Advent, Dec. 9, Who, Not What

I've always hated razor-edged focus directed on me.  I had dinner with some friends last evening and we discussed the horror at having "Happy Birthday" sung to us.  As one friend pointed out, "What are you supposed to do while they are singing?"  As I grew older, I learned to enjoy attention from time to time, but it has never felt great to me.  I suppose my life is a study in extremes.  Most people would assume I enjoy very social situations, when the truth is... I do not.  And I like it less as I get older.  

I still hate celebrating birthdays, not because I don't like growing older, but because I hate all the attention focused in my direction.  I'd prefer to let birthdays slip right past me with no bru-ha-ha.

I love to sing, but hate singing by myself in front of people with all the attention on me.  I like to sing in groups where I can pretend no one is looking at me. I love to have large groups at my house.  I love to watch other people having fun at my house.  Generally you'll find me in the kitchen working or moving from table to table making sure everyone has what they need.  I rarely even eat when people are at my house for a meal. I prefer to serve than be served.

In my 30s I absolutely adored big, over the top worship experiences filled with ridiculously talented, enviable singers, within well orchestrated services.  That spoke to me. (Notice what I just said there) I loved contemporary worship songs and styles that were brimming with high emotions. At the time I could convince myself that I was truly worshiping when all the "right elements" were involved.  Actually I now believe that I wasn't worshiping my Father at all.  I was just worshiping the experience.  It's easier to worship the experience than it is to get real and be with God.  It is incredibly easy to worship WHAT speaks to us, instead of  WHO speaks to us. 

You see, God isn't in the lights, the music, the well orchestrated service, the power point presentations, or the talent singers.   He is in the quiet, still atmosphere of the calm soul that longs for Him.

Consider I Kings 19:11-13 (NASB)

And he said, Go forth, and stand upon the mount before the Lord. And, behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind rent the mountains, and brake in pieces the rocks before the Lord; but the Lord was not in the wind: and after the wind an earthquake; but the Lord was not in the earthquake: And after the earthquake a fire; but the Lord was not in the fire: and after the fire a still small voice. And it was so, when Elijah heard it, that he wrapped his face in his mantle, and went out, and stood in the entering in of the cave. And, behold, there came a voice unto him, and said, What doest thou here, Elijah?

Today, during this holy season of quiet waiting and anticipation, let the introvert side of your soul cry out to Jesus.  It will cry softly and tenderly.  It will be there waiting for you to be quiet enough for God to feed you and love you.  Don't settle for a worship service of WHAT.

Jesus, come quickly.

Kelley 

Advent, December 8

Today's Advent thoughts are quite short, but profound.  Let's consider Matthew 2:11 (NASB)

After coming into the house they (the Magi) saw the Child with Mary His mother; and they fell to the ground and worshiped Him. Then, opening their treasures, they presented to Him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.
  
When confronted with the Christ child, the Magi reacted in the only responses worthy of such a child.  They fell to ground, worshiped Him, and brought gifts.  

Today, this very day, you are confronted with the Christ child.  He came to us as a baby and will return to us again as a King above all kings.  

How do you respond today?  This very minute.  Do you shun Him for a more convenient  time, or do you immediately worship Him and bring Him gifts.  The choice is yours.  

Jesus, come quickly.  

Kelley

 

Advent, December 7, Your Calling

Again, I must beg apologies for not posting yesterday.  My body has not been cooperating with me in the past few days.  I have been having a lot of pain issues and couldn't climb the stairs to the office yesterday afternoon.  If you have room on your prayer list, please pray for me and all those with Dysautonomia. 

On to Advent! 

December 7, 1941 will forever be known as Pearl Harbor Day.  "A day that will live in infamy." 

Several years ago, I was blessed to go to Hawaii with my husband.  He was working at Pearl Harbor and I was there for the glorious beauty of the island of Oahu. One morning we both headed to "Pearl" as they call it.  He went for work; I went for remembrance.  I wasn't prepared for the waves of emotions that flooded my soul. 

My little tour group loaded up in a boat and headed to the USS Arizona Memorial.  When we disembarked to the memorial, there were several elderly gentlemen waiting in the line with us.  As we approached the wall of names of those who died that day, I looked to my left and noticed an elderly gentlemen silently weeping.  He had taken off his military cap and held it over his heart.  A younger woman was standing next to him, her nose was shaped like his, so I assumed it was his daughter or granddaughter.  She was holding his hand and patting his arm.  He looked to have been the age to have served during that time.

I almost choked on the enormous lump that settled deep in my throat.  His anguish draped around him as the tears quietly flowed.  Looking out over the water, I noticed that oil still seeps out from the old ship, the under water tomb of so many young men.  God bless those young men.  Most never saw the attack coming.  Some lived for a long time waiting for a rescue that never came. 

Being called to serve is easy for some, but for others requires more of a commitment.  To serve in the military, one must be willing to give their life for their country.  During this season of my life, I feel called to write.  That calling doesn't bring any danger or risk.  My calling is easy. 

Let's consider Matthew 1:19-21 (NASB)

And Joseph her husband, being a righteous man and not wanting to disgrace her, planned to send her away secretly. But when he had considered this, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife; for the Child who has been conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. She will bear a Son; and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.”

The calling of Mary and Joseph is more than my mind can take in.  These two young people had to put every ounce of faith into the dreams they experienced, their love for one another, their confidence in each other, and most importantly their faith and confidence in the God they served.  This calling required their reputation to be questioned and even their sanity.  Can you just imagine?  Sure.  You are a virgin.  AND you are pregnant.  BUT the God of the universe is the Father.  Right.....

The soldiers of Pearl Harbor honored their calling to serve their country.  Mary and Joseph honored their calling to serve their God.  It's your turn now.  

What are you called to do?  Are you actively working in that calling?  What can you do to answer the call?  

Jesus, come quickly.

Kelley 

Advent, December 5, Shine a Light

My sincerest apologies for not posting in this Advent series yesterday.  I haven't felt well the past couple of days.  Yesterday I thought things were better so the hubs and I went out on a date.  To make a long story short, I wasn't better after all and I ended up in bed.  So my apologies.  If you would, please lift up a prayer for all of us who suffer with Dysautonomia.  It's a cranky, crazy disease that flares in odd and painful ways.

Enough about that.  Lets get on with Advent.

The United States of America has suffered a blow this past week.  Many are frustrated, scared, anxious and worried.  Families have lost their loved ones to hatred.  Our hearts hurt.  But among the distress I came across this article about a hero in the San Bernadino terror attacks.  It reminds me that there is always someone doing something good in the world.  We just seem to pay more attention to the evil.

Consider Matthew 9:35-10:1-8 (NASB)

Jesus was going through all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every kind of disease and every kind of sickness. Seeing the people, He felt compassion for them, because they were distressed and dispirited like sheep without a shepherd. Then He said to His disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Therefore beseech the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into His harvest.” Jesus summoned His twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal every kind of disease and every kind of sickness.Now the names of the twelve apostles are these: The first, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother; and James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother; Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; Simon the Zealot, and Judas Iscariot, the one who betrayed Him. These twelve Jesus sent out after instructing them: “Do not go in the way of the Gentiles, and do not enter any city of the Samaritans; but rather go to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. And as you go, preach, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out demons. Freely you received, freely give.

Isn't it magnificent that Jesus saw through to the people's hearts, realizing they were like wee sheep, wandering about without a shepherd?  Jesus taught the disciples to go out and do as He did.  That was a daunting task considering all that Jesus had done.  But the disciples did go and we should as well.  

"Freely you have received, freely give."  This lovely commission is not just for the disciples.  It is also for you.  In this chaotic world, people need Jesus.  We, as children of God, have received so much we need to give back.  How can we do that?  

Perhaps it is as simple as trying to find the good things in this world and draw attention to them.  Find the heroes in life and shine a light on them.  Lift people up.  Banish the negative and illuminate the positive.   

As we await Jesus' coming, freely give.  Let your light shine.

Jesus, come quickly.  

Kelley 

Advent, Day 5, Satan is Foolish

There was no way to know as I wrote yesterday's post about Advent that just a few hours later, our country would be under attack again.  In a time when we are trying to focus on silence and peace of anticipating Christ's coming, satan is throwing everything he can at us.  He might win some battles, but we already know he won't win the war.  That victory has already been claimed in the name of Jesus and there is nothing he can do about it.

The strangest, most perplexing part of this whole radical Islam and extremist Christian situation is that they claim to be doing this for God.  The God of the bible is harsh at times and jealous for our affection, but He is the God of love.  That is what is missing from the Islamic faith and the faith of those who call themselves Christians, but do unChristian-like works.  And yet they are still attracting followers every day.  Yes, satan is foolish and thinks he is accomplishing great things. He is unable to see the big God sized picture of the universe.

Let's consider Matthew 7:21-27 (NASB)

"Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter. Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; DEPART FROM ME, YOU WHO PRACTICE LAWLESSNESS.’
Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them, may be compared to a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and yet it did not fall, for it had been founded on the rock.Everyone who hears these words of Mine and does not act on them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. The rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and it fell—and great was its fall.”
When Jesus had finished these words, the crowds were amazed at His teaching; for He was teaching them as one having authority, and not as their scribes.

Even as radical followers of Islam and extremist Christians kill in the name of a God, it is not THE God. They serve a man-made shell of an idea. They've missed it.  They have built their faith on a foundation that will never stand.  When the storms of life come, their faith will fail.  But a faith built on the love of Jesus, the mighty power of  the God of the universe, and the magnificent Spirit of God will always stand firm. 

My God is coming again in the form of Jesus to take us, the redeemed of Christ, home with Him forever and ever and ever. 

Jesus, please come quickly.  We are weary.  You alone are our refuge. 

Kelley

Advent, Day 4- Hangry

Most of us have never truly been physically hungry.  Oh, our stomachs growl a bit and we get a hunger headache every now and then, but most of us have never gone without food for an extended period of time.

You may have experienced being HANGRY.  You see it in toddlers.  Their wee stomachs emit a youthful growl and BOOM!  They are irritable, disagreeable, whiny....oh wait, are we still talking about toddlers?

We have a running joke at our house about the phrase, "I'm hungry."  John Smith, the man I chose to marry above all other available men in the world, has perfected the phrase, "I'm hungry."  I told him years ago that his whiny hungry voice reminds me of Rolly, one of the wee Dalmation puppies in the movie "101 Dalmations."


Bless it.

I suppose if we let Rolly go a bit longer professing his hunger, he may show his wee puppy teeth and slide right into HANGRY.  I know most of you have seen the TWIZ commercial set within the Brady Bunch house.  That is a case of serious HANGRY.

Have you ever crossed paths with an angry person.  I don't mean someone who is angry from time to time, I mean someone who lives in anger.  Everyone is against them; nothing ever goes right for them; everything is a major ordeal and reason to lash out; they never have a sweet word to share about anything.

These type personalities are hangry, but not for physical food.  They may not realize it, but they are in search of spiritual food.  It is up to us, the God loving people of the world, to direct them toward the spiritual nourishment that can lead to the cessation of their angry hunger.  They must first see in us a peaceful countenance that dwells in joyfullness, even when life is not so joyful.

Maybe you are spiritually hangry, even though you are a God fearing person.  Perhaps your spiritual journey and some of the pilgrims you've traveled with have left feeling hungry, thirst and empty. 


Matthew 15:29-37 (NASB)
²⁹ Jesus left there and went along the Sea of Galilee. Then he went up on a mountainside and sat down. ³⁰ Great crowds came to him, bringing the lame, the blind, the crippled, the mute and many others, and laid them at his feet; and he healed them. ³¹ The people were amazed when they saw the mute speaking, the crippled made well, the lame walking and the blind seeing. And they praised the God of Israel.
³² Jesus called his disciples to him and said, ‘I have compassion for these people; they have already been with me three days and have nothing to eat. I do not want to send them away hungry, or they may collapse on the way.’³³ His disciples answered, ‘Where could we get enough bread in this remote place to feed such a crowd?’ ³⁴ ‘How many loaves do you have?’ Jesus asked.‘Seven,’ they replied, ‘and a few small fish.’
³⁵ He told the crowd to sit down on the ground. ³⁶ Then he took the seven loaves and the fish, and when he had given thanks, he broke them and gave them to the disciples, and they in turn to the people. ³⁷ They all ate and were satisfied. Afterwards the disciples picked up seven basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over. 

Jesus promises that those who come to Him will feel His compassion and receive enough nourishment to soothe their hangry souls.  Through Christ alone we shall be satisfied.  

Today, seek His nourishment as we await His coming.  

Jesus, come quickly.  

Kelley 

Advent, Day 3

In an effort to keep things real, let me tell you a wee story. 

I like for my writing to reflect a quiet, still mentality.  I strive for the word placement and imagery to relax my reader.  I like that, but lets be real for a minute.  Life is often NOT quiet or still.  

Today my house is chaos. Our house has become a revolving door home.  My eldest son, John David has moved back in for a bit.  My sweetly decorated guest room has turned into a boy room again.  He is working and about to start school again.  He was planning to move to Colorado, but that plan tanked due to reasons beyond his control.  So, he has moved on to plan B, which includes living back at home.  He is 24.  It's been an adjustment for all of us.  It really hasn't been bad, but keep in mind he has been on his own for quite some time.   Regardless, there are many ways this Momma loves having her boys under one roof again. 

Our youngest son (we have two boys), Adam is 20.  He is in his junior year of college.  He lives at home as well.  He is on the coaching staff at our local high school's football team, he is working at a sporting goods store, helps with the youth ministry at his church and is in school full time.  He is in the middle of finals week.  He is stressed. 

They come in, they eat, they study, and they go to bed.  Oh I forgot, they also mess up clothes. My laundry room has morphed into something akin to thrift shop decor. 

All the while I am trying to write, keep house, study, and today I'm scheduled to coordinate decorating the church Christmas tree. 

Everyone has places to be and stuff to do.  We are a crazy busy household.  We all have cars.  But in the past few days we've gotten 4 inches of rain in our neck of the woods.  Today when John David went to leave for work, his vehicle had sunk into the squishy ground and is currently stuck.  Adam is needed at the school for workouts.  I am needed to pick up last minute stuff for the tree decorating and now we are short one vehicle.  John is blissfully at work 45 minutes away.  Lucky him. 

AHHHHHHHHHHHH!  And its Advent season and I'm trying to focus.  Breathe in and breathe out. 

On to Advent, Day 3...Breathe in and breathe out. 



****

Rejoice is a verb that means to feel or express great joy or delight.
 
What causes you to rejoice?  A pay raise?  A new car?  Your car not being stuck in the mud?  Empty laundry  baskets?  A full cupboard?  The smile on your child's face?  The success of a family member?  The lovely noise of a family reunion?  A kiss from your spouse?  A win for your favorite team? 

Today in our Advent study, we await His second coming, remembering His first coming and consider what made Jesus rejoice.  Its an interesting question to ponder.  What might make the biological child of God Himself and a virgin girl rejoice? 

Thankfully we don't have to guess at the answer.  Luke 10:21-24 (NASB) gives it to us. 

²¹ At that very time He rejoiced greatly in the Holy Spirit, and said, “I praise You, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and intelligent and have revealed them to infants. Yes, Father, for this way was well-pleasing in Your sight. ²² All things have been handed over to Me by My Father, and no one knows who the Son is except the Father, and who the Father is except the Son, and anyone to whom the Son wills to reveal Him.”
²³ Turning to the disciples, He said privately, “Blessed are the eyes which see the things you see, ²⁴ for I say to you, that many prophets and kings wished to see the things which you see, and did not see them, and to hear the things which you hear, and did not hear them.”

Have you glimpsed the Spirit and rejoiced in His presence?  Scripture tells us the Spirit dwells in us at the time of baptism, so He is always with me.  Even so, my mind is so loud at times I can't feel or hear Him.  

We can only imagine the blessing of the disciples' physical eyes seeing Jesus and His wonders.  I long for the day when my faith becomes sight.  Jesus reminds us in this passage that all the gifts and wonders come from the Father and are given to us through the Son by His Spirit.  THIS made Jesus rejoice.  He praised God for the path of this gift.  He praised Him that the gift didn't come to the complicated mind, for they would not welcome it.  The gift came to the simple and most vulnerable.  

Today as you ponder the coming King, consider rejoicing, even if the car is stuck.  Consider dwelling with the Holy Spirit, sent from the Father.  Consider.....

Jesus, please come quickly.  

Blessings and grace, 
Kelley