Diane Mickler's Blog

Keep your eye straight ahead; ignore all the sideshow distractions. Proverbs 4:25

Our world of today is filled with commonplace distractions. Things such as social media, regrets, multitasking, clutter, visual distractions, gossip, pursuit of perfection, and thoughts of others. A distraction can be anything that takes your mind off a task that needs your concentration.

The story is told an “ADD” husband who was so distracted over one thing or another that he had to have his wife tell him almost everything. One day his wife walked into the room and said, “Here’s the sweater you asked me to find.” He said, “Are we going somewhere or am I just cold?” Some of us can all identify.

In Greek mythology Ulysses is coming back from the Trojan war, and it takes him ten years to get home. He faces one distraction after another. One of the most popular distractions in the story was the Sirens, a group of beautiful women who sang irresistably seductive songs. Once the sailors gave in to the distraction, their boats crashed on the hidden rocks that were lurking right beneath the surface of the sea. Once the demonic cannibals whose alluring disguise and mesmerizing melodies had drawn them close, the Sirens wasted little time devouring their flesh.

Ulysses was warned about the Sirens, so when approaching the island, he ordered his crew to tie him to the mast and to put wax in their ears. He told his crew, “No matter what I say or do, don’t untie me until we are safely at a distance from the island.” Ulysses inwardly wanted to pursue the Sirens, but the ropes prevented him from the distraction.

This is how many Christians approach life. We probably inwardly want to pursue a lot of things that we know are distractions, so we are constantly battling guilt, frustration, despair, hopelessness, and we literally hanging on by our fingernails. We can be so caught up in distractions that we miss the kindnesses in life.

The other day, I was in line at Starbucks doing what I hate when other folks do it, answering texts and being distracted. When I got to the window, I absent mindedly held up my app to pay. I didn’t get it when the attendant said, “The person ahead of you took care of your drink today.” I was so distracted I hadn’t noticed the car ahead of me, and so now I don’t know who to thank for that kindness!!

Rather than let the distractions of this world take away our joy, we need to focus more on the passion in our lives. I love little children because they have such natural enthusiasm for life. They don’t let all the distractions rob them of the joy of life. As we get older, we see less joy and more distraction.

Next we need to move from being distracted to being focused. We are all tempted to be controlled by the tyranny of the urgent. Our lives become controlled by a thousand little things rather than the power of the one most important thing. We just need a little quiet time first thing in the morning to get focused on what’s important. If we start the day running, we will never stop.

In a Reader’s Digest article, Tim Allen, the star of the sitcom, Home Improvement asked, “How much of the day are you distracted?” You think, I’ve got to get the dry cleaning, I’ve got to get that report done, I’ve got to do this, I’ve got to do that. All of the sudden it’s dinnertime. You have a few moments with family and a connection with friends, then it’s bedtime. You read, go to bed, and wake up to start the same thing over again!

Finally, we need to stop wandering in life and begin living life with a purpose. Instead of wandering from one day to the next, we need to stop and ask, “What is my purpose? Why am I here?” It’s important to discover that purpose and not let a thousand little distractions rob us of it. I think of the disciples sleeping in the garden when Jesus needed them to be with Him. The human distraction of neglect trumped their purpose.

Today is a perfect day to put aside distractions and look for passion, focus, and purpose.

My beloved friends, let us continue to love each other since love comes from God. Everyone who loves is born of God and experiences a relationship with God. The person who refuses to love doesn’t know the first thing about God because God is love – so you can’t know Him if you do not love, for God is love. John 4:7-8

This week we celebrate Valentine’s Day with the traditional hearts, candy, cards, flowers, and “I love you’s”. It’s all about these things these days, but it didn’t start out that way. Valentine was a Roman Catholic Priest who was martyred on February 14, 270 AD, during the persecution of Emperor Claudius II. Claudius was determined to eradicate Christianity from his empire, and so he began putting to death highly visible and important Christian leaders. Father Valentine was seized, severely beaten, and thrown in jail.

Claudius said to Valentine, “Either renounce the Lord Jesus Christ in front of all this people or be put to death.” Valentine would not, and so on February 14, the jailers came to put him to death by beheading him. As he left the cell, he gave the jailer’s daughter a piece of paper torn into the shape of a heart bearing his name. Years later, the Catholic church made Valentine a saint and dedicated February 14 as a day to remember someone who was willing to die for his love of Jesus Christ. This day, which began with Christians putting special messages on hearts and sharing them, continues to this day.

The heart symbol is the universal symbol of love, affection and care often used to express fondness and emotional connection. On Valentine’s Day, we tend to see a lot of messages of love between sweethearts, friends, and lovers. The words I love you; however, shouldn’t be restricted to one day of the year. The story is told of a wife who dragged her husband to a marriage counseler in an attempt to save their marriage. During their session, the counselor asked, “Do you tell your wife you love her?” The man growled back, “I told her when we got married that I loved her and that if I ever changed my mind, I’d let her know.”

The older we get, the more we realize that people know you love them when you show them and when you tell them. The heart we think about, especially at this time of year, is a loving heart, a heart full of compassion, kindness and care for others. It is gracious and sensitive to others while showing empathy, kindness, generosity and unselfishness. We can’t just think with our head about having a loving heart, but we have to feel with our heart. Fred Craddock says, “The longest journey we will ever take is from our head to our heart.”

While the loving heart is the most desirable, things in life can change the way our heart works for us. When we’ve been hurt, it’s easy to put up barriers around our broken heart to prevent another hurt. However, a protective heart can turn into a heart of stone. We can allow our heart to become resistant, unreceptive, and impenetrable even to God. One writer said, “The only thing more painful and with more serious ramifications than a broken heart is a frozen one.” This heart is incapable of tearing down the barriers it has put up and replacing them with forgiveness and love. The trouble with a frozen heart is that it feels nothing – no pain, but also no love. It is a trap that feels like self preservation, but it is actually self destruction.

In his book, Lee, The Last Years Charles Bracelen Flood reports that after the Civil War, Robert E. Lee visited a Kentucky lady who took him to the remains of a grand old tree in her front yard. There she cried bitterly as she told how its limbs and trunk had been destroyed by Federal Artillery Fire. She looked to Lee to confirm her frozen heart, but instead, he said, “Cut it down, my dear Madame, and forget it.”

Jesus taught his disciples many things, but all of his teaching can be summed up in His command to love God and love others. (Mark 12:31) The heart is meant for love not bitterness. The love it holds needs to be shared so that it never becomes frozen.

Alan Jackson says it this way: The Older I Get the more I think, You only get a minute better live while you’re in it Cause it’s gone in a blink. And the older I get, the truer it gets, It‘s the people you love, not the money and stuff that makes you rich.

The loving heart is one which is not afraid to love others, and one which loves God above all else.

Happy Valentine’s Day!

No one really knows what is going to happen; no one can predict the future. Ecclesiastes 10:14

February is here and along with it comes the season of predictions! In our kindergarten classes every year, the students loved predicting whether the groundhog would see his shadow or not. We checked out weather forecasts, talked about the science of shadows needing light, and each student made their prediction. Would the ground hog see his shadow and run back into his burrow predicting six more weeks of winter? Would it be cloudy enough that he didn’t see his shadow on this day and give us the prediction of an early spring? According to the results of yesterday, the prediction is six more weeks of winter.

Next, many of us will be predicting the winner of Super Bowl LIX between the Chiefs and the Eagles. The experts say there are certain predictors of the winner. They say such things as previous Super Bowl experience, better defense, ability to score the first points, the team leading at halftime, and the list goes on makes an difference. The fact is, no one knows the winner until the game has been played.

This past week we woke up to the horrible news of an airplane and helicopter crash on the Potomac River near Reagan Airport. The plane was predicted to land without incident, and the service men on the helicopter were predicted to complete their training mission and return to base. As our nation grieves yet another tragedy, our scripture reminds us that no one knows what might happen in any given day, and no one can predict the future. The verse emphasizes the unpredictability of life, and the limitations of humans.

There are those of us who read the horoscopes daily hoping to predict what our day might hold. In spite of all our efforts to arrange a predictable world, there are so many unpredictable things in life that very few things end up as we hoped, planned or thought they might be. One of the greatest sources of stress and anxiety is the necessity of adjusting to the unexpected. Many people are unable to survive the surprises of life which often happen to us while we are in the process of trying to make life more predictable. Life is seldom what we planned but rather what happens to us on the way to what we planned.

There is a legend about a man who very much wanted to know where the stock market would be in thirty days. If he could predict the level of the market in 30 days, he could invest all his assests in such a way that he would make enough money to be secure for the rest of his life. He could make his life predictable. One morning he got up and on his doorstep was a copy of the New York Times dated 30 days in advance. It was a miracle! He grabbed the paper and laid it out on the kitchen table looking, of course, for the financial section. As he searched, his eyes fell upon the obituary column, and he couldn’t resist taking a look. Imagine his surprise when the obituary he found was his own. Now nothing else mattered.

If we have learned anything during our years on this earth it is that life is rarely predictable. Things rarely turn out the way we thought they might; and rarely is the future in the form of what we expected. In spite of all we do to try and make our lives predictable, there are so many unexpected elements in life that we seldom end up as we expected.

God works in mysterious ways in our life and in the lives of those in this world. He works His will through strange people and circumstances. He is not bound by our limited vision of possibilities. Therefore, we have to learn to let God be God. Let Him do it His way.

My Daddy used to love to pretend to sing a few lines of the sonn Ah Sweet Mystery of Life by Jeanette MacDonald and Nelson Eddy. It certainly wasn’t a melodic rendition, but he seemed to mumble it everytime something in life went in an unexpected direction. The words are prophetic for all of us.

Ah, sweet mystery of life at last I’ve found thee. Ah, I know at last the secret of it all. All the longing, seeking, striving, waiting, yearning. The burning hopes, the joy and idle tears that fall. For ’tis love and love alone the world is seeking, And ’tis love and love alone, that can repay. ‘Tis the answer, ‘Tis the end and all of living. For ’tis love alone that rules for aye.

William Cowper wrote these words: God moves in mysterious ways His wonders to perform; He plants His footsteps in the sea and rides upon the storm. Deep in unfathonable mines of never failing skill, He treasures up His bright designs and works His sovereign will. Judge not the Lord by feeble sense; But trust Him for His grace. Behind a frowning providence, He hides a smiling face.

A sluggard’s life is never filled, but the desires of the diligent are fully satisfied. Proverbs 13:4

Last week while walking our dog, Rocco, on a gravel path, I suddenly felt a familiar pain in my foot, and I knew there was a small rock in my shoe. Every time I took a step, there was that irritating rock causing me pain. I had a decision to make. I could either stop right there, sit down, take my shoe off and remove the rock, or I could just ignore the whole situation. The smart solution would be to remove the rock, but I decided to procrastinate and keep going because “how bad can it get?”

I took another few steps and with each one, the pain just became worse, so I sat down, ripped the shoe off, and removed the rock! The pain was immediately gone, and I had to wonder why I waited so long to act on the small things in life that annoy me??

Procrastination is defined as the action of delaying or postponing something. A recent survey of Americans found that only 10% of us say we struggle with procrastination. The other 90% never got around to filling out the survey!! Most of us are just like me and the rock when it comes to dealing with hurtful things which keep coming up in our lives. It just seems easier to “think about that tomorrow”, or just keep promising ourselves that we will deal with the issue “one of these days.”

In the Bible, every plague God sent on Egypt mocked one of their gods. For instance, the Egyptians deified lice, so God sent them a lot of the lice and added frogs. Finally, Pharoah called for Moses and said, “All right, I give up.” But when Moses asked, “When do you want me to get rid of the frogs?” Pharoah’s answer was classic procrastination. He said, “Tomorrow.”

Just like Pharoah, many times we put off the changes or actions that we know would be good for us. We all have some things in our lives that we are procrastinating about changing. Why? Maybe we are afraid of what the changes will entail. Maybe we are just too lethargic to go ahead and just do it. Maybe we are too proud or stubborn to jump in and fix it. Whatever the reason, just like that rock in my shoe, the issue won’t go away unless we decide to act on it.

Take forgiveness for example. We all have hurts in our lives which eat away at us every day. The greater the offense, the harder it is to forgive, but we must, otherwise the hurt is like an albatross around our neck. It is said that we only hurt ourselves when we procrastinate the act of forgiving. Someone once said that “refusing to forgive is like eating poison and expecting the other person to die!”

There are several reasons that we procrastinate. First, is indecision. Whenever we have a had time making up our mind, the easiest thing is to wait. Today with all the choices we have in life, there’s always the decision to procrastinate. The second reason is perfectionism. We tend to set such a high standard for ourselves, and if we can’t do something perfectly, we don’t do it at all.

Next, we procrastinate because of fear. Whenever we are afraid of failing at something, we tend to put it off. Passive aggressiveness is a big reason we procrastinate. We wait to do something to exercise our control over others. Kids do this with parents all the time. When we tell them to clean their rooms, the answer is usually, “In a minute.”

Finally, we procrastinate because we are lazy. The world of today wants everything to come easy. We don’t want to have to work too hard to achieve anything. Proverbs tells us that “lazy people want much, but they get little.” Procrastinators limit their potential, wipe out opportunites, and presume on the future. No one is guaranteed tomorrow to get things done.

Procrastination prevents us from acting on the opportunites God sends our way and making the most of it. In short, when opportunity knocks, we have to open the door. I wonder how many opportunties we have lost because we have procrastinated. These opporunities to make a difference in a relationship, in another person’s life, or in the world should never be missed.

Rather than spending another day with a rock in our shoe, deal with it and enjoy the day!

Procrastination is my sin. It brings me naught but sorrow. I know that I should stop it. In fact I will – tomorrow. Gloria Pitzer

You sent help more than once. Philippians 4:16

One of the favorite books we teachers love to share with our classes is The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein. Although the book is a little beyond the comprehension of a young child, it teaches a valuable lesson, and it usually inspires a time for discussion. The book is the story of a young boy and the apple Tree who have a wonderful friendship, but as the boy grows, things change. The boy becomes so preoccupied with earning money and building a successful life for himself, that he forgets all about the Tree and the friendship they shared.

I like the way Charles Swindoll summarizes the story. “When the boy was young, he swung from the tree’s branches, ate her apples, and slept in her shade, but as he grew up, he spent less and less time with the tree. ‘Come on, let’s play,’ said the tree, but the young man was only interested in money. ‘Take all my apples and sell them,’ said the tree. The young man did, and the tree was happy.

The tree didn’t see him for a long time, but one day, the tree smiled when he walked past. He was no longer a boy, but a man. The man was older and tired of the world, and he wanted to get away from it all. ‘Cut me down, take my trunk, build a boat, and you can sail away,’ the tree suggested. The man did, and the tree was happy. Many seasons passed, and the tree waited. Finally, the old man returned, too old to play, pursue riches, or sail the seas. ‘I have a pretty good stump left,’ said the tree. Sit down and rest.’ The old man did, and the tree was happy.” The tree had given all it had to give in order to make his friend happy.

Just like the boy in the story who quickly forgot his friendship with the tree and how much the tree had done for him, we as Christians fall into the same trap. How quickly we forget the people who have given of themselves so that we might grow, accomplish our goals, and find wholeness and satisfaction in this life.

Today we celebrate two events in our country (three if we count the footbal national championship game which many of our friends celebrate.} First, we remember Martin Luther King, Jr. and his contributions to the American Civil Rights movement in the 1960’s. His I Have a Dream speech, delivered in 1963, spoke of a United States that is void of segragation and racism. Although we have made tremendous strides, do we remember his legacy today or is it just a holiday? How quickly we forget!

Next, today we inaugurate our 47th President of the United States at precisely 12 noon. Donald J Trump takes the oath of office and begins his four year term shortly. The United States Consitution outlines precisely the ceremony and celebration. How quickly we can forget all the founders, leaders, public servants, and men and women who have brought us to this place. Thank you, Lord, for each one!

When we review our lives thinking about the young boy and the tree, we can identify with both. How many giving trees have there been in our lives? How many people have contributed in different ways to mold and make us. How quickly we forget!

It’s sad that many times it takes losing someone to help us remember all the ways they helped us and those we love. When our Daddy died, I was amazed at all the stories that people told of the things he had done for them in small ways, and the love and respect they had for him!

As a teacher, the best times are those in which former students tell you how much you have meant to them over the years and recall pleasant memories. In the ministry, the best of times is when kids that you have baptized, confirmed, and married present their children for baptism with hopes of continuing the tradition. It’s affirming to see the love and dedication in action.

The Giving Tree teaches us to care for others and be grateful for all our loved ones, friends, and even strangers and the things they have done for us. We learn of the value of generosity and forgivness as well as the dangers of greed and ambition. In our scripture, Paul remembers those who helped him, and so should we.

Sam Halversen sang this song on most confirmation Sundays as a way of thanking all the Sunday School teachers, choir leaders, and confirmation leaders, and the following chorus is worth remembering. How Quickly We Can Forget!

Thank you for giving to the Lord, I am a life that was changed. Thank you for giving to the Lord, I am so glad you gave. Thank You by Ray Boltz

In Christ, we though many, form one body. Romans 12:5

This past week, I got a call from my back door neighbor saying that there was deer in her back yard who seemed to be unable to walk. Deer pass through our yards frequently because the yards are wooded and the foliage is tempting. They feast on our plants, sleep in our leaves, and seem comfortable to share the yards with us. This time was different. The doe seemed to have a broken leg, and we were concerned that she would die unless she got assistance.

My neighbor called the Office of the Game Warden and was put on “the list” (evidently there are many animals needing assistance especially in the winter). In the meantime, my neighbor tried to get food to the doe, and when I offered to bring a blanket, we suddenly realized that we were pretty unskilled in this area.

When the Game Warden arrived and approached the doe, she got up and limped away. The good news is that her leg wasn’t broken, but rather the injury was probably from a wire fence. There was no evidence of other deer near the area, so we reasoned that because of the injury, she had gone AWOL from her herd.

The term AWOL is an acronym of the miitary phrase “Absent WithOut Leave”, and it is used commonplace to refer to someone when we don’t know where they are. I wonder if our doe went AWOL because she couldn’t keep up with the rest of the herd?

The encounter with the doe brought a touch of reality to me as I thought of all the many homeless people who are AWOL and struggling to live in this world of today. There was a time when we, as Christians and churches, made it a priority to care for them. We picked them up in buses and brought them to our facility where we fed them, offered them a safe place to spend the night, and ministered to their needs while they were with us. We cared for them. At some point, that ministry went AWOL, and people chose to move on to something else.

The Bible describes the Christian life in war terms such as: fight, conquer, strive, battle, overcome, victory. When we become a Christian, we become a member of God’s army, and we are thrust into a spiritual battle whether we realize it or not. What would happen if service men and women went to the recruiting office to join the military with the following attitude. The recruiter says, “Wonderful, now sign here.” The applicant says, “Wait a minute, I have a stipulation. I don’t want to be committed to any particular platoon, no certain group of soldiers, and if I’m unhappy, I want to be able to go AWOL, and join a platoon of my choosing.” Would anyone want to fight next to this kind of soldier?”

This past week, we have all been shocked at the devastation of the fires in Los Angeles and the Pacific Palisades. The fires have burned thousands of acres of land containing thousands of homes. Lives have been lost, and people who lived in beautiful homes suddenly find themselves homeless. Many of these people lost homes that have been in their family for hundreds of years. and they don’t have the insurance to rebuild. At some point, the county government seems to have gone AWOL allowing incompetence to take over where common sense should prevail.

There are groups of people who make little or no committment to their Christian faith, their church, or their God. While the battle in this world is being fought, they are AWOL. There is no such thing as a believer who can float from one belief to another in the Bible. We, as Christians, sign on to be committed to one another and fight the war together no matter the circumstances. We don’t go AWOL.

Christians go AWOL for many reasons. It can be because we didn’t learn the basics of the faith. It can be because we forget the things we learned in the training manual, better known as the Bible, which gives us the information we need to keep from being defeated. It can be because we forget to stay in touch with the commander and chief who gives us courage for each day. We could have put off staying in shape by exercising the laws of the scripture that will keep us attuned to His love. We forget that God has provided us with spiritual weapons and we need to use them. We forget to work with our fellow soldiers. Teamwork makes dreams come true. Finally, we neglect devotion to our Commander. When we love Him, He will never forsake us.

What responsibilities does God place on us as Christians in His army? First, we must allow ourselves to feel concern and compassion. Second, we must get out of our comfort zone and do something about it!

Jesus said, By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, If you love one another. (John 13:35) We can’t love in absentia. The Book of James says the idea of faith without works is dead. God’s army needs people in His army who form one body, and don’t go AWOl!!

For Whoever would love life and see good days, let him keep his tongue from evil and his lips from speaking deceit, let him turn away from evil and do good, let him seek peace and pursue it. For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous. 1 Peter 3: 10-11

A boy asked his father, “Dad, if three frogs were sitting on a limb hanging over a pool, and one frog decided to jump off into the pool, how many frogs would be left on the limb?” His dad replied, “Two.” “No,” the son replied. “There are three frogs and one decides to jump. How many are left?” “Oh,” the dad replied, “I get it. If one decides to jump, the others would, too, so there are none left.” The boy said, “No, Dad, the frog only decided to jump, so there are three left.”

If that story sounds familiar, it’s probably because many times we decide to do important things in our lives or in the lives of others, but months after the decision, we are still “hanging out on the limb”. We are just like Charlie Brown when he said to Lucy, “You are going to be so proud of me because I have decided that next year is going to be my year of decision.”

It is said that to reach an important decision, we need to figure out what’s the most important goal or idea and push everything else aside. Then, after the decision is made, write it down, and check it off when it’s accomplished. If we constantly wait to act on decisions we have made, we could actually miss the most important changes in life.

This past week has brought much pain to our country, and it has devastated many who lost a loved one and whose lives are changed forever. We woke up on January 2 to the news of yet another act of violence, this time in New Orleans, where at least 14 people were killed and many more injured. What makes a person commit such an act? What happened along his life’s path to bring him to this point? After identifing the assailant, the people close to him told the press, “This is not the man we knew.”

At some point, this man who was born in Texas, a US Army veteran, and a professional made an important decision in his life. He reacted to things which were going wrong for him, maybe he chose to listen to bad advice, and instead of figuring out what was the most important thing, he acted on his hatred, dissatisfaction, or whatever else it might be. He chose to take the lives of innocent people as a way of showing his discontent.

Contrast this event with a different person and a different life. On Sunday of last week, we lost former President Jimmy Carter, a man of great integrity, a peacemaker, a great humanitarin, and a Christian. President Carter was someone who showed consistency in character in all circumstances, someone who always played by the rules, someone who could be relied upon, someone who always offered credit where credit was due, someone who lived by his faith, and someone who trusted God to enable him to accomplish all that he was called upon to do. No matter the different political thoughts about him, President Carter made important decisions early in his life which enabled him to be a man of great character. I am certain he wasn’t always treated fairly, but his Christian background enabled him to make the right decisions along the way.

A decision is defined as a conclusion or resolution reached after consideration. The contrast between the men who made these important decisions is astounding. One made the decision to act selfishly and with malice toward innocent people; the other made the decision to live a life helping and serving others. The difference is a life lived with and for Christ.

We probably all have important decisions that are waiting to be made in our lives. If the Lord were to ask each of us, “What important decisions have been made in the last year to love life and see good days? How have we decided to spread good instead of evil? How have we helped ourselves and others to seek peace and pursue it?” How would we answer?

The most important decision we can make is to know Jesus Christ and to have a reationship with him that brings glory to Him. When we make that decision, then we will want to do as much good as we can for Him and for others.

This new year presents an unwritten page in our book of time. We can fill the page with unfulfilled decisions, or we can fill it with important decisions made and fulfilled. The decision to seize the opportunity to practice all the good we can for all the people we can for as long as we can is the most important decision.

You have taken off the old self with its practices and have put on the new self which is being renewed in knowledge and in the image of its Creator. Colossians 3:9-10

It’s that time of year again where we think about making our New Year’s resolutions! In many cases, we look back on past resolutions we’ve made and broken, and we think there’s no reason to try again. However, we need to realize that, in many cases, we have outgrown many of the resolutions we made in earlier years, and it’s time for us to pick up and move on. What’s new in this New Year?

If we are feeling like there is nothing new in life, and the same old, same old is the norm, then maybe it’s a great year to evaluate the things in our lives that need some attention. We need to consider three questions in this new year of “what’s new?” First, is it time for us to move on in this new year? Next, if we move on, where are we going? Finally, if we have a time to move on and a destination, what is our vision for our new year?

Is it time to move on this year? We can take a lesson from the hermit crab in making that decision. The hermit crab is constantly outgrowing his shell throughout his life. He looks for a shell that fits him, lives there until he outgrows it, and then he scurries along the ocean floor until he finds a new one that fits him better. He repeats this process throughout his entire life.

If we are clinging to things that no longer “fit us” just because they are comfortable and familiar, then the time has come to move out of our comfort zone and endure a little distress in order to grow. Patience and persistence are admirable qualities, but they don’t work in situations we’ve outgrown. We need to ask ourselves, “Is this good for me?” Ask God to let us know. When God says it’s time to move on, it’s because there’s another shell out there designed to fit us even better.

Once we move on, where are we going? One day Supreme Court Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes lost his train ticket. As he searched for it, obviously irritated, the conductor said, “It’s okay, Your Honor, just mail it in. We all know and trust you.” Holmes replied, “I’m not concerned about finding my ticket, I just want to know where I’m going!” Fifty per cent of people around us have no idea where they are going, forty percent will go in any direction they are led, and the remaining ten percent know where they’d like to go, but fewer than half of them are prepared to pay the price to get there.

We need to begin with a vision. If we set visions in this new year that are clear enough to write down, short enough to fit in a paragraph, strong enough to help us persevere, and valuable enough to make us pay the price to see them fulfilled then we know where we are going. Jesus endured the cross because of his vision of the resurrection and a church that would one day change the world.

Regardless of our age or gender, God has a vision for us to fulfill, and sometimes it won’t make sense because we don’t feel qualified. In the musical, Man of La Mancha, there is a scene where Don Quixote and his servant stand gazing at a dilapidated inn. When Quixote describes his vision of turrets and magnificent gates, his servant tries hard to see the same picture, but all he can see are ruins. When he attempts to describe them, Quixote says, “Stop! I will not allow your facts to interfere with my vision!”

The good news for this new year is that God will take care of us. Just like a good father taking care of a child he loves, God will watch over us from the beinning of the year until the very end. If we walk with God and honor Him in all we do, this year can be one of the most blessed years of our lives.

What’s new this year? We are moving on to new and better things. We know where we are going, and we have a vision to take us to our destination.

Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old has gone. The new has come. 2 Corinthians 5:17

Happy New Year!

I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David, a Savior has been born! Luke 2:10-11

The story is told of a prince who went in search of a maid suitable enough to be his queen. One day as his carriage was passing through a poor section of town, his eyes fell upon a beautiful peasant maiden. In the days that followed, he often passed by the maiden, and he soon realized he was in love with her. However, the prince had a problem. How could he court her? He could order her to marry him, but then he would never know if she loved him or just felt coerced into marriage. He could put on his most splendid uniform and drive up to her home in his carriage drawn by six horses, but he would never know if she loved him or was just overwhelmed by the splendor.

The prince came up with another solution. He would give up his kingly robe, and move into the village, not with a crown, but in the garb of a peasant. So, he did. He lived among the people, shared their interest and concerns, and spoke their language. In time, the maiden grew to love him because of who he was and because he first loved her. Love came down.

The Love that came down at Christmas came much like the prince in the childlike story. God sent Jesus to be born, live, and die among us so that He could reveal Himself to us in an understandable way. Jesus became flesh just like you and me so that He could be understandable to us, and we would know of His amazing love for us.

God came down that Christmas, and He was wrapped in swaddling clothes and and laid in a stone feeding trough. He was welcomed and worshipped by two groups of people outside of his family – the Shepherds and the Wise Men. These two groups of people were poles apart socially, economically, ethically, and in every other way except spiritually. When the Shepherds and the Wise Men met at the feet of Jesus, they worshipped on common ground.

Just like the Shepherds and the Wise Men, we are all on common ground this Christmas as we come to worship and celebrate the birth of our Lord. The Bible doesn’t record any physical gifts brought by the shepherds, but they gave Him their devotion and worshipped Him. We all know the Wise Men brought gifts of gold, franckincense, and myrrh which were symbolic gifts of kingship, divinity, and a foreshadowing of things to come.

We all come to Him this Christmas with different gifts that we can offer to show our love. This Christmas, we can give him our time and let Him fill it. We can give Him our hands and let Him guide and use them. We can give Him our treasures and let Him store and invest them in safe places that bring everlasting rewards. We can give Him our future and let Him plan and direct our life. We can experience love coming down this Christmas.

There is a famous painting by the artist Holman Hunt showing how Jesus came into the world to die. In this painting called “Jesus at the door of the Carpenter’s Shop in Nazareth,” Jesus is depicted as a boy. He is coming out of his Dad’s shop. and he goes to the door to stretch because his limbs had grown cramped working over the carpenter’s bench. He stands there in the door with his arms outstretched, and behind him on the wall, the setting sun throws his shadow. The shadow is one of the cross. In the background stands Mary, and as she sees the shadow, there is the fear of the coming tragedy in her eyes.

Jesus came into the world to live for us, and in the end, to die for us. He came to give us His life and His death for us. Gold for a King, Frankincense for a priest, and Myrrh for the One who was to die – these were the gifts of the Wise Men. Even at the cradle of Christ, they foretold that He was to be the true King, the Perfect High priest, and in the end, the only Savior of mankind.

This is the Christmas message of Love coming down. The message of hope, the message of peace, of joy, but most importantly, the message of love.

Merry Christmas!

And the angel said unto them, “Do not be afraid, I bring you good news which will bring great joy to all people.” Luke 2:10

There are only eight days left before Christmas, and as we frantically rush around in an effort to buy the perfect gift, set the perfect table, or host the greatest party, my prayer is that we all take a little time to experience the joy of Christmas.

Joy is defined as a feeling of great pleasure and/or happiness, and it is a lasting emotion that comes from trusting God. Joy is found not in completing a project, but in actually doing it. It is the simplest form of gratitude. This year when I think of situations of joy, I have to go back to the end of September when Hurrican Herlene hit several states on the east coast. The storm actually devastated parts of Georgia and North Carolina. It doesn’t sound like a joyful sitution, but there was joy involved.

We have friends and relatives in both places who lost power, water, gas service, internet, phone, and there are some who have only recently gotten everything restored. The comforts of life were gone and in many cases, it took the joy out of everything for them. Our dear neighbors and friends have a daughter whose family was hit hard by the storm. She took a few days to come here, not so much for herself and her son, but to organize trucks to return to Asheville with food, clothing, water, and toys for those she knew while her husband stayed to help others. When I asked her how she was doing she said, “I was made for times like this. I get such joy out of organizing things and helping others.” That’s Christmas joy.

Things aren’t always easy in this life, but they weren’t easy for the Holy Family, the shepherds, or the wise men either. The Holy Family endured a dirty stable, swaddling clothes for the Christ child, and a feeding trough for His bed. The shepherds left their fields at night and followed a star. The Wise Men traveled hundreds of miles to worship the Christ child. I have to believe that the journey exhausted their joy, yet they came and worshipped Him. One would think that only the Kings, pious Priests, and high members of society would be invited to the birth of a King, but God chose the lowly to be part of the birth of His Son. What a joy to be there to worship the Christ child!

Life is full of difficulties over which we have no control, and we all face them in this life. We have stress, problems, disappointments, and sometimes things that happen can put us out of our comfort zone. If we aren’t careful, it’s easy to become negative, depressed, and dispiritied. In other words, we lose our joy.

We can’t control what happens on the outside, but we can control what happens on the inside. The joy that comes from Christ coming into this world doesn’t come and go from what happens around us. The joy comes from what is going on deep inside us.

In the book How the Grinch Stole Christmas, by Dr. Seuss, the small hearted Grinch tries to take the joy out of Whoville. He comes down the chimney and takes food and toys away from all the Who’s of Whosville in an effort to steal their Christmas joy. Yet on Christmas morning, the tall and the small sang without any presents at all. And the Grinch with his Grinch feet ice cold in the snow, stood puzzling and puzzling, how could it be so? It came without ribbons. It came without tags. It came without packages, boxes, or bags. And he puzzled three hours until his puzzler was sore. Then he thought of something he hadn’t before. “Maybe Christmas,” he thought, “doesn’t come from a store. Maybe Christmas.. perhaps.. means a little bit more.” And what happend then? Well, in Whoville they say, The Grinch’s small heart grew three sizes that day. He hadn’t stopped Christmas from coming. It came.

Christmas Day is a remembrance of a promise of joy to be fulfilled by the coming of the Messiah. There is joy in celebrating His birth, but that joy is made complete in celebrating His life, His death and His resurrection.

Jesus is our Christmas Joy.