If We Make It Through December ...

"If we make it through December

Everything will be alright I know.

If we make it through December

we'll be fine." *

 

 

That song by Merle Haggard came out during one of our hardest years as a family in the mid 1970's.  My husband had just lost his job in Beaumont, TX and we were struggling to pay the bills and feed our five children.  Between the two of us we were delivering four paper routes ... I took the two routes in town and Dave drove the two in the rural areas.  It was the end of summer and we were coming up on the holidays and birthdays, and this song played over and over during those long nights throwing papers.  We'd meet back at the house just as daylight was peeking over the pine trees and we'd have about an hour before getting the kids up, dressed, fed and off to school.  During that hour I would almost always dissolve into tears of desperation ... and Dave would without fail turn my tears into giggles with his rendition of Merle Haggard's, "If we make it through December."  It became our theme song that year (I know ... not very spiritual .. but it fit!) 

 

Getting through Christmas and starting a new year became our goal ... we were holding onto the hope and promise that God would sustain us and provide for our needs.  We knew in our hearts that God was our source but this was the first time we really had to stand firm in our faith, looking neither to the left nor the right, and expect a miracle.   Within a few months Dave was working again.  We had much to celebrate that Christmas season and a brand new year dawned with renewed faith, restored hope and a strength of purpose that would see us through many more "December" moments.  We relied heavily on the Christian heritage our parents had passed on to us and learned to draw close to God in the storm.  We were just beginning to learn that God wanted us to live a life of victory ... not that we would not face battles ... but that we would come through them victoriously.  We had to make the choice to live close to God and let Him change our life. 

 

You may be facing a December moment in your life right now.  Perhaps a financial crisis similar to ours, or it may be a failing relationship,  a dreaded diagnosis, or some other desperate situation.  During these times, does it feel that God is unreachable?  Too far away to touch?  He's as close as the mention of His name.  Revelation 22:4 tells us that God's children will bear His name on their foreheads ... the prophet Isaiah tells us we will bear the name of God in our hearts and in the very fiber of our being. 

 

What is His name?   His name is whatever you are in need of at any given moment.

 

"Behold, I am the Lord, the God of all flesh. 

Is there anything too hard for Me?"

Jeremiah 32:27



 

There have been many other times since 1977 that we've had to hum that song under our breath and remember what God has done for us in the past.  We remind ourselves and each other that God's promises are true .. His grace is sufficient .. His mercy unfailing.   

 

"Fear not for I am with you; be not dismayed,

for I am your God. 

I will strengthen you, yes, I will help you,

I will uphold you

 with My righteous right hand."

Isaiah 41:10

 

Soon, your testimony will be in the mouths of others ...

 

"We have certainly seen that the Lord is with you." 

(Genesis 26:28a)

 

 

*Song, "If We Make It Through December," written by Merle Haggard

 







Come To The Table ...

I was watching a movie titled, "Stolen Summer" the other night and there was a scene in which a little boy was caught stealing the communion elements.  When asked by the priest why he wanted them, the little boy explained:

"I have a friend who needs a piece of Jesus."

 

That statement took my breath away.  So many times I've found myself in a place where I've desperately needed a piece of Jesus. 

 

I grew up in a church where we were served the Lord's Supper on the first Sunday every month.  Other churches served it every week .. some every day.  As a child I never really understood the power of what we call "communion."  I always thought it was just a time to remember the great sacrifice that Jesus made for us and to be thankful.  And it is ....

 

               .... but it's so much more.

 

As we calm ourselves, meditate on God's great love for us, and step into His presence ... we find healing, peace, direction ... answers to our needs.  I've been in the Lord's presence many times ... but never as close as when I'm in a time of communion.

 

Over the years we have taken The Lord's Supper as a family.  Many times to strengthen relationships among ourselves, renewing our faith and commitment as a Christian family.  Other times when we found ourselves in a time of great need...

 

                                   ...times when we needed a piece of Jesus.

 

As I watched the movie, I was remembering the last time my sisters and I shared communion together.  A few months ago, our sister, Annette, had been battling a terminal illness for several years and, as we gathered around her bedside in the ICU of Dallas' Baylor Hospital, she needed a piece of Jesus.  We all did.  As we shared communion with her that day, we were surrounded by His presence, a cloud of peace and assurance that whatever form her miracle came in, it would be alright.  A few short weeks later Annette slipped away in her sleep.  Our hearts were broken but the peace that surrounded us during our special time of communion continues to carry us through the grief process.  There have been other times when I have simply needed to lay at His feet .. soak in His presence .. and be reminded of His unfailing grace and mercy. 

 

The communion table is always set.  It may not be in a church with the traditional sacraments.  It doesn't have to be.  We've used iced tea and Ritz crackers. We can come to the Table at any time, with whatever is on hand.  I've come to the Communion table at church, in hospitals, at home with my family, and alone in my prayer closet.  I've come when I wanted a special time of worship ... and in times of desperate need.  And each time I've found healing, peace, comfort, direction. 

 

Do you have a need?   Whatever it is ... you can come to the Table.  It's set and ready. Come boldly.  Come hungry.  Come expecting. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 





Tis the Season ...

"To everything there is a season

and a time to every
purpose under Heaven." 
(Ecclesiastes 3:1)

My family & close friends know I can celebrate Christmas year round and I struggle to contain my enthusiasm at least until school starts in the Fall.  My favorite season of the year.  But what about the other seasons?

Each year the holiday season of November and December is filled with excitement .. special times with our friends and loved ones .. our attention focused on counting our blessings and remembering the "Reason For the Season" as we worship the King of Kings.  We write out pages of New Year's resolutions with renewed determination to make this the year we lose weight, stop smoking, get a better job.   Then, as the cold winter months give way to Spring, the earth begins to awaken and the cycle of life begins once more.  This is the season when we turn our attention to the sacrifice and resurrection of our Savior.  Our spirits are lifted ... purpose and passion renewed.  And before we know it .... 

 

it's July.

 

It's hot.  It's dry.  Fields are turning brown under the unrelenting heat of the sun.  Wild fires rage through sections of the world leaving in their wake heartache, death, destruction.

 

What season is this?

 

Too often, regardless of the date on the calendar, we can find our spirits languishing in a season of drought.  Where are those "Showers of Blessing" we used to sing about?  We sang about being a "tree planted by the water."   Does it feel like the stream has dried up?  

 

I've been in that place.  There have been times when I felt like my spirit had turned to dust and was blowing away in the harsh winds of circumstance.  I had no tears left ... no words ... no prayers left to pray.  It was at that moment that I heard it ... that still, small voice.

 

"...the times of refreshing shall come

from the presence of the Lord." (Acts 3:19)

 

A time of refreshing ... in the presence of the Lord.  In His presence.  Where is that place ... in His presence?  I've learned that, as Christians, the presence of the Lord resides within us but so often we allow the pressures of life and circumstances to shut it off.  Our spirit becomes dry and barren ... a wasteland.  When this happens, I'm learning to calm myself ... breathe His name ... and instantly I'm in His presence.

 

And I am restored ... renewed ... refreshed.

 

The page on the calendar says July.  This is the season to practice the presence of the Lord.  The season to rest in the knowledge that His mercies and grace are sufficient and new every morning.  The season to have our spirits refreshed, our strength renewed, and our joy restored.

 

In His presence, we can live our lives with purpose and joy!

 

 

 



 



 

 

 

 



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 











It's Not In The Well

There's an old country song that bemoans the fact that the singer has been "looking for love in all the wrong places."   I'm not particularly a fan of that song but I hear it from time to time and the last time it came on the radio it got me to wondering what else we could be looking for in the wrong places.  How many times have we looked to others for validation ... searched for solace and comfort in a bottle ... looked in the mirror to measure our self-worth?   Where do we go when we're looking for some much-needed peace and relief from the turmoil or consequences of our own or someone else's bad choices?

In the Bible we read the familiar story of Jesus meeting a Samaritan woman at a water well.  She had come to draw water ... where else would you look if you needed water in those days?   But Jesus knew she was longing for something more ... and He had just what she needed. (John 4:6-30)

But it wasn't in the well!

I've learned that many times the most obvious place is the "wrong place."   Multiple relationships won't fill the need for love.  Praise and acknowledgement, although nice to have, aren't what we need for a healthy self-esteem.  Plenty of money in the bank only gives a false sense of security ... it could all disappear in the blink of an eye.   Shopping, gambling, collecting (a.k.a. hoarding), eating, drinking, surrounding ourselves with "things" or people ... in excess ... are all some of the "wrong places" we can find ourselves looking for what God is holding out to us as a free gift.  I'm learning to look to Him first ... and when I do, I save myself so much heartache, disappointment and distress. 

What are the needs in your life today?   I  don't want to keep running like so many do in search of what I think will quench the thirst of my heart  ... only to die by the well having never tasted the life-giving water that renews my mind, refreshes my soul and strengthens my spirit. 

Just like that day in Samaria, Jesus is still sitting by the well with everything we need to go out and live our lives with purpose and joy!   
      What we're looking for is not in the well!

Hello, my name is ...

The other day as I was driving through town a song came on the radio.  It began with these words,

"Hello, my name is Regret ... Hello, my name is Defeat." As I listened to the song, I thought of all the labels we pick up through the years.  Some we wear proudly.

Christian

loving spouse

homemaker

breadwinner

soccer mom

teacher

successful

energetic

 

Others, not so much ...

 

addict   

divorced

overweight

over the hill

failure

invisible

depressed

 

 

 

Some of these labels we have affixed to ourselves.  Others have been pinned on us by those we love, those we work with, those who think they know us, or maybe don't know us at all.   We don't like some of these labels and yet ...
 

                                                         we still wear them.

 

In my office, I would often hand my client a package of these labels and have them write on them all the words they would use to describe themselves as well as the words others had used for them.   Most of them would be covered with sticky "My Name Is" labels by the time they were through.  I even had one precious young lady ask for a second package of labels.  She had them on her arms, her neck, her face and in her hair when she finished.  I led her to a mirror and had her look at herself and asked her if she really wanted to be known by all of those "names."   She could barely see for all the labels covering her beautiful face.  Some of the words already beginning to run as her tears flowed. 

  

I gave her a few minutes then asked her to begin removing the labels she no longer wanted to wear.  In a few minutes she only had two or three labels she had decided to keep.  I handed her one more label and asked her to write on it one word she thought God would use to describe her.  It only took a minute for her to write out the word "princess."   Yes!  This young woman had begun to realize that as a child of the King she was definitely royalty.  

 

What are some of the labels you're wearing?

Who put them there ... you or someone else?

Are there labels that you're tired of wearing?

 

We each have the power to choose the labels we want to be known by.  Don't let someone else define who you are.  We don't have to be known by our birthdate or the number on our bathroom scales.  We don't have to become simply the sum of our missteps or bad choices.   

 

Sometimes, even the good labels can become burdensome if we're wearing too many ... or the wrong ones.  Is your family missing you because you're involved in too many community or church activities?   Are you coaching soccer practice when you'd rather be teaching piano?  

Why not take a few minutes and examine the labels that have been assigned to you ... and start peeling off the ones you no longer want to wear.  Some come off easily ... others may leave a sticky residue or little pieces that have to be scraped off with some effort.  But we are free to choose the labels we will be known by. And in the end ... the only labels that really matter are the ones applied by our Maker ...

Redeemed ... Forgiven ... Worthy ... Precious ... Loved

We have the power to become everything God created us to be .. to fulfill our destiny ... and live our lives with purpose and joy!
 





  I've been saved

I've been changed

I have been set free!

Amazing Grace is the song I sing.
Hello, my name is Child of the One True King!

 



Click here to listen to the song, "Hello, My Name Is" by Matthew West.

When He Spoke Her Name ....

Another Resurrection Day has come and is nearly gone.  Like Christmas, Easter is an occasion that I hope Christians celebrate in their hearts every day.  But I must confess that often I'm guilty of referring to these precious, holy days as "the holidays."   I'm sure congregants in churches all over the world today were reminded of the details of the crucifixion and resurrection of our Lord.  Our wonderful pastor shared a message of hope, joy, and purpose as the gifts we were afforded by what happened in Jerusalem that week so long ago.  As he described the scene at the tomb that morning of the third day, with the women coming to anoint the body of Jesus, I tried to imagine just what that must have really been like.   The women were in shock to find the massive stone rolled away from the entrance to the grave and, when they ran inside to look ... He was gone!

 

Stumbling back outside in shock and grief, they came across a man.  Mistaking Him for the caretaker they asked what had happened to Jesus.   They were standing right in front of their Messiah ... face to face with their risen Lord.  Mary looked Him right in the eyes and begged Him to tell her where they had taken Jesus.  She stared into His face and didn't know who He was.

 

But when He spoke her name ....

 

What must that moment have been like for her?  We know she knew instantly who He was ... fell at His feet in worship.  To have Him speak my name.  My name.  My own name on the lips of my Savior.   And then it dawned on me.

He speaks my name!

 

He stands at the right hand of the Father, constantly interceding for us all .... bringing us to the attention of Jehovah God ... and calling each one of us by name.   My name ... and yours ... is on His lips day and night, never ending.  My name ... spoken with amazing love and tenderness by the One who paid all my debts and covered my shortcomings with His blood.   I am awed and humbled as I find myself weeping in worship at His feet.  And for those who have not met this man called Jesus ... He speaks your name as well.  Calling you to find the peace, joy and hope that comes with being a child of the Most High God.   Mary looked right into the face of God and did not know who He was.

 

But when He spoke her name ...



 

 



 





Are There Holes In Your Socks?

Having been blessed with rather large, wide feet, I usually wear black nondescript shoes and try to keep everyone's attention focused on my hair and face. But I am a sock lover ... and I tend to wear them until they fall apart.   Such was the case not too long ago when I found myself at a social gathering where, during a team exercise, we were instructed to remove our shoes.
                             Oh dear ...

I was wearing my favorite socks.  The black ones with little pink hearts and tiny pink roses.

 The ones I'd had for nearly three years and

were completely threadbare with a hole in the

heel of one of them.  

At that moment, it didn't matter that I was actually wearing new shoes that were pretty cute.  I had to take them off and reveal to everyone in the room that there were holes in my socks.  Holes they would not otherwise have known were there.  Although the intent of this exercise was mainly for fun and breaking the ice with newcomers to the group, I came away with an awareness that there are many people who are hiding holes in their "socks."

Holes of loneliness ...  turmoil ... anxiety.
Holes of family problems ... financial worries ... illness.
Holes of addiction.

We can hide the holes in our socks with attractive, good shoes.  Being a loving parent, a good employee, a helper. "What can I do for you?"  How can I show you how good I am?

Like wearing a mask .. we hide the pain, the shame, the despair.  It's safer if no one sees the real me.   After all, Christians aren't supposed to have questions or fears .. doubts.   Are we?  Over the years I've learned that isolating and pretending to myself, to the world, and to God that everything is fine just wears me down until my soul .. like my socks .. is threadbare and in need of repair.  I've learned that it's OK to confide in a trusted friend or counselor. It's OK to be REAL.  I've learned to run to the Father with my fears, my failures, my heartbreak ... and in His presence I find the healing and peace that my soul so longs for.

  You will show me the way of life, granting me the joy of your presence

and the pleasures of living with you forever.
Psalm 16:11



We can put on our running shoes and run the 10K ... maybe even win the race.  But at the end of the day when we take off those shoes ... the holes in our socks are still there.  What holes are you covering up today?  Is it time to get real ...

 with yourself ...

          with others ...

                  with God? 



                  Cause me to hear Your loving-kindness in the morning,

for on You do I lean and in You do I trust.

Cause me to know the way wherein I should walk,

for I lift up my inner self to You.

Psalm 143:8