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Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. Hebrews 11:1

Everything in the heavens and the earth is yours, O Lord, and this is your kingdom. We adore You as being in control of everything. 1 Chronicles 29:11 from The Living Bible

Years ago in preparing for an International flight, I became a little nervous thinking about pilots and how they handle these long flights especially over the ocean. Several of my friends are flight attendants, and even though they assured me that it was routine, all kinds of scenarios played in my mind.

Just as many passengers, I assumed that the pilots fly the plane for the entire duration of the flight. After all, isn’t that why we have them in the cockpit behind a locked door? In my research, however, it was stated that pilots actually only “fly” the plane from ten to fifteen per cent of the time. They do the takeoff, get the plane to a certain altitude, do their flight check, and turn on auto pilot. If all goes well, then about 2000 feet from the landing approach, they disengage the auto pilot and land the plane. The rest of the flight is controlled by the Flight Management System and the Air Traffic Control tower. (My pilot friends might disagree, just relaying my information). The pilots are irreplaceable, but with the advent of computers, the Control Tower is actually in control.

That certainly doesn’t exclude emergencies such as US Airways Flight 1549 whose Captain Sully was trained and capable of making manual decisions and piloting planes in emergencies. His expertise saved all 155 passengers on board after ditching the plan in the Hudson. There are many other stories of heroic pilots and crew as well.

Randy’s grandmother only flew once to my knowledge. On that flight, the pilot walked down the aisle welcoming passengers while the plane was in flight, and when he got to her, she said, “Oh, Honey, thank you, but who are you?” When he informed her that he was the pilot, she said, “Oh Lord help us! If you are here, who, pray tell, is flying this plane?” This is a perfect example of how we want to be sure we know who is in control of everything in our lives, and how we sometimes fall to pieces if we don’t know the details.

Who’s in control of this life? We are only human, and we like to think and believe that we are in control of our lives, but the fact is that there are a multitude of things out of our control. Life has a way of throwing obstacles in our way which we can’t control. The good news for Christians is, just like the pilot, we may be in the cockpit, but God is in the control tower.

When we are spinning out of control, there are three things that we might need to remember about God’s control.

First, because God is in control, we can rest in the promise that He has a plan for our lives. There is an old saying, life is what happens while we are busy making plans. Who hasn’t made plans only to have them changed? We all have those things which aren’t planned occur, but if we take the time to include God in the plans we make, He will direct us to His plan for our lives.

Next, because God is in control, He has a purpose for us. Problems and hardships come and go in our life most of the time seemingly without a purpose. However, in hindsight, we can see how God has used them to get us to the place and use us for the purpose for which He has designed us. Our response should be to look past the pain to see God’s ultimate purpose for us.

Finally, God is in control, and He answers prayers. Every prayer we pray has an impact because God hears every one. When a prayer is uttered, angelic forces are dispatched from heaven. There is a confidence in knowing that if we approach God asking for anything according to His will, He will answer. It might not always be the answer we want, but we honor Him when we tell him exactly what we need and trust Him with the rest!

If we trust God’s plan, believe in His purpose, and trust Him to answer our prayers, He blesses us with opportunities to become creative. He helps us to change our attitude and know that God has us.

The more we believe in His control, the more we relinquish our control. God is in the control tower!

Oh Lord our God the Majesty and Glory of You name, transcends the earth and fills the heavens. O Lord our God little children praise you perfectly, And so would we. And so would we. Linda Lee Johnson

Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. 1 John 4:8

Today we celebrate a holiday set aside to emphasize the spirit and meaning of love. There are different kinds of love – everything from romantic love to love of family, friends, pets, country, alma mater, church, and multiple others. Love in any kind of relationship isn’t always easy, but rather it requires unselfishness and commitment on our part.

Love in any relationship has different qualities. One of the most important qualities of love is staying power. A few weeks ago, I read a story on Matthew and Kelly Stafford, the LA Rams quarterback of the new Super Bowl Champs and his wife. I am a fan of Stafford because he is a former Georgia quarterback, he’s had a rough professional road, and the story is heartwarming. Kelly was diagnosed in 2019 with a benign brain tumor which had to be removed surgically. After the surgery there was a long recovery as she had to learn to walk again. She gives one hundred per cent of the credit for her recovery to her husband as she says, “Matthew was right there by my side for every exercise and every step.” This kind of love has staying power.

Love is unselfish likened to that of the parable of the lost sheep. The shepherd had one hundred sheep, and lost one of them. He left the ninety nine to find the one sheep that had gone astray. Our Buford grand boys each got a bunny for Easter about two years ago. The bunnies, Stanley and Cotton, made their home outside with a condo like enclosure, fans, heaters, food, water, and lots of places to make themselves comfortable. It was a short time later when they realized that Stanley was blind, and he never left Cotton’s side while relying on him for everything. One morning, Stanley was gone. What happened to him is a mystery. Cotton wandered around for a couple of days in the cage, and then one morning he was gone as well. In trying to explain this, Ashley said, “If you were lost, wouldn’t you want someone to come after you?” What would make even a bunny go after the other? The answer is unselfish love.

Love also values the other person. According to the Bible, love is an active interest in the well being of another, and as such, it should never be confused with modern feelings such as sentimentality or gratification. William Barclay says, “Love is the spirit in the heart that will never seek anything but the highest good of its fellow man.” God’s command to love your neighbor probably sounds irrelevant in this world of police departments and force to uphold the law, but if we truly love every person because they are a person, we’d never desire to cause them harm.

Love is costly. Love takes goes out on a limb to help others, it takes a chance, it makes a statement, it leaves a legacy, it does unexpected things, and it can do things that steal your heart and are never forgotten.

Years ago at the end of a wedding where Randy was officiating and I was attending, he pronounced the couple man and wife, and the organ postlude began. I was horrified because the groom had not kissed his bride, so I began to furiously throw kisses toward Randy hoping he would understand the signals. Randy was so surprised at my outward show of affection that he began to throw kisses back. This exchange went on as the bride and groom were waking up the aisle. Finally, through many missed signals, Randy realized the omission. He stopped the music, had the congregation sit back down, and called the couple back down to the altar. When the confused couple were back in place he said, “Now, you may kiss your bride.”

The couple were thrilled with this wonderful end to their wedding and everyone in attendance could talk of nothing else. This emphasis on love made other brides ask for that same thing in their wedding! Nope, that was a one time thing!

It’s also costly as you give of yourselves to others. It’s love that feeds the homeless, it’s love that fosters children, it’s love that visits the sick, it’s love that gives to the poor, and it’s love that spreads Christianity. Christian love is the most costly investment you will ever make.

The good new is that God’s love is unchangeable, and He loves us even when we don’t see or feel it. “God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.” (Romans 5:5) This kind of love grows if we nurture it, develops if we feed it, and expands if we persist in it. Love needs staying power, love is unselfish, love is valuable, and it is costly. The good news is that God’s love never fails.

We can do no great things only small things with great love. Mother Teresa

Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. Matthew 5:8 Whoever has a bountiful eye will be blessed, for he shares his bread with the poor. Proverbs 22:9

This week I learned a great lesson while watching The Magic of Belle Isle, a wonderful movie about life. An older gentleman was attempting to teach a teenager to look closely at things all around her and use her imagination to see things of beauty with her eyes rather than technology. The scene was a dirt road overhung with trees in a small town. When he asked, “What do you see?” She replied, “Nothing”. He changed the question and asked, “What don’t you see?” At that point, she could name things that were not there.

The exercise was so eye opening that it has encouraged me to make it part of my daily routine. Now when I walk outside really early in the morning, I make a mental note of what I don’t see. Some mornings, I don’t see rain, I don’t see a plane in the sky, I don’t see hatred, I don’t see busyness, or I don’t see children waiting for the bus.

Sometimes it’s what we don’t see that can prompt us to re examine our daily conduct. When’s the last time any of us have sat down in a restaurant, in a meeting, at a party, or even in church and not seen our phones either in our hand or closely by? When’s the last time any of us have seen conversation or laughter in these places not interrupted by technology? When is the last time we sat with acquaintances or friends and not seen them through judgmental eyes? When is the last time we passed by a homeless individual and have seen their struggles through eyes of compassion? When is the last time we stopped in our day to think of someone else? We seem to be a generation that is losing the art of communicating with others, and seeing others as God sees them. We are guilty of not seeing the hurt, frustration, loneliness, and despair so many feel.

The truth is that when we view this world through our own sight, the vision is distorted. When we ask God to show us what we don’t see, it’s like the blinders are taken away, and we can see clearly. Lately, I confess to having stumbled a lot in this area of what I don’t see.

This past week as Randy was having a routine test, I settled into the lobby of the Doctor’s building with a good book to wait. The place where I chose to sit had four chairs (strategically apart), and a table in the middle. Almost immediately two guys came and sat in two of the chairs. One had coffee, and I needed coffee, so we spoke, and he directed me to it. I judged or saw them to be there killing time between appointments.

As they interacted, it became apparent that they were brothers, also waiting, and they were worried. They asked about me, and I asked about them. It turns out their Dad was having hip replacement, and since I’m an expert on that, I began to reassure them while painting a positive picture. They smiled, but it was obvious this wasn’t routine. It seems their Dad had broken his hip and damaged muscles and nerves when he was twelve years old and lived in Ecuador. He is sixty now, and he has walked with a limp and lived in pain for forty two years. This surgery, though complicated, would change his life. I didn’t see that when I looked at them. I asked their Dad’s name and told them I would pray for him. Their faces lit up and their eyes filled with tears at this point. It seems they are Christians, but their Dad is unsure. Their last comment as we left was, “Dad will be so thankful for the prayers.” The boys text me every day with updates, and he is now home and doing better. Now, I see.

A woman swims at the pool with us on occasion. She never shares her lane, wears ear buds, never looks up, and ignores people when they try to ask her if she will share. We assumed she was either very rude or just didn’t want to be bothered. We didn’t see that she is deaf until she began to sign to a woman in the lane next to her. She is just trying to exist in this world with out the benefit of hearing. Now we see.

Although Jesus preceded the high tech age, He was in constant demand. The multitudes of people pursued Him at all hours of the day and night. Even with all the different needs around Him, Jesus was able to see the individual needs of those who called on Him for healing, comfort, and direction.

In the picture above, what don’t you see? In the lives of those you love, what don’t you see? When you see those whom you don’t understand, what don’t you see? Jesus would have us open our eyes and see the hurt, pain, but also, the goodness around us. He has lessons for us if we can only see them. No matter when you don’t see Him, God is always there.

But the fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self control; against such things there is no law. Galatians 5:22-23

Our family lived and grew up in a small rural south Georgia town where most everyone knew each other. Almost every business in town was owned and operated by at least an acquaintance, if not a friend or extended family member. For example, my uncle Wallace owned People’s Supply, a tractor dealership and supply. My uncle Hudson owned the Firestone dealership in town, my Mama owned and operated Mi’s Cards and Gifts, several of my good friend’s parents owned the Piggy Wiggly, Woody’s Oyster Bar, and Davis’ Jewelry and Gifts as family businesses.

We had maybe four gas stations (which we referred to as filling stations) in town, but we always frequented Mr. Woodrow Jernigan’s Gulf filling station on the corner of Highway 84. When you pulled into the filling station to fill up with gas, Mr. Woodrow (or Steve) always checked your oil, checked your tire pressure, and cleaned your windshield. They kept track of your maintenance schedule, and when you drove away, you knew everything was full and had been checked out! That was the service they offered for everyone! Oh, how far we have come from those days!

When the tank in your car is full and you’ve had a full check up, you tend to feel safe and secure because you know that you should be equipped to reach your destination.

The fruits of the spirit represent a destination to which we all should aspire. These fruits are a list of the characteristics which those who belong to God should display. The first three- love, joy, peace -are inner qualities which reflect our relationship to God. The next three – patience, kindness, goodness – reveal themselves in our attitude and actions toward our neighbor. The last three – faithfulness, gentleness, self control – reflect how we should conduct ourselves in view of the duties, opportunities, and obligations that arise in our daily lives.

Sometimes our “tank” of these fruits becomes empty, and we need to visit the filling station to replenish them. Running on empty in our daily lives can lead us to feeling distanced and removed from God’s influence in our lives.

There are things that can prevent us from visiting the filling station in our daily lives. First, we “forget to remember” to pray every day and specifically ask to have our lives filled with the spiritual gifts. We forget that God is always there waiting for us to refill the things we are lacking.

Secondly, we often say “no” to God when He is dealing with us about a specific area in our lives. I can’t help but snicker at parents and grandparents (us included) who allow the children to say “no” when they are told to do something. We know what’s best for them, yet, sometimes we allow children to make grown up decisions. We need to remember we are God’s servants, not His advisors.

Next, if we aren’t filled up, we allow doubt and fear to paralyze us in our efforts. God is the driver when you are on this journey of life. Take the fruits of the spirit with you. He knows where this life is leading us and how long it will take to get there! Don’t doubt him or question him. His destination is worth the trip!

Consider the consequences of not filling up when we are in need of the fruits of the spirit. Could we consider ourselves a Christian if we were completely lacking in love, always unhappy and miserable, always racked by worries and fears, always impatient, always unkind, completely dishonest, completely untrustworthy and disloyal, aggressive, bullying, unstable and completely lacking in self control? This would be our lives without the grace of God and the presence of the Holy Spirit within us.

Eugene Peterson expresses it best in The Message. But what happens when we live God’s way? He brings gifts into our lives, much the same way that fruit appears in an orchard–things like affection for others, exuberance for life, serenity. We develop a willingness to stick with things, a sense of compassion in the heart, and a conviction that a basic holiness permeates things and people. We find ourselves involved in loyal commitments, not needing to force our way in life, able to marshal and direct our energies wisely. Legalism is helpless in bringing this about; it only gets in the way. Among those who belong to Christ, everything connected with getting our own way and mindlessly responding to what every one else calls necessities is killed off for good – crucified. Galatians 5:22-24

My prayer is that we visit the filling station often and come away full of the fruits of the spirt.

Fill my cup, Lord. I lift it up, Lord. Come and quench this thirsting of my soul. Bread of heaven, feed me ’til I want no more. Fill my cup, Fill it up and make me whole. Jessy Dixon

The eternal God is your refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms. Deuteronomy 33:27

This past summer our family had an unexpected chance to visit Jamaica for our family vacation. It was a last minute COVID induced trip, and although, we were a bit skeptical, it ended up being one of our favorite trips.

Included in our plans was an excursion that was billed as “Swim with the Dolphins”. I’m not sure about the others, but when I pictured this dolphin swim, I saw a white sandy beach, crystal blue water, dolphins swimming around, and our family swimming along with them.

Then reality always set in. When we arrived at the entrance to the Dolphin Swim, we entered through a building and were led outside to a bay like area where a hoard of people were donning lifejackets and being told to wait on benches in groups. Can you say, “tourist trap”? As I looked at the faces of our family, I knew they were all thinking the same thing.

When our time came to enter the water with our dolphin trainer, my impression began to change. All around us in a huge area were other groups of people in small groups with their own trainer. There was laughter, dolphins swimming everywhere, applause, and exclamations of “Wow”!

The very first thing we did with our dolphin was swim out a little way from the group, turn and put out our arms in front of us. The trainer instructed us to hold our arms there until she swam into them. That dolphin swam right into our arms and stayed there while we held and hugged her. The visions I had of swimming with the dolphins quickly became the reality of dancing with one, holding one in my arms, and riding holding her fins!!

When that dolphin swam into my arms and patiently waited for me to hold her and let me hug her, I thought how much God would enjoy us doing the same with Him. The picture of Him holding out His arms and waiting for us, but not pushing us, so He can enfold us there came to life for me!

God’s everlasting arms are found beneath us, before us, and around us in this life of ours. When we picture God’s outstretched arms, we can see arms of protection. Just like a mother or father puts his arms around their child to protect them from danger, God protects His children. It’s sometimes hard to live in this crazy world where there are dangers everywhere it seems, but the scripture above assures us that God is our protector.

God’s everlasting arms also offer affection. As mothers we know that when our children or grandchildren have fallen or are hurt, we pick them up in our arms to comfort and love them. The Bible speaks of the shepherds who carry their sheep in their strong arms to offer protection and affection. I picture God embracing us with his strong arms and telling us how much we are loved.

God’s everlasting arms offer strength. The arms of God are strong. In times of need, it’s amazing how God sends special friends whose very presence give us strength and security. We can lean on the arms of friends with confidence that they are offering their strength when our own strength is failing.

The everlasting arms of God offer endurance. The human blessings of arms of protection, affection, and strength will not last forever, but we can be assured that God’s everlasting arms will never weaken or grow weary. The arms of God are underneath His children in times of sickness, sorrow, even death. When every earthly thing is gone from beneath us, when hands that we have held are unclasped, and we sink into what seems like darkness, we will find ourselves in the everlasting arms of Christ. copied

Just like our dolphins who were perfectly at peace in our arms, one day we will all have that same feeling resting in God’s everlasting arms.

What have I to dread? What have I to fear? Leaning on the Everlasting Arms. I have blessed peace with my Lord so near, Leaning on the Everlasting Arms. Leaning, Leaning, safe and secure from all alarms. Leaning, Leaning, Leaning on the Everlasting Arms. Lyrics by Elisha Hoffman

Finally brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. Philippians 4:8

The image above was posted to Georgia Football social media pages late Monday night, and the only caption it needed were two goats (the goat emoji symbolizes the acronym for greatest of all time) and a handshake emoji! It’s an image that will live forever in Georgia Football history, and it came just moments after the University of Georgia won their second National Championship title Monday night in Indianapolis.

Vince Dooley, who is 89 years old, coached the Bulldogs for forty one years, and he was the only coach to win a National Championship. Now Kirby Smart, 46, will join him. The two met moments after the game to share a handshake and a few words! Dooley coached the Dawgs from 1964-1988, and he coached so many greats including Kirby Smart who played for him from 1995-1998. Oh the excellence we see here!!

It’s impossible to believe that forty one years ago, we were listening to Larry Munson call the Sugar Bowl game between Georgia and Notre Dame which would determine the National Champion. Great names such as Buck Belue, Hershel Walker and Lindsay Scott were players of excellence at that time! On Monday night, other names joined the list of excellent players. We will long remember and talk about Bennett, Mitchell, and Davis. Their spirit, determination, and desire will remind us of what it takes to achieve excellence.

Excellence is defined by Webster as the quality of being outstanding or extremely good. The Bible’s interpretation of excellence; however, is to be the best we can be with God’s grace. Excellence is not a gift, it has to be desired and sought after. God might give us the desire for excellence, but we have to cultivate it within ourselves. People aren’t born with excellence, they work for it!

Just as athletes work to attain excellence, so should we as Christians strive for it. Why should we even pursue excellence? According to the Bible, we should strive for excellence not because we are motivated to boost our ego or achieve success, but because God deserves no less. Just as there is no “I” in team, we do it for Him not ourselves. He has created created us for excellence and to pursue it for His glory.

I love hearing stories of athletes, business folks, lawyers, doctors, ministers, who pursue excellence because they follow the lead of those who have come before them and set goals they want to imitate. What better way as Christians to achieve excellence than to imitate Christ in this world, not for our own glory, but to point others to Him.

We need to pursue excellence to show others what a spirit of excellence can do in our lives, and in the lives of those around us. We’ve all had experiences with folks who sign on to do a job for which they are trusted, but they then disappoint us by doing the job half way. Professionalism or dedication to the job we undertake leads us to develop this excellence which others want to emulate.

We pursue excellence by living a life with integrity. We will all make mistakes, but if we have integrity, we own up to our mistakes and take the consequences. I loved that after Bennett’s incomplete pass was ruled a fumble, he commented, “I will not be the reason we lose tonight.” He took responsibility. Just as Martin Luther King led with integrity, we as people of God are called to live a life of integrity regardless of our situation, what others around us are doing, or who is not watching!

Excellence is fostered by resilience. Life is hard and hands us mountains to climb and in order to overcome these obstacles, we have to be resilient or tough!! That’s where faith and hope come in. Faith and hope links our present circumstances to our vision for the future. Resilient people have the capacity to move ahead in the midst of difficult circumstances.

In a post game interview with Alabama’s Bryce Young and Will Anderson, they tried to take the blame for the team’s loss, but Coach Sabin stepped in to set the record straight. Sabin said, “We would not be here without these two guys. These guys have brought us to this point, and our team is not defined by one game.” Now, that’s excellence!

It’s inspiring to know that excellence is being taught every day. The Georgia and Alabama teams are examples of this. Life is hard. Work for what you want, love the people around you, and bet on yourself. Give God the glory for your excellence. copied

Congratulations and Go Dawgs! Thank you for a great year!!

Brothers and sisters, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards, not many were influential, not many of noble birth. But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things, and the things that are not to nullify the things that are so that no one may boast before Him. 1 Corinthians 1:26-29

We live in a world today where people are consumed with love of self and self promotion. If we aren’t lifting ourselves up, we are lifting up our children, grandchildren. organizations, or businesses with the intention of earning bragging rights. It seems we’re always seeing stickers on cars that brag about something. Often the sticker is associated with a child’s honor roll status, a particular sport in which that child or grandchild excels, a promotion for a business, or a political statement. It’s human nature to want to share pride in or for something.

A sense of brag, as it was called in the 17th century, arose to mean declare or assert boastfully. Webster defines it these days as the entitlement to boast about something or a temporary position of ascendancy in a closely contested rivalry.

The closely contested rivalry happens for this household tonight. Tonight is the night The University of Georgia and The University of Alabama come together in a contest for bragging rights in the National Championship game. There is so much hype over this game no matter who plays, but this year is special!

Our Bulldogs have already lost once this year to the Crimson Tide, and as staunch Dawg supporters, we feel that the time has come for a win! There is a sense of allegiance that everyone feels to our own personal alma mater, but honestly, we would love nothing more than to win bragging rights for our Dawgs this year!! I’ve heard it said that nobody likes a bragger, but just this once, it surely would be sweet!

The only person I can recall who could get away with bragging about Alabama around Randy was Grace Bunke. How can you argue with an allegiance such as she had for the Tide? There was a special kind of sweet rivalry they shared, and even bragging rights were allowed between them.

It’s so easy to fall into the bragging trap even though it might start innocently enough. It seems that even in Jesus’ day people liked to brag. The above scripture reminds us that God didn’t choose those of wealth or power, the statesmen, or the orators to publish the gospel of grace and peace. He judges what men and what measures best serves the purposes of His glory. God doesn’t need us to brag about ourselves or our team, and He probably doesn’t like bragging at all unless we are bragging about Him and what He is doing.

In the 1950’s the question was asked on a game show, “What do people fear the most?” The answer then was polio, communism, nuclear annihilation, and not being loved. If we asked that same question today, the answers would probably be COVID, corrupt government officials, the power grid, pollution, and not being loved.

No matter the time, people fear not being loved. If we need to brag about something, let’s brag about the fact that God loves and accepts us. Eternal life starts right here on earth. Everywhere we turn His love surrounds us. When we brag on His love for us in our prayers and our life, conversations will open for others to see and feel that love.

The other question people long to be answered is, “Can I be forgiven?” In this life, we often do or say things to others that we regret. It would be wonderful to be able to brag about our power to forgive those who have wronged us by word or deed and to be assured that they would do the same for us.

We can brag about His forgiveness. God sent Jesus to do what we can’t do for ourselves. On the cross, He forgave us all our past, present and future sins. In Christ, we are put right with God, made holy, and set free.

This world seems to be set on dividing us, polarizing us, and underscoring our differences, but God’s people understand that it’s not necessary for people to believe the way we do in order for us to love them. It’s not necessary for the world to act like we do. We can brag about God’s people and how they serve Him.

This world isn’t bragging about the right things. Rather than bragging about our accomplishments, our wins, or our material possessions, let’s try bragging about God’s love, God’s forgiveness, and God’s encouragement. Then, the world will know we are Christians by our love, encouragement, strength, and forgiveness.

A big apology to all our Alabama friends and relatives, but we have to say, “Go Dawgs”. It’s not bragging (yet) just encouraging!!! Hopefully, when the dust has settled after this game for the ages, the chapel bell will ring all night long!!

We are one in the spirit, we are one in the Lord; And we pray that our unity will one day be restored; And they’ll know we are Christians by our love, by our love; Yes, they will know we are Christians by our love.

The joy of the Lord is your strength. Nehemiah 8:10

The Christmas season is behind us, the calendar has flipped to a new year, the Bulldogs are winners, COVID is still among us, and we are standing in anticipation of what the New Year will bring. It’s a bit like the Price Is Right game show where three doors are presented to the contestant, and they must choose one not knowing what lies behind any of them. This new year can hold joys, challenges, opportunities, and even sorrows, but none of us really knows what is behind the next bend.

One of the highlights of the Christmas season for me is hearing a great choir sing the Hallelujah Chorus by Handel. He wrote the entire Messiah in only three weeks even though his eyesight was failing, and he was facing the threat of dying in a debtor’s prison because of a mountain of outstanding bills. He said the music literally “came to him” in a flurry of notes and motifs, and Handel credits the completion of this masterpiece to one thing, joy. He lived to see his work become a cherished tradition as he learned the joy of the Lord being his strength.

Many of us tend to confuse joy with happiness, but there is a difference. You can’t be happy without being joyful, but you can be joyful without being happy. Joy is defined as a feeling of great pleasure and happiness, while happiness is defined as the state of being happy.

Rick Warren says, joy is the assurance that God is in control of every detail of our lives. No matter the uncertainty of our lives right now, joy is the quiet confidence that ultimately everything will be all right.

Now God is blessing us with a new year, and with it, a chance to find our joy! Joy came unexpectedly to us this past Christmas when our extended family gathered to celebrate on the day after Christmas. It had been over a year since we had seen our nieces, nephews, and their children. All ten of our Mama and Daddy’s great grandboys were here, and as we grabbed them from their game of basketball for a quick picture, I was reminded of the joy and pride that would be theirs if she and Daddy could have been here to seen them! They range in age from seventeen to almost three, and each one is special in their own way! As one of our neighbors commented, “It warmed my heart to see all those boys enjoying each other.”

After much thought, I wondered, How do we keep our joy this year? Each year seems to bring resolutions which end up being broken as we promise each year to do better, but resolutions only happen when we resolve to keep them.

Making resolutions is a good thing because it gives us a goal for which to work and hope to keep moving toward them. In the spirit of resolutions to keep our joy this year, first, we need to take time for what really matters, tackle one thing at a time, and start small and get the job done! Things like Bible Study, spending time with family and friends, helping others, and giving of our time to make things better for those who can’t do it alone.

Secondly, we keep our joy by relinquishing the things we cannot control or change and give them to God for resolution.

Next, we keep our joy by resolving to remember. It’s a year to remember all that Christ has done for us and to remember that we can never repay Him for all that He has done. In this new year, we should all resolve to do our best for Him.

Finally, we keep our joy by resolving to make each day the first day of the rest of our life. Jonathan Edwards, the great theologian, began each day with two resolutions: “First, I will live for God. Second, if no one else does, I will.”

This new year our prayer is that the day will come when the kingdom of this world will become the kingdom of our Lord. This year keep that pure joy! Happy New Year!!

The kingdom of this world is become the kingdom of our Lord; And of His Christ, and of His Christ. And He shall reign forever and ever. King of kings (Forever and ever, Hallelujah! Hallelujah!) And Lord of Lords (Forever and ever, Hallelujah! Hallelujah!) And He shall reign forever and ever. Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Excerpts from The Hallelujah Chorus by Handel

No, dear brothers, I am still not all that I should be, but I am bringing all my energies to bear on this one thing: forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead. I strain to reach the end of the race and receive the prize for which God is calling us up to heaven because of what Christ Jesus did for us. Philippians 3:13-14

It’s hard to believe that a New Year is arriving, and we have the opportunity to gather again to usher it in. No matter where we are if we make it to midnight to ring in this new year, we will probably sing or hear the song Auld Lang Syne.

The song Auld Lang Syne was originally a Scotts language poem written by Robert Burns. In 1799, it was set to a traditional tune which is now sung in many countries to bid farewell to the old year at the stroke of midnight on New Year’s Eve. Guy Lombardo and his Royal Canadians played the song in Times Square for many years beginning in 1929, and I remember hearing it in the 50’s from my Mom and Dad I can’t remember a single gathering we have attended where it is not played and/or sung to ring in the New Year.

The strange thing is that this song begins with a question, “Should old acquaintances be forgot and never brought to mind? Should old acquaintance be forgot and Auld Lang Syne?” Auld Lang Syne is defined as times long past or loosely translated it means for the sake of old times. So basically we are saying should we forget what is past and move forward.

As we embark on this New Year of two thousand and twenty two, maybe it would behoove us all to move forward with a clean slate. Who knows what new experiences or changes will come our way? What new needs will arise? What we will find in this New Year? The only certainty is that we are entering a year that will most certainly consist of hills and valleys, so as we make our resolutions, we should remember the promise of our Father who tells us that His mercy will never fail us.

A resolution is defined as a firm decision to do or not do something. Some people say that resolutions are made to be broken, but we’d be lying if we said we don’t all make them. In the tradition of the New Year, there are a few resolutions that I believe are God given for me for this year.

First on the list of my resolutions is forgiveness. God tells us that when we harbor unforgiveness and resentment, we really hurt no one but ourselves. The person who has wronged us has long since moved on, and our hurt doesn’t matter to them. We only hurt ourselves when we don’t forgive. God never believes we are large enough to forget, but He does require forgiveness.

Secondly, I want to stay positive. There are so many cynics and negative gossip going on everywhere these days that it is easy to become a product of those who spread it. Gossip is like a cancer which can’t be allowed to continue. It maims the innocent and lifts up the guilty. There’s an old saying, Believe nothing of what you hear and only half of what you see. This year our energies would best be invested in the positive, present moment and remember, “With God all things are possible.”

This year I want to live with the three E’s: Energy, Enthusiasm and Empathy. It’s a goal of mine in this new year to tackle every day with enough energy to get things done, enough enthusiasm to make the day joyful for others and myself, and enough empathy to reach out to those who need a kind word or deed.

Finally, this year I resolve to live each day with this thought, Love never fails. The truth is there’s nothing any of us can do to make God love us more and nothing we can do to make Him love us less. His love never fails.

This year my prayer is that we would all live our best life this coming year. We should never linger in the valleys because we are afraid to climb the mountains before us. We have no idea the blessings that await us at the top.

For Auld Lang Syne, my dear; For Auld Lang Syne. We’ll take a cup of kindness yet, For Auld Lang Syne. Robert Burns

Glory to God in the highest, and on earth, peace good will toward men. Luke 2:14

It always seems that something breaks around our house just when we really need everything to work!! This week, the dishwasher refused to drain, so I called our repairman. Of course, a part had to be ordered, and I was dreading the statement, “We can’t get it until after Christmas.” As our repairman was on speaker with his office for ordering and scheduling, he said, “Our customer would really love this done before Christmas, is there any way?” She replied, “I’m not sure, but hold on and believe!” At that point, I called out, “I believe.” It turns out, it was possible. As she said good bye to both of us, she said, “Now, tell others about your positive experience and how we orchestrated this to your satisfaction.”

Christmas Day is upon us, and as we prepare for the birth of our Savior, and to fully appreciate the story of Christ’s birth, it’s important for us to consider the ways God orchestrated the event.

First, God called shepherds to tell the story. Shepherds were considered to be the lowest in society, yet God picked them to tell the greatest story. Perhaps that’s because some people would have debated the authenticity of what they had seen, but the shepherds believed and spread the word. We should tell the story.

Secondly, those who heard the story were amazed! God was reconciling the world to Him and not holding their sins against them. Through Jesus’ birth, God committed to us the message of reconciliation. Our debts are cancelled, and now we can have a personal relationship with Christ. Where’s our awe or amazement when we tell or hear that story yet again?

Finally, there was Mary’s part in the story. The Bible says that she treasured all these things and pondered them in her heart. (Luke 2:19) She wanted to understand what God was doing, and how it related to her, but she couldn’t. Mary didn’t understand God’s will in all this, but she accepted it and obeyed it.

God is asking us this Christmas to tell His story anew, keep the awe in Christmas, and accept His will and obey it!

The very first Christmas God did something extraordinary. Max Lucado puts it this way: Stepping down from the throne, He removed His robe of light and wrapped Himself in pigmented human skin. The light of the universe entered a dark, wet womb. He whom angels worshipped nestled in the placenta of a peasant, was birthed into the cold night, and then slept on cow’s hay. Mary didn’t know whether to give Him milk or give him praise, so she gave Him both – since He was, as near as she could figure, hungry and holy. Joseph didn’t know whether to call Him junior or father, but in the end, he called him Jesus since that’s what the angel said, and since He didn’t have the faintest idea what to name a God he could cradle in his arms. Don’t you think heads tilted and their minds wondered, ‘What in the world are you doing, God? Or better Phrased, God what are you doing in the world?” Can anything make me stop loving you? God asks, ” You wonder how long my love with last? Find your answer on a splintered cross on a craggy hill. That’s Me you see up there, your Maker, your God. That’s how much I love you.” Paul asks, “Can anything separate us from the love of Christ? (Romans 8:35) Then, he answers his own question: “Nothing can separate us from God’s love – not life or death, not angels or spirits, not the present or the future, and not power above or powers below. Nothing in all creation can separate us from God’s love.” (Romans 8:38) That’s what Christmas is all about.

Christmas is Christ. This year my prayer is that we would join the angels who sang Gloria and the wise men who fell down and worshipped Him during our celebration!

Merry Christmas!!

Silent night, Holy night, Son of God, Love’s pure light. Glories stream from heaven afar. Heavenly hosts sing Alleluia. Christ the Savior is born, Christ the Savior is born.