Sweet Reminders

Sometimes, I just need a good reminder...

"Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest." Joshua 1:9

Wherever I go, wherever I am - He is there.

"A man that hath friends must shew himself friendly; and there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother." Proverbs 18:24

He is always close. Never too far away.

"Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee." Hebrews 13:5

He's not going anywhere. :)

"Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me." John 14:1

He doesn't want my heart to be troubled.

"Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." Matthew 11:28

He offers rest.

"God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble." Psalm 46:1

He is my refuge. He is my strength.

Christmas for me

"Adherents of Xmas are exhausted and overextended but Christmas worshipers are joyful. Are you rushing or feasting?" - C.S. Lewis

So which one are you? On this Christmas Eve do you find yourself rushing and caught up in the hustle and bustle of the holiday? Or are you simply concerning yourself with just using this holiday to honor and praise God and the ultimate Gift given to man?

It's easy to get caught up in it all. This time of year brings with it family traditions, family recipes that you only have this one time a year, shopping and all kinds of decorating.

But lest we find ourselves caught up in the hoopla of it all, let's take a moment to make sure we are celebrating the reason for Christmas: Jesus Christ.

I know Luke 2 gets read every year but it still amazes me not only that God would give such a perfect gift as His Son, but also that Christ would humble Himself to leave Heaven, leave His glory and come to earth, for us......for me....for you.

Luke 2:1-20

¹And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be taxed.

²(And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.)

³And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city.

⁴And 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:)

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

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

⁷And 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.

⁸And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.

⁹And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.

¹⁰And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.

¹¹For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.

¹²And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.

¹³And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,

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

¹⁵And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us.

¹⁶And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger.

¹⁷And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child.

¹⁸And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds.

¹⁹But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart.

²⁰And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them.

Mild he lays his glory by, born that man no more may die
Born to raise the sons of earth, born to give them second birth
Hark! The Herald Angels sing, glory to the newborn King

He laid His glory by, that He may come and for me, die. This Christmas, please take a moment to thank God for the gift of His Son and thank Him for all He has truly done.

Merry Christmas!!

Blessing

"I thank my God upon every remembrance of you." Philippians 1:3

Last week was a rough week. Work was stressful. Planning events and having somewhere to be or something to do each night was stressful. By Thursday, I was completely drained.

That's when I struggle. I struggle to remain content. I think contentment can be difficult to maintain in our current society but that is no excuse. I was struggling on Thursday, feeling a bit sorry for myself, ready to have a full-blown pity party. I was already resolved to surrender to it when I got off from work, ready to just go home and shut the world out.

But when I got off work and checked my phone, I noticed I had a couple of voicemails. The first one was from my sister. I was bummed that I missed her call but it was just nice to hear her voice. The second one was from a friend I haven't seen in a few months. She called just to say hello and that she was thinking of me, missed me and wants to get together soon.

Those messages made may day. They are exactly what I needed. When I thought no one really cares, God put me on someone's mind and they acted on it. I believe He does that. I believe that because He does it to me all the time. I don't always act on it like I ought to but I know He does it.

"And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works" Hebrews 10:24

Who can you provoke unto love this week? Do you realize that something as simple as a quick phone call or text message from you could make someone's day and lift them up when they feel down and out?

Well, it can and let me encourage you to seek whom you can be a blessing to today. Ask God to guide you and be open to His guiding. And next time someone randomly pops into your thoughts, pray for them and then maybe send them a note or message - they may have popped into your thoughts for a reason.