Beauty From a Manger

This year, the Christmas story (Luke 2) speaks to me in a new way.  Don't get me wrong, I always value and cherish the truth of my Savior being born. Without Him, I would not have life...I would not have hope.  This year, I am not only looking at the truth of Jesus, our Messiah, being born, but I am also looking at the feelings and emotions of Joseph, Mary and Jesus as God was in Heaven trying to carry out His greatest gift of love to all people.
     Looking at Mary, we think how special she was to be chosen by God to give birth to the Savior of the world!  She was highly favored by God because of her sincere heart and obedience to Him.  But being favored by God doesn't mean life was perfect or easy for Mary.  She still struggled with fear, sadness and discouragement.  She was pregnant and not married yet, and during that time you were shunned and disrespected for having sex before marriage. She had to feel so lonely and like an outcast among her family and society. She was engaged to be married to Joseph. Instead of enjoying the excitement of being engaged and planning a wedding, she would be carrying a child for 9 months and becoming a mother.  At the time of giving birth, she was probably thinking, "You've asked me to give birth to a King and here I am in the dirt and where horses and cows eat and poop??...this is so unsanitary for a new baby!"  Once being a mother, she had to feel a huge responsibility! She was not only being a mom for the first time, but she was raising a King and Savior of the World.  "What if I lead him the wrong direction or don't teach him enough or can't get him to eat his veggies?," she must have been thinking. But with all of the fear, loneliness, worry and discouragement, Mary still obeyed God. Her words say it best in Luke 1:38, "I am the Lord's servant.  May it be to me as you have said."
     Joseph was a follower of God and a man of integrity.  He must have felt humiliated finding out that his fiance' was pregnant and the child wasn't his.  Even after being obedient to God's request to still take Mary as his wife he had to be thinking, "This is so crazy! I saw this going differently in my head."  He would have had humiliation from society as well, with them all thinking HE got her pregnant.  The responsibility of protecting Mary during her pregnancy with the future King had to weigh heavy upon him.  During King Herod's massacre of baby boys, Joseph had to be feeling fear and anxiety. He was obedient to what God told him to do, but he was probably so worried he would make one wrong move and destroy the future of the world.  As Jesus grew up, Joseph had so much responsibility upon him to raise the Messiah and teach him the ways of God.  It wasn't at all what he pictured his life to be, but he obeyed God.
     You would think if God was going to have His Son, the Savior of the world, born on earth, He would go BIG! Maybe born of royalty or in the best hospital in the world (with His own private floor of course) or not even having to be born...just God speaking and Him appearing. But that's not how God works.  He had a higher purpose for Jesus' life, from pre-birth to death and resurrection.  His life is an example for us to follow, one of humility, servanthood, love, obedience, prayer and faith in the unseen.  As Jesus grew up, He had to at times felt like he was not being treated fairly for the title that He carried.  This is not how a king should be raised.  Just before his death on the cross, he even prayed, "My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me."  He definitely experienced loneliness, rejection, physical pain and sadness. But He went on to say in Matthew 26:39, "Yet not as I will, but as you will."  Jesus didn't enjoy having to be in pain, face so many demands and struggle so much with flesh and spirit, but He obeyed God.  He knew that God had a higher purpose and plan.
     This Christmas, as you celebrate the birth of our Savior, yet still struggle with loneliness, fear and anxiety, job loss and financial struggles, purpose, sickness and pain, infertility and loss of a child, loss of a loved one, stress, rejection and everyday decisions, and wonder how you will make it through....just remember there is beauty around the corner! Because of Mary's, Joseph's and Jesus' obedience to God, beauty came from the manger!  If they would have hesitated, or decided to do things their own way, the future of the world could have been different. So whether small or large, I know everyone faces some kind of struggle and I say a prayer for you! Stay strong in prayer, keep your faith in God and choose to be obedient.  We may be the vessel for God's beauty to shine just as beauty came from a manger.

Merry Christmas!

Living With Hope and Power

I absolutely LOVE Romans 8 in the Bible! There is so much power in God's truth & promises for those that have accepted Him and chosen to live their lives for Him!  This passage truly portrays what it means to live in the Spirit and not of ourselves....for every decision we make to be made through God's heart and not our own humanly desires. Along with that, there is so much comfort in knowing that we do not need to live a life of fear, doubt or negativity, but instead live a promising life of HOPE.  28"And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." 31"If God is for us, who can be against us?" 35"Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or sword?" 37"No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us." 38"For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord." So if God is completely for us and we are more than conquerors through Him, then why do we choose to live timidly with fear and doubt?  Why do we not take hold of His promises over our lives and trust in the POWER and HOPE that we have in Him? Pastor Sam Masteller from Freedom Life Church in Christiana, PA has a great message series on their website called Decade of Destiny that challenges us all to live the life that God has for us and to live on purpose for His glory. Check it out...it's a great message! www.freedomlife.tv

The Calm After the Storm

It's always pretty ironic when after a severe storm the weather becomes so beautiful with the sun shining, a clear sky and comfortable temperatures.  This is exactly what happened this past week with Hurricane Irene hitting us with severe winds and rain causing a lot of damage. (We pray for all those that lost a loved one, were injured or are struggling from the damages of Irene. You are on our hearts.)  It was so amazing to see how beautiful and peaceful the weather became the rest of the week....perfect summer days!  This topic may sound a little trite, but it's a topic that influences my own personal life so I pray that it may also encourage you if you are going through a "storm" in your life right now. 
We all go through "storms" in our life at one point or another.  It may have happened in your past, it may be happening right now or you may go through it in years to come.  Whether it is the loss of a loved one, financial difficulties, struggles with family, job or school, or life just doesn't seem to be happening the way you want it to or imagined it would.......be encouraged, there is a calm after the storm!  God tells us in Ecclesiastes 3:1 that "There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven:" and 3:11 "He has made everything beautiful in its time."  The struggles we face are not intended to harm us or discourage us, they are intended to make us stronger, to grow us in character and stir us to depend more on God than on ourselves.  It's not the struggles that we go through that mature us, it's the choices we make through and after the struggles that reveal our maturity.  It's not always easy, but once we trust the work that God is doing in us and hold on to the hope of His perfect plan in our lives, we begin to see His beauty in us and around us.  Living for God should not be based on our joys, our struggles or our emotions.  We must trust Him simply because HE IS GOD!  I pray that each one going through a storm right now would be blessed with peace, comfort and strength.  Keep on the lookout....there is a calm of some beautiful summer days coming your way!

Isaiah 43:19 "See, I am doing a new thing!  Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?  I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland."

Getting Uncomfortable for God

 Tanzan and I attended The Global Leadership Summit this weekend, which was based from Willow Creek Community Church in Illinois broadcasted all over the world.  The speakers were amazing and extremely inspiring! Pastor Steven Furtick, from Elevation Church in North Carolina, said, "If the size of the vision you have for your life isn't intimidating to you, it's likely that it's insulting to God."  We have all been given a beautiful gift of life and God has placed passions on each of our hearts.  How are we honoring God with what has been given to us?  We need to step out of our comfort zone and start living intentionally for His glory!  Are we placing limits on God or hindering what He is trying to do?  If we are living comfortably, then we are probably not opening ourselves up to living out the purpose He created us for.  He has placed a few passions on my heart, but I have placed them on hold for many reasons. Through my husband's encouragement and the GLS, God has reminded me that it's not about if I feel adequate enough, if it fits into my time and planning, or if I'm going through struggles or not....it's about what He has called me to do and how I choose to live that out. So I encourage and challenge you....what passion has God placed on your heart?....and how will you choose to step out of your comfort zone and live that gift to others?  I encourage us all to live intentionally in every moment....to live with purpose!