An update on that meaningful little Christmas…
Dear reader, You may recall my stated goal to "have myself a meaningful little Christmas." Well, grab a Christmas cookie and a comfy chair. Here's the rest of the story. Had you asked me how it was going this past Sunday, I would've said everything was right on track and progressing nicely. (Insert your favorite quote about the best laid plans.) The day before my extended
Finding a Deep and Wide Christmas Advent – Dec. 23rd
Christmas is near, and I hope you and yours enjoy every minute of it! My prayer is that these short devotions have set us up to resist the empty promises the world hawks twenty-four/seven and walk into the deep and wide life Jesus died to give us. It’s impossible to read John without wondering about the discrepancy between the experience of the average believer and the
Finding a Deep and Wide Christmas Advent- Dec. 22nd
The to-do list is long, and time seems short, but we walk among souls God dearly loves. Our opportunity is to stay conscious of Jesus and let Him reach for them through our lives, even as we go about our day. We don’t learn such living in a once and done. We learn it by daring to die to us and live to Him in this
Finding Deep and Wide Advent – Dec. 20th
Caution. We are the most susceptible to reaching for the wrong fix when we’re tired and stressed. Jesus is near, count Him dear and choose well today. Temporary hits can’t satisfy eternal hunger … Whatever we reach for to make ourselves feel better today will become a fix we’ll need more of tomorrow. No amount of acquisitions, affirmations, or acclamations from creation can substitute for the
Finding a Deep and Wide Christmas Advent – Dec. 19th
The Christmas countdown may bring stressful shopping trips and exchanges with the occasional grinch, but you and I are not only called to be Christlike in our response, we’re equipped for it. Immanuel is real world support for all who learn to call on Him. I haven’t yet made it to a place where I’m always saintly, and I don’t live with unlimited patience for those
Finding a Deep and Wide Christmas Advent – Dec. 18th
Christmas may be drawing closer, but for those who have trusted Christ, its promise is already ours! We can say no to the commercialism with its empty promise of the perfect Christmas by saying yes to Immanuel, God with Us, the perfect Savior. We don’t want to try harder to do better, remember? We want to lean harder, and trust Jesus to strengthen our dusty frames
Finding a Deep and Wide Christmas Advent Dec. 17th
People are prone to making us perform to stay in their good graces or do penance if we let them down. We lose big when we allow those experiences to color our relationship with God. No amount of penance before God can secure the favor Christ Jesus has already won on our behalf. I’ve learned to live celebrating the truth that I’m forgiven, accepted, and loved
Finding Deep and Wide Advent – Dec. 16th
Sweet believer, you who came once for salvation. You say you don’t know how to come to Jesus for day-to-day life? It’s easier than your enemy would have you believe. Acknowledge His reign, submit your will, and then use your words to bring Him anything and everything, anytime and all the time. Every day, all day, we’re given opportunities to cling to our right to ourselves
Finding Deep and Wide Advent – Dec. 15th
Pause and reach for the marvelous opportunity that is ours to walk with the God of the whole universe today. Through Christ Jesus, we can come before Him without intricate steps, fancy prayer words, or prescribed formulas. That’s the Gospel. That’s the good news. Whether or not we build our lives into a home where God is welcomed and His Presence enjoyed will depend on whether
Finding a Deep and Wide Christmas Advent – Dec. 14th
We’re two weeks into December, and despite our sincere intentions, there’s a chance you and I have already lost the Christmas spirit once, if not a couple times. Am I right? If that’s you, let’s ask forgiveness and train our eyes back on Jesus! His company will be our reward! Being all too aware of how often we fall short of holy, it’s hard for us