes a strange thought or question comes to my mind. Take for example, when I got a new camera a little while back, and looked around for subjects to photograph, I thought of the word waiting. My next question was "could it be that inanimate objects wait for something or someone?" Then it seemed that everywhere I went, I saw potential applications of this one thought. Some of these:

   Waiting for some special correspondence...or?

   Waiting for someone to enjoy the view..or?

   Waiting for that special child..or even?

   Now I know that something with no life of its own has the potential to think, or wonder, or wait, but it was fun to think about what they might be pondering even as they stood in their spot.

   Here are some verses I read this morning from Psalm 25:

   "none who wait for you shall be put to shame;"

   "for you I wait all the day long."

   "for I wait for you."

   It seems that waiting is a profitable occupation if I am doing it right. Why I wait, for Whom am I waiting, and with what Attitude am I doing this, are the keys. I may wait with joy and anticipation or perhaps with dread and foreboding, but it the reason that I wait that is important.

   Do I actively wait because God tells me to? Do I look to Him for answers, solutions and reasons? Or am I like the final picture above, just sitting there?

   God help me to appreciate waiting.