Draw the Line

LifeWay's January edition of Home Life magazine featured my first-ever nationally published piece. A reworked my Drop Zone post. I took out proper names other than Seth. Made a few changes to sentence structure. Added a concluding paragraph with some lessons for parents. Submitted it & found out 10 months ago that I'd be published.

I am thankful for their choosing me. An honor to be in their magazine. As a newbie writer I need all the editorial help I can get. I am thankful for their expertise. Furthermore, they know what their readers want. But their editors made one change I must address.

I drive a sporty 1996 Saturn SL-2.

Not a minivan.

Man's gotta draw the line somewhere.

With Us

But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from old, from ancient times. Micah 5:2

Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child & give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.

Isaiah 7:14

Words written. Words of prophesy. 700 years before. The birth. Of a baby boy. In a stable. In Bethlehem. To a virgin. A sign. Given us. Immanuel. God with us.

God with us.

God with you.

No matter. What. You go through.

Advent Attitude

My amazing wife, Melanie, writes...

Advent: Preparing one's heart to celebrate the birth of Jesus.

Take time each day to contemplate what this glorious season means. I have tried to explain some of our Christmas traditions to our children in relation to their own birthdays, something they easily understand. We decorate one room for a day or two when we celebrate their special day. For Jesus' birthday, we decorate the whole house - inside and out - and leave the decorations up for over a month! On their birthday we have a few friends over to celebrate. For Jesus' birthday we get together with friends, church family, neighbors, co-workers - all kinds of people! On their birthday we make a cake and sing "Happy Birthday." For Jesus' birthday we sing all kinds of carols and eat a wide variety of special treats. On their birthday they receive presents from friends and family members. For Jesus' birthday we give gifts of love to friends, family, and even people we don't know - all because of the grace gift that God gave us in Jesus.

As you consider the task of decorating your house to prepare for the Christmas activities this week, remember to take time to prepare your heart as well. Try not to get frustrated with the lights that don't work, the ribbon that's starting to look a little faded, or the tree with a missing branch or two. Remember who's birthday party you are getting ready for, and smile because you have an opportunity to celebrate! We are celebrating the glorious birth of our Savior!

I'm getting excited just thinking about it all! Have a blessed Advent-ure this week, dear friends.

The proper Advent attitude is to humbly, thankfully remember the simple reason why we celebrate Christmas in the midst of all it has become. God loves us & sent His only Son to earth as a baby. A Son that would give his life to free us from sin, provide us abundant life now & eternal life in heaven. Thank you, Melanie, for allowing me to share this. Thank you, God, for loving us as you do.

Through

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou are with me; thy rod & thy staff they comfort me. Psalm 23:4 KJV

Struggling?

Troubled?

Overwhelmed?

Hurting?

Worried?

Stressed?

Brokenhearted?

God's gift to the broken states, "Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death." Not death, but it's shadow. Not a pit, but a valley. Not staying, but walking. If in despair you have pitched your tent in the valley thinking you'd don't deserve to get through or you are not strong enough to get through or things will never improve to get through, then break camp, pack it in, & hike out of the valley. You can get through. You will get through.

How? So weak. So tired. So depressed. So lonely. So drained.

Stop.

Pray.

Look up.

Ask God to show Himself. Ask again. And again.

Stop.

Listen.

Look around.

God is with you. Always. Take His hand.

Stop.

Ask for a friend.

Take their hand.

Walk through the valley together.

We can make it through. We will make it through. Kindred of the Broken. Walking together. Walking through.

Don't Cry

Not long after that, Jesus went to the village Nain. His disciples were with him, along with quite a large crowd. As they approached the village gate, they met a funeral procession—a woman's only son was being carried out for burial. And the mother was a widow. When Jesus saw her, his heart broke. He said to her, "Don't cry." Then he went over and touched the coffin. The pallbearers stopped. He said, "Young man, I tell you: Get up." The dead son sat up and began talking. Jesus presented him to his mother. They all realized they were in a place of holy mystery, that God was at work among them. They were quietly worshipful—and then noisily grateful, calling out among themselves, "God is back, looking to the needs of his people!" The news of Jesus spread all through the country.Luke 7:11-17, The Message
Don't cry.
You are already a widow.
You only son has just died.
You'll have no means of support in our society.
Yet, I tell you, Don't cry.
"Don't weep. Don't sob. Don't wail aloud," are more accurate translations & more accurate for this situation. Have you been there? Let your memory of the past or your imagination of the future take you there with that widow. Have you ever been so heartbroken? Too many questions? Few answers? Life smoldering about you? Stability banished? Uncertainty stalking? Weeping like breathing? Pain unbearable?Yet, Jesus. Yes, Jesus was there in Nain. God in flesh. And "his heart broke." Splanchnizomai (splanhk-nid-ZOH-my) in Greek from the root of "spleen" or "guts." Translated as, "compassion, heartbroken, take pity," or the like, it is used in the entire New Testament only 12 times. Other than in Luke 10:33 of the Good Samaritan, a parable of the character & actions of Christ followers, all 11 other mentions are of Jesus himself. Jesus was stirred up. He alone was heartbroken this way. Sick to his stomach. Moved with compassion. By suffering. By pain. Yes, Jesus. God in flesh.
My daughter skins her knee while playing. In her pain, she'll weep & wail loudly. My built in Daddy response is, "don't cry." I can hold her. I can clean & bandage her cut. I can comfort her. But my abilities stop there.
When Jesus says, "don't cry," he alone has the ability - the power - to change the very situation. He can heal. He can restore sight. He can raise. And, for the Widow of Nain's son, he did. As God willed, Jesus did. Jesus raised the dead man.
This doesn't mean God will remove all my pain, or heal me, or make everything in my life right whenever I ask. Jesus didn't heal everyone or raise all the dead he happened upon either. Those are questions of God's providence that I can't understand. He is God. I am not. Based on this Scripture I do understand:
God knows my pain.
He, the God of the entire universe, is moved with compassion for me.
God. Heartbroken over me.