Christ's Birth

Hear the animals as they lie restless in their stables;
hear the shuffle of hoof and paw against the eart.
Experience the sights and sounds of the first Christmas;
pause and quickly reflect upon Christ's birth
Feel the coolness of the night air;
feel the darkness 'round about
Smell the sweet aroma of warm hay and grain.
Know the stillness of the world without

See the mother resting peacefully--
think what her thoughts just might have been.
See the babe asleep, contentedly.
What somber thoughts was Joseph lost within?
Know the joy; feel the awe--
experience the love
Then turn your eyes upward to the heavens
and see the great star shining up above.

Look beyond and watch the angels;
hear them as they sing.
Feel the rumble of the trumpets;
listen to the night air ring.
Do you feel a tremble?
Do you sense the glory of this early Christmas morn?
Praise God! Proclaim His greatness!
Jesus Christ is born!

"And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped Him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger...." Luke 2:7

From December 25, 1983

The Living Portrait of Jesus

I asked, "Lord, how do I begin my walk with you?"
and He led me to the river Jordan.

"I want to share You," I said, and I watched
as He walked and lived among the people.

"How can I see the needs of others?" He
introduced me to a woman by a well.

"Jesus, please teach me to pray," I pleaded, and
I noticed He had tears in His eyes as He took my hand.

"Lord," I asked, "What is compassion?" and I saw
Him embrace a lonely leper.

"How can I learn to care like that? What is grace?
What is mercy? What is love?" He told me of
His throne in Heaven. I looked at Him standing
there in the dusty road, and I began to
understand.

"Master, what must I do to have a servant's
heart?" He knelt and washed my feet.

"Oh, Lord, " I cried, "How do I get rid of this
pride? He did not answer, but willingly
left with the guards.

"How can I know the truth of Your power?"
I went to His tomb, but He wasn't there.

From August 25, 1987

Faith

Faith is being sure of what we hope for
and certain of what we do not see.
This is what the ancients were commended for--
they lived faithfully.
By faith, we know that God spoke the world
into being.
It was not formed from what existed then
or what we now are seeing.
By faith, Abel offered God a sacrifice
that was better than that of his brother, Cain.
By faith, he was a righteous man;
his faith still speaks long after he was slain.
By faith, Enoch was taken from this life,
and he did not have to die.
He was not found, because God took him.
He was found pleasing in God's eyes.
Without faith, we cannot please God;
when we come to Him, we must believe:
we must believe that He exists
and that those who seek Him, rewards receive.
By faith, Noah built a ark
when warned about unseen things;
the world was condemned, his family was saved
by the righteousness that faith brings.

Hebrews 11:1-7

These are only a few of the examples of faith given in Hebrews 11. This is a wonderful chapter to read when we feel our faith is small. It shows how faith in God worked in the lives of people throughout biblical history. Faith is the same today, and God is the same today. Through our faith, God can transform our lives!

From October 15, 1985

All the Little Things

As I was growing up, my daddy took the time to share with me the wonders of nature, and from those experiences I developed a great love for nature, its beauty and its amazing intricacies. Nature offers a world of wonder and surprises to the wide eyes of a child, but it is a source of wisdom and examples for adults to learn from as well.... Since my childhood, my Heavenly Father has revealed to me in the world of nature many spiritual inspirations that have helped me grow and deepen my understanding of God's love. For these special times, I praise God.

Thank you, Lord, for all of the little things,
for the hope each represents, for the joy that each brings.
Thank you, Lord, for what each means to me.
With your help, my Lord, more like them I'll be.

Thank you for the humble little caterpillars, Lord,
for the butterflies they become; thank for every single one.
Thank you, Lord, for changing my life, too.
With your help, my Lord, might I grow more like you.

Thank you, Lord, for the little lightning bugs;
thank you, Lord, that they let their light shine.
Thank you, Lord, for the light I see in others' lives,
with your help, my Lord, might someone see the light in mine.

Thank you, Lord, even for the little ants,
who never know the meaning of "give it up" or "can't."
I see them, Lord, carry burdens twice their size.
Thank you, Lord, that they helped me realize
that with your help, my Lord, I can carry burdens, too!
With your help, my Lord, everything I can do!

Thank you, Lord, for all the little things,
for the hope each represents, for the joy that each brings.
Thank you, Lord, for what each means to me.
With your help, my Lord, more like them I'll be!

"Go to the ant.. consider her ways, and be wise." Proverbs 6:16

From August 8, 1984

Words

Words.
Sometimes they come so quickly
like flaming arrows
that cannot be retrieved.
With them,
men inspire nations
and persuade the multitudes
and great and mighty things are accomplished.
Words
can bring about destruction
and inflict wounds that never heal,
echoing forever
in the minds of men.
From them,
joy springs forth
like a cool and refreshing stream,
washing over one's being,
reviving hope,
and bringing relief to the spirit.
Words
delivered by solemn messengers
can fall like giant oak trees,
inescapable,
crushing the heart,
smothering the life breath
of loved ones.
Through them,
love is expressed,
and warmth and security strengthen us.
Yet, words
are sometimes insufficient,
meager, hollow, impotent,
and cannot free the heart.

"And in the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words." Romans 8:26

From Acorn to Oak

I am just an acorn, but I want to be an oak.
I want to understand and share all the words that Jesus spoke.
I want to grow in Christ and become a sturdy tree,
with my roots embedded in His Word and His Word alive in me.
I want to serve a purpose; I want to be used by God,
and an oak can be so much more than can a simple acorn pod.
I know there dwells within me the precious living seed,
but as long as I remain an acorn, that power isn't freed.
I must deny my tendency to retain my acorn form,
or I will never grow roots and branches and soak up the Sonshine, warm
If I remain an acorn, I'll soon be a hollow shell,
and the potential now within me, no longer there will dwell.
If I'm to be an oak, I must die to self beneath the earth
and allow God to work within me and give my life new worth.
For the growing of an oak tree begins within, unseen,
even before anyone notices a little sprout of green.
Every tall, sturdy, useful oak tree, began an acorn, small.
Without the dying acorn, there would be no oak at all.

"Truly, truly, I say unto you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and ies, it remains by itself alone; but if it dies it bears much fruit. He who loves his life loses it, and he who hates his life in this world shall keep it to life eternal" John 12:24-25

"That which you sow does not come to life unless it dies, and that which you sow you do not sow the body which is to be, but a bare grain, perhaps of wheat or of something else. But God gives it a body just as He wished, and to each of the seeds a body of its own." 1 Corinthians 15:36-38

Thirsting for God

"As the deer pants for the water brooks, so my soul pants for thee, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God." Psalm 42:1-2

Lord, seems like I've been thirsty for so long
Wanting to know you.
Wanting to be filled.
To know that satisfaction that can be found only in You.
I've read and I have listened,
but have I really seen and heard?
I have tasted,
but I've never drank my fill.
My lips are parched;
my soul is thirsty;
my heart is a vessel that should overflow.
Lead me, Father, into that living water.
Cleanse me.
Fill me.
Use me.

"But his delight is in the law of the Lord, And in His law he meditates day and night. And he will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither And in whatever he does, he prospers." Psalm 1:2-3

Thirst and Hunger

As we do thirst and hunger,
our Father more than meets our needs
just like the little sparrows
and others that he feeds
We know His richest blessings--
we receive them day by day.
His gifts are overflowing,
for that is our Father's way.
Just like the multitudes of people
He fed with fish and bread,
our bodies and our spirits
are always richly fed;
with baskets overflowing,
we receive more than we need,
so that by the grace of God
others we can feed.

Let us give thanks to the Lord and praise His name for meeting our needs and "overflowing extra baskets." Let us remember our responsibility for sharing that which God has given us, physically and spiritually.

"And when they were filled, He said to His disciples, 'Gather up the leftover fragments that nothing may be lost.'" John 6:12

The Palm of God's Hand

We are standing in the palm of God's hand;
when our hearts are aching, God understands.
Our world responds to the Lord's command;
we are standing in the palm of God's hand.

No problem is too large, no concern to small;
our Heavenly Father wants to have them all.
He asks that upon His name we call.
Our Lord is creator, master over all.

He knows of our endeavors, the challenges, the trials
He sees our sacrifice and self denial.
He gives us strength and helps us smile.
He carries us over the longest mile.

Things might not go as we had planned--
we might wander before the promised land,
but we have not built our house on sinking sand;
We are standing in the palm of God's hand.

"The Lord delights in the way of the man whose steps he had made firm; though he stumbles, he will not fall, for the Lord upholds him with his hand." Psalm 37:23-24

The Faith of Friends

I told a friend goodbye today
Our paths may never cross again
He's moving on... beyond... away---
His life is turning a new bend.
The roads we travel are not the same;
our direction is different, too
We differ in destination, in aim,
and in the walking that we do.
The road I walk is on higher grounds,
for the Lord has lifted me
to a place where His promises abound,
a plane my friend can't see.
My friend has never walked this path
nor known the Master's guiding hand.
He has never glimpsed the glory
of that precious Promised Land.
But God has allowed me the chance to share,
to show the signs of His love,
to forgive, to comfort, to strengthen, to care,
to tell of Heaven above.
My friend has surely seen the signs,
but the choice is his to make
He is aware of the route divine,
but which road will he take?
I'm not sure if I'll ever have other chances
to show my friend the way;
I can only be thankful for past circumstances.
I can only pray
that along life's road a new walk will begin
in the journey of my friend
and some sweet day we'll be reunited
at our journeys' end

Sometimes we feel discouraged in our efforts to minister to others, especially to a close friend or family member who seems disinterested. However, we must continue to pray and know that God hears our prayers. In this way we are like the paralytic's friends who carried him to Jesus that he might be healed (Mark 2: 3-5). It was the evidence of their faith that helped to make the difference. Verse 5 says, "When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralytic, "Son, your sins are forgiven" Continue to pray!!

From August 5, 1986

Offering Prayer

During a time when I was troubled
and my heart was heavy with concern,
I wore my worry upon my face,
a half-hearted smile -- downturned.
A caring Christian acquaintance
saw the sorrow in my eyes,
and though the reason of my cares
she did not realize,
she offered a word of comfort;
she promised a word of prayer,
and I wrapped her smile around me
and found so much solace there.
I had requested prayer from others
who knew the reason why,
but I could never know who actually did
or upon whom I could rely.
However, in that one warm person
who had offered to pray for me,
without knowing what the problem was
or asking what it might be,
I found faith and confidence
and assurance of concern
and I was so thankful for her
as a more cheerful smile returned.

Although we shouldn't let our concerns burden us down, we often worry and let our problems get the best of us. God's Word tells us in many passages that we should take our cares to our Lord in prayer, and that we should lift each other up in prayer also. Sometimes we know that a friend is experiencing trials and tribulations, and yet, the person is too shy or embarrassed to request prayer and we are too shy to offer a word of concern. We might be depriving each other of a blessing! As a Christian family, we all need each other!

"Wherefore comfort yourselves together and edify one another, even as also ye do" I Thes. 5:11

From October 18, 1983

Evidence of God

I have not seen His face,
but have I seen evidence of its radiance?
Perhaps I have seen it in the sunshine
that bathes the day and warms the rich earth
and reflects in its waters.
I have not felt the comfort of His touch,
or have I...
in the cleansing rain, the gentle breeze,
the caress of snowflakes?
I have not heard His voice, unless it sounds like
the whisper of wind in the leaves,
the chuckle and rush of mountain streams,
and the sternness of thunder.
How do I know He lives?
He has smiled upon me.
He has touched my heart.
He speaks to me.

"Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen."
-Hebrews 11:1

From February 1, 1983

Me Serve?

I love to see God's children
winning others to know the Lord,
with faith as their foundation
and the Bible as their sword.
It gives my heart such joy
to see God's family grow--
to watch as they give their lives to Jesus
and my Lord they come to know.
I sing praises of jubilation
as others give their testimony;
My thankfulness is sincere
and my smile - it isn't phony.
I truly love to see those around me
work to share the wondrous story,
and I look forward to the day
when we'll all meet in glory,
and I'll watch as crowns are given
to those who do deserve...

What that? What did you ask me, Master?
What do you mean did I serve???

We are often comfortable with sitting back and relaxing until someone professes belief in Christ, and THEN we go into action. We smile with genuine joy, and we extend a warm handshake to express a welcome; we tell individuals how truly glad we are to have them join the family of Christ. Then, we walk back to our padded pew and wait on the next person to come forward.

God's Word shows us that these are "the latter days," and Christ's return draweth nigh. The words of the prophets seem to be found in the headlines of our newspapers today, and yet we sometimes prefer to not draw a connection between the two. Members of our family are still without Christ, neighbors are out of fellowship with God's children, and we're still sitting on our padded pews. Think of the results we would see if EACH AND EVERY ONE OF US sought out at least one person to share God's Word and love with. What would happen if every member of our church put the name of one specific person on our prayer list and asked the Lord to open up ministry opportunities with that person?

Perhaps we're thinking that as long as SOMEONE is doing the work, we're off the hook. No way! Each of us will be held accountable for the efforts that we didn't make. What about all those who will face eternity without God because we never left our pews?

From February 14, 1984

Teach and Learn

Sometimes when we are teaching
we find that we must learn;
we know that before a coal can give off warmth
it must be able to burn.
We discover that before we can answer questions,
we ourselves must understand---
We find so much room to grow
when offering a helping hand.

Just as we invite company into our homes
and notice dust upon our shelves,
when sharing our faith with others,
we learn so much about ourselves
We realize where we are weaker
and then strive to become strong.
We improve upon our quality of living
when we help a friend along.

We should welcome the chance to share with others;
we each have so much to learn.
Before a coal can give off warmth,
it must be able to burn.

Love

Even if I could speak all languages--
those of angels, as well as men--
I would just be making noise
unless I had love within.
And if I could tell the future
and know all there is to know
and had all the faith in the world,
so that just believing would make it so,
I still would be worthless without love;
even if I gave my all to the poor,
or if I sacrificed my life, without love,
I would have nothing and nothing more.

Love is long-suffering and kind.
It does not envy and is not vain.
It does not act unseemly
or for its own pleasure or gain.
Love doesn't get angry easily
and doesn't have evil thoughts;
it isn't glad to see evil done.
It is glad when the truth is taught.

Love holds up under intense pressure,
believes, hopes, and endures to the end.
It never fails, unlike the prophecies
or the languages, or the knowledge of men.

For we don't know all there is to know
and can't foretell all that is to be,
but when that which is perfect has come about,
the partial will cease to be.
When I was a child, I talked like a child;
I thought and understood as a child understands,
but I put away those child-like things,
when I became a man.
For now we don't see things clearly,
but later we'll be shown;
the things I don't know right, I will know,
even as also I am known.
But now these things abide--
faith, hope, and love -- all three,
but far above the other two,
love is the greatest of these.
- 1 Corinthians 13

From September 10, 1985

His Garment Hem

I reached out and touched His garment hem
as I came into the midst of them:
the midst of those who knew Him well.
I thought that if I could only touch
the mere garment of the man who loved so much,
I would be healed before the dusty linen fell.
I thought He wouldn't notice me,
and I reached from where He couldn't see,
but somehow He must have felt my need.
That same hour my stricken body was healed
and the emptiness within my heart was filled
as from my pain and suffering I was freed.
For He turned and looked upon my face
though many were about the place,
and He spoke with words directly to my soul.
He said for me to be comforted
and with promising words, He kindly said,
"Thy faith hath made thee whole."
-Matt. 9:20-22

These few short verses tell us so much about Christ's love for us, His concern for our needs, and His promise of salvation. In them we see that Christ is always aware of our suffering and responds when we reach out to Him. Just as the woman was healed, not by her actions, but by her faith, we are saved from sin by God's grace, through faith and not by our works and deeds. The woman stepped out on faith and reached out to Jesus, finding compassion, comfort, and so much more.

Are we depending upon our own strengths, actions, and intelligence, or are we reaching out to Jesus?

From July 30, 1985

Thankful

"For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God, or give thanks; but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened." Romans 1:21

As we celebrate a time of thanksgiving, the first item on my list is thankfulness itself. In a world where the focus of the pilgrims' Thanksgiving is often omitted from our history textbooks, we should be grateful that we have a thankful heart. In a society where public prayers are often prohibited, those of us who understand the meaning of worshiping the living God should be thankful for whatever circumstances have brought us to the consciousness that we have.

I'm thankful I was born in a time when even the television characters still customarily went to church! I'm thankful that during the first three years of my education, the public school teachers were still allowed to begin the day with Bible reading and prayer. I'm thankful I grew up in an area that had churches on every corner and where church attendance was the norm and not the exception.

Today we live in a society that has a leftover Bart Simpson attitude of, "It's all paid for, so thanks for nothing." The only time many children hear the name of our Savior is when their parents use His name in vain. To many, Thanksgiving is just a day of food, floats, and football. For some, it's less than that.

I could have been born in an area where the community youth group is typically called a gang. I could still be waiting to hear the name of Jesus spoken lovingly by someone who knows Him personally. I could be cold, calloused, scornful and empty. I could be many things other than thankful.

But somehow, by the grace of God, I was born to a family who loved me. I was nurtured by a community that cared about my soul. And I was ransomed by a Savior who gave His life for me. So before I even begin to count my other blessings, I'm thankful that I'm thankful.

"And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body; and be thankful. Let the word of Christ richly dwell in you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God. And whatsoever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father." Colossians 3:15-17