holiday – B Is for Blessed!

Christmas Presence

For Ashley, a post from Christmas past…

“Do not cast me away from Your presence, And do not take Your Holy Spirit from me,” Psalm 51:11 NKJV

Many people who celebrate Christmas and even some who don’t find themselves rushing around with too much to do and too little time to do it this time of year. A few are stressing over hosting duties. Others have parties they must attend. Still, more are in a frenzied search to find the perfect gift. If retailers had their way, we would all be enticed to buy more presents!

However, I challenge you to breathe a little and focus instead on God’s presence.

God is ever waiting for us to come before Him, worship, talk with Him, and listen to what He would say.

If some of us would only slow down, we could enjoy the goodness of God instead of falling into the trap of running ragged to meet the expectations of others. If only we put that much effort into pleasing God.

If you want to truly embrace the reason for the season, come into God’s presence. Slow down. Sit down. Bow down. Allow God to enter in your spirit and your space.

Christ’s birth and death provides us not only salvation but also the privilege to connect with God without the need for a mediator, high priest or intercessor. Jesus Christ left and ascended so that the Holy Spirit could be available to us. Such a perfect gift our Savior gave us, yet we often fail to “enter in” and appreciate the comfort and peace only He can provide.

The pursuit of things and our attempts to please others can often leave us with little time for God if we aren’t careful.

So, if you are in a continual state of chaos this holiday season, I implore you to run toward His presence. God can calm, refresh and restore. Allow Him to dictate your Christmas season and prompt you to be a blessing instead of constantly stressing.

Choose to end this year seeking God with a renewed passion. Allow each gleaming light to remind you of His Light. The best gifts can’t be placed under a tree. Only God can provide peace, joy, and unconditional love.

May you be overcome by God’s presence this Christmas season.

“You will show me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore,”
Psalm 16:11 NKJV

“Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord,”
Acts 3:19 NKJV

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

Traveling over the river and through the woods or staying close to home, give thanks for blessings large and small; with God we are never alone.

B Blessed!

Oh, give thanks to the Lord! Call upon His name; Make known His deeds among the peoples! 1 Chronicles 16:8 NKJV

Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever. 1 Chronicles 16:34 NKJV

But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. 1 Corinthians 15:57 NKJV

God, Highways and Trust Issues…

I hate the highway.

Still, I won’t allow my fear of reckless drivers and potential dangers to keep me off the road and away from family. We can sit on the sidelines of life or choose to keep moving in spite of our fears. Then there are other times God doesn’t give us a choice, when we are forced to move forward, clueless as to what the future holds.

My family and I took a pre-Thanksgiving road trip. I sat in the very back of the SUV where I could not see a thing. This is a VERY big deal for me. I could only trust God to get us there safely, pray about it and then I went to sleep. There is only one other time in twenty-three years that I slept while my husband drove. I’m sure he appreciated the absence of “watch out, slow down, and be careful!”

Our relationship with God requires complete trust. It is the only way we can survive all that comes against us and stay sane. We cannot accomplish all the things we are born for through our own abilities. We will never have all the skill, talent or know how to get everything done. What we can have is complete trust that God has “got it,” whatever our particular “it” is at the time.

In the ten hour ride from Maryland, I had to cast off fears, shrug off discomfort and resign myself that I was not in control. I was forced to be still, be patient and trust. Funny how this particular lesson pops up for me time and time again. We must trust God through our trials if we are ever to reap the rewards of our journey.

I cannot trust God with my everything, and yet attempt to micro-manage every facet of my life.

God will not allow that.

Just like physical endurance, spiritual growth isn’t born from comfort and contentment. It usually arises out of consistent exercise and a bit of unease.

Our trip to visit family had a definitive beginning and end. Other journeys in life aren’t always as clear. We may not see what lies beyond the horizon, but it is faith that keeps us moving. I believe if God revealed everything that lay ahead, we would never have courage enough to take those first steps!

Godspeed in your holiday travels. May they be merry and bright. And if you can’t quite see where you are headed, choose to trust God and enjoy the journey!

Merry Christmas!

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths.
Proverbs 3:5-6 NKJV