Love Came Down and Stayed

It's Christmas Eve and I am on a plane. I'm on a plane reflecting on how special this day is or rather how special this eve is. This special eve is when we celebrate when Jesus was born, when love came down and stayed. I know this to be true because I have seen it all around me in the midst of a busy few days.

I saw it in my mother in law's eyes as she looked admiringly at my father in law as he spoke. I heard it in my son in law's voice as he spoke to my daughter right after she wrecked his car. I saw it when my daughter left her breakfast on the table again to go feed her sweet baby girl. I saw it on my father in law's face as he gave us a deli tray to take home for dinner and it made him so happy. I saw it when Lucy gave her baby sister a tender kiss on the head. That is also a Christmas miracle.

I also saw it seven years ago when Stormy came with us to her first Christmas Eve service when she was eight years old. She bravely went to sit by Bryant for the Children's Christmas story. She heard the most beautiful story that has ever been told, the story of when God gave us his son and love came down and stayed. He taught us how to love when He held nothing back. He gave us himself.

Popsicles from the Pulpit

Visited the Mariner Church in sunny California recently while visiting my daughter. It had been awhile since I had been to a church other than Johnson Ferry and I found myself somewhat guarded on the way there, not to mention late. Would this pastor be sincere and more importantly sound in his teaching or would he be Christian light or worse, Christian wrong? This is important. After all, my young grandson, Wyatt and his parents are attending there!

Well, it wasn't SBC. The recycled bulletins were no bigger than a tri-fold wallet and I'm pretty sure I saw someone come to church in a swimsuit cover-up. They give new meaning to casual dress! There was a huge outdoor space with a bounce house for the kiddos and the welcome team had big picket signs that said, "Hi" and "Welcome". I have to admit, it was very welcoming. There was a huge push from the pulpit to join, "Rooted" which is a newcomers Bible Study that they hope will transition people to a life group. There was a testimony video from a young woman trying to find meaning in yoga (didn't find it) when someone invited her to church and she prayed for the first time. Hint: I need to invite the woman in my exercise class to come to church with me.

Even though I was in the parents with babies section and not the main auditorium, I found the worship to be great and the message to be spirit filled and doctrinally sound.  Whew! We were invited to enjoy complimentary red/white/blue bullet Popsicles in the open green space, which I found refreshing. I even came home with an awesome verse to share with my kiddos- Proverbs 13:20. Check it out. I saw with my own eyes how this church is reaching their lost community. The church is creating a relaxed, inviting place for people to come and meet Jesus Christ. The church was packed on a Saturday night so it seems to be working. I pray they and we will continue to lift up Jesus Christ because He alone is worthy and the reason we are here.

Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up. that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him. John 3:14

Answered Prayer

Like most everyone in our class of boomers, Eric and I are dealing with parents who are aging and ailing. We are doing the best we can to care for them with the limitations of still having three school aged children in our house. Carpooling and doctor visits don't go together very well. Although Eric's mom is 80 yrs. old, it became clear that she needed surgery to address one of her health issues. Because of her age, surgery was a last resort. We prayed and had our children and class pray for her surgery. We were anticipating a difficult recovery, trying to come up with how we could help her post surgery. Eric was planning to go stay at their house if needed, etc. In short, we were dreading it.

Well, she not only came through the surgery, but she and my father-in-law who is 86 didn't even need Eric's help coming home from the hospital the day after surgery! She is strong enough to walk upstairs to her own bedroom and is doing very well. This is not what we expected! And why not? Why were we not expecting her to do well? Didn't we pray for a successful surgery and a quick recovery? Our faith is so small. It's embarrassing. We are thankful all the same, really thankful. So glad that God knows how small our faith is and our carpooling schedule and comes through anyway.

For great is his love toward us, and the faithfulness of the Lord endures forever. Praise the Lord. Psalm 117:2

Yes, Jesus Love Me

Congratulations to me! I successfully completed reading through the Bible. It took me not one year but one year and 8 months which is not great. The plan was to complete it in one year, but I fell hopelessly behind. Instead of feeling defeated and starting over in January like I've done so many times before. I decided to press on and keep rolling the calendar back on my Biblegateway app. While I had read and studied much of what I read before, there were sections that I had never read, ever. If I believe that the Bible is the inspired word of God, then I needed to read all of it, not just the interesting and familiar parts. I learned that there really is nothing new under the sun. God is good and man is sinful. God loved his children so much that he disciplined them to bring them back to himself and to show them their need for a savior. This happened over and over and over in the Bible. We are weak and sinful but He is strong and merciful. I realized that there is so much truth in the first song I ever learned as a child. You may know it.

Jesus loves me this I know

For the Bible tells me so

little ones to him belong

They are weak but He is strong

Yes, Jesus loves me

Yes, Jesus loves me

Yes, Jesus loves me

The Bible tells me so

Sweet Prayer

I just realized something recently, yesterday as a matter of fact. I don't really like asking people for help or even prayer. It's not that I view it as a weakness to ask for help, but rather I don't want to bother people with my problems. There is always someone worse off than me and I don't need to bother them with my trivia. This is pretty much my life philosophy. I am more than happy to pray for others and love serving in the prayer room but why am I so reluctant to share my requests? Do I believe that prayer  is my power source? Yes, I wholeheartedly do. I am constantly reminded that apart from God I can do nothing so call on him pretty much constantly.

The night before my daughter's surgery, it finally dawned on me that it might be a good idea to contact the prayer room and ask for prayer. I must have rationalized that since it was for my daughter and not myself, it would qualify as important. Her doctor had also scared me sufficiently about the procedure so I was not looking forward to it. I'm not the bravest one in dealing with medical issues. A strep test on one of my children sends me out of the examining room!

I am so glad that I humbled myself and asked for prayer from my friends and my church. Knowing that others were also praying on behalf of our daughter was the sweetest kind of fellowship. And they worked! She came through the surgery just fine and is recovering nicely all because of the prayers of our faithful friends. Thank you friends! I may call on you again.

July 27, 2014 class audio - Jude 1:1-9

Led by Bill Gambrell

July 20, 2014 class audio - III John

Led by Ed Lindstrom