It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not.They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.The Lord is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him Lamentations 3:22-24 (KJV)
A good way to start the New Year is to recognize that every day is a new day. Not just January 1, the start of a new year, but every day, the start of a new day. The verse above is the basis of one of my favorite hymns, “Great Is Thy Faithfulness”. The hymn reminds us of God’s faithfulness, even when, maybe especially when, we do not have enough faith of our own.
God is faithful, his mercy and compassion does not fail. They are new every morning. We are used to basing our evaluation of a “good day” on how we feel. This verse reminds us that our evaluation must not be based upon our feeling of blessing and mercy, but upon the fact of God’s faithfulness.
So, let us start the New Year on the promise of God’s faithfulness and mercy, and not our feeling about it. Let’s make that a mantra for 2023.
Prayer: Morning by morning new mercies I see. Great is thy faithfulness…, Amen
And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. Colossians 3:15
The year 2022 is slipping away, giving way to 2023. This time of year, many of us give thought to resolutions. Those resolutions are well-intentioned, and are probably good things for us to do in the coming year.
Just this quick reminder. I tell my clients that changes should be incremental and manageable, as well as practical and measurable. In other words, don’t promise yourself the moon for the coming year. Change one little thing. It is better, for example, to attain the goal of losing 5 pounds than to promise that you will lose 15 pounds and not accomplish it.
Small victories give us the momentum to accomplish the larger goals, but all in due time. Keeping small promises to ourselves gives us the needed self-esteem boost to accomplish the bigger goals.
So, whatever your goals are for 2023, may they be attainable and good for you.
Have a wonderful 2023!
Prayer: May the Lord bless you and keep you, may his light shine upon you in 2023, Amen
“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you” Matthew 7:7
When thinking about this verse, and how to interpret it, I imagine being lost and asking for directions. Yes, it is true, I am a guy, and I do not readily ask for directions when lost. I would rather somehow intuit how to find my way, but that is a reflection for another day!
So, when lost and asking for directions, we need to be trusting of the direction giver, and then we need to follow the directions. I think that Jesus is inviting us to trust him in giving the directions for living a whole and healthy life. He also expects that we would follow those directions if we really want to get where we ultimately want to go. This act of trust is rewarded with his promise that the “ask will be granted, the journey will be successful, and the final destination will be accommodating”.
So, first we get the courage to ask- an act of humility. Meaning, my best efforts to date have gotten me totally lost! I better get some help!
Having gotten the directions, we set out, seeking the destination- an act of faith. If we are good at following the directions, it is often a pretty direct route- one we had not realized before that moment.
Finally, when we get to the destination, we have not quite completed the task. We need to go up to the door and knock to gain entry- an act of courage. After all, it could be the wrong house, or perhaps even the right address, but we could be turned away.
So, to complete the journey, we need to have humility, faith and courage. Jesus calls on us to have all of those traits to live the completed life.
Prayer: Thank you for the simple plan of asking for help, and following your directions for success, Amen
Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven. Matthew 5:16 (KJV)
“Even the smallest light shines bright in the darkness” Donna Raye
Have you ever been in a cave? You know, like those tours in Mammoth Cave or some other spacious cave? If you have, you know how dark it is when the guide turns out the lights. Yes, it is almost painfully dark. You literally cannot see your hand three inches from your face- that dark. Then the guide lights a match some distance away, and it looks like a laser beam.
So, think about what it is like when you are in an emotional darkness. You feel that there will never be light again. You cannot remember what it is like to see or even feel the light again. Then comes a little note, or call, or card. Someone just sent a little thoughtful connection. Not a big deal in anyone’s thinking, but that day, that moment, it was as bright as a star.
You see, when it is REALLY dark, a little light shines inordinately bright. In comparison to the present environment, it becomes a huge event. Small by some standards, it is a ray of hope.
I spoke with a client recently who said that the little card and gift that she received from her church during the Christmas season, “made my week”.
So, don’t try to judge or minimize the effect of a small gesture. It really could be the brightest spot a person gets all week.
Prayer: Lord, help us to really see the little lights you send to us from others, Amen
But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting Micah 5:2 (KJV)
One of the strangest and most heartwarming events of war is the story of the 1914 Christmas Eve truce on a battlefield in France. That December 24th night, British and German troops somehow suspended the killing and terror of war, and celebrated for hours together in the “no man’s land” area. Even the death and destruction of modern war that night succumbed to the human need for a little time of peace.
The First World War was unprecedented in its tools of bringing mechanized death. Machine guns, enhanced artillery, poison gas, land mines, and airplanes were new ways of bringing mass death to the combatants. It was so ugly, so demoralizing, so hopeless, that there needed to be a way to bring some hope and cheer into the mind-numbing terror of total war. So that Christmas Eve night, peace broke out in time of war. Soldiers found a common theme of celebrating the miracle of Christmas to bring just a moment of relief to horror.
Men from opposing trenches tentatively trickled out into “no man’s land”. Christian hymns- Christmas carols- began to be sung and were picked up by men on both sides who hours earlier had tried to rain death on their enemy. Soccer games sprang up, and enemies exchanged gifts of cigarettes, brandy, and sweets. For a brief few hours, peace reigned over the killing fields.
Of course, that peace did not last.
This Christmas Eve, 2022, we in the United States are not in a general hot war fought with guns and artillery. There are, however, people in Ukraine who are in the middle of an unjust invasion, and they are suffering greatly. We all need a little peace, and a respite from the anguish of the past year.
Little Bethlehem, the afterthought of Jewish villages, brought forth the birth of a Savior who is the hope of the world. Despite the present painful circumstances, “the hope and fears of all the years are met in thee tonight.” Our hope is in that deliverer, Jesus, and we welcome the remembrance of his presence once again.
Prayer: Thank you Father for the gift of the Prince of Peace as we celebrate this special birthday, Amen.
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, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Isaiah 9:6
To all of my faithful readers and followers, may all of you enjoy the blessings of this wonderful season!
And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be taxed.
(And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.)
And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city.
And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:)
To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child.
And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered.
And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.
And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.
And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.
And the angel said unto them, 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 Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. Luke 2:1-11 (KJV)
Every Christmas, I usually insist that at some point, this passage from Luke, in the quaint, familiar language of the King James Version, be read out loud. It is the “Christmas story” in the most traditional form, and it has not lost its appeal in the centuries since it was translated in this way.
We have many traditional Christmas carols that hold dear memories as well, and they are heartwarming also. Many of those carols depict a scene that is more warming than accurate- you know, the ones about bitter cold and snow, but those songs too are comforting.
One song that never fails to touch me is this one. I print the words below for your Christmas edification. The version by Pentatonix is especially powerful. Their video version can be found here:
Mary, did you know that your baby boy Would one day walk on water? Mary, did you know that your baby boy Would save our sons and daughters? Did you know that your baby boy Has come to make you new?
This child that you delivered, will soon deliver you Mary, did you know that your baby boy Would give sight to a blind man? Mary, did you know that your baby boy Would calm the storm with his hand?
Did you know that your baby boy Has walked where angels trod? When you kiss your little baby You kiss the face of God Mary, did you know? Mary, did you know?
Mary, did you know? Did you know? Mary, did you know? Mary, did you know? Mary, did you know? Mary, did you know? Mary, did you know? Mary, did you know?
The blind will see, the deaf will hear The dead will live again The lame will leap, the dumb will speak The praises of the Lamb Mary, did you know that your baby boy
Is Lord of all creation? Mary, did you know that your baby boy Would one day rule the nations? Did you know that your baby boy Is heaven’s perfect Lamb?
That sleeping child you’re Holding is the great, I Am Mary, did you know? (Mary, did you know?) Mary, did you know? (Mary, did you know?) Mary, did you know? Oh
In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.”
Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.” Luke 1:26-33
I was recently listening to a podcast by Dr. Michael Guillen while on my morning walk. He is a physicist and also a strong Christian. His podcast is titled Science + God, and in the series, he reconciles scientific truth and God’s creation as a remarkable pairing. In fact, he calls science and God, not enemies, but “an awesome power couple”. He argues that science is a great showcase for the majesty of God’s creation. I agree.
Today he was discussing miracles, and, this being the Christmas season, one of the miracles of the discussion was the incarnation of Jesus. The miracle that brough him to earth was Mary’s conception without a human sexual partner.
Now truly, that defies scientific scrutiny. Yet, there are many, many things that science cannot explain. That does not make science bad, it’s just that there are things that are beyond scientific explanation. Quantum physics, for example, is recognized by scientists as truth, but the explanation of how sub-atomic particles behave is not fully understood. We accept the presence of the quantum theory of matter, but we cannot totally explain it.
Scientific thought is rigorous but imperfect. Science looks for truth and tries to find evidence of it by doing research, testing, etc. Scientists also are willing to change their mind when confronted with evidence that leads them in another direction. This is how we advance.
Scientists are also, hopefully, willing to admit that there are things that are beyond the scope of pure science, and that there is a place for transrational thinking. Transrational thinking is the willingness to recognize that purely rational thought cannot get us to the understanding of some mysteries of the universe.
So, this Christmas, we celebrate the miracle of the incarnation of Jesus, being born as a baby to come into the world to be its savior.
Prayer: Lord, we are amazed at your miracles. Thank you for the miracle of Jesus, Amen
If a son shall ask bread of any of you that is a father, will he give him a stone? or if he asks a fish, will he for a fish give him a serpent?
Or if he shall ask an egg, will he offer him a scorpion?
If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him? Luke 11:11-13 (KJV)
The Christmas season makes us think about giving gifts to those we love. I suppose that one may need to experience parenthood to understand the depth of the desire to give good gifts to our children. How many parents in the Christmas season make a sacrifice of some kind so that their child or children can get good gifts? Indeed, as we grow older, the joy of giving gifts far exceeds that of receiving gifts.
I remember when I was about thirteen years old and had actually made my own money from a paper route. I was so excited that Christmas to actually be able to give gifts that I had bought with my own money (and yes, some borrowed from my older sister). “Mom will sure like that pen I bought her that has (the recently slain) President Kennedy’s picture on it!”; “Dad will really like this cool glass ashtray!” I was able to experience the joy of giving then, but that has been far outstripped by the joy of seeing my kids (and now grandkids) open presents that we buy for them.
Jesus knew this when he told the story about gifts he wants to give to us. He knew that we want the very best for our children, and that we would never give then anything that could cause them hurt or pain.
So, remember this Christmas season that our heavenly father sent us the best gift possible, and he enjoys seeing us receive the best gifts.
Prayer: Father, thank you for the gift of your son, which we celebrate this week, Amen.
“Being family means you are a part of something very wonderful. It means you will love and be loved for the rest of your life.” Lisa Weed
Yesterday, we had the joy of attending my great-niece’s wedding. Actually, it was the second time this year that we celebrated the wedding of a great-niece, and it was simply a wonderful time to be with extended family again.
This year has not always been filled with joyous family reunions. We have also had two funerals, with the passing of my dear brother-in-law Lou, and then just weeks later, the passing of his precious daughter, Lori. Yes, the year has been marked by some profound family events.
However, as we were celebrating the wedding, I looked onto the dance floor, and there was my nephew, Geoff, dancing with his daughter, the bride, Jackie. He was symbolically giving her over to her new husband as is the custom of that dance. As the music played, I Loved Her First, by Heartland, there were many tears- tears of joy and sadness both.
I was struck by this beautiful scene, and then I recalled the moment, some 54 years ago, that I received the call from my brother and his wife, Pat, reporting that their first-born son had arrived- it was the man I was watching now dancing with his daughter.
So, the circle of life and family moves on. I just wanted to take a moment to share it, because family is beautiful, and we need to cherish one another in the moments we now hold.
They won’t be here forever…
Prayer: Lord, thank you for the rich blessing of family, Amen
Reflections of a Counselor 