Jesus IS the LIGHT!

Good Morning Friends! Thankfully loved by HIM, Thursday.  Last Sunday at our Christmas program, Pastor and his wife, gave me a Christmas gift.  I didn’t open it until   I got home and settled in…..I was very pleased as I pulled a beautiful, hand painted, glass nativity very different from anything I have seen, out of the box.  It stands about 10” high and probably 4” wide, well it looks like an “L” facing forward….gosh hope you can picture that.  Mary, Joseph, and baby Jesus in the manager sit on the base, the back looked a bit like a church window….anyway, I placed it on the coffee table, thinking I must thank them tomorrow and tell them it’s beautiful.  Well, I did do that, but the week has been really hectic so I hadn’t really paid a lot of attention to it or any other Christmas decorations either….that is, until this morning.  I got up at my usual time and headed to the living room for bible and prayer time.  This morning I took the time to plug in my decorations with lights….When I had finished reading, I got up and turned off the over- head light.  As I sat back down and was snuggling in for a good visit with our Father my eyes got a glimpse of a light I didn’t recognize….Wow, the light from the candles on the mantle were reflecting through the back of my new nativity….the light was shining on Jesus…..Jesus was shining…..Jesus IS the LIGHT….the LIGHT of the world, the LIGHT of our lives, shining HIS Perfect Love on us, guiding us, protecting, uplifting….forgiving us!  JESUS the REASON FOR THE SEASON!  I sat on the edge of my chair, my eyes focused on the beauty of the shining nativity…..my heart was aglow as HIS Peace filled me….the Wonder of HIS LOVE…..Thank you Father for the giving us the LIGHT OF THE WORLD….help us to catch the glow and reflect HIS love.  

 

Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, “I am the LIGHT of the world.  He who flows ME shall not walk in darkness, but have the LIGHT of LIFE.”  John 8:12.  And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night.  An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified.  But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid.  I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.  Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; He is Christ the Lord.  This will be a sign to you:  You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying a manger.”…..So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger.  Luke 2: 8-12 & 16.

Love you all! 

What was it really like that night?

Good Morning Friends!  Miracles in His love, Monday!  The other day I read an Advent devotion about Joseph…..all about his perspective of the things going on in his life with Mary and Jesus on the way.  Really got me to thinking that for sure, wasn’t all just a piece of cake for him.  The last few days our sheep have moved to a pasture right by the house, so as I leave for work I see them all there grazing (today one was stretched way up on a cedar tree, munching away) on the outside of the fence along the road sits a Pyrenees dog…..watching…..protecting the sheep.  Still thinking about the devotion on Joseph, my mind turned to the Christmas shepherds….guarding their flocks by night.  I wonder if they had guard dogs to help them…..do you think they were scared when the angels appeared?  Do you think the sheep scattered and the dogs took off barking trying to gather them up again?.......Do you think the shepherds stood, just stood calmly or took off running…..maybe they clung to each other terrified…..Can you imagine……I mean really, think about it……What if you were out in a field, in the dark, maybe coon hunting and all of a sudden….BAM!!!!   The sky lights up, brighter than any light you have ever seen…. You shield your eyes and look up…..you see….what is it….visions…forms like you have never seen….in the sky….and then they begin talking to you…..Things in the sky, brighter than any star or moon….talking to you…..think you might have wanted to run away and hide????  I can just imagine that at least some really considered it until the angels began to speak….”Do not be afraid”   Oh don’t you just know their voices oozed with calm…They were on a most important mission and really didn’t want the shepherds to be scared…..No, they wanted to tell them the good news….Jesus our Savior is born……I am sure the shepherds wasted no time finding the stable in Bethlehem where Mary and Joseph were wrapping Jesus in swaddling clothes and lying Him in a manger…..Oh my, there was so much more to that first Christmas, starting with Gabriel’s visit to Zechariah telling him that Elizabeth would have a baby, then his visit to Mary to tell her she would be the mother of God’s Son…..then sweet Joseph, his world turned upside down…..right to the shepherds….in the field….guarding their flocks by night….Friends, let’s ponder on these things…like Mary did……this week before Christmas let’s really try to slow down from the fuss…..relax in the glow of the Christmas lights and ponder on the Light of the World….JESUS THE REASON FOR THE SEASON……Father, help us to truly feel the emotions of that First Christmas and grow in our love for YOU.

 

Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests.”….So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger… The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.  Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart.  From Luke 2.

Love you all!

 

Are you a Mary or Martha? Luke 10:40-41

Good Morning Friends!  Totally taken with His LOVE, Tuesday!  Tomorrow Kim and I are flying to California both to attend Craig’s memorial service and also to see our son Shawn, who is still in the hospital.  Gosh when one lives on a ranch there is so much to do to get ready to go away.  I am thankful for all the neighbors and friends that are pitching in to take care of our cows, sheep, lambs, donkeys, chickens, bunnies (well Cooper and Katy are taking care of the chickens and bunnies…) and dogs.  Kim has been working tirelessly outside to get things all set up, while I have been taking care of packing and inside arrangements.  Last night I got serious about packing….wanting to just take carry on-s I had to carefully pick just the things we really need…..let’s see, I need jeans and capris, several shirts and shoes, oh gosh a light jacket, can’t forget our “Nana and Papa” shirts because we will get to see grandkids (that’s a plus), hmmm got to get all our pills, make-up…got to make sure I get what I need, but that nothing is over 2 oz. Oh gosh, gonna need some jewelry…which earrings…can’t take them all, and we need some snacks…oh gosh what would be easy to carry on, not too bulky, don’t want anything to melt…Oh I need to pack a good shirt for Kim, and something for him to read…oh he will need his glasses and we need our phone chargers…..the needs seem endless…And I sure don’t want to forget anything we NEED!!  This morning while taking care of a few more “NEEDS”  running around a bit crazy…my thoughts were drawn to an incident in God’s word…Jesus had gone to visit Mary and Martha….while Martha was busy in the kitchen taking care of everything they “NEEDED” for Jesus’ visit, Mary sat at Jesus feet and listened to HIM…..Mary sat with Jesus, while Martha stressed over  the things they “NEED”……To say the least, Martha was a bit ticked at her sister, she went to where Mary was sitting with Jesus and said, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself?  Tell her to help me!”  Don’t you just know how Martha felt, she just knew Jesus would take her side, so indeed she was surprised when Jesus relied, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and upset about many things, but only one this is needed.  Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”  Luke 10:40-41.  Whoa……!!!!  Martha was obsessed with earthly “things” while Mary “sat with Jesus”  Mary got it!!!!  That’s all we “need”  Jesus, our Savior alive in our hearts, filling our minds with HIS love, forgiving us, sending the Holy Spirit to nurture our faith….Jesus, our God and Savior…..the ONE and ONLY “thing” we need!  Father forgive us when we get obsessed with earthly “things” bring us back to what matters, the only thing that matters, faith in YOU!  Father, thank you for sticking with us when this earthly stuff gets hectic, leading and guiding us all the way!  All honor, glory and praise to YOU!

 

Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth and the life.  No one comes to the Father except through me.”  John 14:6.  We live by faith, not by sight (or things).  2 Corinthians 5:7.  Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.  Hebrews 12:2.  Seek first God’s kingdom and His righteousness, and all this ‘things’ will be given to you as well.  Matthew 6:33.  Though you have not seen Christ, you love Him; and even though you do not see Him now, you believe in Him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls.  1 Peter 1:8-9.

December 18, 2012

Good Morning Friends!  Totally wrapped in His loving arms, Tuesday!  The verses below are from Luke 2, King James Version.  Even though for most of my daily reading I use the New International Version of God’s holy word, the story of our Savior’s birth I love to read in the King James.  The words I am most intrigued by today is “swaddling clothes.”  I have read that verse, Luke 2:7 all of my life, but never until this year has it touched my heart in such a warm and loving way!  The reason being, my great grandson Tucker; Tucker’s mommy has “swaddled” him since he was born.  She actually has swaddling blankets……Tucker is most at peace, calm and secure when he is “swaddled”…wrapped tightly in his warm blanket….now I mean real tight, his little arms are inside the blanket too…..Tucker loves to be swaddled!  Now my Hailey might think that swaddling is a new concept…that the “swaddling blanket” is a current concept, but take a look at verse 7…..Mary wrapped baby Jesus in “swaddling clothes”  now is that awesome or what!  2012 years ago, Mary wrapped Jesus in a “swaddling blanket.”  When I read that this morning….a quiet peace and warmth went over me……I thought of baby Jesus wrapped tightly, looking like a little burrito, just like my precious Tucker…..Oh my……that’s when the “light” came on….the LIGHT of Jesus LOVE……the LIGHT of JESUS LOVE “swaddles” us….He takes us in His arms and wraps us ever so tightly….cuddles us…comforts us….protects us…forgives us…..Swaddled in His arms we are at peace, calm and secure….Thank you Father for the gift of Your only Son….for Your love that swaddles us in His Perfect love….Your Son the light of the world!  And Father, thank you for the precious gift of grandchildren and great grandchildren. 

⁴ And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:)

⁵ To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child.

⁶ And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered.

⁷ And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.

Jesus said, “A new command I give you:  Love one another.  As I have loved you, so you must love one another.  John 13:34.  Live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.  Ephesians 5:2.  In Him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in His holy name.  Psalm 33:21.

Love you all!