It's that time again! We are only a couple of days away from the beginning of a new year. And not only a new year, but a new decade! Soon we will take the old calendar off the wall and hang a fresh new one. We will have fresh clean pages in the planner. It's time for a fresh start.
I don't know about you, but it seems to me that 2019 just flew by! In fact, I think this last decade has flown by! Maybe it's a sign of getting older, but I can sometimes hardly believe how quickly time passes. Yet here we are again at the beginning of another year, and it's that time again - time for New Year's Resolutions. You know what I mean. We have convinced ourselves we need to make those ridiculous promises, the ones we make every year but never keep. Things like "I will lose 50 pounds by Friday" or "I will never allow anything chocolate to pass my lips ever again", or some other equally unattainable promise that will be broken before a week has passed.
Have you ever noticed how resolutions are often vague? I need to do better. I need to lose some weight. I need to spend less money. I need to read my Bible more. With all that vagueness, how can we ever know whether or not we have actually accomplished anything?
That's why I am not a fan of New Year's resolutions. Instead, it has been my practice in recent years to set some goals for the new year, to determine a way to be accountable about those goals, and to have benchmarks that I can check periodically to mark my progress. That works much better for me than those pesky soon-to-be-forgotten resolutions.
Over these remaining days of 2019, I'm reflecting on the past year. I did pretty well in some areas and not quite so well in others. I made great strides in my stroke recovery in 2019, and I am so thankful to God for that. In these next few days, I'm doing a lot of pondering. I'm thinking about what I learned about God this year. About ways my faith has grown. About how disciplined (or not!) I have been in my Bible study. I'm pondering what God has done in my life this last year. And, to borrow a phrase from a familiar hymn, I'm pondering anew what the Almighty can do.
A new year brings fresh opportunities to see God at work. To grow in my faith. To "discipline (myself) for the purpose of godliness." (1 Timothy 4:7)
One of my goals for the new year is keeping a more detailed prayer journal, writing down not only a list of things to pray about and the answers I receive, but writing down my prayers as well. Because writing helps me stay focused. And particularly in my post-stroke life, writing helps me remember. I have goals in other areas of my life as well. Healthy eating. More exercise. Reaching my goal weight. New writing projects.
I have set my goals and made a plan, because having a plan helps me stay focused. My plans are written down, because writing helps me remember.
What about you? Have you thought about goals and plans for the new year? Having a plan in place, especially in the area of Bible reading, helps you stay focused. If you don't have a plan, there are a number of good plans available. I encourage you to read Scripture each day. Don't limit yourself to reading a devotional book. Read directly from God's Word. Read what God has to say, not just what others have written about it.
One of my favorite devotional books over the years as been My Utmost for His Highest by Oswald Chambers. Year after year I return to this book. And year after year, as a new year begins, I am drawn to this particular passage of Scripture, the passage with which Chambers begins the year:
".....my earnest expectation and hope that I will not be put to shame in anything, but that with all boldness, Christ will even now, as always, be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death." (Philippians 1:20 NASB)
Beyond all the goals and resolutions and plans and dreams, this is the one that matters most. That Christ be exalted. That is my earnest expectation and hope. To honor Him in all I do. In all I say. In all I am.
Monday, December 30, 2019
Friday, December 27, 2019
Keeping Christmas
It's that time again. Time to pack away Christmas for another year.
That process has begun around here, although it's a very gradual process. I'm not quite ready to give it up completely yet. We'll be enjoying the tree for a few more days, at least until the new year. But I've begun gathering up things, one room at a time, to be packed away again until next year. It's time to put Christmas away. That sounds a little sad, doesn't it?
Have you ever noticed how generous people become with their time and money during the Christmas season? They drop money in the Salvation Army kettles. They donate more generously to their church. They tip more generously in the restaurant. They give more freely of their time at homeless shelters and food ministries.
Then December 25 is past, and life gets back to normal. The generous Christmas spirit is put away until next year. That's so sad. There are still homeless people and hungry people and people with all kinds of needs who need our help, not only in December but throughout the year. How sad that we seem only to think of them at Christmas.
We often hear about random acts of kindness, particularly during the holiday season. Then we don't seem to hear about quite so many of those kindnesses.
Wouldn't it be wonderful if we were generous all year long?
Wouldn't it be wonderful if we did our random acts of kindness throughout the year?
Wouldn't it be wonderful if we kept Christmas all year long?
Not just in December.
“I will honor Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year.” (Charles Dickens in A Christmas Carol)
"And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these, ye have done it unto me."
(Jesus, in Matthew 25:40 KJV)
That process has begun around here, although it's a very gradual process. I'm not quite ready to give it up completely yet. We'll be enjoying the tree for a few more days, at least until the new year. But I've begun gathering up things, one room at a time, to be packed away again until next year. It's time to put Christmas away. That sounds a little sad, doesn't it?
Have you ever noticed how generous people become with their time and money during the Christmas season? They drop money in the Salvation Army kettles. They donate more generously to their church. They tip more generously in the restaurant. They give more freely of their time at homeless shelters and food ministries.
Then December 25 is past, and life gets back to normal. The generous Christmas spirit is put away until next year. That's so sad. There are still homeless people and hungry people and people with all kinds of needs who need our help, not only in December but throughout the year. How sad that we seem only to think of them at Christmas.
We often hear about random acts of kindness, particularly during the holiday season. Then we don't seem to hear about quite so many of those kindnesses.
Wouldn't it be wonderful if we were generous all year long?
Wouldn't it be wonderful if we did our random acts of kindness throughout the year?
Wouldn't it be wonderful if we kept Christmas all year long?
Not just in December.
“I will honor Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year.” (Charles Dickens in A Christmas Carol)
"And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these, ye have done it unto me."
(Jesus, in Matthew 25:40 KJV)
Monday, December 23, 2019
Christmases Past. Remembering.
Christmas is such a nostalgic time, isn't it?
Every year as the season rolls around, I find myself traveling down memory lane, remembering Christmases past and the people that shared them.
It starts as I get decorations and ornaments out of their storage spaces. Remembering where I bought this ornament or who gave me that one. Remembering my mother as I get out the snowmen she made or as I hang the door decoration she quilted. Remembering travels and the decorations purchased on those trips. Remembering.
Throughout the season, more memories flood my thinking.
Baking sugar cookies with my mother, many years ago when I was a child.
Christmas dinners with coconut cake and ambrosia and cranberry tip-tops (still my favorite!) and fruitcake cookies. I never have acquired a taste for fruit cake, but I loved my mother's fruit cake cookies!
Christmases in the living room at Grandmother Neil's house. Some children go over the river and through the woods to grandma's house. I went next door! Sometimes at Christmas all the aunts and uncles and cousins would be there as well, and we would pile into her tiny living room, which usually stayed closed off to keep the rest of the house warmer, and we would open our presents. Grandmother loved Christmas! She loved giving gifts. As did my mother. As do I.
Sending Christmas cards is a dying tradition. That quite possibly has a lot to do with the price of postage! Even so, I love receiving Christmas cards from friends and family I seldom see. I can still remember the Christmas card we sent to our friends and family on our first Christmas. It was red, with a part of the score of Handel's Messiah embossed in gold on the front of the card. And the greeting inside read "wishing you every blessing as we celebrate the birth of Christ." I don't know why I remember that, since there are so many things I am no longer able to remember, but it's a vivid memory.
I remember our very first Christmas tree, back in 1972, our first married Christmas. It was a beautiful tree, a scotch pine, perfectly shaped. It had hardly any ornaments on it, since we really couldn't afford any! And by the time Christmas rolled around, it had not a single gift left under it, since we had opened them all long before Christmas Day arrived!
In my childhood we always had cedar trees for Christmas, decorated with large colored lights and lots of icicles. I didn't like cedar trees then (and don't now) because of how scratchy they were and how the branches were too flimsy to hold the ornaments up. But I loved the smell, and still associate that with Christmas!
In the early days of our marriage we always spent Christmas Eve with Al's parents and Christmas Day with mine. That worked well when we only lived a couple of hours from my parents. As we began to move around the country, we still usually managed to make it back to SC at Christmastime, and so that Christmas Eve/Christmas Day tradition continued. Eventually, it became more difficult to travel back here every year, so we began trying an every-other-year visit, and that worked until we once again lived closer. As our sons grew up and married, the every-other-year tradition has continued, but in a little different way. We spend every-other-Christmas together, and Thanksgivings together in the alternate years, and so we alternate with the girls' families. So far that has worked out for us, and so that tradition continues.
In the years when we are spending Christmas alone, like this one, I remember the joy and laughter and fun that is part of a house full of family at Christmas time. And I look forward with great anticipation to next Christmas, when we will have that once again and will make more memories.
Christmas is a lot about traditions. About where we always put the tree, and what we always eat, and the kind of cookies we always bake. It's about what we always do together as a family, whether always going out to look at Christmas lights on a certain night, always going to Disney, always going to Christmas Eve service. Traditions vary from family to family. But they are part of the fabric of who we are and how we celebrate.
When we lived in Florida, it was our tradition to always attend the Candlelight Christmas program at Epcot. When we lived in Minnesota, we always participated in the luminaries display in our neighborhood.
One of our Christmas Eve traditions has always been a birthday cake for Baby Jesus, and reading the Christmas Story from Luke's Gospel. It's a family tradition that continues to this day.
Christmas is about memories. And it's about traditions. But most of all, Christmas is about Jesus.
Beginning in 2010, we have had several opportunities to visit Israel either right before or right after Christmas. As Christmas rolls around each year, I find myself remembering those trips and getting a little nostalgic. Remembering Bethlehem. The Church of the Nativity. The Shepherd's Fields. Singing carols there. Worshiping there.
Thinking about Israel makes me nostalgic. Christmas music has that effect as well. There are some songs that evoke strong memories of Christmases past. Of the people and places that I associate with them. Of the times I sang them or heard them sung.
Every year as the season rolls around, I find myself traveling down memory lane, remembering Christmases past and the people that shared them.
It starts as I get decorations and ornaments out of their storage spaces. Remembering where I bought this ornament or who gave me that one. Remembering my mother as I get out the snowmen she made or as I hang the door decoration she quilted. Remembering travels and the decorations purchased on those trips. Remembering.
Throughout the season, more memories flood my thinking.
Baking sugar cookies with my mother, many years ago when I was a child.
Christmas dinners with coconut cake and ambrosia and cranberry tip-tops (still my favorite!) and fruitcake cookies. I never have acquired a taste for fruit cake, but I loved my mother's fruit cake cookies!
Christmases in the living room at Grandmother Neil's house. Some children go over the river and through the woods to grandma's house. I went next door! Sometimes at Christmas all the aunts and uncles and cousins would be there as well, and we would pile into her tiny living room, which usually stayed closed off to keep the rest of the house warmer, and we would open our presents. Grandmother loved Christmas! She loved giving gifts. As did my mother. As do I.
Sending Christmas cards is a dying tradition. That quite possibly has a lot to do with the price of postage! Even so, I love receiving Christmas cards from friends and family I seldom see. I can still remember the Christmas card we sent to our friends and family on our first Christmas. It was red, with a part of the score of Handel's Messiah embossed in gold on the front of the card. And the greeting inside read "wishing you every blessing as we celebrate the birth of Christ." I don't know why I remember that, since there are so many things I am no longer able to remember, but it's a vivid memory.
I remember our very first Christmas tree, back in 1972, our first married Christmas. It was a beautiful tree, a scotch pine, perfectly shaped. It had hardly any ornaments on it, since we really couldn't afford any! And by the time Christmas rolled around, it had not a single gift left under it, since we had opened them all long before Christmas Day arrived!
In my childhood we always had cedar trees for Christmas, decorated with large colored lights and lots of icicles. I didn't like cedar trees then (and don't now) because of how scratchy they were and how the branches were too flimsy to hold the ornaments up. But I loved the smell, and still associate that with Christmas!
In the early days of our marriage we always spent Christmas Eve with Al's parents and Christmas Day with mine. That worked well when we only lived a couple of hours from my parents. As we began to move around the country, we still usually managed to make it back to SC at Christmastime, and so that Christmas Eve/Christmas Day tradition continued. Eventually, it became more difficult to travel back here every year, so we began trying an every-other-year visit, and that worked until we once again lived closer. As our sons grew up and married, the every-other-year tradition has continued, but in a little different way. We spend every-other-Christmas together, and Thanksgivings together in the alternate years, and so we alternate with the girls' families. So far that has worked out for us, and so that tradition continues.
In the years when we are spending Christmas alone, like this one, I remember the joy and laughter and fun that is part of a house full of family at Christmas time. And I look forward with great anticipation to next Christmas, when we will have that once again and will make more memories.
Christmas is a lot about traditions. About where we always put the tree, and what we always eat, and the kind of cookies we always bake. It's about what we always do together as a family, whether always going out to look at Christmas lights on a certain night, always going to Disney, always going to Christmas Eve service. Traditions vary from family to family. But they are part of the fabric of who we are and how we celebrate.
When we lived in Florida, it was our tradition to always attend the Candlelight Christmas program at Epcot. When we lived in Minnesota, we always participated in the luminaries display in our neighborhood.
One of our Christmas Eve traditions has always been a birthday cake for Baby Jesus, and reading the Christmas Story from Luke's Gospel. It's a family tradition that continues to this day.
Christmas is about memories. And it's about traditions. But most of all, Christmas is about Jesus.
Beginning in 2010, we have had several opportunities to visit Israel either right before or right after Christmas. As Christmas rolls around each year, I find myself remembering those trips and getting a little nostalgic. Remembering Bethlehem. The Church of the Nativity. The Shepherd's Fields. Singing carols there. Worshiping there.
Thinking about Israel makes me nostalgic. Christmas music has that effect as well. There are some songs that evoke strong memories of Christmases past. Of the people and places that I associate with them. Of the times I sang them or heard them sung.
O Holy Night is one of those kinds of songs. I love how it covers all the parts of the Christmas story. The night of Christ's birth. The angels singing. The star. The wise men. The manger. And the reason for His coming. He knows our need. To our weakness He is no stranger. In all our trials born to be our Friend. He taught us to love one another. His law is love and His gospel is peace. In His name all oppression shall cease.
Particularly in this Christmas season, this season of violence and discord and tension and murder and terrorism and persecution, we need that message more than ever.
"For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and of peace, there will be no end." (Isaiah 9:6-7a ESV)
Hear David Phelps sing O Holy Night here: https://youtu.be/AVpE8Dkr4HQ
Thursday, December 19, 2019
O Come, Let Us Adore Him
If you ever watched the 1980's television show "The A-Team", then you're familiar with that phrase I love it when a plan comes together.
And that's what we're celebrating in this season! A plan that came together. God's plan for the salvation of mankind. As we celebrate Christmas, we celebrate the fulfillment of that plan. A plan prophesied hundreds of years before coming to fruition with the birth of a tiny baby one night in Bethlehem.
We celebrate that birth in December. Did it actually happen in December? Probably not. But I don't think that matters. What matters is that Jesus was born. That He lived a sinless life, that He died to pay the penalty for your sins and mine, and that He was resurrected on the third day. That He ascended back to the Father where He now waits, seated at the right hand of the throne of God, until that time when He returns to earth as King of Kings and Lord of Lords.
"For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder; and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace." (Isaiah 9:6 KJV)
"Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God....made himself of no reputation and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men." (Philippians 2:5,7 KJV)
"But when the fullness of time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, to redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons." (Galatians 4:4-5 KJV)
"And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes and laid him in a manger." (Luke 2:7 KJV)
"And the angel said unto [the shepherds], Fear not, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord." (Luke 2:10-11 KJV)
And that's why we are celebrating. That's what Christmas is all about.
As you are enjoying family and cookies and eggnog and gifts, don't lose sight of that.
Never forget what Christmas is really all about!
O Come, us adore Him, Christ the Lord.
Listen here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3mIh3JMqxuo&list=PLkW_qeRTF9XX2tJ4webh4rG9i_Vf6peF7&index=11
And that's what we're celebrating in this season! A plan that came together. God's plan for the salvation of mankind. As we celebrate Christmas, we celebrate the fulfillment of that plan. A plan prophesied hundreds of years before coming to fruition with the birth of a tiny baby one night in Bethlehem.
We celebrate that birth in December. Did it actually happen in December? Probably not. But I don't think that matters. What matters is that Jesus was born. That He lived a sinless life, that He died to pay the penalty for your sins and mine, and that He was resurrected on the third day. That He ascended back to the Father where He now waits, seated at the right hand of the throne of God, until that time when He returns to earth as King of Kings and Lord of Lords.
"For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder; and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace." (Isaiah 9:6 KJV)
"Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God....made himself of no reputation and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men." (Philippians 2:5,7 KJV)
"But when the fullness of time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, to redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons." (Galatians 4:4-5 KJV)
"And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes and laid him in a manger." (Luke 2:7 KJV)
"And the angel said unto [the shepherds], Fear not, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord." (Luke 2:10-11 KJV)
And that's why we are celebrating. That's what Christmas is all about.
As you are enjoying family and cookies and eggnog and gifts, don't lose sight of that.
Never forget what Christmas is really all about!
O Come, us adore Him, Christ the Lord.
Listen here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3mIh3JMqxuo&list=PLkW_qeRTF9XX2tJ4webh4rG9i_Vf6peF7&index=11
Friday, December 13, 2019
Favorite Christmas Musical Memories
This evening I will join our church choir to present Songs of the Season. I long ago lost count of how many Christmas musical presentations I have been a part of. As a child and as an adult. As accompanist or choir member or director. Everything from Handel's Messiah to a children's musical called Three Wise Men and a Baby! In choir robes, and in costumes. In formal attire, and in Christmas sweaters. I have had quite a variety of experiences!
Music is an important part of my Christmas celebrations. It's an important part of my life. All those Christmas musicals take up a lot of space in my memory bank. Some because of the music itself. Perhaps it was particularly challenging to play or to sing or to direct. Or perhaps it was particularly beautiful music.
And some Christmas musicals are memorable because of where we lived at the time. Because of the season of life we were in. Because of who we were singing with. Those musicals evoke special memories of special people.
But it's the lyrics that I find myself drawn to over and over again. It's the lyrics that are my favorite memories. It's the lyrics that lead me to remember what Christmas is all about. It's the lyrics that lead me to worship.
Some of those lyrics are especially memorable.
Like this line from A Christmas Invitation, which I directed more than 20 years ago....."The road to Bethlehem is a journey of the heart. The road to Bethlehem beckons 'Come, just as you are.' Leave your doubts and fears behind, for in following then you will find that's where faith begins, the road to Bethlehem."
Or there's this line from How Do You Welcome a King?......."And that's how we welcome the King; with ev'ry gift that we give and ev'ry song that we sing. And a heart full of praise is the present we bring. Yes, that's how we welcome the King."
For forty years, this lyric from Heaven Rejoices has lived in my head: "What gift can we bring to the richest of Kings, who walks on the gold streets of glory? Our lives we will give, every day that we live, and we'll be like wise men, adoring."
And for even longer, this has been - and continues to be - one of my most favorite songs from one of my most favorite Christmas musicals of all time, King of Love.
Music is an important part of my Christmas celebrations. It's an important part of my life. All those Christmas musicals take up a lot of space in my memory bank. Some because of the music itself. Perhaps it was particularly challenging to play or to sing or to direct. Or perhaps it was particularly beautiful music.
And some Christmas musicals are memorable because of where we lived at the time. Because of the season of life we were in. Because of who we were singing with. Those musicals evoke special memories of special people.
But it's the lyrics that I find myself drawn to over and over again. It's the lyrics that are my favorite memories. It's the lyrics that lead me to remember what Christmas is all about. It's the lyrics that lead me to worship.
Some of those lyrics are especially memorable.
Like this line from A Christmas Invitation, which I directed more than 20 years ago....."The road to Bethlehem is a journey of the heart. The road to Bethlehem beckons 'Come, just as you are.' Leave your doubts and fears behind, for in following then you will find that's where faith begins, the road to Bethlehem."
Or there's this line from How Do You Welcome a King?......."And that's how we welcome the King; with ev'ry gift that we give and ev'ry song that we sing. And a heart full of praise is the present we bring. Yes, that's how we welcome the King."
For forty years, this lyric from Heaven Rejoices has lived in my head: "What gift can we bring to the richest of Kings, who walks on the gold streets of glory? Our lives we will give, every day that we live, and we'll be like wise men, adoring."
And for even longer, this has been - and continues to be - one of my most favorite songs from one of my most favorite Christmas musicals of all time, King of Love.
Wonderful Name
Mary was the first to hear it, name that came from heaven above;
Name that raises souls from darkness, this the only name worth singing of.
Wonderful name, Jesus! Wonderful name, Jesus!
Name angels sang the night all heaven rang; wonderful name, Jesus!
Heaven touched His name with glory, precious name of Jesus, our King;
In God’s Word is told the story, of this wondrous name the angels sing!
Mary was the first to hear it, name that came from heaven above;
Name that raises souls from darkness, this the only name worth singing of.
Wonderful name, Jesus! Wonderful name, Jesus!
Name angels sang the night all heaven rang; wonderful name, Jesus!
Heaven touched His name with glory, precious name of Jesus, our King;
In God’s Word is told the story, of this wondrous name the angels sing!
Wonderful name, Jesus! Wonderful name, Jesus!
Name angels sang the night all heaven rang; wonderful name, Jesus!
(-Roger Strader)
You can listen here: https://youtu.be/R7OUyiAzbn8
Monday, December 9, 2019
Born To Die
Saturday was Pearl Harbor Day. Across the United States, December 7 is remembered as the day on which more than 2,400 Americans were willed, and many others injured, in a surprise attack by the Japanese on the Pearl Harbor Naval Station in Honolulu, Hawaii. No one at the Pearl Harbor Naval Station woke up that morning expecting to die, yet that's exactly what happened.
The attack on Pearl Harbor led to a US declaration of war against the Japanese and to America's entrance into World War II. The end result was that many more Americans lost their lives in service to their country. Like men and women before them, and all who have serviced in this nation's military since that time, they men and women who serve our country do so knowing that they may lose their lives as a result of their willingness to serve. Yet they serve anyway.
Christ came to earth knowing that He would lose His life. Yet He came willingly, to die for sin, once for all. He died to pay the price for all sin for all people for all tine.
He was born for that purpose. Born to die.
Christmas is a season when we remember Christ's birth. But we must never lose sight of why He was born. Born to die. For me. For you. For all people.
The attack on Pearl Harbor led to a US declaration of war against the Japanese and to America's entrance into World War II. The end result was that many more Americans lost their lives in service to their country. Like men and women before them, and all who have serviced in this nation's military since that time, they men and women who serve our country do so knowing that they may lose their lives as a result of their willingness to serve. Yet they serve anyway.
Christ came to earth knowing that He would lose His life. Yet He came willingly, to die for sin, once for all. He died to pay the price for all sin for all people for all tine.
He was born for that purpose. Born to die.
Christmas is a season when we remember Christ's birth. But we must never lose sight of why He was born. Born to die. For me. For you. For all people.
"He was born in the shadow of a tree.
Ever present was the knowledge he would be
hanging on a tree, the tree of Calvary."
- Christine Wyrtzen
"Christ died for sin, once for all...." (1 Peter 3:18 NASB)
adapted from "Are You Ready for Christmas" by Susan Feaster copyright 2016
Friday, December 6, 2019
Christmas With Jesus - Remembering Larry Arms
A dear friend went home to the Lord on Monday. I rejoice that he is with the Lord, yet I grieve for those left behind.
Since I learned of Larry's passing, my heart and mind have been flooded with memories, with all kinds of random thoughts from the two short years that Al and I were blessed to know him.
There was the time I had baked a hummingbird cake for our Sunday evening meal at church. Larry asked what kind of cake it was. When I told him, he said, "What did you do? Bake it with hummingbird eggs?". And then he laughed as only Larry could. I'm smiling even now at that memory.
In Sunday School, when somebody made a comment he thought was funny, he would look over at me and grin. I will miss that. I will miss seeing him in that same chair Sunday after Sunday. Of course he only sat in that chair after he and the other guys had gathered around the sofa for some morning chit-chat.
When we joined First Baptist Lyman, Larry went out of his way to make sure we knew where things were and how things were done. Often when you join a new fellowship, the people who have been there all along forget that you don't know that "this is how we do that". Larry never forgot. He always looked out for us.
I'll miss his smile. I'll miss his sense of humor. I'll miss hearing him say "Hey" and "Golly Bum" and "Long story sort."
Larry will be missed by his family and friends and by all who knew him. Larry was an extraordinary man. A man I feel privileged to have known.
Larry has left us now. This year he is spending Christmas with Jesus. Already we miss him so much. We grieve for our loss. But we rejoice in knowing that he is now in the presence of the One he loved so much and served so faithfully and so well during his time here on earth. I can only imagine the joy he is now experiencing!
We feel a hole in our hearts now that Larry is gone. We will miss him. We hold tightly to the memories of this dear man we loved so much. We grieve.
But we do not grieve "as those who have no hope. For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, [we also believe] that through Jesus God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus. For this we declare to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore [we] comfort one another with these words. (1 Thessalonians 4:14-18 NASB)
Since I learned of Larry's passing, my heart and mind have been flooded with memories, with all kinds of random thoughts from the two short years that Al and I were blessed to know him.
There was the time I had baked a hummingbird cake for our Sunday evening meal at church. Larry asked what kind of cake it was. When I told him, he said, "What did you do? Bake it with hummingbird eggs?". And then he laughed as only Larry could. I'm smiling even now at that memory.
In Sunday School, when somebody made a comment he thought was funny, he would look over at me and grin. I will miss that. I will miss seeing him in that same chair Sunday after Sunday. Of course he only sat in that chair after he and the other guys had gathered around the sofa for some morning chit-chat.
When we joined First Baptist Lyman, Larry went out of his way to make sure we knew where things were and how things were done. Often when you join a new fellowship, the people who have been there all along forget that you don't know that "this is how we do that". Larry never forgot. He always looked out for us.
I'll miss his smile. I'll miss his sense of humor. I'll miss hearing him say "Hey" and "Golly Bum" and "Long story sort."
Larry will be missed by his family and friends and by all who knew him. Larry was an extraordinary man. A man I feel privileged to have known.
Larry has left us now. This year he is spending Christmas with Jesus. Already we miss him so much. We grieve for our loss. But we rejoice in knowing that he is now in the presence of the One he loved so much and served so faithfully and so well during his time here on earth. I can only imagine the joy he is now experiencing!
We feel a hole in our hearts now that Larry is gone. We will miss him. We hold tightly to the memories of this dear man we loved so much. We grieve.
But we do not grieve "as those who have no hope. For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, [we also believe] that through Jesus God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus. For this we declare to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore [we] comfort one another with these words. (1 Thessalonians 4:14-18 NASB)
Wednesday, December 4, 2019
The Purpose Of It All
He's the reason for the season, He's the purpose of it all,
He's the Lord of all creation, and the mighty Lord of all.
He's the reason for the season, for the trimmings and the tree,
May this Christmastime remind you that He came to set us free.
Christine Wyrtzen wrote these lyrics a number of years ago, yet they are as relevant today as they were when she wrote them. Sadly, however, often the purpose of it all gets lost.
In this super-busy season, we often forget our purpose. In the middle of cookie baking and decorating. Of parties and presents. Of hustle-bustle. Of got-so-much-to-do. We are often so busy hustling and bustling, of planning the next event, of fretting that we forgot something or someone, that we lose our way. We lose our purpose.
Even in the middle of hustling and bustling, we need time for some quiet. Some silence. But silence is a hard thing to come by at this time of year.
Everywhere we go, there's noise. Everywhere we go, people are in a hurry.
Have you noticed how many more car horns you are hearing these days?
Have you noticed how people always seem to be rushing about?
Have you noticed the noise in the malls and the shops?
Have you noticed the stress on people's faces?
All that may well be similar to what the world was like when Christ was born. Without the malls and automobile horns, of course. People were likely busy with their lives, hustling and bustling about with the activities of daily living. Their world was not unlike ours in that regard.
And into that world, with its busyness and its noise and its daily routines, Jesus came.
No one even noticed.
It's still the same, isn't it? We're busy and our world is full of noise. Even though we hear and sing carols about Christ the Savior being born, not many are really paying that much attention. We put out our nativity sets and we sing our carols and we send our Christmas cards, but far too often all that is only done out of a sense of habit. It's December. Christmas is here, and this is what we do.
We buy candy hearts for Valentine's Day. And we wave our flags in July. We buy pumpkins in October. And we talk about Jesus in December. It's what we do.
How sad it is that in all our busyness and routines and noise, we too often lose sight of the reason we are doing all these things. How sad that we forget the purpose of it all.
One of the carols we seldom sing, with words dating back to the 3rd century, says "Let all mortal flesh keep silence."
Silence. It's what's often missing at Christmas time.
How much better might we understand the magnitude of the Gift we have been given and the reason for our celebrating, if we would take some time for silence. Some time to be still. Some time to ponder. Some time to worship.
It may be challenging to find time for silence.
But it will be worth the effort.
How sad it is that in all our busyness and routines and noise, we too often lose sight of the reason we are doing all these things. How sad that we forget the purpose of it all.
One of the carols we seldom sing, with words dating back to the 3rd century, says "Let all mortal flesh keep silence."
Silence. It's what's often missing at Christmas time.
How much better might we understand the magnitude of the Gift we have been given and the reason for our celebrating, if we would take some time for silence. Some time to be still. Some time to ponder. Some time to worship.
It may be challenging to find time for silence.
But it will be worth the effort.
Let all mortal flesh keep silence,
and with fear and trembling stand;
ponder nothing earthly-minded,
for with blessing in his hand,
Christ our God to earth descendeth,
our full homage to demand.
Text: Liturgy of St. James; trans. by Gerard Moultrie
Music: French carol melody; harm. from The English Hymnal
Tune: PICARDY
Music: French carol melody; harm. from The English Hymnal
Tune: PICARDY
Click here to listen to Fernando Ortega sing this carol: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8wl4u8lnDQs
Tuesday, December 3, 2019
The Reason For The Season
Now that the calendar says it's December, I guess it's officially OK to listen to Christmas music. I've heard a lot of complaining about Christmas music being played or sung prior to Thanksgiving, and I have to confess that I don't really understand that. From the perspective that Thanksgiving is becoming the forgotten holiday and that retailers jump into Christmas advertising right after Labor Day, I'll accept the complaining......at least a little bit.
But for me, Christmas music transcends the season. I can gladly listen to it and sing it year-round. It's a bit sad to me that this wonderful music which tells so much of the reason we celebrate Christmas in the first place, that gives us so many wonderful lyrics about the redemption story, is relegated to just a few weeks in December.
I was recently asked about my favorite Christmas carol. I had a hard time answering that question. Not because I don't have a favorite. Because I have so many favorites!!
I love "Silent Night" and "O Holy Night". I love the music. I love the way the music suits the lyrics perfectly. I love how these songs evoke mental images of the events of that special night so long ago.
I love "Joy to the World"! Just the title makes me smile. JOY!!!!
Perhaps my absolute favorite is "Hark, the Herald Angels Sing". I think I must have loved this carol all my life. I can remember singing it as a little girl. (And I've been told that, in my early childhood, I rewrote the lyrics a little. Instead of "with th' angelic host proclaim", I sang "with the jelly host proclaim"!) I have come to love this carol more and more over the years, particularly for its lyrics. The entire reason for Christmas, the reason Christ came to earth, is encapsulated in one line - God and sinners reconciled.
That's the reason for the season!
But for me, Christmas music transcends the season. I can gladly listen to it and sing it year-round. It's a bit sad to me that this wonderful music which tells so much of the reason we celebrate Christmas in the first place, that gives us so many wonderful lyrics about the redemption story, is relegated to just a few weeks in December.
I was recently asked about my favorite Christmas carol. I had a hard time answering that question. Not because I don't have a favorite. Because I have so many favorites!!
I love "Silent Night" and "O Holy Night". I love the music. I love the way the music suits the lyrics perfectly. I love how these songs evoke mental images of the events of that special night so long ago.
I love "Joy to the World"! Just the title makes me smile. JOY!!!!
Perhaps my absolute favorite is "Hark, the Herald Angels Sing". I think I must have loved this carol all my life. I can remember singing it as a little girl. (And I've been told that, in my early childhood, I rewrote the lyrics a little. Instead of "with th' angelic host proclaim", I sang "with the jelly host proclaim"!) I have come to love this carol more and more over the years, particularly for its lyrics. The entire reason for Christmas, the reason Christ came to earth, is encapsulated in one line - God and sinners reconciled.
That's the reason for the season!
"Hark! the herald angels sing, 'Glory to the newborn King;
Peace on earth, and mercy mild, God and sinners reconciled.'
Joyful, all ye nations, rise, Join the triumph of the skies;
With th'angelic host proclaim, 'Christ is born in Bethlehem.'
Hark! the herald angels sing,'Glory to the newborn King.'
Christ, by highest heaven adored; Christ, the everlasting Lord;
Late in time behold Him come, offspring of the Virgin's womb;
Veiled in flesh the Godhead see; Hail th'incarnate Deity,
Pleased as man with men to dwell, Jesus, our Emmanuel.
Hark! the herald angels sing,'Glory to the newborn King.'
Hail, the heav'n-born Prince of Peace! Hail, the Sun of Righteousness!
Light and life to all He brings, Ris'n with healing in His wings.
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.'"
(Words: Charles Wesley; Music: Felix Mendelssohn)
Listen to Hark, The Herald Angels Sing here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A_iLXNSIaYc
Monday, December 2, 2019
When Hearts Are Heavy
You may be an early riser, whether by choice, just because you enjoy the early morning hours. or because you're forced into it by your job. I'm not usually one of those people. But this morning I was awake quite early. And I was awake for quite a while before I was able to get back to sleep.
During my early morning wakefulness I had a wonderful time talking to the Lord. I have some things really weighing on me and my heart is heavy, burdened for some people I care for deeply. Perhaps that's what woke me up.
I have a sense that I'm not the only one who is burdened. Many have heavy hearts because people we care about are in a bad place. Health issues. Bad decisions. Drifting away from God. Relationships.
Because we care so much, the hurt runs deep indeed. Sometimes, as was the case for me in the wee hours, it keeps us awake. We don't know what to say or what to think or how to respond. We're sometimes not even sure what we should be praying for.
In those times, when our hearts are heavy, we "cast all our anxiety on him, because he cares for [us]." (1 Peter 5:7 ESV).
In those times, we "cease striving, and know that I am God." (Psalm 46:10 NASB)
In those times, we trust. "Trust in him at all times, O people." (Psalm 62:8 ESV)
In those times, we turn to God in prayer. "Pour out your heart before him." (Psalm 62:8 ESV)
Where else could we turn? "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life, and we have believed and have come to know that you are the Holy One of God." (John 6:68 ESV)
"For God alone my soul waits in silence; He only is my rock and my salvation, my fortress; I shall not be greatly shaken." (Psalm 62:1-2 ESV)
During my early morning wakefulness I had a wonderful time talking to the Lord. I have some things really weighing on me and my heart is heavy, burdened for some people I care for deeply. Perhaps that's what woke me up.
I have a sense that I'm not the only one who is burdened. Many have heavy hearts because people we care about are in a bad place. Health issues. Bad decisions. Drifting away from God. Relationships.
Because we care so much, the hurt runs deep indeed. Sometimes, as was the case for me in the wee hours, it keeps us awake. We don't know what to say or what to think or how to respond. We're sometimes not even sure what we should be praying for.
In those times, when our hearts are heavy, we "cast all our anxiety on him, because he cares for [us]." (1 Peter 5:7 ESV).
In those times, we "cease striving, and know that I am God." (Psalm 46:10 NASB)
In those times, we trust. "Trust in him at all times, O people." (Psalm 62:8 ESV)
In those times, we turn to God in prayer. "Pour out your heart before him." (Psalm 62:8 ESV)
Where else could we turn? "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life, and we have believed and have come to know that you are the Holy One of God." (John 6:68 ESV)
"For God alone my soul waits in silence; He only is my rock and my salvation, my fortress; I shall not be greatly shaken." (Psalm 62:1-2 ESV)
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