Month: November 2022

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust Him, so that you may overflow with Hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. Romans 15:13

It’s hard to believe that the first Sunday in Advent has come. Advent is the season where we prepare our hearts and minds for the coming of Christ during the four weeks before Christmas. The word Advent means “to come”, and the season focuses on celebrating Christ’s first coming at Christmas and anticipating Christ’s second coming.

The lighting of the Advent wreath is a fairly new tradition in church history. The wreath of today was modified from the first wreath which was made of a wagon wheel into the wreath of four candles for each Sunday and one in the middle which is lighted on Christmas Eve or Day which we use

The first candle lit on the wreath is the candle of hope. Hope is defined as a feeling of expectation and desire for a certain thing to happen. The incredible blessing of Christmas is that we don’t have to wait until next year or a change in our circumstances to have hope – it is available to us all year long!

We all need hope all the time, but especially at Christmas. For many in our world today, the flame of hope has burned down to the wick. There are those who wonder how they will carry on because the darkness of failures, health, and situations has come crashing in.

So, why should we hold onto hope during this special season? First, we should hold onto hope because Jesus was born, lived, died, and rose again. The Old Testament book of Isaiah foretells of a Savior that would take away our sins, and that baby born in the manger was the beginning of hope for us.

Next, we can have hope because God keeps His promises. God promised us a Savior who would forgive our sins, and to fulfill that promise, Jesus came! The verse from Psalm 43:5 reminds us to Put your hope in God. There is never a time when we can’t hope in God no matter the need or how great the difficulty might be. Even when our situation appears to be impossible, our hope will not be in vain.

Finally, we have hope because through Jesus, we can know God. “Behold the virgin shall be with child and shall bear a Son, and they shall call him Immanuel” which translated means, “God with us.” (Matthew 1:23. “God with us” means access to God with no waiting or separation; we can enter into HIs presence at any time. We are never forsaken.

Our family celebrates three December birthdays at Thanksgiving every year because we are all together, and the time seems appropriate. Usually, the calendar cooperates, and the first Sunday of Advent is the next weekend. As the three guys blow out the birthday candles, it has come to be a joyous way to start the season of Advent and to remember the hope that comes with the first lit candle of the Advent wreath.

There is hope for all of us but especially for those who find the sorrows of this world hard to bear. We can all rest in the assurance that one day all sorrows will be swept away all because God sent his Son Jesus.

The Christmas season is a wonderful time for so many reasons, but one of the most important reasons is the hope that Christ brings to this struggling world. Hope begins with the Babe born in Bethlehem. He brought hope where there wasn’t any, and He continues to do that today.

A thrill of hope the weary world rejoices, for yonder breaks a new and glorious morn. Fall on your knees! O hear the angels voices! O night when Christ was born; O night divine, O night, O night divine! O Holy Night by Placide Cappeau

And whatever you do whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him. Colossians 3:17

Probably twenty years ago, Randy and I were sitting at a table with a new member of the church for Wednesday Night Dinner. The conversation was informational as we shared backgrounds and sought to get to know each other. It was a custom of ours to reach out and make new folks feel at home.

Toward the end of our conversation, he looked at me and said, “Diane, I grew up a Methodist, and I know from experience that our ministers are itinerant and move from church to church to serve. I understand that you have been here for fourteen years. How will you feel when the bishop sends you to a new appointment?” The question was sobering for me, and I admit it was hard to answer. Finally (as all eyes turned toward me), I said, “After we had been here for eight years, I began to feel the dread of a move because even though things were growing exponentially, there is still that vow that must be honored to go where sent. I prayed that God would just give me enough years here to get my kids through high school. He did that, and now, all the rest is just gravy.”

The idiom “the rest is just gravy” has come to mean that the rest of the journey or process, etc. will be very straightforward or easy to complete or accomplish. It also means that any additional elements will be an unexpected and an unrequired bonus.

God saw fit to leave us for fourteen more years, and the growth in programs, ministry, missions, and numbers was phenomenal. During those years, the vision of the church expanded as we began to do even more for the community and the world through programs and service.

Growing up in our small South Georgia town, gravy was almost a requirement at the meals. We had sausage gravy, brown gravy, sawmill gravy, red eye gravy, turkey gravy, roast beef gravy, giblet gravy, and on and on. Gravy at our house was usually served on the side even though it was a staple at most meals. It was rich and considered a bonus to the rice, potatoes, or meat served as the main course.

I read somewhere that we as Christians need to add gravy to our Thanksgiving meal this year, but this gravy should be the gravy of gratitude. Sometimes we tend to only the see the problems in life and ignore the blessings, and as a result there are a growing number of people who are unhappy and have an ungrateful attitude no matter what they have. Gravy and gratitude go hand in hand, so it would behoove us all to cultivate a spirit of Thanksgiving gratitude this year.

I love the hymn Count Your Blessings by Johnson Oatman, Jr. He encourages us to Count Your Blessings name them one by one; Count Your Blessings, see what God has done. So, how can we experience the gravy of gratitude this Thanksgiving and all year long?

First, dwell on what God has given us. He pours out His love, forgiveness, healing, compassion, and protection on a daily basis. Secondly, think about what God has not given us. We have all sinned and fallen short, but God doesn’t give us the punishment we deserve. Finally, think about what God has yet to give us. He has promised to love us from everlasting to everlasting no matter what!

It’s important to take time to name the things for which we are thankful and reflect on them. Too often we take for granted what we have and dwell on what we don’t. Even though we live an abundant life, we always seem to have a desire for more. Heaven on earth is found when we put aside the worries and just dwell on the gravy.

This Thanksgiving let’s take the time to remember those in our lives (past, present, and future) and give thanks for them and all the things they have given of themselves to help us grow and become who we are today. Many of us have had a tough year this past year, but there is still much for which to be thankful and celebrate!

This year when you load your plate with turkey, dressing, and all the trimmings, don’t forget to add the gravy of gratitude.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Praise God from whom all blessings flow; Praise Him all creatures here below. Praise Father, Son and Holy Ghost. Amen. The Doxology by Thomas Ken

My counsel for you is simple and straightforward; just go ahead with what you’ve been given. You received Christ Jesus the Master, now live Him. You’re deeply rooted in Him. You’re well constructed upon Him. You know the way around the faith. Now do what you’ve been taught. School’s out; quit studying the subject and start living it! And let your living spill over into Thanksgiving. Colossians 2:6-7 The Message

Thanksgiving is upon us, and it is once again time to talk about the 102 Pilgrims plus the 30 crew members and their 66 day journey on the Mayflower which culminated in the landing on Plymouth Rock in America. The pilgrimage of these people came about because they were seeking a place where they could practice their religious beliefs freely. History attributes the first Thanksgiving to these Pilgrims and their celebration of a journey for religious freedom successfully completed.

A pilgrim is defined as a traveler who has come from a place afar to a holy place. Typically this journey is a physical journey to a place of some holy significance.

Our travels this past fall took us to the city of Santiago de Compostela in Spain which is the termination point of many pilgrimages. The history of this city is based on Christianity. The history relates that St. James, the first apostle to shed his blood for Christ, became the leader of the church in Jerusalem after Jesus’ resurrection. According to tradition, he also traveled to Spain to spread the good news and upon his return was martyred in A.D. 44 in Jerusalem when he was ordered beheaded by the sword by King Herod because of his Christian beliefs. Legend has it that his body was brought back to Spain in a small boat led by two angels and was interred in a small coastal town. The exact location of his grave fell into oblivion for centuries.

Around the year 815 a Spanish shephere had a vision of lights shining in the forest. The matter was investigated, and the body of St. James was found. The bishop of a nearby town had his body brought into Santiago and a church built on the site of his tomb.

This shrine began attracting pilgrims from all over, and the number has steadily increased over these many years. For many centuries, the pilgrimage has been made by the wealthy and the poor. It was seen as an enhancement of the spiritual journey to Christ, and the hardships along the way were welcomed as tests of faith.

As we walked into the center of the city’s square, people were gathered awaiting different groups who had made the pilgrimage, some walking for weeks to arrive at this special place. The square was filled with cheers, hugs, laughter, tears, and congratulations as the pilgrims entered the square. There are so many different reasons why people make this pilgrimage, but things such as the challenge, the beauty, the reward, the spiritual significance and religious purposes seem to be the most popular. It was amazing to see people entering the square some carrying crosses, others carrying back packs, and still others running to the center for the completion of their pilgrimage. Each person there was fulfilling their own reason for the pilgrimage.

John Bunyan in his classic novel, Pilgrim’s Progress offers many helpful insights into the Christian life. He pictures the walk as a pilgrimage with all kinds of experiences, trials, temptations, decisions and happenings along the way.

The Christian life is much like a pilgrimage. Each person who walks humbly with the Lord has their own experiences along their walk. Not everything that happens to a Godly person is good. The pilgrimage contains good experiences and bad in the faith journey.

Our Christian pilgrimage can teach us many things, First, we learn that this Christian pilgrimage is an imperfect one. As Christians, we struggle with sin and temptation every day, and there are dark days where defeat seems inevitable. Some of the most righteous people stumble and fall while facing some troublesome situations. Just because we are Christians doesn’t mean we live a charmed life.

The Christian pilgrimage also teaches us to learn to trust. When we take the pilgrimage of faith, we learn to open our life to the Lord and to put complete confidence in Him to help us through any situation.

The Christian pilgrimage also offers us hope. The hope of God’s people can’t be destroyed by circumstances. Christians always know there will be a better day even with death comes victory.

As Christians we are all pilgrims. We step out in faith not knowing the trials before us or the pain or afflictions that might await. The Christian pilgrim is often misunderstood in this world of ours, but we rest in the assurance of His promise! Glory awaits and as Christian pilgrims we maintain a determined discipline of looking forward. What lies ahead will surpass our expectations and defy explanation.

All Christian pilgrims will agree our journey takes us “onward and upward”!

Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, because the Lord your God goes before you; He will never leave you or forsake you. Deuteronomy 31:6

Randy and I attended a high school football game the other night, and it took us back to the years when that was a regular occurrence. The colors were presented, the national anthem played, and the crowd was quiet. In my line of vision was an older gentleman who, unlike the rest of us, was at full attention and saluting the flag. His hand was a bit wobbly, but the veteran was determined to hold that salute until the colors left the field. It was inspiring to me, and I began to think of how much courage in himself and his fellow servicemen he had witnessed.

Courage is defined as the quality of mind or spirit which allows a person to face difficulty, danger, pain, etc. without fear.

In this world of today, we don’t see or hear as many stories of courage as we once did. Perhaps this is because we don’t face the same challenges as people did years ago. The greatest generation faced wars, rationing, loss, hardships, and the great depression. Today, we live with different challenges such as inflation, viruses, and unknowns. However, even though we might not face the same challenges, the fears we feel are just as real as the ones people faced years ago. It takes courage to face life’s challenges.

I am not sure I ever considered how much courage it takes for military officers and personnel to live daily with thoughts of the unknown which might endanger their lives and the lives of folks in the country they aspire to protect every day. It is easy to go through our daily routines without a thought of these men and women who would not hesitate to give their lives for us and this country.

This year the celebration of Veteran’s Day is very real to me after our visit to Normandy this past September. When one stands on the beaches of Omaha, Utah, or one of the other beaches and looks across the expanse of the ocean, it is sobering to put yourself in the place of one of the young soldiers who came in by boat not knowing what to expect.

Standing on the beach and looking toward the hills where German soldiers were imbedded and waiting to attack, you suddenly understand the true meaning of courage. As American, Canadian, and English forces came in by sea and air, it is not possible for me to realize how fierce the fighting must have been that day. The Battle of Normandy lasted from June 6, 1944 until August of 1944 and was the turning point of World War II.

This generation showed us the characteristics such as modesty, commitment, loyalty, patriotism, and motivation needed in their time as in ours. Their courage was remarkable! Dwight Eisenhower said of these men, These men came here to storm these beaches for one purpose only, not to gain anything for themselves, not to fulfil any ambition that America had for conquest, but just to preserve freedom, and systems of self government in the world.“

There are so many heroes in each and every war fought for this country. There are the loved ones who stayed behind to raise families and pray, there are those who returned from war with scars that they will forever carry, and there are those who came home with physical, emotional, or mental reminders of the war. It is said that the real heroes are those who walk among us and face each new day with courage.

Joshua also faced fears that took much courage to overcome. He was charged with leading people into a land that was highly fortified, populated, and with great armies. Even though God had promised this land to them, it was not an easy matter. Courage and fortitude were needed. It is one thing to say, “Do not be afraid”, but terror is a force that can seize us and render us powerless to act. God promised not to leave or forsake them, and they won the battle!

Living in this world of today takes courage. Every day presents a new set of challenges for each of us. As we remember the ones who gave the ultimate sacrifice and exhibited unbelievable courage, it would do us all good to remember that the real hero is the one who goes home to face whatever life hands them no matter how tough it might be.

Imagine the courage that comes from entering a battle with the strongest most powerful swordsman at your side! God has not forsaken us, and He will not leave our side.

Happy Veteran’s Day and thank you all for your service!